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.
Product Strengths
- A coherent, embodied musical presentation, that flows with unfettered lightness of music
- Radiates with concert hall-like balance and authority
- Brings impressive coherence over a wide bandwidth
- Delineates the timbre and tone of individual instruments, such as a violin within the mass orchestra
- Transparent and genre-less
Product Considerations
- May require dedicated listening spaces to host such a big speaker system
- Some may feel that horn speakers lack transparency and airiness
- The 'horn sound coloration' can happen when there are unresolved issues
Takeaway: The Master Horn is a complete system that delivers pristine emotional and musical reproduction that's soulful and engaging to listen to. For those interested in upper echelon horn speakers, the Master Horn is worthy of experiencing and hearing what is possible.
What are hifi reviews useful for? (1) Identifying products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we often discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on most products—and are often apprehensive about publishing strong criticism or comparisons between products. Further, they seldom have more than a few products on-hand, often relying on their memories to compare past products. Always listen for yourself.
All
Master Horn
reviews
[{"title":"Viva Audio Master Horn System review","link":"https://www.monoandstereo.com/viva-audio-master-horn-system-review","source":"Mono & Stereo","datePublished":""}]
An excellent review of a great product
/
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
An excellent review of a great product
Publisher
/
3/1/2022
Video Review
Manufacturer details
Features
Specifications
Description
Master Horn is the culmination of Viva's research in the loudspeaker design and sound. While using the highly praised horn loudspeaker technology, Viva Audio engineers have combined traditional system design with the latest cutting-edge technological innovations. This 5-way loudspeaker system provides powerful, rich yet articulate and detailed sound that than can easily compete in its authenticity with a live performance.
While using the highly praised horn loudspeaker technology, Viva Audio engineers have combined traditional system design with the latest cutting-edge technological innovations. This 5-way loudspeaker system provides powerful, rich yet articulate and detailed sound that than can easily compete in its authenticity with a live performance. Master Horn is easily the best and most advanced high-performance loudspeaker system available on the market today.
Release Timeline
Manufacturer Site
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:
- Viva Audio products feature striking Italian design, often using automotive-grade paint in a wide array of custom colors, making them visually distinctive and customizable.
- They prioritize point-to-point wiring and zero negative feedback in their Class A tube amplifier designs, focusing on a pure, unadulterated sound signature.
- The brand's amplifiers are known for their ability to recreate a realistic soundstage, offering a deep and immersive listening experience.
- Viva Audio products are frequently described as having a unique ability to bring out the best qualities of connected components, including a wide range of headphones and speakers, revealing nuances and details that might otherwise be missed.
Select products
Select product comparisons
F1
- Positioning: An entry-level phono preamplifier designed for basic vinyl setups.
- Description: Delivers rich, low-noise sound with state-of-the-art output transformers and a short signal path that sets it apart from more complex designs. Differs from the L1 and Linea by focusing solely on phono applications for users on a tighter budget.
L1
- Positioning: A compact preamplifier built with a single chassis and internal power supply for streamlined audio performance.
- Description: Features an extremely short signal path with one active stage that ensures clear signal integrity, contrasting with the multi-stage design of Linea. Stands out from F1 by handling line-level sources.
Linea
- Positioning: A high-performance line preamplifier aimed at audiophiles seeking refined control in a more complex audio system.
- Description: Offers enhanced signal processing and greater versatility with advanced circuitry that surpasses the simpler designs of F1 and L1.
Aurora
- Positioning: A tube amplifier focused on maximum musical articulation and precise sound reproduction.
- Description: Uses advanced tube circuitry with an emphasis on dynamic headroom and clarity, setting it apart from the preamplifier series such as L1, Linea, and F1.
Solista
- Positioning: A premium integrated amplifier that combines both amplification and preamplification in one robust design.
- Description: Integrates dual functions with a sophisticated triode tube circuit that delivers superior detail and dynamic performance, making it distinct from the separate designs of Aurora, L1, Linea, and F1.
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Avg. Product Price
$100,001+
Used For Sale
4
Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
349
of 900+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products Listed
16
Founding Year
1996
Our take on the brand
Viva Audio handcrafts bespoke audio equipment with zero negative feedback in its amplifiers, a rare feature that enhances natural sound quality. The Italian brand is distinguished by its "V" shaped chassis with automotive lacquer finishes, combining classic techniques from audio's golden era with modern technologies, with each component hand-built and tuned by founder Amedeo Schembri.
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Burmester
BC150
150000
/
Released
2021
The new BC150 loudspeaker model by Burmester is now making the innovative leaps in sound quality, technology, and design from the Signature Line possible for other product lines. Within this loudspeaker model, elements of the BC350 loudspeakers from the Signature Line were incorporated.
