I’m only half-joking when I say that my #1 reason for covering AXPONA this year was to hear the Vinnie Rossi Brama integrated amplifier ($38,995) and the Qln Signature monitors ($18,000/pair). After staying home and listening to music and putting out review after review for the last two years, it was wonderful to meet up with all of my old friends in the industry. We really missed each other! As I mentioned in the upcoming The Occasional Podcast, we are a tightly knit community, a family.
But back to the Vinnie Rossi Brama integrated and the Qln Signature. I consider Vinnie Rossi a friend, as well as Mark Sossa of Well Pleased Audio Vida, who handles both Vinnie Rossi (from Worcester) and Qln speakers (from Sweden). It’s no secret that Vinnie Rossi and Qln is one of the most synergistic combos in all of high-end audio, The sound is exquisite and spacious and warm, with a soundstage that always sounds huge and realistic. I reviewed the Qln Prestige Ones and the Vinnie Rossi L2-i integrated, but unfortunately not at the same time.
Rounding out this amazing system was an Innuos Statement server, a Merason DAC-1, a Gigawatt power conditioner and Swisscables.
The Vinnie Rossi Brama integrated is a huge step-up from the L2 series, which was a huge step up from the LIO. You can easily see that in the retail price of the Brama integrated, but you also see it when Vinnie pops the hood and shows you the incredible amount of innovation in his design. I can’t even begin to describe all the thoughtful high-tech features, especially when you catch a glimpse of the 300Bs inside. (The Brama can be switched from triode to solid-state, by the way.) Every square inch of this beast has been carefully considered and machined to perfection.
When you face them head on, the Qln Signature monitors look very similar to the Prestige Ones–it’s slightly taller and the woofer is larger, but otherwise it’s Qln all the way. When you look at it from the side, you immediately see the difference–the Signature is deep. Together, they offer an extraordinary sense of everything I want from audio–huge soundstage, deep bass, loads of detail, warmth (especially in triode). These are endgame products for me. If I could afford them right now, I’d quit my job, move to a house in the middle of nowhere and listen to music on the Vinnie Rossi Brama integrated and Qln Signatures for the rest of my life.
Hyperbole? Perhaps, but the Vinnie Rossi Brama integrated and the Qln Signatures give me the type of sound I’ve always chased in this hobby of mine. But there’s no need to worry, we might have as many as three of our writers take on the Brama so we’ll look into this amazing design from all angles in the near future. But the Qln Signatures? Back off, they’re mine.
If you would like to hear even more coverage from AXPONA 2022, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the show direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
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