It doesn’t happen often that an entirely new brand arrives on the scene and captures everyone’s hearts almost overnight. Riviera Audio Laboratories has pulled off exactly that. Hardly had the APL-1 preamplifier and AFS-32 power amplifier arrived at our editorial offices before they became the only topic of conversation among the staff. It’s easy to see why: these components are wonderfully musical, utterly captivating, and so emotionally engaging that resisting their charm is nearly impossible. Better still, they pair effortlessly with virtually any loudspeaker.

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