As usual I connected the loaner and let it warm up for several days. Then I had a brief listening check. At this stage I'd normally carry on with my life to return later. Here didn't have to. Aavik's streamer sounded suspiciously seasoned and free from grit to feel ready for its evaluation. At first I wanted to frame its performance within the duality of quick, open and lean vs gutsy, round and calm to then expand out from there. That wasn't the right fit. The more hours the S-180 played, the more firmly it sat right between those polarities. This meant versatility, completeness and contempt for any bias. As much as I was curious to draw out any weakness, my auditions yielded none. It was too complex, powerful, juicy, outlined, resolved, spatially open, tonally loaded and alive to pick nits. That coherent execution was very much up my alley. Most interestingly was that its inviting snap, vigor, directness and power weren't financed at the expense of color, muscle tissue, specificity, sensuality or intimacy. All were part of the package. To caricaturize, the S-180 was neither a skinny emo nor muscle-bound brute but a well-dressed athlete able to charm in a restaurant then land rib-cracking jabs in a bar fight. That skill set met all challenges on my playlist. It didn't feel limited on any count. It just sailed through all content no matter whether that meant rock, metal, minimalist acoustic strings, large drums, synth beats, soothing vocals or orchestral pieces. Components this texturally gifted, sensibly substantial, agile, resolving and spatially liberated I always view as complete. And that's simply awesome.

After that, it really didn't matter whether it would withstand the 2.5 x dearer Innuos offensive. The Aavik clearly was no catalogue filler but a capable high-tiered machine. Even if it was destined to land below my reference, it sounded grand enough to see me very happy; quite an achievement considering. For the sake of simplicity, fidata's HFAS1-S10U which I still routinely use is warm, fluffy, round, thick, calm, intimate and tonally rich. The quite oppositely voiced Innuos is a monster on resolution, speed, openness, raw power, directness and soundstaging. The S-180's aesthetic fit right between those two. It drew from either then blended their aspects into an even balance without major down- or upsides. Although it didn't excel anywhere in particular, it also didn't fall below very good grades across the board. I found that strangely comforting.

Although Aavik and Innuos scored equal points on background blackness, slam, smoothness, soundstage width/height, overall wholesomeness and ripe tone, their voicings still differed. Some will ask which was superior. To that I say that when two audibly impressive products clash, it's irrelevant. I'm primarily interested in which does more and where but that won't render the other inferior. As a hi-rez ride built on a stiff suspension and overkill horsepower, the Innuos felt noticeably more energetic, wiry, immediate, direct, contoured and open. It also was more resolved, leaner, sunnier, spatially more enveloping while its bass dug deeper and punched harder. By direct contrast the S-180 was more hooded, calm, a touch distant, less elastic, thicker, rounder, of shallower depth so not quite as enveloping and with a less shimmery treble. The difference was enough to know which was the higher-tiered machine but upon getting back to the Aavik, there was no pain at all.

The more I thought about it, the more it reminded me of a fairly similar recent skirmish between Ansuz D-TC Supreme and Boenicke Audio M3 power cords. Then the far costlier Ansuz came out tops just as the Innuos did now. Yet Sven Boenicke's effort still struck me as a stunner as did the S-180. Without my ongoing exposure to the Innuos Statement's gearing for fast laps, I would have easily labeled Aavik's introductory streamer as being exceptionally quick, slamming and potent. I'm quite certain that most listeners will hear it as such. A massive but comfortable SUV with a 6.4l engine that sends 500 horses to the wheels remains an impressive ride beyond the track. That's also true for today's machine. It's no family hauler meant just for cruising speeds. It did very well on all fronts, was a joy to use and punched above its price. Considering how well sorted it turned out to be, it's exciting to think what Aavik managed higher up. But that's a story for another day.