NVA Review Archive from HFS - read only

[savvypaul]

Re: P20 / A20 starter pre and power amplifier loan

Post by ArloFlynn » Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:52 am

A review of my short time with the P20/A20 NVA loan system.

First CD’s –

If I have anything new to demo (not happened too often) I always start with one of my favorite albums of all time, ‘’Low’’ – David Bowie
First 4 tracks kick in – ‘Speed of life’, ‘Breaking glass’, ‘What in the world’ then ‘Sound and Vision. Initially each song to my ears is slightly slower than what I am used of. However come the end of each track I am not noticing it. Bass and kick drum are banging away together well which is what makes side 1 of the album for me, so no disappointment there. Bowie’s vocals are slightly back in the mix too, but none the less, still in charge of the music, if you could picture the stage, I would say he is more in with the other musicians. On the Valve system his vocals are more prominent and forward of the instruments, making him stand out perhaps a little more than intended. His voice is also sounding a little sweeter rather than darker. Last time I saw Bowie live (one of his last concerts), I was in row 3 centre mic and he was ‘hangin 10’ most of the time – Very forward.

Next up ‘D’ White Denim
First 3 tracks – ‘It’s him’, ‘Burnished’, ‘Down at the farm’
I love this album, it’s in ya face, full on, looping mental all or nothing guitars, with a splattering of strings and woodwind here or there, however it’s not an album I can sit in front of the speakers and listen to, I normally have to leave the room, turn up the volume and get on with cooking tea or something. It sounds rubbish at low volume and at high seems to lose the musicality and sounds too loud and messy. With the P20/A20 though, I was able to sit and listen, and what a listen, everything was pushed back and positioned into its place, I could pick out the guitars, loops and heavy production work in the mix, it was no longer too ‘loud and in ya face’, but just ‘in ya face’. Cut the descriptive crap, it was a blistering listen, especially ‘Burnished’- poo’d all over any other listen of this album. Top marks. (Should buy it just to hear White Denim as I think they were intended) Everyone else was disappointed though, as they had to get their own tea.

Then Records –
1st up, ‘Low’ Bowie. Side1 - It sounded exactly the same as the CD, which I was not expecting, I really couldn’t detect a difference between the CD and Vinyl.

Next up
‘Never mind the Bollocks...’. Sex Pistols. Side1 – Very easy to listen to, I can pick out the instruments, Guitar, Bass, Drums, making it easier to follow the songs. Again, Johnny’s vocals are back in the mix and more relaxed than usual. This is another album I find it hard to listen to without upping the volume, making my ears bleed. I do have to push the volume on the NVA, but it makes it less loud and powerful and more detailed instead. I found this happened with a couple of other albums I tried.

Lastly
‘Transfomer’ – Lou Reed. Side 1 – I had stopped analyzing by now and just got on and enjoyed the music. It did sound good though, nothing lacking to how It normally sounds.

One thing I think I have learned with listening to the P20/A20 is, what ‘detail’ is. I always thought detail meant more sort of sharp splashy treble with less head nodding, foot tapping rhythm and rocking. Wrong! I think detail is less loudness, more musicality and space, so you can hear the instruments without losing any of the stuff that makes it rock.

The P20/A20 is just great, and stands up well to my system. I will definitely recommend it to a friend of mine who is just starting out. Will I be buying one? No! But that’s because I will be buying an NVA amp further up the ladder.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[savvypaul]

Phono 2 + PSU

Usually I'd wait until the honeymoon period was over and until I'd finished experimenting with positioning the unit but - hey ho - here goes.

I should start by saying I play bass in a pop covers band and have done for several years. As such I think I know what instruments sound like 'in the flesh' and tend to listen carefully to bass guitar closely as that's my main reference point. Vinyl is my main source and my front end is the new Rega P6, kitted out with a Goldring Excel GS MC cartridge, which sports a Gyger S stylus. The P6 has only been round a few months and I'd partnered it and the Goldring with the new Rega MC Fono stage, and been happy enough with them. I strayed upon NVA quite by accident, when they were mentioned on one of the Rega Facebook Forums. I'd done a bit of reading and already joined this Forum when the Doc did his Black Friday promotion and - courtesy of a heads up from Andy-831 (thanks Andy!) - nabbed one of the Phono 2/PSU units early on. I took delivery last week so I'd count these musings as early impressions.

The first thing that appealed straight out the box was the purposeful design and decent weight of the power supply - suggesting some quality parts within. My set up sits in a chimney breast (the fire having been removed!) so allows very little room for horizontal flexibility and initially just swapped the head unit over with the Rega Fono, powered it up and was greeted with what sounded like a helicopter overhead - it was sat right under my (Rega Elicit) amp! Some jigging around meant I was able to put it on its side, equidistant between the PSU and the amp and about 2' from each. This got the helicopter down to perfectly acceptable levels - inaudible at my usual listening levels but just about there when really turned up with no music playing. I suspect longer interconnects and some more thoughtful locating will reap even better results in due course.

