DIVA Reviews + Raves

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Poetry
Diva Audio's Tian Zhu is clearly a music lover's weapon in the struggle against bland, boring, uninvolving stereo that... has your ears fall asleep and shrivel up like wilted roses.

It's a device of poetry - not the flowery but postmodern kind. It's a tone monster - not the super wet but "bluesy" sort. It sounds beautiful not in a cloyingly fake but "essence of music" way.

- Srajan Ebean, www.6moons.com
review of DIVA Tian Zhu, Apr 2003

"Best Sound"
Best Sound Day One:
Diva / Rethm Room. The sound was wonderfully clean and open with a tremendous sense of space and extremely low distortion.

- Bill Gaw, enjoythemusic.com
CES / THE SHOW 2001 report


I want this system
Last year the ReTHMs, a Lowther embodiment, impressed me tremendously; in fact I returned there twice just for the sheer joy of listening. With the ReTHMs driven by great-looking Diva tube gear, I can spend some time here again, and again.

These guys really know how to please a musically-literate person. I want this system!

- Clark Johnsen, Positive Feedback / enjoythemusic.com
CES / THE EXPO 2002 report


One of the best
The ReTHM / Diva room was sounding great, producing one of the best sounds in the show. The ReTHM speakers and the Diva tubed electronics combined to create gorgeous timbre, great spaciousness, and naturalness, with excellent peak handling ability. 

- Dave Glackin, enjoythemusic.com
CES / THE EXPO 2002 report


Considerable magic
Soprano voice and violin overtones were particular joys with the DIVA... I was surprised by the DIVA's strong control over bass transients. Unlike a host of SET designs with mushy bass lines, the DIVA does not hold its punches.

There's considerable magic in the midrange, and the overall sound is spacious with good treble extension and bass control.

- Dick Olsher, Enjoythemusic.com


Intensely musical
Intensely musical! The DIVA is extremely transparent, balanced and has high resolution. It is very fluid sounding. Compared to many other similar grade preamplifiers, the DIVA sounded much cleaner and clearer while the others appeared cloudy and muddled.

It's indeed great value for money. Even though your current preamplifiers may be 3 to 4 times more expensive, please do not disregard the DIVA. Otherwise you might live to regret it.

- C K Tham, Sight & Sound Journal


The exception of the exceptions
I had the opportunity to listen to many pre- and power amplifier sets, and with the exception of the Marantz 8b and Jadis JA30, both of which moved my heart, I had never kept any audition sets for longer than two weeks before returning, the simple reason being that their performance was not worthy.

The DIVA is the exception of the exceptions: I connected it to my Marantz 9 power amplifier and listened to it for a full two months, and totally forgot about my own Marantz 7 preamplifier, which was nearly buried in dust.

- "The Mad Guy", Sight & Sound Journal


Among the best
The DIVA's simplicity and purity of design help it achieve a place among the best affordable tube preamps of which I am aware.

The DIVA's strongest suit can be summed up by the fact that it truly sounds like a good tube preamp should sound, and that's high praise indeed. For everything that it does well, and that's a long list by any measure, I suggest that you hear the DIVA.

- Paul Knutson, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity


Melt my heart
I've listened to set-ups costing above $20,000 but none could melt my heart. Something is always missing. Only the Diva products are capable of melting my heart. I think it is because I care more about music than Hifi.


owner of DIVA 200 Pro preamp, DIVA Tian Zhu


The sound I've always wanted (since 1954)
The DIVA M-7 preamp is the best sound we have ever heard, by a huge margin. It is absolutely astonishing. So beautifully musical and so incredibly dynamic!

I have been persuing audio since 1954 and that this is the sound I have always wanted, but never acheived, even with $25,000 pre-amps. Starting today, all my customers will know that Diva is my own personal choice in hi-fi. With greatest respect,


DIVA dealer


Mr Marantz should have been proud!
The DIVA M-7 is great! Wow! Mr Maranz should have been proud of Mr Lim, if he's alive. Everything is so simple, yet most difficult to arrange such great topology - to make it so transparent and musical.

