Review sample supplied by Hexagon Audio
Retail prices in the NL (incl. 21% VAT):
Aqua La Diva M2 8.700 euro
StillPoints Ultra SS V2 900 euro
Of late, ongoing changes on the streaming front have led to my reassessing the CD medium. But more pertinently, I have made a very interesting discovery that led to a newfound admiration for the Aqua La Diva M2 drive. In short, with one provision, I now think it is the best CD transport that I have heard.
When I first reviewed the Aqua La Diva M2, this was when I had just heard the original Mk1 Diva which sounds quite different. Not better, mind you, but very different nonetheless. It’s just that I am intimately familiar with the Aqua Formula xHD DAC and the Aqua LinQ. Both these components represent what I feel is the Aqua house sound and this meant that I approached the new Diva with some reservations. The M2 scored points in many areas over the original Diva (refinement, flow, low-level resolution, and soundstaging, to just name a few) but its rather smooth and relaxed nature made it not sound quite as expressive and lively as I had anticipated. But now, this has changed. How? I’m glad you asked! My explanation is a little long-winded, so please bear with me.
New La Diva M2 Insights
For a recent review of the Jay’s Audio CDT3-Mk3 CD transport, I asked Marco Oudheusden of Hexagon Audio (our local Aqua distributor) if I could borrow the La Diva M2 once more to serve as a reference. Fortunately, Marco was happy to bring it around.
Upon first listening using the transport’s own compliant rubber feet, the La Diva M2 sounded very familiar, but no longer quite as laidback as I remembered it. One reason for this is that it was now positioned on an Artesania KSH2 Krion shelf that itself sits on top of an Artesania Aire floor platform, which is basically a very low version of the Exoteryc rack. But the bigger reason is that the Grimm MU1 music server has changed.
As I make comparisons with other equipment all the time, I was already aware of the MU1 having changed as a result of recent updates but it wasn’t until I listened to the La Diva M2 again that I noticed just how much the MU1 had changed.
I absolutely love the Roon interface but I think it’s known among audiophiles that its sonic presentation has a tendency to change with every software update. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. I should also not be too dramatic about this because it also ties in with system synergy and personal taste.
Throughout its many versions, Roon has always sounded pleasant, but to my ears, most of the time a little too much on the smooth and relaxed side. Inexplicably, the only deviation that I found to this was the Grimm MU1. Somehow, even though it runs Roon (version 1.8 at that time), it managed to sound almost on par with the Aqua LinQ using UPnP or HQPlayer. And that is why I added it to my stable of reference components.
However, the MU1’s last two firmware upgrades, combined with the recent Roon updates (now on version 2.0, Build 1143), significantly changed the server’s sound. Now, the MU1 sounds very much in line with how I perceived most Roon-based servers all along: very smooth and organic, but quite lush and relaxed, which is not how I prefer it. In my system, it currently lacks conviction and expression.
Adding StillPoints
At this point in time, I received two long-awaited sets of StillPoints Ultra SS V2. After trying these footers with the La Diva M2, I was stunned at the magnitude of improvement! To my surprise, this brought the CD transport not just a little, but a lot closer to the Aqua LinQ, and to what I regard as the Aqua House Sound.
Now, if I compare the L Diva M2 to the Grimm MU1, the former is actually tighter, more articulate, and even more expressive! Compared to the La Diva M2, the MU1 is now a bit static and contained. And something else I now notice is that the La Diva M2 has a more convincing timbre, making it acoustically more realistic.
Needless to say, I’ve been doing more comparisons. The Aqua LinQ, for example, has always sounded absolutely superb. In comparing the LinQ and the La Diva M2, the two need different support and placement, but when this is catered to, I can only conclude that the two now show a strong family resemblance.
La Diva M2 versus LinQ
The Aqua LinQ has always sounded best when positioned as designed, with its own compliant rubber feet, and I have not changed my stance on this. It works well pretty much regardless of how it is supported but I’ve always used it in an Artesania Exoteryc rack, on top of the Aqua Formula xHD DAC, with Neoprene pads in between to avoid staining the chassis. The LinQ sounds great with UPnP but I prefer Roon’s interface and so I use it with the MU1 running Roon and HQPlayer, streaming to the LinQ’s Core NAA module.