When trying any new kit the first thing I try to establish is whether something is just different or actually better. I've got a few tracks I try for reference - Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On?' (with the masterful James Jamerson on bass); Scott Walker's 'I Don't Want to Hear it Anymore' and Teenage Fanclub's 'Mellow Doubt'. I found the Rega majored on energy and drive and the Phono 2 I initially found to be less impactful and more sophisticated. But I was aware that everything was there - and the sound stage seemed to have gained real depth too. Jamerson's bass sounded like a bass guitar rather than a bass guitar reproduced. Instruments are rendered with greater depth, nuance and faithfulness and everything is more present. I could hear Scott's breathing between notes and the strings had scale, impact and weight. The TF track I always listen to for when the bass slides in after the first few bars because it just kicks the song up the arse. Again - bass guitar sounding like a bass guitar, like it does when I plug my own in and practice! As others have said, I found myself simply sitting there and smiling. This was on the first night and listening time was limited.

Last weekend I had a bit more time which meant the big guns came out, specifically King Crimson's 'Starless' from their album, Red. This track is a monster, a real test for any system and a emotional experience for the listener - for me anyway. It's a 12 minute roller coaster which starts with strings and gentle vocals before progressing into some really subtle percussion, moving onto passages of distorted bass and abrupt stops and starts before ending in a crescendo of strings, mellotron, horns and every other f**king thing going. It's a ride and I was actually welling up by the end of this listen. It was genuinely emotional experience and a thrill from start to finish. The plunge into the deep bass underpinning the mellotron at the end nearly took my breath away.

To me music is about communicating emotion. If it doesn't make you feel then it's wall paper - or bog paper. I'm really enjoying the Phono 2/PSU, really enjoying it - oh damn it, I love it! It engenders a greater emotional response on the part of this listener I think than any other single piece of kit I've bought. It renders music and resolves instruments - including voices - with greater nuance and faithfulness than I've heard before, and positions them in a sound stage that is as deep as it is wide, and has made my system sound the best it ever has. Thanks, Doc, for putting a smile - hell, a great big, stupid grin - on a middle-aged music fan's face.

 

[savvypaul]

Re: TSCS Loan 2.5m

post by dwhistance » Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:23 am

As I've had these playing fairly constantly in my system for a few days now I thought I ought to post an interim review. To put this in context my system, or at least the bit used for the review is as follows: source is a Mac Mini playing through a Mytek Brooklyn DAC. The DAC is connected to the pre-amp, a very much modified Quad 34, with 80cm of TIS Mk1 and the pre-amp is connected to the power amp, a Threshold S200, with 9m of SC. The TSCS, standing in for my regular LS6, then connects to Reference 3A Episode Be loudspeakers. Certainly not a typical NVA system.

I should say straight away that the introduction of each of the NVA cables into my system has been a revelation, revealing information that had been hidden by my previous cables and has greatly enhanced both mine and my family's enjoyment of the system so I may well be biased in favour of the Doc's "cable sound". With that in mind here are my initial thoughts on TSCS:

When I first put the LS6 into my system I was struck immediately by the sense of space as the soundstage opened up and also by the improved bass the speakers delivered. Swapping the LS6 for TSCS gave me a sense of deja-vu as again there was an increased sense of space and an even bigger soundstage. Similarly the bass is again better with even better resolution, so much so that listening to Yoyo Ma playing the Bach Cello Suites, music I know very well and have heard him playing live, he could have been in the room with me - amazing. TSCS also improves over LS6 at the other end of the range in the high treble. Parts of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater that have a tendency to sound sharp, reverberant and "out of control" snapped into focus, similarly with the Tallis Scholars recording of Gesualdo's Tenebrae Responses parts of which can be almost painful but are now revealed fully. LS6 does a very good job of separating the tones of the soprano and counter tenor, better than I had heard before with other cables, but TSCS does it even better allowing you to follow each strand of the music if you so wish. It also seems to expand the harmonics compared with lesser cables giving a much fuller more realistic sound. In case you think this is genre specific I have heard exactly the same listening to pop from Leonard Cohen, Rag 'n' Bone Man and Eric Clapton as well as jazz from Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson. The only downside is that, as always, badly recorded music is shown up for what it is, albeit it is still very enjoyable.

In conclusion I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to these cables. They take the strengths of the already very good LS6 and build on them. I would also say that the difference between the two isn't incremental, it's huge, which is surprising as at this point you might expect to be well into the area of diminishing returns. They are expensive cables but in my opinion clearly worth the price and I will be buying a set early in the New Year.

Happy Holidays

David Whistance

 

[savvypaul]

eagwok33
Austria

Re: Phono 2 plus BBPSU

Here is my review about my experience with the NVA phono 2 plus BBPSU:

Well, how to start:
After having listened 1 to 2 hours a day for about 10 days now to my phono 2 / BBPSU in my system, I’d like to share my impressions about my vinyl listening experiences with you.

