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Aqua Acoustic Quality CD players
A relatively new company, Aqua Acoustic Quality was founded in Milan, Italy, in 2010 by product designer and CEO Cristian Anelli. AAQ released its original Formula DAC in 2016. And they have focused solely on the digital source (CD Transport, Streamers and various DACs). We are very much in favour of such a focused approached to development as this usually results in products that stand out from mainstream competitors on sound quality.
We are still convinced by the superiority CD as a digital format and will always seek out standout equipment for this physical replay. For our reference level equipment, we have the superb Luxman D-10X which presents a high bar to beat, even at multiple times the price. We believe the new Aqua La Diva Mk 2(CD Transport) and the La Scala Mark 2 (R2R tube hybrid DAC) offers an equally special sound quality but with a different flavour to the Luxman. The Aqua combination is outstanding in its transparency, micro dynamics, timbre textures and speed. Very precise and accurate imaging within a satisfyingly large sound stage, very deep and wide but with a slightly more forward and detail-focused presentation. It has a delicacy, shown especially in tone, texture and timbre, especailly on chord sustain decays, but the speed of transients and rhythmic pace are exemplary. All on a par with our reference Luxman D-10X, which could be considered to have a very slightly more lush tonal balance, with a denser sound field.
Interestingly, the Luxman is utilising a newly developed DAC chip, for which the design process itself was audio quality focused for the first time, and a first in the audio world. The Luxman is the peak of ‘Delta-sigma’ (chip based) conversion, whereas the Aqua combination is using a discrete, Resistor to Resistor (R2R) DAC topology with FPGA control. These are two, opposing, conversion technologies with a common goal, and both offer truly fantastic sonic results.
We have on demonstration both the La Diva Mk2 CD Transport (newly released late 2021) and the La Scala Mk2 R2R Tube-hybrid DAC (released September 2021) and this combination offer outstanding CD replay at this price point. Build quality is of the highest level for high-end audio products together with the most elegant styling that typifies products made in Italy.
We will be reviewing the rest of the Aqua range in due course, particularly the LinQ Network Interfaces and the Formula xHD DAC. We will report on our findings after our listening tests.
Aqua Acoustics Quality La Diva CD Transport Mk2
NEW
La Diva CD Transport Mk2
The new generation of La Diva, La Diva Mk 2, is a CD drive that, while keeping the previous name, is completely new, both in terms of CD mechanics and all internal electronics, power supply, FPGA decoding, clock, display, and more.
Aqua Acoustic Quality La Diva CD Transport Mk2 in silver or black £8,960
La Diva CD Transport Mk2
La Scala MK2 Optologic DAC
The La Scala DAC is not a product designed to become obsolescent as is the case with most of the products in the high-end digital world. After its first appearance in the flagship Formula DAC, the proprietary D/A conversion system developed by Aqua (Optologic), is now available for the La Scala Mk II DAC. The La Scala Mk II keeps the Valve/MOSFET hybrid circuitry, now utilising a pair of specially selected ECC81 tubes - a High-Frequency triode - for its extremely low noise and superb transparency.
Current MK1 Owners, can upgrade their unit in order to reach to the revolutionary Optologic D/A conversion system. This upgrade improves every aspect: time coherence, micro-dynamics, timbre, and without losing that magic atmosphere for which La Scala is widely renowned.
Aqua Acoustic Quality La Scala MK2 Optologic DAC in silver or black £7,460
La Scala MK2 Optologic DAC
Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD Rev. 2 Optologic DAC
The Formula xHD (revision 2) is the flagship DAC from Aqua Acoustic takes things up a level from the La Scala Mk 2 Optologic DAC by using better components which are summarised below. The soundstage is slightly larger in all dimensions, with an increase in the precision of imaging which is already very precise in the La Scala, and transients are delivered slightly faster.
The sound is very much the trademark Aqua Acoustic, retaining the qualities we admire in the La Scala, notably highly accurate tone and timbre to the instruments and voices, texture and detail, precise rhythmic timing and 3-dimensional soundstage – but the Formula xHD just does it better.
Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD Rev. 2 Optologic DAC in silver or black £14,980
The quality of the La Diva/La Scala now is already stunning... The effect is just what I was trying to achieve when I started to upgrade the system 4 years ago. This journey is made easier in that the source sound quality is so high, even at this early stage of running in. I cannot believe how good the PMC Cor amp and PMC 25/26 speakers sound. The increase in dynamic range alone is massive... I seem to now have a subwoofer added to the speakers.
- Mr BD from North London
Formula xHD DAC
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Visit our demonstration room
4 Zephyr House Calleva Park | Aldermaston | Berkshire RG7 8JN
Demonstrations by appointment Monday – Saturday: 10:00am to 6:00pm.
Telephone or Zoom consultations are available and can be booked at mutually convenient times
