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Angelis Labor was formed February 11, 2008. Had I still lived in the US that year, the time delay would have meant that this date fell on my birthday. A sign? Probably not. But when an Italian company dedicated to state-of-the-art cost-no-object valve equipment launches today, it is a sign all the same. Of what exactly you be the judge. I'll cite passion -- which amounts to a certain craziness -- and success in other ventures to fund and husband such a start-up venture. Not that all is as start-up as it seems if with that we associate "no prior experience" and "brand new". Far from it in fact.


To start at the beginning, an earlier industry features chronicled how I first became aware of Angelis Labor in August of 2008. That article covers pertinent background information (which I won't repeat here) and also became preamble to the company's first showing at the Milan TopAudio Show 2008 written up here. I was subsequently asked to review the firm's upcoming Sophia two-chassis preamplifier in their Spiritual Series and in turn suggested a visit to their facility in Bologna, Italy. Today's report covers that visit while adding some commentary and pictorial sidebar adjuncts also on a brief stay in Sicily where two of the company's principals, Placido 'Dino' Pappalardo and Salvatore 'Salvo' Giardina live. To really get the sense of a man when time is brief, nothing is quite as telling as visiting his home and work place. Consider this RoadTour a companion piece to the forthcoming Angelis Labor Sophia review. Together, both articles should make a quite comprehensive presentation of the firm and its four key players below.

Dino Pappalardo, Salvo Giardina, Roberta Tabellini, Stefano Mazzoli

Suono e Comunicazione is a long-standing Italian audio importer, distribution house and OEM advisor and fabricator (among the latter brands are Klimo, Micromega and Rega, in some cases going back 20 years) owned and operated by Stefano Mazzoli and Roberta Tabellini. Audio Point Italia is a new umbrella organization under which the above four individuals have put Sueno e Comunicazione to add new brands like Bel Canto, Cessaro, Gemme Audio, Leben and Zanden to the preexisting distribution roster of SeC. Angelis Labor is a separate and distinct brand which combines the electrical and industrial design experience of Stefano, Salvo (who owns/operates a large electrical contracting business in Catania, Sicily and services hospitals, airports, shopping malls, motor ways, cathedrals and other large-scale development projects), Alberto Benda and Alberto Morini, SeC's resident electronics expert and repair man.


Manufacture of Angelis Labor components presently occurs in SeC's premises which double up as warehouse for Audio Point's import brands, a service and repair facility and a show room. The new facility in Bologna's Comune di Castenaso above has already been committed to and the three entities SeC, Audio Point and Angelis Labor will take possession in the summer of 2009, converting the present space into a large show room exclusively. A separate by-appointment-only show room for Zanden and Cessaro is being operated out of a residential area, with a small warehouse for those particular components in the basement. This link presents the Cessaro/Zanden show room.


The future facility is quite sizeable and includes administrative and engineering offices as well as a large assembly area.