The amplifier technology used is also particularly special. Aavik Acoustics makes Switched Mode Amplifiers, but they don't do it with the usual Triangle Modulation; Michael Børresen uses Sinus Wave Modulation instead. This advanced technique avoids the typical harshness that many Switched Mode amplifiers exhibit. All Aavik Acoustics components sound effortless and very musical.
First, we can talk about the 180/280/580 Series amplifiers from Aavik Acoustics because they form an important part of the Aavik DNA. They make 8 amplifiers, ranging from roughly €6.000,00 to €30.000,00, and all amplifiers contain basically the same output amplifier. And therefore also the same power. 2 x 300 Watts at 8 Ohms and 2 x 600 Watts at 4 Ohms. The output amplifier is a Pascal Class D amplifier, based on sine waves instead of sawtooth waves, and its auditory qualities can be compared to the best amplifiers, even Zero Feedback, Single Ended, Class A tube amplifiers. Yes, we didn't expect that either. The output amplifier is therefore only marginally responsible for the musical end result. The most affordable Aavik Acoustics amplifier is currently the I-180.
This amplifier outperforms most amplifiers under €10.000 that we know. The sound is so beautiful, refined, calm, controlled but also sophisticated, and you can listen to it for hours on end. The more expensive amplifiers, for example the I-280 or I-580, or also the U-280 and U-580, have the same output amplifier as the 180 series, but still sound even better. The difference lies in the housing and the amount of anti-noise techniques applied. The more expensive series have, for example, many more active and passive Tesla coils built in, more and more expensive Dither techniques, solid titanium feet, titanium resonance control, a pure copper inner chassis, Anti Aerial Resonance Controllers and more. These techniques provide the refinement of the sound, which means the 280 and 580 series sound even better than the 180 series.
Listening session with Blumenhofer Gran Gioia 2x10 with the Aavik Acoustics P-280 Power Amplifier and the highly refined Western Electric WE91E and the powerful Melody Everest 845, and also the Audio Research REF75SE makes it clear that Aavik stands its ground effortlessly. Now the Blumenhofer is a high-efficiency (95dB) speaker with an 8 Ohms impedance, so it's the domain for low-power tube amplifiers, so it's all the more special that the Aavik P-280 holds its own completely in this context. The Aavik P-280 sounds beautifully round on the Blumenhofers, refined, very detailed without sounding thin, and the control is excellent. There's nowhere it goes off track and it sounds very spacious and musical. We dare to put the Aavik amplifiers up against any amplifier for a comparison. The chances are very high that you, like us, will be deeply impressed by the musical qualities of Aavik. It is important to put the Aavik Acoustics P-280 on Ansuz Darkz, but that actually applies to all Aavik Acoustics products. An Aavik device belongs on Darkz. Period.
We are therefore pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of the Aavik amplifiers. They are compact, resonance-free and not incredibly heavy, but the sound quality is phenomenal.
Now Aavik has recently announced their absolute top models. The 880 series consisting of the I-880, the C-880 and the P-880. These are large and heavy copper machines, which are set entirely in Class A. So different technology than the 180/280 and 580 series. They promise to be phenomenal and groundbreaking amplifiers, but unfortunately the 880 series is steeply priced. Groundbreaking technology but unfortunately not for everyone.
Ohm-Audio BV 2023-02