My system is mainly non-NVA - with the exception of my newly delivered TSCS and the phono2 /BBPSU - and consists of:
Vinyl front-end: Perpetuum Ebner PE33 Studio with Schröder CB-Arm and Lyra Skala, 1980s Linn LP12+Lingo, Ekos, MusicMaker III mi cartridge; pimped Lenco L75 with Schick 12” tone arm currently not in use
Phono: Graham Slee Era Gold and Graham Slee Revelation with PSU1 and/or DIY power supplies, EAR 834P (with some part upgrades)
Preamp: LFD Anniversary
PowerAmps: DIY 2A3 monos and DIY First Watt M2 Clone
LS: Pair of Haigner 3-way horn ls (with 15” Altec 416 bass drivers and BMS compression drivers for mids and tweeter horns)

The first thing I noticed when connecting the BBPSU / Phono 2 to my mains in my music room, was a tiny bit of hum you could hear from the bass section of the speakers when the phono input was selected but the volume down. The hum wasn't audible from the listening position some 2.5m away, but it was audible when standing next to the speakers. As my speakers are 98dB efficiency this resulting hum is more a minor issue, though. The 2x 1000 VA transformers in the BBPSU have been dead silent from start.

In the meantime, I realized that floating the BBPSU helped to reduce the hum to close to inaudible levels.

When I started my listening sessions during the first evening with my PE33 Studio and mc cartridge, the 1st thing I noticed was that the gain level (with the tube amps as well as with the First Watt M2 clone) was really low. A phone call with Richard revealed that he had built me an MM stage and I had ordered an MC stage. This was unfortunate but we immediately agreed that I try the MM stage and decide later if I send the unit back to him to be updated to an MC stage or keep the MM version or return the phono2 plus BBPSU in the unlikely case I didn’t like the sound of the NVA phono stage.
As I also own a very good step up a Berlin friend of mine made (1:15 ratio with nano crystalline cores) I mainly listened to my MC front-end with the phono 2 / BBPSU combo.

Well, if you are still reading this review, thanks a lot for your patience.

I reward you now with my findings regarding how the phono 2 plus BBPSU musically performed in my system. All findings below are with my new pair of NVA TSCS connecting amp and horn speakers. (I will write about them in comparison with my LS6 pair, once the TSCS has a bit more hours burn-in time).
Well, I listened to various music from Mozart piano concertos, classical symphonies and guitar recordings to intimate Jazz trio recordings and some blues, US folk & blue grass as well as rock music.

All I can say is that the NVA phono 2 / BBPSU has superb musicality and this is one of the most important things I’m looking for in a piece of audio equipment! To my ears this phono stage lets the musicians express what - as it seems to me - they intended to record live or in the studio to the vinyl in the first place. What I haven’t heard with my other phono stages is this musical flow, emotion and especially “silence / breathing space” (I don’t know how to describe it) between notes. This makes a lot of a difference for me on how a musical performance is perceived via an LP (or CD or digital file in general). It is this kind of flow, emotion and “silence” between notes which makes a reproduction “more realistic” to my ears. For example, I often listen later in the evening at lower levels and also tend to read a book or news paper besides listening to music. Well, with the phono2 this isn’t really possible, as the music delivered feels often so reaI and engaging that one has to focus on the music played!

I have had the chance to audition quite a number of phono stages up to now (tube and solid state ones, some of them also “crazy” expensive) but only a few of them have delivered such a realistic reproduction of music (and these were unfortunately either expensive ones I don’t have the funds to own or DIY tube ones I currently don’t have the ability to build).

Another strength of the NVA phono 2 is the dynamic performance of reproduced music. For example, the shadings of natural instruments (bass and violin) are reproduced in an exemplary way (LP of Norman Blake / Tut Taylor / Sam Bush… song: Sauerkraut n’ Solar Energy, Sonet Productions Ltd, London, 1976). This is really exceptional and in my opinion is most likely also a result of Richards’s “big power supply”-philosophy. The BBPSU with 2 times 1000 VA transformers is definitely overkill spec-wise for a phono stage but such a device then has plenty of reserves driving the phono 2 and is also a very low resistance supply. Both things seem to be a big plus when it comes to the musical outcome!

Overall, I am very impressed with the music the phono 2 plus BBPSU reproduces from vinyl. I can’t compare it to the phone 2 with one or two standard psu but I’m sure both versions are capable of similar musical performance.
Is there something to criticize? No, there is nothing in my book. This is an exceptional phono stage for sure. A real keeper!

The only thing I’d like to mention is the following:
The BBPSU is quite a heavy beast – about 20 kg – and has no on / off switch. It is important to separate it as far as possible from the TT and phono stage or other sensitive equipment.

And plugging it into the mains the first time, could trigger the circuit breaker. Thankfully, it didn’t do it in my case. According to Richard it’s the best thing to leave it on constantly as in idle mode power consumption is minimal. Only when one goes on a trip, it is a good idea to take it from the mains. Well, fine with me!

I didn’t explain this to my wonderful wife, who is very supporting and understanding when it comes to my audio and music hobby! Thanks, Sweety! I know, she would not be happy about “electrical appliances” without a power-on/-off switch, though or at least it wouldn’t be an easy task to convince her about why such a switch isn’t standard with a BBPSU. So, WAF most likely isn’t as high as mine, I would assume!

