Aurorasound VIDA MkII

Aurorasound VIDA MkII: The Phono Preamp That Sets Your Records (and Ears) Straight

You thought you'd heard it all — phono stages priced like sports cars, glowing tubes hot enough to fry eggs, and circuitry buried under layers of marketing glitter. Then Aurorasound quietly drops its secret weapon: the VIDA MkII. Wrapped in faux-wood retro charm (hello, 1975 Lafayette), this modest two-box unit isn’t here to flex. It’s here to reveal.

Why We’re Already in Love:

• Surgical clarity
  Every note emerges clean, crisp, and ultra-defined.

• Neutral tonal balance
  No syrupy warmth, no sterile coldness — just the music, unfiltered.

• 3D soundstage
  Voices, cymbals, bass — each in its rightful place, as if mapped with laser precision.

• Intuitive controls
  MC/MM switch, impedance settings, mono/stereo, mute — all up front, no menu-diving.

• Separate power supply
  Toroidal transformer + Schottky diodes = a silent, black background that lets the music breathe.

Real-world magic?

Hook up your MC cartridge and cue Ahmad Jamal – Portfolio Live: the piano floats mid-air, dynamics are breathtaking. Follow with Charles Mingus – Oh Yeah: raw energy, saxophone bite, and earthy groove that grabs you. Drop a classic Verve or Prestige pressing from the ’60s (Eric Dolphy, Yusef Lateef, or Booker Ervin), and the VIDA MkII places you front-row — no elbowing required.The Specs, Simplified:

• MM gain: 40 dB at 47 kΩ

• MC gain: up to +60 dB, with optional 6-step impedance dial

• Inputs: 1 MM + 1 MC (second MC optional)

• Outputs: RCA, optional XLR

• Design: zero capacitors in signal path, active DC servo, Lundahl EQ

• Size: 9.8 × 4 × 10 in (preamp), 5 × 2.7 × 7 in (PSU)

• Price: ~$5,300 — premium, but worth every cent

Final Word:

The VIDA MkII doesn’t perform. It speaks. It strips away noise, hype, and coloration to deliver the truth — with musical soul. If you thought your records sounded good before, wait till you hear what they’ve really been hiding.

Now available at Expert Hifi. Bring your vinyl. Expect revelations.