Please tell Mr Lim that he had achieved a very high level of music reproduction that I had not heard from other preamps (including other Marantz 7s). It's much better than the Convergent Audio Technology (CAT) preamp, which I've just replaced in my bed room system.

- Ben Barasay, Laos
owner of DIVA M-7 preamp


A really sensual woman
DIVA is a lovely discovery. It's the most utterly transparent preamp I've ever heard - the feeling of several layers being removed and feeling the music, suddenly. It's not like a doll in your hand, but like a really sensual woman, a feeling from your toes to the top of your head.

- Noe Saglio, Frenchman in Tokyo, Japan (previously in Singapore)
owner of Diva Classic 100 Pro and DIVA M-7 preamps


A relationship...
It was really refreshing, something I never experienced before. The music doesn't sound as if it was coming from electronics. It sounds like the real thing, like live! The more I listen to the DIVA, the more I hear new elements of the performance. It's like a relationship that keeps unfolding.

- Low Teow Seng, Singapore
owner of DIVA Classic 100 preamp, Blue Sky power amp


I bought a second set!
They're so wonderful that I bought a second set! The performance-to-price ration is the best that I've ever heard.

- Bob Dinsdale, England (previously in Singapore)
owner of two sets DIVA Classic 200 preamps, Blue Sky Pro power amps


"I am a very happy customer" (who bought 5 DIVAs)
The first impression on listening through my Quad 63 Pro-based system was just that - I was listening through the speakers to the music. The sense of instrument and vocal presence and every detail of the acoustic environment in which the recording took place contributed to a new sense of realism.

I was so impressed, a second DIVA was soon added to drive the Gradient sub-woofer. Result: Fast, tight bass but with the resolution and detail of the valves to blend top and bottom end seamlessly.

My best upgrade yet. Fantastic value for money. Congratulations Mr Lim. I am a very happy customer.


owner of 2 DIVA M-7 preamps, 2 Blue Sky Pro Special Edition, Tian Zhu power amp.


Incomparable!
With the DIVA, I've got an incomparable value for money after comparisons with other better known brands which did not match the quality of music reproduction from the DIVA. Besides, I enjoy the discussions with the designer, T S Lim, and appreciate his continuous efforts to improve.


owner of DIVA M-7 preamp, Virtuoso phono amp, 211 Single-Ended mono blocs


The best value
Having auditioned many amplifiers in the S$5,000 - S$20,000 price range, I can honestly say that the DIVA amps are by far the best value for money out there. Friends are always amazed about the amount of detail. The sound is really sweet and refined and the imaging is superb. They're not made for headbanging music, but for anything else you'll have to spend A LOT more money to get anywhere near the sound quality these amps offer.

- Alan Prouse, Englishman in Singapore
owner of DIVA M-7 preamp, Blue Sky Pro power amp


My friend curses me!
It's never before since the last 8 years that I have enjoyed music more - sounds so musical, the voices so emotional, so involving. I can even enjoy songs from badly recorded old CDs (from the 1940s / 50s) because of the amp's musicality and emotional involvement, yet forget the rest of the audio quality. Now my friend curses me because last year I sold him my Sonic Frontiers SFL-1 and Audion Silvernight.


owner of DIVA M-7 preamp
upgraded from Blue Sky Pro Special Edition to "Seduction" 300B push-pull,
to specially commissioned DIVA solid-state amplifier.


Night after night
I previously owned the DIVA Blue Sky Pro, and had considered getting a 2A3 amp as well. When I heard the "Tian Zhu" I knew I had to trade for it!

To me this amp marrys the best of both worlds, I like the EL34s for its musicality, and the 2A3s for its sweetness and better defined bass. It's very difficult for me to put into words what I've been experiencing night after night since getting the amp. Go listen for yourself.


First owner of DIVA Tian Zhu power amp, Classic 200 preamp

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