As the unit is sitting in my dedicated music room, everything is fine, though!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Norbert

 

[savvypaul]

LS2

At the price I could not go wrong buying short lengths for the second system in the bedroom. The system was previously bi-wired with QED 79 strand so two sets were purchased.

Because of the layout of the room sound quality is compromised by the positioning of the speakers and the review has to be considered in this context. Any improvements in sound stage and imaging would be masked. What is apparent is that the sound is noticeably clearer as if there is less getting in the way of the signal path. It is as if a layer of colouration has been lifted. The listening experience is more pleasant. There is also improvement at the frequency extremes, the bass being tighter and the treble being more extended with greater sparkle.

A good value upgrade.

 

[savvypaul]

I bought 5 Metre and 2.5 Metre sets of LS6 in the Black Friday promotion and received them before Christmas. I have done a fair amount of listening in that time but they are to my ears, still improving

I am listening with highly modified Naim CD3.5 with 4 psu's - TIS - DIY Avondale 821A preamp - home made cables - (four) DIY Avondale voyager power amps - DIY isobaric,3 way semi Omni's . Previous speaker cable was Avondale Black Link which is highly regarded and was a significant upgrade from my Naim NACA5 speaker cable.

At first I could not put my finger on the change the LS6 brought but after an album or two it began to unfold for me.

As ever with NVA it is all about the music - there is more of it. It improves things over my Avondale blacklink cable in key areas.

There is more space, instruments sound more like real instruments. I have noticed some bass lines much easier to follow. There is more information present but in a subtle, not in your face way. More lovely textures to synth's and bass. I noticed the sound of a snare drum earlier which clearly was not being hit in the centre of the skin where as before it was masked. The space around instruments is clearer - leading edges and decay of notes are more detailed.

I like it a lot - there is more to hear but it is less fatiguing than before if that makes sense.

Busy listening to CD after CD which is a good thing

I reverted from triamping to biamping for this and it is clearly better than triamping with the old cables


Listening to Nick Drake. River man is a beautiful track which often gets the hairs on the neck standing up. No exception this time, if anything the hairs are not coming back down. There is much on this song to tickle the emotions. His voice of course, the guitar playing style the 5/4 time signature and the lovely string part. I have never heard Nick's voice so clear - every little warble is evident. Wow

I listened to A funk odyssey by Jamiroquai. The opening of the first track (feel so good) is always a hair tingling moment. It fades in with a wind blowing noise and lots of little tinkling bells. Then the synthesiser comes in the wind and bells swell and then boom - the full band in. There are some voices at this point which now appear to be immediately to the left of my head - it is a bit holographic, like seeing a 3D film, the voices popped out at me 10 feet across the room

. That has never happened until buying the LS6. Being a bass heavy album (aren't all of J.K's) there is plenty of time to assess the bass performance with LS6. It is rich, wholesome with loads of texture - currently trying to work out what amp was used. Fast bass lines with lots of notes make more sense now than they ever have.

There is more high frequency energy and detail than before - cymbals really highlight this. The shimmering decay of a crash cymbal, the "ping" of a ride cymbal being struck on the bell near it's centre. I heard this on some Blue Note compilation CD's. Beautifully engaging and relaying more of the musician's feel and genius. Sometimes it is hard to tell exactly where a drummer hits the drum or cymbal. The sound is different depending on where it is struck and the LS6 add a lot to being able to hear it. Tracks that I used to find uninteresting are now being played because of the increased texture and emotion coming across from the musicians.

An excellent product and a steal at the price. The only way that these cables will be leaving is back to NVA HQ when upgrading to TSCS

 

[savvypaul]

Super Sound Pipe & LS/5 At The Crack Of Dawn

by Lotus Seven S » Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:06 am

I am a subjectivist - all the way down.

This means amongst many other things that it is almost impossible for me to write a review of these new acquisitions. But what I can do, is tell you about what happened to me, when I plugged in the black cables to the black boxes.

As a subjectivist I am also a relativist - things only have meaning when put into a context of many other things. So I am going to start a little ways back. I have owned very, very expensive cables, expensive cables and cheap cables. Looking back I am rather disgusted at my own tomfoolery - as I really have no idea if cables work or not - and there were several years where I preferred my interconnects at 5 euro to them at 1000 euro. Or to say it in another way - I no longer care if or how cables work. But I do want to have a pleasant time, whilst listening.

I bought these cables as a result of Black Friday - and this inevitably gave delays. I am very bad at waiting - and if I ever buy anything again from Richard then I will willingly pay extra for expedited transport. But this also meant, that I was impatient when I went to work with listening to the cables.

My first thought after the first notes were "Gosh". Then I thought "Lush". After that there was "Slow" and after that "Fast". And then I thought how is this possible? My working hypothesis was - These cables accentuate what is: Slow passages become slow. Fast passages become fast. Melodic passages become melodic. ETC.

I left them on playing music, whilst I went shopping and walked the dog. And then back to serious business.