Burmester, a high-end audio brand renowned for its German craftsmanship, designs and handcrafts its components in Berlin. Known for its distinctive industrial aesthetic with chrome finishes, the brand supplies premium sound systems for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Detailed, exciting, dynamic, and transparent sound
- Vanishingly low cabinet coloration, contributing to speed and detail
- Lung-emptying, bowel-clearing, demolition-grade bass
- Bass integrates well with the rest of the frequency range for an integrated musical performance
- Voices have breath and contour, yet the result always retains a minimum of warmth
Product Considerations
- Room acoustics should be a strong consideration, as the BC150 reveals room issues
- Needs a lot of quality electronics upstream
- Requires firm control and ample current capacity from the amplifier
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The BC150 sounds more like a Burmester B38 with greater abilities to scale
Takeaway: The Burmester BC150 is a high-precision audio instrument that is both musically communicative and musically analytical, offering a detailed and transparent listening experience. It offers clarity and purity of sound, and brings music to another level.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Burmester, a high-end audio brand renowned for its German craftsmanship, designs and handcrafts its components in Berlin. Known for its distinctive industrial aesthetic with chrome finishes, the brand supplies premium sound systems for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.
Product Page
Product Page
Borresen
M3
283975
/
Released
2023
The M3 speakers are the perfect blend of form and function, which reflects the excellent and highly productive partnership between two great minds in the audio industry – Michael Børresen and Flemming Erik Rasmussen. The sleek and elegant design of these speakers, combined with their outstanding audio performance, makes them a testament to Audio Group Denmark's commitment to audio excellence.
Børresen Acoustics stands out for its iron-free magnetic motors and cryogenically treated metal components, which reduce inductance for clearer sound. The brand's speakers feature unique elements like zirconium-based 3D-printed baskets and a patented ribbon tweeter design, combined with series crossover networks for phase-locked electrical current across frequencies.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The M3 presents music with an unprecedented degree of individuality and specificity, without sacrificing tonality, texture, or body
- Remarkable level of resolution
- Astonishing transparency and is resolute
- Accurate tonality and represents timbre faithfully
- Exceptional high-frequency detail and speed due to a planar tweeter
- Accepts only banana terminations
Product Considerations
- The planar tweeter misses the very last measure of extension, shimmer, and effortlessness accomplished by the very best available today
- Low-frequency extension was limited to the high 20 Hz, low 30 Hz range
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to Magico M9, the M3 has recalibrated the resolution yardstick by which all other loudspeakers must be measured and compared
- Compared to Von Schweikert Audio ULTRA 9s, the M3 has recalibrated the resolution yardstick by which all other loudspeakers must be measured and compared
Takeaway: The Børresen M3 loudspeakers boldly represent the realization of striking potential in audio and push known boundaries. People who choose the M3 will enjoy a specific level of playback that is unavailable from other loudspeakers.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Børresen Acoustics stands out for its iron-free magnetic motors and cryogenically treated metal components, which reduce inductance for clearer sound. The brand's speakers feature unique elements like zirconium-based 3D-printed baskets and a patented ribbon tweeter design, combined with series crossover networks for phase-locked electrical current across frequencies.
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Wilson Audio
Alexx V
154000
/
Released
2021
The original Alexx loudspeaker, launched in 2016, quickly gained critical acclaim throughout the industry. Alexx benefited from several elements developed during the five years Wilson Audio's founder David A. Wilson, and his unwavering R&D team, brought to life his magnum opus: the WAMM Master Chronosonic. Now, five years after the monumental accomplishment of the WAMM, Alexx V builds upon the original Alexx's success by offering a completely re-engineered performance envelope without greatly increasing the footprint. Comparing the overall size of Alexx V to the original, Alexx V is only 1" deeper and 1" taller while maintaining the same width.
Wilson Audio is often considered the quintessential American high-end hi-fi brand, a staple in premium audio dealerships across the country. Many reviewers use Wilson speakers in their own home systems, reflecting their reputation for outstanding dynamics, bass depth, and the ability to reproduce classical music with remarkable realism. Wilson focuses on creating an uncolored sound, aiming to replicate the experience of live, unamplified performances.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Sublime image size and expansiveness, coupled with an ability to be driven as hard as your ears or your amps can take
- A sense of balance to the sound of the Alexx V makes renewal possible, expressive and articulate from the deepest bass to the highest treble
- Trickle-down benefits from the WAMM Master Chronosonic and Chronosonic XVX
- Bass performance is otherworldly
- The Alexx V has the ability to uncover and continue to deliver micro-details at extremely high SPLs, even after that slam of a transient
Product Considerations
- Some power behind the throne is needed, because the loudspeaker's impedance plot drops to two ohms at 250Hz
- The dome tweeter does sacrifice the last ounce of micro-detail, compared to the insane resolving power of the best diamond and beryllium drivers
- The choice of finish needs to be considered with care
- Cable management can impact performance
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Compared to the original Alexx, the Alexx V is a massive improvement—closer to a baby XVX in so many ways
- Compared to the Alexia 2, the Alexx V was more than a mere additive sum, a step-function improvement
- Compared to the Wilson XVX and WAMM Master Chronosonic, the tweeter is effortless and resolving by normal standards, but no match for the extraordinary levels of detail retrieval
Takeaway: The Alexx V offers a sublime listening experience with excellent balance and dynamic range that allows the listener to get closer to the music. It is a worthy contender for those looking to upgrade their listening experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Wilson Audio is often considered the quintessential American high-end hi-fi brand, a staple in premium audio dealerships across the country. Many reviewers use Wilson speakers in their own home systems, reflecting their reputation for outstanding dynamics, bass depth, and the ability to reproduce classical music with remarkable realism. Wilson focuses on creating an uncolored sound, aiming to replicate the experience of live, unamplified performances.