In comparing the LinQ as described to the La Diva M2 on StillPoints and on top of an Artesania KSH2 Krion shelf, both sources excel in terms of neutrality, transparency, and precision. The LinQ has a slightly more solid and robust stance, with more grounded, deeper-growling bass, but the La Diva M2 counters with more fluidity, slightly more refinement, and longer decays, leading to a deeper sense of continuity.
Between the two, I can only say that it is a matter of taste, not one of performance. Both sources are simply fabulous.
In case anyone was wondering if I can’t just enhance the MU1 with StillPoints in the same way. Well, I’ve tried. While this does make the server sound more articulate, the entire presentation remains as it is, just lifted in its entirety and more forward, rather than obtaining increased dynamic- or spatial variance. As always in all matters audio, a tweak that works for one device need not necessarily work for another device. For the La Diva M2, however, the StillPoints are just perfect. And if the Ultra SS V2 are too dear, why not start with a set of Ultra Minis? From earlier experience, I know that they will not sound as full-bodied, but I’m sure they will still deliver a very positive result.
The Bottom Line
From the first moment that I heard it, I knew that the La Diva M2 had massive potential. It’s too bad it has taken me so long to fully come to grips with it. Used on its own compliant rubber feet, the La Diva M2 is rather relaxed but still highly commendable for setups that verge to the forward side and music lovers who are looking for “analog” gloriousness. When one also springs for a set of StillPoints Ultra SS V2, the La Diva M2 snaps right into focus and becomes so well-balanced that I expect it will work sublimely well in any setup.
For what the La Diva M2 offers in audiophile terms, given the ever-increasing prices of the competition, I’m confident in stating that even when factoring in the extra 900 euros for a set of 3 Ultra SS V2s, still, the combo is reasonably priced. The fact of the matter is that you can also get a CD transport for 20K, 30K, or even more. I have to wonder, will they be better, or merely different? Maybe time will tell. For now, I know of no better CD transport than the La Diva M2, either in its price range or beyond.
External Links
Aqua Hifi website: aquahifi.com
Aqua Distributor for the NL/Belgium: Hexagon Audio
StillPoints Distributor: Kemp Elektroniks
Read Also
Aqua La Diva M2
Aqua Formula xHD DAC
Aqua Formula xHD v2 Output Board upgrade
Aqua La Scala mkII DAC
Aqua LinQ Network Interface
Nice conclusion. What kind of feet do you recommend for LinQ? I am using LinQ with UPnP module and i use msconnectHD app recommended by Aqua. Worth to try, before i was using Audirvana Studio. Msconnect is faster and sounds more neutral, also the streams don’t travel through the iOS but it is managed internally in LinQ.
Hi Patrick, I think the LinQ sounds spot-on using its own feet and it doesn’t need other footers. I would only suggest adding aftermarket footers if you want to pull its sound in a certain direction. Indeed, mConnect is great on iPad. On Android, I can recommend Bubble UPnP.
Thanks for the answer. I will pull the subject 🙂 What kind of feet do you recommend for La Scala Optologic DAC then? I am using Isoacoustics Orea Bronze but i don’t know if this is the perfect solution. Thanks.
The La Diva M2 is the deviating component and this is why I recommend using alternative footers for it. The other Aqua components that I tested are comfortably neutral when used with their own feet and the same goes for the La Scala DAC. As with the LinQ, the “ideal” feet for the La Scala will vary depending on the direction in which you want to pull the sound. I would need to experiment with this but I have a feeling that the La Scala would pair well with Harmonix footers. I have not yet used IsoAcoustics feet under Aqua components, but based on the IsoAcoustics feet that I did hear, I would say that they have a lot in common with the components’ standard feet, ie, they maintain the component’s normal balance. If you want to take the sound in another direction than the standard feet or IsoAcoustics feet, then you could consider hard/direct couplers such as StillPoints and Harmonics, as well as Critical Mass, NordOst, Finite Elemente, Ansuz, etc. You may also want to look at Mad Scientist for some interesting and affordable options.