And something had happened whilst I was away. Because now they sounded bad. Flat. And something was missing. At such times I resort to Pink Noise Brown Noise and White Noise. I hate it when that happens: But a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do.

So the first day ended rather frustrated. In the middle of the night, I thought - we are going to take it slow from now on.

And things have actually been fine since.

I fitted them to my tube amplifier and I immediately heard a "big difference". There was quite simply more ..... of something or other. Not quite sure how to say it. More "Bloom". (Not euphonic as such - but just more music in the music, so to say.)

So I am very pleased.

I am still a cable-sceptic. I don't know if they burn in. I don't know if these cables will work for others. And I don't know if it is all in my imagination - that just needed something new to play with. But I am keeping them - and I am looking forward to later in the day hearing more music in my music.

 

[savvypaul]

My system is NVA P50, Phono 2, A20 SSC, LS6

Given reports that adding another power supply to the Phono 2 would reap rewards, I took advantage of the Docs Black Friday deal and ordered one.

I’ve had it for approximately a week now and put a goodly number of albums under my Denon DL310II stylus, so what can I report?

Well truth be told, everything everyone has said about adding it is true. In the Black Friday offer it was a steal, Doc won’t be doing that again!

Since adding it in to my system there appears to be more NVA - a greater naturalness and sweetness to the performance, more “air” or space between instruments & performers, extra width, depth and height to the soundstage and certainly a wider tonal & dynamic range - additional realism then.

The listener will hear more detail and information, what you previously thought was being masked, something partially hiding in the background is actually there now, clear as a bell! Jackson Browne’s “Stay” from the Running on empty album for example, where he quickly runs his finger along and up the keyboard. I could hear detail of individual notes here prior to adding the extra PS, but now the clarity of this quick run up the keyboard is breathtaking; as is the rest of my music.

The BBPSU must be bloody fantastic- if only I had the room and readies for that.

Alfi.

 

[savvypaul]

Lotus Seven S » Sat Jan 13, 2018 12:59 pm

I can't remember how I found NVA. I have been an internet-hound from the beginning and I was truly surprised, that I had never visited this forum before, but one fine day by chance I ended up here. And then of course I went to the NVA site - and I liked what I saw. I like one man businesses and the internet should have provided many more of them - instead of the walled gardens and the concentration of the conglomerates, that we now have.

The Starter Set was of course a logical place to start. (And calling it that was a wonderful piece of home garden marketing on a par with the wonderful suggestion to Sony that they should use "From those wonderful people who gave us Pearl Harbour" - it would work today - but this was for their introduction to America many many years ago - and they said no.

Perhaps I should explain, that I am no beginner myself. I have loved music all my life, and caught the hifi virus over 30 years ago. I have always thought that the amplifier is the heart of the system. Yes, the speakers have to be right for your ears and your room (they have the decisive say), and when you find the right ones - don't ever give up on them, because then you will wander round lost in the hifi jungle (as I have done). But amplifiers have come and gone - last time I counted there have been over 30 - stretching over the whole financial spectrum - though never as inexpensive as the P20/A20+wires set.

Let's start with the wires. I liked them immediately. Simple no nonsense wires. They (both the interconnect and the speaker cable) did not look nor feel cheap and they sounded just fine - something to have and forget about. Perfect in other words. I actually thought the interconnect (NVA sound cord) was quite sexy and would have bought one more, if Black Friday hadn't turned up.

The P20 is a fine little box. The knobs have a nice feel to them and it just looks right in my set-up. I like the look of the black acrylic - quite distinguished (and yes I do also listen through my eyes). Passive pre-amplifiers are often accused of killing the dynamics (and I have had two before, which did exactly that) - but there is none of that here with the P20. Loud and clear - just passing the message along. And that message is then taken up by another quite small box- the A20. Again a wonderful visual design and minimalistic, which I like. I am convinced that someone has done a lot of thinking about design here - and the Apple crowd don't do it any better. My speakers don't go under 6 ohms, so the A20's 25 watts are easily sufficient - and I no longer listen at head-banging levels. The amplifier doesn't really get very warm - just nice to the touch - and I let it run 24/7.

Sound- you ask?

I want to write - A Clear and Present Danger - but the last word is wrong. But Clear & Present are right. My own terminology for this is "Monitor-Sound" - but I am far from sure that I am using the term correctly. What I mean is: If i was at a concert I would much rather be in the control room than the concert hall - as I want to hear a reduction in sound level and complexity - this reduces the cognitive load on my old brain and increases the enjoyment of my music.

I like clarity. I hate distortion. And this small NVA package lives up to these two demands. In spades.

And the price? That is just ridiculous. But of course there is a meaning to this madness. Who can stay with the starter set, when even better things are to be had?

There's the rub.

 

[savvypaul]

This review is for the Phono 1 MM version and the BMU. Also the P20/A20 starter kit with cables

System 1 Lenco G88 t/t in custom plinth/Audiomods arm/Shure M97xE cartridge/Bantam One Integrated amp/Ruark Talisman 2 speakers and QLN Cubic3 speakers

System 2 Lenco G99 t/t in custom plinth/Audiomods arm/Audio Note IQ3 cartridge/Truth preamp/ Trancendent 300B monos/Klipschorns
I had to switch out the Transcendent amps for the Bantam when one of them broke down.

