VIVA EGOISTA STX HPA\E - REVIEW
A Time Machine to Musical Venues Everywhere, Past and Present!
There were some good things about being an audio dealer, despite my marked inability to run an audio store. I met some great folks and was exposed to exceptional equipment that rendered music with sublime prowess and, well, some other equipment that rendered music in not so sublime a way at all.
The folks that I met embodied the selfsame characteristics—a love of challenge, discovery, experimentation, and, of course, music—that feed heart, soul and mind. And via the discovery of our kindred ways, we got along swimmingly, that is very well. Amedeo Schembri of Viva Audio was one of those folks brimming with intellect, creativity, enthusiasm, and a torrent of ideas and wisdom. We also shared a love of films from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Through knowing Amedeo, I came to appreciate a great number of things audio and the Viva line in particular. I carried the Viva Audio line in my audio boutiques and owned one personally. The Viva Solista integrated was my first owned component. To a one, the Viva components embodied incredible musicality, naturalness, resolution, and the ability to transcend the listening experience and deliver a compelling “you-are-there” perspective.
When I became aware of Amedeo’s Egoista STX – a singled-ended, electrostatic headphone amplifier – after my many journeys into the storied world of electrostatic, I was excited to have the opportunity to review it. I had found the ability of electrostatics to assist in seeming time travel from this venue to that and to simulate a preternatural closeness to performances simply stunning. If Viva had gotten me to the “you-are-there” perspective even without the electrostatic technology, what part of that world would the electrostatic Viva Egoista STX land me in? And what would be the experience?
REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start, below, with how the equipment actually sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/or laying out its various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Terminator, In the Shadow of the Moon, The Queen’s Gambit, etc—that, likewise, starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.
SOUND
“How,” I thought, “would the coupling of an electrostatic headphone amplifier and a single-ended triode implementation using 300B tubes sound?” Both are known for their resolution, their ability to peel away artifice and layer upon layer of opacity, while bringing forth a distortion free, “you-are-there” palpability and an arresting sense of texture.
Interestingly, both technologies are nearing, or will be nearing soon, a century of existence. How is it that they still command what is thought, by many, to be the crowning achievement of audio playback? Add the turntable and it makes a trifecta with regard to century+ old technologies that continue to evolve, to bring enjoyment, and to welcome a growing following.
Well, back to the question, how does the synthesis of these two technologies render music? Magnificently! I find myself once again in the esteemed world of electrostatics, but on a different continent altogether with the Egoista STX. And this new continent is powerfully immersive, incredibly exciting, with the clearest blue skies imaginable!
Have you ever taken for granted the clarity of a window or a display—microwave, preamp, smartphone, etc.—only to discover that there was a screen over it and that by removing the screen things became, well, more clear. This then is the analogy for the Viva Egoista STX in terms of its mastery at providing a clearer window on a performance but multiplied sevenfold. The Egoista STX does this via its sheer transparency, resolution, and its ability to extract detail—all the hidden notes, cues, coughs, movements, microdynamics, etc.—that generally lie beneath the noise or the “noise floor.”
The “noise floor?” In my writeup of the Mola Mola Tambaqui, our Product of the Year for 2022, I used an analogy to explain the noise/noise floor, reprinted below:
“Imagine, if you will, a house filled to the ceiling with sand, while one of the house’s sides has a ceiling to floor window that allows one to see in. Let’s consider the sand, in this case, noise, with floor to ceiling sand representing, say, signal-free static between radio stations. But once a clear FM station is dialed-in the noise or sand drops to perhaps a millimeter or two above the floor. Most modern high-end audio components have very effectively dealt with noise to this or much better degrees. In the case of the Mola Mola Tambaqui, a janitor has been tasked with sweeping the floor clean of all remaining (observable) sand (noise).”
Yes, the Mola Mola Tambaqui and the Viva Egoista STX have a good deal in common, at the very least with regard to the lack of noise and distortion, and to banishing opacity in favor of window-not-there clarity.
Of course, there’s a great deal more. Tone, timbre and texture are sublime in the tradition of singled-ended triodes, which conjure the naturalness of instrument after instrument and voice after voice, as well as the atmosphere of every venue (which many components fail to do). Goal!
The Egoista STX handles a wealth of light-speed transients and dramatic dynamic swings with great ease, as though it were lounging and eating Bon-bons while doing so. Mustn’t forget the nuance, the air and the spaciousness.
The Viva Egoista STX’s volumetric cube—its soundstage—reaches beyond the plane of the headphones, and it embodies great depth and exceptional height. Positioning, layering and separation are again superb in the tradition of single-ended triodes, with the added resolving power of its electrostatic heritage doubling down on all the aforementioned.
