Aavik R-580
Phono Stage
Ultra low noise – Maximum musicality
The Aavik R-580 phono stage is delivering a impressive warm and huge soundstage with a maximum of details on an ultraquiet black background.
Technologies and Components
Lively and vivid performance.
The Aavik phono stage has been developed to tease out the natural flow of music that is so typical of a vinyl-based sound source. The extensive research we invested in gaining a deeper understanding of the major turntable and cartridge challenges shaped the platform for the engineering solutions embedded in the Aavik phono stage. The key strength of the Aavik RIAA is the sonic isolation of the ultra-low signals that emanate from the vinyl source, and the filtering out of any disturbing outside noise and vibration.
94 kHzS/N ratio at 1 kHz |
108Active Tesla Coil |
62 dB, Gain |
Scandinavian design with an international twist
The Aavik design is Scandinavian understatement and expresses simplicity and minimalism featuring only a few buttons for logical operation. The multifunctional main knob allows to navigate and control the various functions. We have boosted the self-confidence with a huge red display, which makes it easy to read all details of the selected operational settings.
A cabinet with excellent sonic qualities
The cabinet design represents a Aavik characteristic. The testing of new circuits and electronic components is often done without the enclosing cabinet. The disturbing sonic influence, which emanates from the material the cabinet is made of – mostly aluminium – results from its mechanical resonance. To eliminate this sonic distortion, the challenge was to minimize the use of aluminium in the cabinet to the absolute minimum that is unavoidable to ensure sufficient cooling. We began testing various materials and designed an innovative natural-based composite material, which reduces the mechanical influence, particularly the hysteresis. The sonic result is distinctly audible and reflects a further prominent cornerstone in Aavik’s quest for the ultimate music experience.
Shaping
Built like an instrument.
Our untiring endeavour to unlock further untapped sonic potentials to advance the quality of the listener’s musical experience, prompted us to look into the design and construction of musical instruments – both in terms of shape, as well as choice of material. A combination of the natural-based composite material, the contours and the ratio of the sizes can impact and define the tone. Too much damping kills the dynamics, whereas metallic resonances generate a bright and peaky sound – Aavik’s engineered enclosure offers the best of both worlds: an authentic sound that is warm, harmonious, and powerful, yet, at the same time, so crisp and refined that it highlights every single detail in the music.
Separates
No compromise.
The decision to build separate units reflects Aavik’s intent of space management without any sonic compromise. Allowing sufficient space for each segment, has also influenced the integration of a high-grade power supply with a huge capacity and paved the way for an effective cooling design.
By separating the individual units and redesigning them in a totally isolated fashion, the Aavik series has gained in dynamic momentum and a more expansive sound.
The Aavik RIAA / Phono stage
Lively and vivid performance.
The Aavik RIAA section is based on a discrete, floating balanced, ultra-low noise bipolar input circuit. The topology of a moving coil cartridge is a floating balanced signal generator. Aavik has kept this topology throughout the phono stage. The input circuitry allows use of ultra-low noise bipolar transistors. By paralleling several transistor pairs, we have created an absolutely quiet input section. The phono stage has 62 dB gain, and the cartridge loading is adjustable from 50 Ohm to 5 Ohm. The *S/N ratio is 94 dB measured at 1 kHz.
The Aavik phono section will let you explore the amazing details and musical depths of your vinyl collection.
*S/N ratio: Signal to Noise ratio
Cartridge loading adjustment
A perfect match for any MC.
To get the highest efficiency from your turntable pick-up, the impedance can precisely be adjusted according to the individual MC cartridge.
The Tesla coil principle
The principle is to have two coils that are wounded in each direction / a coil and a counter coil. In Ansuz words: “a double inverted coil” – the two coils are both carrying voltage – and when the Tesla coil encounters a voltage spike a counter spike is activated in order to eliminate the noise. As Noise spikes are pure voltage and carries virtually no charge, the cancelation is quite good, but not 100%. By adding more P-TC coils in parallel the performance increases. By implementing this the perceived blackness in the music improves significantly.
Ansuz Tesla coils are available in various types as they complement each other in terms of strengths /weaknesses.
Active Tesla coil
Effective noise killer.
The active Tesla coils are power supplied which secures a remarkable lower impedance and thus a better ability to eliminate noise. The active version is about three to four times more efficient than passive Tesla coils.
Active square Tesla coils
Impressive noise reduction.