In system 1 the sound was crystal clear, open, dynamic and very, very musical. It all sounded very well balanced, no hint of grain or distortion anywhere. Only problem I had was some grounding buzz which was low level and not too obtrusive but never the less there.

I switched to my regular phono stage the Decware Zp3 for comparison. There was not a lot of difference apart from the ZP3 having no grounding issues.Bearing,
in mind the ZP3 is about £870 plus import duty and vat against £300 for the Phono 1. Remarkable to say the least!

In system 2 everything I heard in system1 was there but with much more dynamism and resolution. Which of course you would expect. The phono 1 was unfortunately buzzing wildly in this system to the point of being unlistenable. The ZP3 was fine.

This was a shame as the phono 1 was sounding fantastic.Bass full and tight, massive sound stage and very fast in presentation but also very, very musical.
What happened next was I received a NVA BMU which I bought as part of Richard's Black Friday deals.

Plugged it in and it tripped the electrics, reset and everything was fine.

Guess what.....the grounding buzz disappeared and a slight swishing sound I had always had in the system but got used to disappeared too! The BMU stepped things up another notch.....more dynamics, fuller bass, sweeter sound. This only lasted a short time as one of my amps packed up.....shit!

I then had to revert to the Bantam One after that but this is a very capable amp and underrated. This is a combination I could live with too. Everything sounds wonderful just lacking a little bit in resolution and sound stage.

Music I played included Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, Nova, L.A. Express,Miles Davis, Eberhard Weber, Jan Garbarek, Zakir Hussain,
Ella Fitgerald and others I can't remember off the top of my head.

So, in conclusion I think the phono 1 is a massive bargain at the price. Am I going to buy one? No....because I will be buying a phono 2 with extra psu. Imagine what that could do? I most likely will be trying some interconnects too I am that impressed with the NVA gear.

Thanks Richard for the loan, it's opened my eyes and ears. Oh and I really like the understated but elegant box it comes in!

Now a brief mention of the P20/A20 starter kit. Well this is a remarkable bargain at £300 and can't be beaten at the price point.
Sounded really nice in system 1 but with the grounding issue as described before. I wasn't able to use the BMU in this situation but assume it would have had the same effect it had in system 2. This is again a very musical set up (can't think of a better word)
I wasn't able to use this set up in sytem 2's location as the cables wouldn't have been long enough.
System 1 is in a cabin I am fortunate to have access to system 2 is in the house.

Sorry for the long post hope it hasn't bored you too much.

 

[savvypaul]

Question regarding upgrade from a NVA 3m set LS6 loudspeaker cable to a 3m set of TSCS loudspeaker cable

post by eagwok33 » Sat Jan 13, 2018 6:26 pm

David Whistance recently reported very accurately and competently about his experience with the TSCS vs. LS6. To give another perspective, here are my thoughts about these cables:

A little bit over a year ago, I purchased a pair of NVA LS6 loudspeaker cables via Richard’s ebay store. The LS6 in my system, connecting my DIY SE tube amps or DIY First Watt M2 clone with my 3-way horn ls system definitely shines; there is a plus in musicality, energy transfer of acoustic and electrically amplified instruments, more liveliness, room ambience and resolution in comparison to my long-term favorite ls cable, the Kimber 4TC. The Kimber in comparison sounds accurate but a lot drier and less musical as well as less energetic.

Now, the TSCS pair I ordered in November 2017 via the HFS forum (and which Richard made and sent to me the week before X-Mas) are definitely something special. Right from the start, I realized that the TSCS delivers more of everything in my system in comparison to the excellent and musical LS6. The strong point of the LS6 in my system definitely is the mid-range. The mid-range is slightly on the warmer side compared to the not burned-in TSCS, and this warmth makes music reproduction in my near field listening to my 3-way horn system especially pleasing. It’s like you are “bathing” in pure mid-range joy with the LS6!

From the start, the TSCS conveyed a more transparent reproduction of music, with more detail plus more stage width and depth, which in my system - to my ears - is the result of its exceptional resolution and fine detail in the treble region. In this area, the TSCS is definitely exceptional!

At the start, the TSCS in comparison to the LS6 felt more unforgiving to recorded material. So, records which are cut and recorded a tad hotter, like some of the “brass oriented” Blue Note Jazz LPs of the end 50s / early 60s, sounded more authentic than I was used to with my horn ls system. But clearly, a real-life brass section listened to in a near field environment sounds amazingly powerful. An indication that the brass sections in these legendary Blue Note recordings are rendered truthfully by the TSCS!

(On my New Orleans trip some years ago, I walked twice with a Second Line, so had the brass-section near-field live experience -> this was unforgettable regarding the dynamics of music, especially brass instruments, in real life!

