Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
All
AFM50
reviews
Manufacturer details
- Dimensions: 26 x 43.5 x 27.5h cm
- Weight: 22.5 Kg
- Inputs: 1 RCA Unbalanced input, 1 XLR Balanced input (true balanced)
- Power Output: 50W / 8 Ohm
Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
- They are engineered as hybrid designs, combining the sonic characteristics of tubes in the preamp stage with the power and control of solid-state components in the output stage, providing a unique balance of warmth and precision.
- Riviera's Class A amplifiers are noted for their uncanny ability to create a dimensional and physical sound image, bringing a lifelike presence and immersive quality to reproduced music.
- Tube rolling provides a customizable sonic palette, enabling users to fine-tune the amplifier's character through subtle but noticeable changes in the sound signature with different tubes.
Select products
APL01SE
- Positioning: The entry-level unit aimed at balanced performance with essential features.
- Description: Offers straightforward sound purity aided by a simplified preamplification design that suits small room applications. Compared to other models in the lineup, its connectivity and feature set are more basic, making it a good choice for those with modest budgets and straightforward functionality needs.
LEVANTE
- Positioning: A compact and affordable option designed for casual listening and tight spaces.
- Description: Provides reliable performance with a focus on intuitive operation and efficient circuit design for clear audio reproduction. In contrast to the APL series, it presents fewer connectivity options and less advanced processing.
APL10
- Positioning: A mid-range integrated solution that offers enhanced features balanced with solid sound quality.
- Description: Includes advanced digital processing techniques and refined circuit architecture that result in improved clarity and a wider range of functions. When compared to the entry-level APL01SE and LEVANTE, it offers increased connectivity and output power.
AFM25
- Positioning: A standard amplifier designed for users looking for more power and refined sound in regular setups.
- Description: Uses innovative power management and signal processing methods that elevate sound dynamics beyond basic models. Relative to the lower-priced products, it delivers enhanced output and connectivity, while still being less feature-dense than the flagship unit.
AFM100SE
- Positioning: The flagship model built for enthusiasts demanding top-tier performance and comprehensive functionality.
- Description: Features state-of-the-art amplifier technology with precision engineering that achieves superior sound quality and a detailed soundstage. Compared with models like the AFM25 and APL10, it offers the most extensive connectivity options and dynamic control.
Our take on the brand
Look inside the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
Riviera, as many other producer have a network of service centers directly connected with our local distributor. In Europe, we mostly take care of possible issues directly, because it is cheaper and faster than shipping the products to a service, than shipping part to the service and the unit back to the customer. So the customer only have to return the unit to the dealer where they bought the unit.
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Used
Riviera
What if you spend more?
Audio Phonique PSE1605 mono amplifiers will take you to the world of limitless space full of dynamic vibrant sound sources and associated extremely high emotional content. If being as close to live music as possible is what you’re after, then our luxurious and unique PSE1605 mono amplifiers will get you there.
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Product Strengths
- High momentum, dynamic span, effortlessness, and immediacy.
- Open and highly complex spatial frames with loads of air around sound sources, filled with colors securing a zesty, vibrant, moisturized, and articulated view.
- A unique blend of virtues—posh, elegant, euphonic, organic, fresh, and engaging—while showing detail and clarity.
Product Considerations
- Very hot and needs enough space for heat dissipation.
- The shiny chassis attracts dust and fingerprints and requires regular cleaning.
- Elongated narrow enclosures require deeper than usual shelves or floor placement.
- The review unit had an inactive balanced socket that paying customers won't see.
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Trilogy 995R: Bass is shallower and not as beefy, but more elastic and complements the higher ranges instead of dominating.
- Vs Aavik I-880: PSE1605 trades some quickness for extra tone.
- Vs Enleum AMP-23R, Nagra Classic-INT, and AGD Production Vivace monos: PSE1605 trades some of its quickness and illumination for more tone and grounded perspective, but still scores very high on detail and clarity.