The active square Tesla coils are embedded in our circuitry boards – one coil on the top and the counter coil on the rear side. The principle is exactly the same as the active Tesla coil and thus a great ability to eliminate noise than the passive Tesla coil.
Analog dither technology
Extended musicality.
This technology is another noise reduction technology. The technology origins from radars where it secured a stronger signal and thus a wider range. Ansuz active Tesla coils are sending pulsated signals in well-defined frequencies. These signals are sent in counter phase and thus eliminating the noise floor whereby the music signal is significantly increased.
Copper chassis
The flagship 580 series are equipped with an inner chassis in solid copper. The effect of this is a further reduction in the hysteresis, which secures more energy and power to the music.
REVIEW & AWARDS
Aavik Acoustics R-580 - Read More
"The Finish Gold now makes room for the Brinkmann EMT ti in the Transrotor TRA 9's headshell. This allows the R-580 to show how well it copes with "loud" moving coil cartridges. Helmut Brinkmann recommends a terminating impedance of 600 ohms and that's where I start. Of course I also grant the EMT two records to warm up before I give it a more critical listen. After all, the bearing rubber has to become a little smoother again. The EMT then starts on - at least on vinyl - a long unheard album: Stevie Ray Vaughan's Couldn't Stand The Weather and of course its track "Tin Pan Alley": That was already one of my favourites more than 30 years ago, at a time when I listened almost exclusively to EMT variants. And now again I enjoy the tremendous power and energy of the song. However, I have never been granted to experience such a large and airy space. The fine dynamics of the guitar playing I don't remember as good as this. Of course, this is largely due to the rest of the chain, but the EMT ti and the R-580 harmonise excellently: The coarse dynamics and the joy of playing of the cartridge benefit from the spatiality, speed and detailing of the phono stage: an ideal pair!" - DIRK SOMMER
Aavik Acoustics R-580 - Read More
"Perhaps of all the 580 Series, Aavik’s R-580 best explains why the skin-deep upgrades from 180 through 280 to 580 are so significant. Let’s not beat around the bush here; this is one of the very best phono stages out there, and that holds across the board. But when you get to the Aavik R-580, those extra levels of noise-reduction and interference control make this a genuinely ear-opening vinyl experience. The degree of precision and control it extends is incredible and the active noise reduction (inside a product that naturally spends its days trying to prevent the ingress of noise on a very low-level signal) is striking. It allows you to create the sort of unbalanced, uneven systems that only a reviewer could and extract sublime sound from them. If you ever wanted to know precisely how your cartridge sounds without being influenced by the wider world, the Aavik R-580 will tell you. " - Alan Sircom
Aavik Acoustics R-580 Phono Preamp - Read More
"The R-580’s cabinet design represents a core Aavik tenet. To eliminate potential sonic distortion, Aavik wanted to minimize the use of aluminium in the cabinet in order to ensure “sufficient” cooling. To that end, the company designed a natural-based composite material that is said to reduce “the mechanical influence, particularly the hysteresis.” To get to that point, Aavik says they looked into the design and construction of “musical instruments, both in terms of shape, as well as choice of material.” " - Mike Mettler
Aavik Acoustics R-580 - Read More
"It’s almost as if the rest of the LP chain doesn’t matter, as seeming differences between devices are reduced to a bare minimum. "
Phono Stage Technology Table
| Aavik R-180 | Aavik R-280 | Aavik R-580 | |
| Active Tesla coil | 36 | 72 | 108 |
| Active square Tesla coils | 104 | 176 | 248 |
| Dither Circuitry | 5 | 8 | 11 |
| Aavik Copper Inner Cha… | * |
SPECIFICATIONS
Connections |
|
|
Line in: |
Phono input: RCA with floating ground
Max. input: 5mVrms Gain: 65 dB@1kHz Load impedance: Adjustable from 50 ohm to 10 kohm Frequency response: +/-0,5 dB (20 Hz – 20 kHz) |
| Line out: |
Output: RCA
Distortion: <0,005 (THD at 1kHz, 0,5mV input) Output impedance: 120 ohm |
Aavik Noise Reduction |
|
| Active Tesla Coils: |
108
|
| Active Square Tesla Coils: |
248
|
| Dither Circuitry: |
11
|
Power consumption |
|
| Standby: |
<0.5W
|
| Idle: |
<10W
|
Dimensions and Weight |
|
| L x W x H: |
380 x 384 x 102 mm
14 61/64 x 15 1/8 x 4 1/64 inch |
| Weight: |
7.3 kg
16 lbs |