)

After now three weeks with listening one to four hours a day, I can report that the TSCS has improved further (the listening for the last two weeks has been without my NVA phono 2 as it is currently being converted by Richard to the MC version; so, the only NVA product in my current chain is the ls cables). The TSCS is by all means a fantastic ls cable.

To my ears, it is definitely a big improvement over the excellent LS6. The TSCS is the best ls cable I have heard in my system - of that I’m certain. You get more real life from your LPs and CDs played through your system with the TSCS in the chain. Acoustic instruments are portrayed with this natural ambience, which makes listening to music so captivating. And the biggest improvement the TSCS brings to the party I call “atmosphere” of the music reproduced. The musicians seem to be with you in the room and live recordings sound more alive (e.g. LP, Ryan Adams - Live at Carnegie Hall). There is a “breathing” of/between the musical notes played (I can’t describe it better), which is kind of “spooky real” -> this is so cool!

For example, to listen to piano music with this cable is just magical and pure joy

(e.g. Beethoven piano concert No. 5 - “Emporer” Concerto, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Wiener Symphoniker / Guilini, DG 2531 385, Live Recording).

To sum up:
For the money, the LS6 is a bargain and a tip for every music lover who wants to improve the musical qualities of his system. And it doesn’t have to be an NVA system.

The TSCS though is definitely a further improvement. Is it worth roughly 2.5 times the price? For me a clear yes, as the improvement is noticeable – you only need to listen to a good piano recording (see above) with a system with high resolution and compare both cables then you will understand the difference between the superb valued LS6 and the amazing TSCS. As I want to listen to my preferred music as lifelike as possible, for me the TSCS is a logical upgrade, no doubt! In the so-called “high end audio world of diminishing returns” the TSCS is an exceptional and truly musical performer – a real keeper!

My conclusion:
For everyone, who seriously is into audio and has a resolving system, the TSCS and its musical qualities are a must have. Period! So, consider exploring it for yourself.

Happy Listening!
Norbert

 

[savvypaul]

Re: Phono 2 (MC) / PSU Loan

by dwhistance » Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:52 pm

With the Phono 2 with its extra power supply now on the way back to the Doc its time for my “review”, I'm sorry it is so long. The review was essentially done in two parts the reason for which will become apparent.

To start with my setup was: Garrard 401 turntable with Graham 2.2 tonearm and Ortofon Kontrapunkt cartridge playing into either the NVA Phono 2 (with both power supplies) or my Dynavector P75 (in “enhancer” current drive mode), modified Quad 34 preamp, Threshold S200 power amp driving Reference 3A Episode BE loudspeakers. Cables were Graham IC70 between tonearm and phono-pre, Hovland between phono and preamp, SC between pre and power and then the loaner TSCS to the speakers. As my aural memory isn’t that reliable I switched between the two phono stages regularly (keeping both powered up) so that it was easy to compare one with the other.

I used a broad selection of music including classical stalwarts; Sibelius - Finlandia, Prokofiev - Lieutenant Kije, Elgar - Cello Concerto, jazz; Ben Webster – Blue Light, Kenny Drew Trio – Morning, Miles Davis – Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck – Take Five, and pop; Ricky Lee Jones – Girl at her Volcano, Dire Straits – Dire Straits, The Neville Brothers – Yellow Moon, Paul Simon – Graceland, John Lee Hooker – The Healer, Eric Clapton – Unplugged.

My initial feeling was somewhat non-committal in that whilst the Phono 2 was clearly a competent phono stage it wasn’t exceptional and certainly wasn’t what I was expecting from the very many positive reviews on HFS. Whilst it undoubtedly had better bass and treble than the P75 and therefore gave a much more convincing soundstage with well recorded albums it sounded somewhat lacklustre with some of the more complex music, particularly the classical pieces and the Neville Brothers. The latter also seemed a bit “slow”, so much so that I didn’t even try Paul Simon’s “The Rhythm of the Saints” with its complex rhythms.

At this stage, in my system, I preferred the P75 overall. I was therefore ready to return the Phono 2 together with the TSCS which was needed for a demo. However as luck would have it I messed up the courier booking for the TSCS and phoned the Doc to apologise. He was relaxed about the courier but straight away asked how I was enjoying the Phono 2. Slightly embarrassed I explained my thoughts. Knowing that I use a non-NVA system Doc asked about my preamp and suggested that a “passive” might lead to better results. Now it just happens that I had a P50SA sitting unused in a box in my workshop so, as there wasn’t anyone waiting for the Phono 2, we agreed that I would hang on to it over the weekend so that I could try it with the passive pre.

Now the system was essentially the same as before but with the Quad 34 replaced by the P50SA. I also changed the Hovland interconnect for SSP. Also the TSCS were no longer in the system having being returned to the Doc and were replaced by my regular LS6. However despite the loss of the TSCS the Phono 2 was now a totally different beast and well worthy of the praise that has been lavished on it on HFS. The soundstage was huge with magnificent bass. I heard details in tracks I know well that I have never heard before despite my having owned a number of expensive, very well reviewed, turntables and phono stages in the past. Listening to The Neville Brothers Yellow Moon it was as if I was seeing/hearing all of them in the studio. The Sibelius and Prokofiev were also now fantastic – full orchestras in the room with me. I even played Rhythm of the Saints which was great, as good as I have ever heard it! My only gripe is that I could have done with a bit more gain as I was right at the end stop on the volume control on occasions. I don’t know whether this is something that the Doc can change, I suspect it may be?

