I reviewed and loved the Aurorasound HFSA-01 Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier. And…
I also reviewed and loved the Aurorasound VIDA Prima Phono Stage so much so I bought the VIDA MK.II Phono Stage as well as the EQ-100 Adaptive Multi-curve Phono Equalizer. Inspired to live with is a sign of some very good mojo.
“I choose my hifi gear based on everything—looks, build quality, company, performance, features, and price. When it comes to an integrated amplifier, especially in the HFSA-01’s price range, I like having a MM phono stage built in and even a headphone amp for good measure and I put the HFSA-01’s EQ Curves in the crazy-amazingly nice to have category. Add in its retro good looks, rich fit and feel, price, and performance that left me wholly satisfied, opening as big a door onto musical enjoyment as I need, I cannot sing the Aurorasound HFSA-01’s praises loudly enough to anyone looking for an integrated amp that will feed your love of music with endless delight.”
And
“Every piece of hifi gear performs its own kind of balancing act. Price, performance, design, and look & feel all play an important part in any purchase decision I make and the Aurorasound VIDA Prima Phono Stage hit that balancing act on the head.”
I consider both genuine HiFi Bargains.
So you can imagine my excitement when I learned about the company’s new HFSA-02 Integrated Tube Amplifier that relies on a quad of self-biasing EL34s run in push pull operation for 31 Watts (into 8 Ohms) of power. If that part sound familiar, the Barn resident Leben CS600x does as well. Ditto. The HFSA-02 also houses pairs of ECC83s and ECC82s in the input stage while rectification comes courtesy of a ROHM silicon carbide diode. All tubes are new stock from Electro-Harmonix.
The chassis is made from a 22mm thick solid maple wood frame with a 4mm thick aluminum top plate. As you can see, the output transformers come courtesy of Lundahl while the power and choke transformers are custom-made in Japan for Aurorasound. Inside are some quality parts including resistors from Vishay, PRP, and Japanese TAKUMAN; the film capacitors are WIMA (Germany), and the electrolytic capacitors are TDK-EPCOS.
I opted for Option 1 which adds a MM phono stage in addition to three single-ended RCA inputs. The standard version offers four RCA inputs while Option 2 adds one XLR pair to the three RCA inputs. A single pair of binding posts take the signal out to your speakers.
I bet some will be pleased as punch to learn that the HFSA-02 comes with a very simple remote (volume & power) as well as a protective tube cage which I plan to put right back in the box as I like to run…open.
Based on my time with four other products from Aurorasound, I have some expectations but do my best to quell the urge. What I can say is the DeVore O/96 seem almost as excited as I am to plug her in and play. Stay tuned!
Aurorasound HFSA-02 Integrated Tube Amplifier
Price: $9990
Company Website: Aurorasound
US Distributor Website: highend-electronics
Specifications
Input: RCA LINE x4
Option 1: Phono (MM) x1, RCA line x3
Option 2: XLR line (balanced) x1, RCA line x3
Volume control: remote control
Gain / Input sensitivity: 31dB / 440mV
Input impedance: 25kΩ
Output: 31W +31W @8ohm
Frequency Response: 10Hz–30kHz, -3dB
THD+N: 0.1% 1kHz
SNR: 98dB, A-weighted
AC power voltage: Europe/Asia model 240V/230V, USA 120V
Power consumption: 200W
Dimensions (W x D x H): 440 x 290 x 228mm without knobs/terminals
Weight: 20kg