For the Egoista STX’s evaluation it was paired with the Accustic Arts Player II CDP, Roon Nucleus Plus, Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, Bricasti Design M1 DAC, DENAFRIPS Pontus II DAC, STAX SR-009S, Dave Clark VOCE, Audience Front Row cables/wires, AntiCables cables/wires, RSX Power8, and the TORUS RM20.
BASS
Potent. Fast. Detailed. Eiji Oui’s “Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” (Stravinsky, Reference Recording, CD) begins and there is the distinct rumble which foreshadows what is to come via the crescendo of the seven assembled tympani, arranged for this particular performance. The crescendo arrives and the assembled tympani are potent and attention grabbing, though the lowest, sub-bass is only ever barely pierced. Head-Bangers need not apply. Marcus Miller’s “Power” (M2, Concord Records) powers in, brash, taunt, and thumping! The force and the depth of the bass on this track takes no prisoners and offers no excuses. It’s a rocking jaunt. So good was the Egoista STX’s portrayal that I had to sneak another bass rich album in for good measure. Christian McBride’s “Fat Bach and Greens” (Conversations with Christian, Mack Avenue Records) is the interplay of jazz bass and Regina Carter’s classical violin, that is both call and response and a wild frolic that traverses classical and jazz lines. The song moves at speed, with delicious resolution, solid bass licks, and blazing hot transients, all of which set this chair-dancer in motion. Repeat playlist!
MIDRANGE
The Viva Egoista STX produces a “You-are-thereness” that wanders resolutely across the frequency range with a “whole-cloth” coherent rendering. This is what single-ended triodes do via a single vacuum tube responsible for the entire output of a given channel (left, right). They are coherent. Think of an artist drawing a single image on a piece of paper—single-ended, coherent. Now think of that artist drawing one half of the same image on two pieces of paper and taping them together—not single-ended, not entirely coherent. Imagine the potential incongruities, missed overlaps, different line thicknesses, etc. This is called push-pull which is what most amplifiers do, as they “paste” or “tape” together two wave forms or halves of a picture for a given channel (left, right). Don’t get me wrong, most do it exceptionally well, but not so well as single-ended triodes do, they simply can’t.
Shirley Horn’s “Beautiful Love” (You Won’t Forget Me, Verve, CD) plays with such incredible intimacy, detail, and texture that I am taken aback by the beauty of this rendering. But then I’ve never listened to a single-ended triode, electrostatic headphone amplifier before. Tone and timbre are so natural, so fluid, so rich that immersion is unavoidable and unfought. A rush of inner detail betrays the emotion and inflections of Shirley’s voice, as she whispers into my ear like she never has before (it’s taken 30 years!). Toots Thielemans’ harmonica is tangible and held at his mouth like only single-ended triodes can render in full three-dimensionality. Several repeats later, I engage Kandace Springs’ “Black Orchid” (Indigo, Blue Note), Olafur Arnalds’ “Árbakkinn” (Island Songs, Mercury (Universal France)), Andy Bey’s “Angel Eyes,” (American Song, Savoy), and Voces8’s “Prayer to a Guardian Angel” (Lux, Decca), and there are a multitude of discoveries to be made in these time tested pieces which come alive via the Egoista STX. The naturalness, the freed detail, the microdynamics and the transparency enable inner discovery, time after time, that is breathtaking.
TREBLE+
“Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia-Legacy, CD) via the Viva Egoista STX, Accustic Arts Player II CDP and the STAX SR-009S was, perhaps, the most natural, most musical, and the most transparent rendering that I have heard to date. The specter of analog must be raised as ease and immersion and resolution were chart topping! And to make sure, I listened to the entire album, twice! The TOTL STAX SRM-T8000 in comparison is quite a bit opaque, less nuanced, and does not bring the air, the palpability, texture, nor the “you-are-thereness” of the Egoista STX. Live and learn. As Laura St. John’s “Zigeunerweisen” (Gypsy, Well Tempered) begins, Laura is heard to either have gathered up her violin or to have positioned it. A first hearing of this interesting ‘atmospheric’ detail. Then comes the beguiling sweetness of tone, the unrelenting, unhindered climb to the highest treble heights, and the all encompassing resolution of electrostatics as the Egoista STX pops in another Bon-bon. “That was easy, too,” it says. Emmanuelle Bertrand’s “Tout un monde lointain Concerto pour Cello & Orchestra: 1. Enigme” (Dutilleux & Debussy:Works with Cello, Harmonia Mundi) follows, and, with the light-speed transients, brooding atmosphere, and potent dynamic shifts, excitement fills air and ear. Another ‘first’ hearing of this long known, often heard work by Emmanuelle Bertrand. A standing ovation for the various portrayals! Bravo!
The Wrappings and Accessories
The Viva Egoista STX comes in a rather large, square, brown, nondescript box, with the Viva logo and handling instructions on its right and left sides.