Takeaway: The Audio Phonique PSE1605 mono amps offer a unique listening experience with exceptional sound and a vibrant soundstage. If one appreciates a combination of elegance, detail, and engaging sound, the PSE1605 could be a great fit.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Product Strengths
- The AFM100SE shapes the variety of musical landscapes and the micro and telescopic perspectives with authority
- The AFM100SE responds instantly to demands, always ready to serve the deep nature of the music
- The AFM100SE brings out the best in music and fixates an all-encompassing organicity in horizontal and vertical planes that allow the music to penetrate deep into the listening room and handle dynamic temperament at every turn
Product Considerations
- The AFM100SEs get very hot, warming the room
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- AFM50 Vs AFM100-SE: The AFM100W is bigger and more powerful
Takeaway: The AFM100SE creates a connection to the music, revealing its core and direction, and making it a great choice for discerning music lovers. It elevates music listening to an emotional and sensual experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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Since its introduction in 2022, Apex has been hailed as the finest power amplifier ever created. Critics and connoisseurs have universally praised its combination of shattering power and sublime delicacy; its ability to drive any loudspeaker balanced with unimpeachable tonal neutrality. It has always been Gryphon’s mission to achieve the highest possible audio performance in terms of sheer musicality, transparency and realism. With Apex Mono and Apex Stereo, Gryphon Audio Designs has elevated pure Class A power amplification a titanic leap above what was previously considered possible. Gryphon Apex takes us several significant steps closer in the quest for the most natural and convincing musical illusion.
Product Strengths
- Delivers lots of current due to a new 2000VA toroidal transformer
- The Apex Stereo's ease of presentation was immediately obvious—it fully engaged the reviewer
- The amp exuded supreme self-confidence
- The amp simultaneously speeds things up and slows things down
- Superior speaker grip, improving organization, timing, and musical flow
Product Considerations
- Initial start-up can be alarming due to flashing error lights
- The size and weight (445 lbs) can make installation challenging
- It's gigantic and heavy, requiring special equipment and tools to handle its production
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Boulder 2060: The Apex revealed more tonally saturated sounds
- Vs Boulder 2060: Apex cast a larger soundstage, and within those huge spaces, images were generally larger and more three-dimensional
- Vs Boulder 2060: Apex exposed more detail in the music
Takeaway: The Gryphon Apex Stereo is a powerful amplifier that brings music to life with a balanced and full sound at any volume. Its ability to reveal the resonant nature of instruments transforms listening sessions into immersive experiences.
Video review
Our take on the brand
The company's inaugural creation, the Momentum Mono Amplifier, served as the foundation for its product line. The Momentum M400 MxV Mono Amplifier, the latest iteration, enhances the iconic design to new heights. Incorporating techniques and topologies from the Relentless Mono Amplifier, the Momentum M400 MxV models represent the pinnacle of Momentum circuitry evolution. The new model name, MxV, signifies Mass times Velocity—the fundamental equation for Momentum, a recognition that resonates particularly with individuals having a physics background. Explore the cutting-edge Momentum M400 MxV for an unparalleled audio experience.
Our summary
Product Strengths
- Exquisite aesthetics with a sleek design and a power meter that glows green
- Delivers a smooth and satisfying sound
- The sound is described as 'louder' and more powerful
- Said to be able to drive any speaker to its maximum output
- Upgrades are retrofittable to earlier Momentum models
- Balanced input only
Product Considerations
- Runs warm
- The scale on the power meter is essentially uncalibrated
- Requires a return to the factory for MxV upgrades on earlier Momentum Models
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The Momentum M400 MxV incorporates technology from the Relentless line and gets very close to the Relentless sound regarding space and depth
- The Momentum M400 MxV is smaller and lighter than the Karan Acoustics POWERa mono
- The Momentum M400 MxV is smaller and lighter than the D'Agostino Progression M550 Mono amplifier
Takeaway: The Momentum M400 MxV monoblock is a beautifully designed and powerful amplifier that delivers a smooth and satisfying listening experience. It incorporates technology from the flagship Relentless model, making it a top-tier choice for audiophiles.
Video review
Our take on the brand
What competes at this price?
