Riviera Labs — all-new APL-1 & AFS-32 combo and more — it’s happening!… Brooklyn, NY

[Scottie]

Hello WBF. I’m new to the forum and this is my first post. Delighted to share we’ve had the all-new Riviera Labs APL-1 & AFS-32 combo running in our listening room for about a month now. Right from the get-go, this combo is sounding immediately right-on and got right-in about it, the music that is. The experience is instant and brings about an immediate sense of release, a sense of decoupling and trace from hifi leanings and associated processes. The sound is so full bodied, so fast-acting and fast-resolving and wonderfully engaging, so very present and nature-like.

So far, all good,— we couldn’t be happier here at our Red Hook Brooklyn listening room. And after the initial month of listening using Riviera Labs supplied tubes, we thought to end the week and treat our collective selves to a late and fun Friday afternoon tube rolling session. We were always wholly impressed with the tubes supplied by Riviera Labs, and It took a wickedly good set of vintage Siemens to win us over in ways some might regard as an improvement. Also in the mix was a vintage Mullard pair, which had superb qualities- qualities we could see people lean towards as a preference. Where we ended up though was with the original tubes back in the AFS-32, and the vintage Siemens in the APL-1 to enjoy for the time being. The takeaway for us is the stupendous versatility of the Riviera Labs in allowing for such ease of experimentation/rolling of tubes. This is especially welcome knowing we can come back to the standard supplied stock tubes and feel whole again, that it’s not only rare NOS tube of yesteryear that get this combo going. However, it’s great to be able to do that too when we fancy.

We also have the Riviera Labs APL10 Pure Class A Tube Preamplifier & AFM25 Pure Class A Hybrid Mono Power Amplifier(s), plus the LEVANTE Hybrid Integrated Amplifier as well to listen to, so if you’re in the Brooklyn, New York area and interested in Riviera Labs, get in touch!

 

[orrman]

I was looking at those as a potential upgrade from my Levante but might keep on saving to jump up to the big boy separates at some point.

How does the 1 and 32 compare to Levante from your experience? From both performance and tonality perspectives

 

[Scottie]

The LEVANTE presents things in a more simplistic and lighter way compared to the APL-1 & AFS-32 combo. This couldn’t be a more positive nod to LEVANTE though, for this is something one anticipates and expects when going from an integrated amp design and scaling on up into separates made by the same manufacturer.


In short, LEVANTE already performs with serious suave, complexity, control, and flare, attributes typically associated with separate chassis components. The 1 & 32 combo continues with all that and more, and it’s not so subtle, but still remains familial, a good thing! Together, 1 & 32 have that next level thing going on, that simultaneous and unwavering sense of ease and drive about them. Compared to LEVANTE, the 1 & 32 are more open and continuous, there’s more immediacy and stability across a musical happening as it unfolds, drawing one into that moment, real-time, all the time. The rise and fall, that sense of call and responsiveness comes through with more refinement, nuance, and dynamic contrast. There’s fuller weight and body about the 1 & 32, even more totality of tonal balance, from top to bottom.


LEVANTE to 1 & 32 is a great next step within the Riviera Labs range of component/combo/options,… a real meaningful one.