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My time with the 250 pound Audia Flight amplifier is rapidly coming to an end and now is as good a time as any to post some followup thoughts to my original review. (Paul Manos, the AF distributor, reclaims his amplifier this weekend).
My original thought and review of the Strumento No 4 was posted at and can be found at:
The Strumento No 4 has continued to impress me in the many months since the publication of the review. In fact, the amplifier sounds even better than it did at the time of the review as a result of some changes in the system including the addition of Gary Koh"s/Genesis Advanced Technoogies' startlingly transparent and quiet Power Cords, the new Doshi V3.0 phono section and Furutech's latest NCF Nano AC receptacles. In fact, the Audia Flight has lasted in my system longer than any other solid-state amplifier to date and it brings tears to my eyes to day goodbye to this Italian gem (the plight of all reviewers!) The AF proved--and given the S5's extremely revealing nature--an exceptional match or the Magico S5s (soon to be replaced by the S5 Mk. 2). The various changes to the system continued to open up the amplifier's upper octaves and reduce the amplifier's noise floor. In the end, the Audia Flight never ceased to impress me with its simply effortless nature, naturalness, bass control, amazing soundstage and spatial recreation. The amplifier's ability to reproduce the three-dimensionality of drums, cellos and the like was at times, especially on say the Yarlung tapes, positively spooky.
But the performance of the Audia Flight amplifier was definitely greater than the sum of the parts. Far too often, reviewers and audiophiles toss around descriptions-say of solid-state amplifiers--as sounding like neither tubes or solid-state. Or even in one case, a single-ended triode tube amplifier (I had the amplifier and as good as it sounded, single-end amplifier sounding like wasn't one word that came to mind to describe its sound). Even Bob Carver would be hard pressed to imitate that sound. Far too often, these so called ground breaking solid-state amplifiers simply contain to my ears colorations that make them sound darker and rolled off. But there is no cheating mother nature. Those old solid-state coloration hadn't been eliminated. They just took a little more time to identify.
Enter the Audia Flight Strumento No 4 amplfier. Here for the very first time in my long experience as a reviewer is a solid-state amplifier that doesn't sound like solid-state--or tubes---for that matter. The amplifier simply pays homage to the music. The Audia Flight was one of those rare amplifiers that I could listen to for hour upon hour without any feeling of wanting to wash the dishes. Or post on an audio forum! A solid-state amplifier didn't lack for low level resolution. A solid-state amplifier with exceptional soundstaging. A solid-state amplifier with good harmonic integrity especially with the best of source material like 15 ips tapes. Moreso, a solid-state amplifier that just was smooth as a baby's butt and didn't have that solid-state edge, thinness or mechanical quality to it. No, the Strumento No 4 doesn't sound like it can go from 0-60 in 3 seconds but for some reason it's still cat quick sounding. In the case of the Audia Flight, the amplifier like the speakers just seemed to disappear allowing the largest to the minutest of changes elsewhere in the system, be it a change in tubes, cartridges or even connectors on my tape preamp to shine through. Alas poor Audia Flight!
And to think that there's now a Mk. 2 version now available of the Strumento No. 4!
My original thought and review of the Strumento No 4 was posted at and can be found at:
The Strumento No 4 has continued to impress me in the many months since the publication of the review. In fact, the amplifier sounds even better than it did at the time of the review as a result of some changes in the system including the addition of Gary Koh"s/Genesis Advanced Technoogies' startlingly transparent and quiet Power Cords, the new Doshi V3.0 phono section and Furutech's latest NCF Nano AC receptacles. In fact, the Audia Flight has lasted in my system longer than any other solid-state amplifier to date and it brings tears to my eyes to day goodbye to this Italian gem (the plight of all reviewers!) The AF proved--and given the S5's extremely revealing nature--an exceptional match or the Magico S5s (soon to be replaced by the S5 Mk. 2). The various changes to the system continued to open up the amplifier's upper octaves and reduce the amplifier's noise floor. In the end, the Audia Flight never ceased to impress me with its simply effortless nature, naturalness, bass control, amazing soundstage and spatial recreation. The amplifier's ability to reproduce the three-dimensionality of drums, cellos and the like was at times, especially on say the Yarlung tapes, positively spooky.
But the performance of the Audia Flight amplifier was definitely greater than the sum of the parts. Far too often, reviewers and audiophiles toss around descriptions-say of solid-state amplifiers--as sounding like neither tubes or solid-state. Or even in one case, a single-ended triode tube amplifier (I had the amplifier and as good as it sounded, single-end amplifier sounding like wasn't one word that came to mind to describe its sound). Even Bob Carver would be hard pressed to imitate that sound. Far too often, these so called ground breaking solid-state amplifiers simply contain to my ears colorations that make them sound darker and rolled off. But there is no cheating mother nature. Those old solid-state coloration hadn't been eliminated. They just took a little more time to identify.
Enter the Audia Flight Strumento No 4 amplfier. Here for the very first time in my long experience as a reviewer is a solid-state amplifier that doesn't sound like solid-state--or tubes---for that matter. The amplifier simply pays homage to the music. The Audia Flight was one of those rare amplifiers that I could listen to for hour upon hour without any feeling of wanting to wash the dishes. Or post on an audio forum! A solid-state amplifier didn't lack for low level resolution. A solid-state amplifier with exceptional soundstaging. A solid-state amplifier with good harmonic integrity especially with the best of source material like 15 ips tapes. Moreso, a solid-state amplifier that just was smooth as a baby's butt and didn't have that solid-state edge, thinness or mechanical quality to it. No, the Strumento No 4 doesn't sound like it can go from 0-60 in 3 seconds but for some reason it's still cat quick sounding. In the case of the Audia Flight, the amplifier like the speakers just seemed to disappear allowing the largest to the minutest of changes elsewhere in the system, be it a change in tubes, cartridges or even connectors on my tape preamp to shine through. Alas poor Audia Flight!
And to think that there's now a Mk. 2 version now available of the Strumento No. 4!
Wish I could be more help.
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