Aurorasound has not finished to surprise us! After the launch of its flagship product, the Vida Supreme phono preamplifier, the Japanese manufacturer offers a basic model with great promises: the Vida Prima phono preamplifier!
This one may be the most democratic model for the manufacturer, it includes all the know-how and all Aurorasound’s DNA.
AURORASOUND VIDA PRIMA: CHASSIS
You find the “modern/vintage” look of Aurorasound’s devices.
The aluminum box is surrounded by a wooden hull.
AURORASOUND VIDA PRIMA: FRONT PANEL AND BACK PANEL
The front panel offers only one operating voltage indicator and the “big” mute indicator, which is famous today.
At the back panel of this Vida Prima, you find RCA inputs and outputs, and an IEC socket.
There are also 2 rotary selectors. The first one, with 2 positions, allows select the MM or MC gain that is 40 or 64 dB. The second one, with 3 positions, selects the charge: MM (47 000 ohms), very low impedance MC and medium impedance MC. Be careful, this induces the internal impedance of the cartridge and not its recommended resistive charge, i.e. MC cartridge having an internal resistance lower or higher than 14 ohms.
The use of this phono preamplifier has been at most simplified.
AURORASOUND VIDA PRIMA: CIRCUIT
The RIAA circuit combines NF compensation with a CR type. This reproduce a nuanced sound with matter, while limiting distortion and favoring the signal-to-noise ratio.
The components have been selected by their performances and musicality: Texas Instrument semi-conductor, WIMA film capacitors, Japanese precision resistance...
AURORASOUND VIDA PRIMA: POWER SUPPLY
This time, the power supply has been placed in the Vida Prima’s case.
It designed following a toroidal transformer, fast and audiophile filtering capacity diodes. The RIAA circuit is quite complex and fully optimized, in order to be as transparent as possible and as neutral as possible.
AURORASOUND VIDA PRIMA: TEST AND LISTENING
We turned it on 3 days before look into it!
From the openings bars, we are surprised by the analysis and precisions levels. The Vida Prima seems to be deprived of coloration. You hear every thing, and everything is on its place.
The sound stage is extremely precise, and some instruments are really out of the speaker frame.
The bass is very articulated and nuanced, optimizing the physical aspect. The upper mid is straight and fully transparent, and with an analysis level that is worthy of phono preamplifiers much more expensive.
With this Vida Prima phono preamplifier, Aurorasound offers an ultra-performance product that keeps its entire identity and philosophy, and at a mind-blowing price!
The real novelty of the back-to-school season! The new reference!
STEREO-monthly Jan 19 & analog vol.62 winter - "Écoute Parfaite"
“The outstanding sound qualities of the pre amp make it a bargain, a good deal, a revelation. Aurorasound has achieved a high neutral electronics, able to damn the pawn much more expensive than it. The Vida Prima is definitely a phono pre amp that will stay engraved in our memory.” Haute Fidélité France - June 2019
AWARDS:
Hi-Fi News - Highly Recommended - 2019
Analog - Grand Prix - 2019
Haute-Fidélité - Meilleur Achat - 2019
Pure Audio VGP - 2020
Audiophile Videophile - Impressive Equipments of the Year - 2019/2020
Audio Video Pologne - Choix de la Rédaction - 2020
Audio Stereoplay - 2024
FranckInputs/Outputs: RCA
MM impedance: 47 Kohms
MC impedance: > at 15 ohms and < at 14 ohms
MM gain: 40 dB
MC gain: 64 dB
Output impedance: 47Ω
RIAA precision: +/- 0.5 dB of 20 - 20 kHz
MM signal-to-noise ratio: -134 dB
MC signal-to-noise ratio: -134 dB
Distortion: MC 0.01 %, MM 0.009 %
Switch: mute
Dimensions: 250 x 246 x 69mm
Weight: 2.3 kg
Customer reviews
Amélioration
Je l'ai acheté en 03.2021 (cf mon commentaire). Je viens de changer mon vieux câble Norstone contre un Oyaide pa 2075 RR V2. Quelle amélioration ! Tous les paramètres d'écoute sont améliorés, plusieurs voiles en moins devant la musique. Ma platine.com ferait bien de s'intéresser à cette prestigieuse marque japonaise.
Japan Trip
Le préamplificateur Vida Prima est venu remplacer un Pro-Ject Tube Box S2 qui pourtant me donnait toute satisfaction, mais bon... En première écoute, un petit manque de chaleur apparait. Par la suite, il arrive de lever la tête pour voir si Miles, John, Bill et les autres ne sont pas entrés dans ma pièce d'écoute par effraction.... Autant dire qu'on se trouve vite pris dans une écoute hautement additive. Merci à Franck pour ses conseils.
Exceptionnel
Comme beaucoup le disent parmi les commentaires qui ont fait l'éloge de ce préamp phono, je dirais qu'il est superbe, qu'il attire le regard et que les oreilles en sont ravies ! il excelle, surpasse mon précédent préamp le Tube Box DS 2.
Je l'ai intercalé entre un transfo step up AFE 12 (Aurorasound également) et un ampli Rega Elex MK4 pour info.
Parfait
Appareil très simple à installer.Très beau beau son, absence de souffle parasite.