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Very clean and noise-free output signal provides a stable soundstage with a very black background at any sound level
- Exceptional bass control and depth delivers a powerful and tight bass response that underpins the overall musical experience
- Offers flexibility with mono, stereo, and bi-amping operating modes, allowing for system upgrades and configuration changes
- Dynamic and fast, reacting instantaneously to the signal it receives and delivering power and subtlety where needed
- Continues the company's aesthetic with the massive perspex front panel covering
Product Considerations
- Speaker binding posts may not be compatible with all types of speaker cable terminations, specifically thicker spades
- The control for the illuminated 'E' on the front is located underneath the amp and may be difficult to access
- May be more 'laid-back', which some may interpret as lacking ultimate transparency or strict neutrality
- Provides only for XLR balanced inputs, though Electrocompaniet can provide appropriate high-quality adaptors for RCA connectors
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Brings another level of control and depth to everything, compared to Totaldac Amp 1
- The memorable blackness of bass pinged recognition, compared to Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos
Takeaway: The Electrocompaniet AW 800 M is a powerful and versatile amplifier known for its exceptional bass control, clean output, and dynamic performance. It is a great choice for audiophiles seeking a high-quality listening experience with flexibility for system configuration.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Incredibly resolving, with plenty of detail
- Perfectly controlled, 'wide' sound in terms of dynamics and panorama
- A quieter background brings forward a level of detail
- A clearly structured form, with symmetrical divisions and repetitions
- Inspired by the Relentless Epic amplifier series
Product Considerations
- Speaker jacks accept only spades and bare wires, and connecting spades from the top bends the cable significantly
- Components on the rear panel are placed close to each other and not particularly convenient to use
Takeaway: The Momentum S250 MxV amplifier delivers an immersive and detailed listening experience, making it great for those who enjoy actively listening to music. It brings out the best in loudspeakers, offering tremendous dynamics and a wide soundstage.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Delivers a complete and unabridged rendition of music, offering a sense of authority and positively influencing the sound
- Presents music as a tightly unified whole, creating a singular event rather than a collection of individual sounds
- Offers beautifully balanced and poised sound across the entire frequency range, from deep bass to detailed highs
- Maintains steady output voltage regardless of changes in load, defying mains input variations, thanks to the Utopik power supply
- The Adaptive Bias Control (ABC) technology establishes and adjusts bias current in real time
Product Considerations
- The high price dictates that all other system components (source, pre-amplification, speakers, supports) need to be of similarly high quality and expense
Takeaway: The Linn Klimax Solo 800 is an uncompromising amplifier that allows one to hear their music in a new light by delivering a complete picture of the sound. It offers exceptional clarity, balance, and control over the music signal.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Transparent and uncolored
- Exceptional casework and styling
- Ample power without muscularity becoming the product's defining attribute
- Utterly effortless and transparent magnification of the electrical impulse
- Allows a listener to devote their psychic energy to making an emotional connection to music
- Only has balanced inputs
Product Considerations
- Only has balanced inputs
Takeaway: The Ferios monoblock power amplifiers are some of the best electronics available, combining immediacy, transparency, and tonal beauty. Its ability to effortlessly resolve complex arrangements makes it a worthwhile choice for serious audiophiles.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Visually oriented towards the flagship 159 amplifier
- Combines power and elegance with distinctive cooling fins
- Impressive sovereignty in music reproduction, outstanding spatial resolution, and musical warmth
- Solid build quality and finish
- Effortless control of any loudspeaker due to high damping factor over the entire frequency range
Product Considerations
- One review mentioned one of the amps began to buzz, which could be transformer-related
- RCA-to-XLR adapters may be needed for some preamps, since the 218 uses XLR inputs
- Absence of protruding support feet may make it difficult to lift without risk of crushing fingers
- The size and mass make it a 'sit on the floor' device
Takeaway: The Burmester 218 is a luxurious and well-engineered amplifier with a sound that's easy to enjoy and delivers the spirit and emotion of the music. It's a good choice for listeners who want a combination of detailed sound and easy listening.
Video review
Our take on the brand
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