Which powercord do you use on the Aqua Diva m2? And to fully comprehend the system, are you now using different powercables on the power amps, but still with the Oyaide C004 connectors ?
Hi Mark, if not mentioned, I use(d) the default Belden with Bals and Oyaide C004, also in the case of the La Diva M2 review. That said, the Diva M2 also sounds good with its stock cable or even a standard OEM power cable although the latter makes it a little thin. For maximum tonal beauty, richness, and flow, it also works great with a GigaWatt PowerSync ULTRA or Final Touch Audio Elara (review in progress).
Hello. I´m upset about this website. Why?
Because you HFA FAVORITE/HIGLY RECOMMEND are your SPONSORS.
Another reviewer of the hole. Dont delete this message.
My opinions are 100% my own and the order in the Awards List reflects purely my own preferences. The Awards are an extension of this and a Highly Recommended Award is only handed out if I personally feel that a component deserves one. HFA favorites are products that I like so much that I use them as personal references, for reasons that are stated in their reviews. Do note that I cannot recommend products that are no longer available new. But if a new product comes along that does not meet the expected standard or if it does not outperform an older reference, then the new product will simply not receive an award.
You have SPONSORS and at the same time are HFA (HIFI ADVICE FAVORITE)
*Aqua
*Vermouth
*Draide
*Artesania
The brands have no leverage over the awards in any shape or form. By your logic, every brand that has a banner must have an awarded product. This is simply not the case. There are favorite or recommended products for which there are no banners and vice versa. I happen to like the brands you mention a lot and that translates into awards. But even so, some of these brands’ products do not have the Recommended Award. Do note that the brands that advertise do tend to have more products reviewed over longer periods and thus there is a higher probability that I may deem one of them deserving of an award.
Hi,
maybe this will be a future part of the review
but why not a single word of comparison with other “legendary” CD players?
You know exactly that the name i have in mind is W……….
Hi Luca, there’s a simple reason for that, well, two, actually. First, the Wadias I have used are all CD players while the La Diva is a transport, making them unequal to compare. Second, Wadia has been out of the market for so long now that I feel it no longer makes sense to reference their products. In my dedicated reviews, I try not to use products that can no longer be purchased new.
That said, I do make exceptions now and then, for instance when including a classic Levinson 390S and a classic Spectral CD transport in earlier La Diva coverage. The Levinson was added because I am so familiar with it, both used as a transport and cd player. The Spectral made sense because it was indeed a transport. By the way, that Spectral player uses the same TEAC VRDS CD mechanism as the classic Wadias such as the 861. I would not be surprised if it had a few sonic traits in common with, say, a Wadia 270. But that’s only a guesstimation as I have never used any Wadia transport.
Christiaan can you tell me where in NL can i borrow La Diva M2 for testing at home? I was using previous La Diva in my system for 4 years, then i sold it because era of streaming came 🙂 so i had big break from cds. I was streaming only for couple of years. Later on i bought Aqua Linq (BTW i am using La Scala Optologic DAC in my system since it appeared on the market). Since couple of months maybe half year i came back to cds with Audio Note CDT Two/II which sounds extremely organic and liquid. I was wondering how would sound new La Diva M2 comparing to Audio Note CDT. I was trying Audio Note DACs 2.1x Signature and 3.1x Balanced and non of them come close to the organic and intimate sound of La Scala so it makes me really curious about Aqua new cd transport 🙂 Thanks in advance for the reply.
Hi Patrick, in the NL, Aqua is represented by Hexagon Audio. I would suggest checking with Marco for dealer addresses.
https://www.hexagonaudio.eu/nl/hexagonaudio.html
You could also try Ron Ploeger of Callas Audio. I know he just became an Aqua dealer.
Thanks for the info.