Inside this box is a crate made of both wood and cardboard that holds securely the Egoista. And when this crate, via a Phillips Screwdriver, is opened, one finds layers of foam padding, which reveal, when first pulled away, the Egoista’s six tubes. Further down and beneath yet more foam padding sits the Egoista in a soft, ‘cotton’ sheath.
It is a no nonsense affair, its primary charge to protect the Egoista while being shipped, and that is that. One imagines the money saved on graphic design was spent entirely on the Viva Egoista STX and a single look will confirm this. And why not?
Design—Look and Feel
The Viva Egoista STX calls to mind an Italian super sports car. Its Canary Yellow body, its black front grill, molded chassis, exposed, top-mounted, dual 300Bs, 6C45Pi and 6H30PI values may even seem more exotic than the accoutrements of some sports cars. The Viva Egoista measures 16” x 7” x 16” and weighs in at a stout 46 lbs (410 x 185 x 410 mm and 21kg). Suffice to say that its appearance belies muscle, power and finesse.
The Viva Egoista STX is beautiful via its molded, aluminum skin, its bright Canary yellow automotive paint and its high-gloss black front facade. And if you think that it looks good in pictures, “Watch Out!”
Functionality
The Egoista STX is operational simplicity itself, which belies the hot-rodded, zero negative feedback, point-to-point wired, pure Class A engine, which sports Dual 300Bs, 6C45Pi and 6H30PI beneath its elegant, molded chassis. But it will only accommodate electrostatic headphones, none other need apply.
Across the Egoista STX’s gloss-black, front grill from top left to top right sit three concave, molded controls—On/Off, Volume, Input Selection. Beneath the far left and far right controls are two five-pin headphone outputs, again, for electrostatic headphones only. The Viva’s logo sits beneath the center volume control, with the dot atop the Viva’s “i” glowing a solid blue when the Egoista STX is driving (or being driven).
Its rear grill is simpler still. Facing, on the far left sits a bank of 5 inputs—1 balanced, 4 single ended and one direct input labeled “D”. On the far right is the IEC receptacle for a standard or after-market power cord.
Viva Egoista STX sports a powerful, Class A, headphone engine with simple controls that will drive all electrostatic headphones to incredible speeds across the electrostatic autobahn. The Egoista STX is superbly constructed for speed and musicality and outstanding transparency. Bravo!
The Specifications
Viva Egoista STX
Dimensions: w×h×d: 16” x 7” x 16” (410×185×410 mm)
Weight: 46-lbs (21kg)
Inputs: 4 source inputs and 1 Direct Input bypassing the preamp stage
Outputs: 2 × Five Pin Stereo Electrostatic Headphone Jack connectors
Tube complement: 2 × 300B; 2 x 6C45Pi; 2 x 6H30PI
Zero negative feedback pure class A operation
CONCLUSIONS
As I mentioned earlier, I curate products for review based upon research and an understanding of their combined merits, prior to asking for a review sample. Why give time to anything less? Truth be told, I’m having a rather grand time curating the best of the best for review and indulging my love for both music and the equipment which makes its rendering so glorious.
“You-are-there” describes succinctly my experience with the Viva Egoista STX electrostatic headphone amplifier. And it is an experience that will not soon be forgotten. As mentioned, the Top-Of-the-Line STAX SRM-T8000 is not a contender, though at approximately one third the price, it shouldn’t be. It isn’t. As I write this, there is no competition for the Viva Egoista STX electrostatic headphone amplifier. Where that contender may come from has yet to be discovered, but then competition is good, especially when the competition provides a different yet compelling perspective.
This is, perhaps, the easiest honor bestowed upon a component, Mola Mola Tambaqui aside, that I have made to date. Without further ado we, AudioKeyREVIEWS!, honor the Viva Egoista STX with our DIAMOND AWARD for its unparalleled excellence as a single-ended electrostatic headphone amplifier. It is very highly recommended and a must listen for those heeled well enough to adopt the STX into a loving home.
Pros: Sublime in its single-ended triode way with music and palpability as married to the effortless transparency, resolution and speed of electrostatics. Together the married technologies provide for involuntary immersion and immense enjoyment.
Cons: Expensive. Heavy. Not for Head-Bangers.
NOTE: Emily D’Angelo’s enargeia (Deutsche Grammophon) is otherworldly and sublime via the Egoista STX. It is the best rendering that I’ve heard.
The Company
VIVA
Viva Egoista STX $17,000
R&D Facility
Camisano, Veneto, Italy
info@vivaaudio.com
The Distributor
PROFUNDO
2051 Gattis School Rd.
Suite 540/123
Round Rock, TX 78664
510.375.8651
info@profundo.us