Aavik I-880 is an integrated amplifier operating in pure class A.
Features:
- 15 dB gain
- Volume control in 1 dB steps
- Output power of 200 W at 8 ohms and 400 W at 4 ohms
- Distortion (THD) 0.007%
- Active Tesla coils: 132
- Active square Tesla coils: 311
- Dither circuitry technology: 18
- Active zirconium anti-accident resonant Tesla coils: 20
- Copper housing
- Low pass and High pass outputs
The main goal of the 880 series development was to create a powerful amplifier operating in pure class A, with minimal output impedance and a record signal-to-noise ratio, thus improving speaker characteristics, leading to a much more organic sound and greater musicality. Up until this point, Aavik models used class D amplification.
Unique Power Supply
The classic power supply of a class A amplifier is equipped with a powerful power transformer and a bank of capacitors. Aavik engineers developed an innovative scheme that constantly sustains the output cascades in class A, regardless of the power amplifier's required current, significantly reducing energy consumption. This allowed for a reduction in the capacitor bank capacity in the power supply filters and positioning them locally, with each of the eight pairs of output transistors having its own capacitor bank located nearby. This minimizes the length of power lines, reducing noise. Furthermore, this innovative design of the 880 series amplifiers also reduces their heating during operation, resolving a key issue of class A amplifiers.
Precision Volume Control
The 880 series amplifiers feature an innovative microprocessor-controlled volume control based on LDR (Light Dependent Resistor), which boasts an extremely low noise level due to the absence of switches and relays on field-effect transistors. Feedback becomes so strong that the signal can be attenuated to less than 1. This allows for maintaining a full signal with the lowest signal-to-noise ratio, regardless of the volume being increased or decreased. This provides speakers with a clear flow of information, making even the finest nuances of tone and texture perceptible against an extremely quiet soundstage.
Unique Crossover
The Aavik amplifier also includes an analog crossover, allowing for precision implementation of a triphonic configuration with an active subwoofer. Additionally, this crossover can be used for analog sound system correction according to the acoustic features of the listening room. The active analog crossover ensures precise synchronization when sending audio signals to receiving components, crucial for avoiding sharp and muffled sound. The Aavik active crossover was designed for either very precise subwoofer control or with an integrated low- and high-pass filter for managing a 2.1 home theater system.
Room Correction
Room correction involves identifying and eliminating resonance in the room. The specific resonance that creates an unpleasant and disturbing sound is pressure resonance, resulting from the room's size – subjectively felt as a "boom" emanating from the speakers. To eliminate this room-specific resonance, Aavik amplifiers can adapt their sound characteristics based on any given room size. Both low and high-pass filters allow listeners to apply precise frequency changes around those low frequencies causing this troubling "boom" effect.
Tesla Coil Operating Principle
The principle involves having two coils wound in each direction – one coil and a counter coil. As developers put it: "double inverted coil" – both coils carry voltage, and when a Tesla coil encounters a voltage spike, the counter spike is activated to eliminate noise. Since noise spikes are pure voltage and carry little charge, suppression is quite good, but not 100%. By adding more PTC coils in parallel, performance is increased. Thanks to this implementation, the perception of blackness in music is significantly enhanced.
Active Tesla Coils
Active Tesla coils are powered from the power source, providing significantly lower resistance and better noise elimination capabilities compared to passive Tesla coils. The active version is approximately three to four times more efficient than passive Tesla coils.
Active Square Tesla Coils
Active square Tesla coils are integrated on our boards – one coil on top, and the counter coil on the reverse side. The operating principle is exactly the same as with active Tesla coils and has greater noise elimination capacity than passive Tesla coils.
Distinctive Design
The Aavik I-880 amplifier housing was primarily designed to preserve the best sound characteristics. Copper was chosen as the main material for the housing components. The chassis is a sandwich of copper plate, heavy laminate padding, and a layer of titanium at the bottom, with copper cooling radiators mounted on the sides. The volume knob is covered with a rubber layer, and the main amplifier control functions are implemented through a large touch LCD display. Aavik 880 series amplifiers rest on included isolation supports, Ansuz Darkz Z2, further reducing hysteresis, lowering output impedance, decreasing inductance, positively impacting damping factor, and providing a calmer amplifier operation.
Package includes:
- Amplifier
- Remote control
- Power cable
- Manual