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Linn
360
110180
/
Released
2023
360 is audibly invisible. It produces a performance with unprecedented clarity and realism, that's entirely absent of sonic colouration. Incorporating innovative drive unit and amplifier technologies, 360 turns out our lowest ever levels of audible distortion. The honed curves of its cabinet are partnered with meticulously matched drive units to deliver the cleanest possible dispersion characteristics.
Linn is a hifi brand known for its modular designs, particularly the Sondek LP12 turntable where users can upgrade virtually every component over time to maintain performance across decades. The brand stands out for developing its own technologies in-house, including the Organik DAC with FPGA processing and Space Optimisation, which models room acoustics without needing microphone measurements.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Excellent imaging, providing a strong stereo image for multiple listeners due to wide dispersion and Space Optimisation+
- Flexible and capable of playing all kinds of music, getting out of the music's way, and suitable for both large and smaller rooms
- Dynamic, detailed, and can play at a wide range of volume levels, from quiet listening to near PA levels
- Features a new driver array, including a Beryllium dome tweeter, thin-ply woven carbon fiber midrange (used on NASA's Mars Rover), and aluminum-magnesium alloy bass units
- Incorporates new amplifier technologies—'Power DAC' for the lower bass and 'Adaptive Bias Control' for the mid and treble—reducing distortion
Product Considerations
- The midrange dome is exposed, which might be a concern with children
- Owners of previous Linn systems may find the price difficult to accept
- Some audiophiles may prefer Linn to trawl its past rather than building its future, and they will want an Isobarik
- Some audiophiles may not be able to see past the LP12
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- The 360 offers significantly improved imaging and soundstaging compared to the Klimax 350
Takeaway: The Linn 360 is a high-end loudspeaker that provides excellent sound quality and flexibility, making it a great choice for enjoying music with friends or for personal listening sessions. Its innovative design and technology deliver a detailed and immersive audio experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Linn is a hifi brand known for its modular designs, particularly the Sondek LP12 turntable where users can upgrade virtually every component over time to maintain performance across decades. The brand stands out for developing its own technologies in-house, including the Organik DAC with FPGA processing and Space Optimisation, which models room acoustics without needing microphone measurements.
Product Page
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Magico
M7
375000
/
Released
2023
The Magico M7 is a four-way, six-driver floorstanding loudspeaker capable of astonishing performance. Featuring the latest Magico drive-unit technology, an organically shaped carbon-fiber-and-aluminum enclosure, and the latest Elliptical Symmetry Crossover, the M7 is a tour de force of advanced loudspeaker engineering. The M7 was conceived by Founder and CEO Alon Wolf as a more accessible version of the semi-active M9.
Magico is one of the leading American hifi brands, celebrated for its speakers' precision, clarity, and transparency. This reputation is built on the founder’s meticulous focus on eliminating vibrations, a design principle that customers claim significantly enhances sound quality. Their speakers incorporate carbon fiber and aluminum, along with custom-made drivers, to deliver a highly transparent listening experience. Magico’s sound is incredibly revealing, though some listeners may find it unforgiving with poorly recorded material. These speakers are favored by reviewers and audiophiles who prioritize transparency and accuracy above all else.
Expand Details
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- The Magico M7 delivers the highest sound quality by the reviewer's metrics
- Described as 'vivid' due to a comprehensive lack of distortion, low compression, rich texture and detail, and coherence across the spectrum and image
- Soundstaging hangs in space with a realistically large soundstage window and deeper stage depth, approximating real sound in a real performance hall
- Superb instrumental definition with a tonal density that removes a filter, revealing the believable richness of each instrument combined with high definition and low etch
- Voicing is resolutely flat in terms of frequency response, so well-balanced recordings sound impressively right
Product Considerations
- The M7 might require bigger amplifiers to reach the dynamic levels of the best horn speakers
- It will not be a good fit for listeners who need frequency colorations to reassure them that their expensive speakers are doing something
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs MBL 101X, the M7 does a more believable simulation of the stage because it's rather clear about performer locations, but the MBL-101X gets the image off the speakers more reliably, but at the price of some placement precision and air
Takeaway: The Magico M7 speakers deliver a rare and significant sonic achievement with a focus on distortion minimization. These speakers set a benchmark across almost all important sonic dimensions, making them worth considering for serious audio enthusiasts.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Magico is one of the leading American hifi brands, celebrated for its speakers' precision, clarity, and transparency. This reputation is built on the founder’s meticulous focus on eliminating vibrations, a design principle that customers claim significantly enhances sound quality. Their speakers incorporate carbon fiber and aluminum, along with custom-made drivers, to deliver a highly transparent listening experience. Magico’s sound is incredibly revealing, though some listeners may find it unforgiving with poorly recorded material. These speakers are favored by reviewers and audiophiles who prioritize transparency and accuracy above all else.
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