NVA Blog

We are pleased to let you know that the new NVA Hi-Fi workshop and demonstration room is up and running, located in the rural village of Harringworth, near Stamford, Lincs. Our new home will enable us to build in batches, meaning we can produce more amplifiers each year, and hence reduced waiting times for our customers...and you can hear a full NVA system in our new demonstration room. The units were farm stables, converted in the early 2000s, to a very high standard, including handmade double glazed doors and windows, reclaimed pine interior doors, well insulated walls, floors and ceilings, and gas central heating. We also have a very nice view of the nearby Welland rail viaduct... And, here's a write-up of a visit from the...

NVA amplifier cases are made entirely of non-magnetic acrylic materials. The sides are bonded together with acrylic weld and the top plate with structural adhesives to avoid the magnetic contamination of steel screws. Here's what NVA Hi-Fi founder, Richard Dunn, said in 1992... “It all started because when I first put the circuit together, I was listening to the amplifier in early bread boarded state, and I was very happy with the circuit. I designed a case, I put it in the case, and it was not as good. I could never understand this, so I started to investigate. The first thing I came up with was that it was steel that was the major problem. You see, a case of steel has a very strong effect on the sound. My theory on this is that there...

We take a (slightly irreverent) look at the classic British speakers that have given class-leading sound quality, or offered exceptional value, or broken the mould with unique design, or divided opinion, or just look super-cool! We've concentrated on models that can still be found reasonably easily, and at reasonably affordable prices (under £500). Speakers are very much a personal choice, so if you don't like our choices, comments are turned on! QUAD ESL-57 (circa 1957) Initially released as a mono speaker, so don't be alarmed to find that not all 'pairs' have consecutive serial numbers. If you like small-scale classical (chamber) music, these 65 year old designs might still be your end game. They say, after these, most small 'box'...

A few images from our weekend at what turned out to be the last WAM show. We had a great time, and we can't wait for the 2025 Maverick show...

Many audiophiles consider a subwoofer to be an essential part of their system. The good news is that the design of NVA passive pre-amplifiers includes 3 sets of line level outputs. Even if you are already bi-amping, this still leaves you with a spare set of outputs to connect an active subwoofer via the 'low level' subwoofer inputs. In our experience, a subwoofer can make a very positive difference, depending on what speakers you are using and how you position and set up the subwoofer. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to add a subwoofer to your system: Always use the 'low level' connection. Using the 'high level' connection from the speaker outputs will invalidate your NVA warranty and may damage your NVA...

Our P50SA / M600 combination has been named 'Best Hi-Fi Amplifier of 2023' in it's price category (above £3,000) by 'A British Audiophile'! You can watch the full ABA awards video, here (NVA appears at around 15 minutes in). In addition to praising the exquisite detailing, natural tone and beautifully layered soundstage, Tarun declared the P50SA / M600 to be "phenomenal value for money". All NVA hi-fi components are handmade in the UK and come with a 30-day home trial. To find out if NVA could be the best hi-fi amplifier for you, contact us to discuss your requirements. The NVA ethos is to use the fewest parts possible, and then ensure those parts are the best quality that we can afford. For pre-amplification, we prefer passive for...

In the late 1970s, NVA founder Richard Dunn was designing and building PA amplifiers under the name Tresham. After he sold those designs to Tannoy, he started looking at amplifier circuits for domestic use. The speaker that he used to develop the NVA circuit that we know and love today, was the Quad ESL-57 electrostatic design. In 2014, Richard said "for me the ESL-57 was the best development tool available to me at the time as moving coil speakers were just not open or clean enough for what I was trying to achieve with the circuit. And I needed to hear very clearly into the music." It's not surprising, then, that NVA amplifiers are an excellent match with the vintage Quad design. The ESL-57s don't need lots of power; our 35 watt S80...

"I'm delighted that the NVA name lives on and that Richard Dunn's designs have been subtly improved and made more accessible." David Price (Global Editor, Stereonet) NVA is the British hi-fi amplifier manufacturer founded in 1982 by renowned electronics designer, Richard Dunn. Richard passed away in 2019, but the brand has been carried on by Tom Danus (top right), who worked alongside Richard for 3 years and Paul Tiernan (top middle), an NVA customer since 2016 and audiophile of 30 plus years who had been helping Richard and Tom at shows. The new NVA initially prioritised existing users, ensuring that heritage models can be serviced and offering retrofit upgrades to bring components up to the latest specifications. That has included...