So to conclude after changing out the preamp for a “passive” I really loved the Phono 2 and will have to add it to my list of future purchases, albeit after the TSCS which I still think of as magical. Clearly the P50SA, being much more transparent than the Quad allowed the Phono 2 to show its true colours. However I won't be using it in my system as my listening seat is slightly off centre and the single volume control on the P50SA cannot help correct for this. The P90SA can though. I just wish the Doc would make both the Phono 2/3 and indeed the P90SA in a finish other than black acrylic, if he did I would buy them both straight away. I do understand the benefits of the acrylic and the NVA boxes undoubtedly look smart, however they have a very different aesthetic to everything else in our living room which makes them much harder to purchase than the sound quality alone would suggest.

I meant to say one more thing in my "review" above - the Phono 2 reminded me why for years I regarded CD and even SACD as a secondary source to vinyl, the sense of air and space combined with the feeling you can almost reach out and touch the performers provided by a good vinyl system is in my opinion still beyond what can be achieved by a similarly priced digital one. It is no doubt the result of the many resonances inherent in vinyl replay and as such a "colouration" but it is incredibly enjoyable nevertheless!

David Whistance

 

[savvypaul]

NVA Sound Cord Appreciation

by southall-1998 » Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:37 am

I've been using Sound Cord Interconnect cables, on my humble headphone listening rig. (Since 2014)

As for their sound. At first, I found the Sound Cord slightly lean and brightly lit. But not in any intimidating way! After listening for a while. I came to the realisation that they sound decent, and can equal cables costing £150-200. For beer money your getting a decent cable, that gives you a good ''live'' raw sound.

I also like Sound Cords. For their fit and forget style. No silly thrills happening here, just simple average Joe!

S.

 

[savvypaul]

Re: TIS Loan 70cm

by Hemmo1969 » Fri Jan 26, 2018 3:24 pm

Looking to upgrade my 'analogue side' interconnect sometime in the near future so thought I'd take Doc up on his kind 70cm TIS 'Loan offer'.

Listened to a few albums whilst warming the system up to listening temp (ouch audiophile bollocks spoke already

but for crucial comparison between my old cable (Mark Grant GH1500HD) and the very smart looking NVA 70cm TIS connector, I chose the rather fantastic Laura Marling - Semper Femina (released October 2017) Vinyl LP. In particular the first three tracks…. Soothing / The Valley / Wild Fire.

The TIS doesn't take long to show it's differences between my usual cable, there's a sense of the music being slightly louder (I check the volume) but I'm certain I haven't messed with the volume? (I haven't) But on the second and then third track I can hear that its certain elements of the track(s) that are easier to perceive. Vocals are a little more forward in the presentation, not overpowering or bright just better, I can hear the lyrics with more clarity (ever had that "Ohh that's what she's been Singing" moment) one or two words really pop out as new to me.

Musically there's little different in its overall presentation than my usual Mark Grant but I'm finding with more listening that the rhythm track (background) is also easier to pick up and follow. Violins or acoustic guitar….. the pluck of a double bass also comes in with a sharper front edge (Transient?) which I like.
Altogether a more focused listen, I do like being able to see 'behind' the singer to instruments being played and the extra information in the vocals is quite welcome. I may well measure up and buy a short run between Phone amp and my P50sa Pre.

 

[savvypaul]

BMU on Loan. I have pretty clean mains as far as I can judge so was not expecting miracles except some improvement in SQ. For me there was some improvement in certain areas which I found were outweighed by losses. Firstly the BMU in circuit caused my buffer stage to buzz loudly from dead silent but no problem elsewhere. I rerouted the power to this bypassing the BMU. This did not change the sound in any way.

My impression was that the BMU tightened the sound up and it became a little more forceful. However there was a slight hardness that made for less relaxed listening. Gains in precision accompanied by a slight loss in soundstage and nuance. Some fine detail (harmonics) and musicality was lost. Tighter bass but less nuanced. Removing the BMU sound felt more relaxed and the more open and nuanced bass notes returned. Maybe a little more sloppy sound but more to my taste. The tighter harder presentation certainly wiped out some of the gains in CD sound afforded by the Beresford DAC making it more 'digital'. Maybe something did not agree with my amps which have exceptionally low output impedance? Maybe faults elsewhere being revealed? Anyway at this point I think without the need to sort mains issues my money will be better spent elsewhere, probably on cable upgrades. As the Doc says it is suck it and see with this piece of kit.

I will add that the BMU is extremely heavy and large. However the black perspex is very attractive so this will look far better than alternative products on the market while blending in with other equipment, especially NVA.

 

[savvypaul]

Re: BMU Loan

Post by Simon Hickie » Wed Feb 07, 2018 4:24 pm

NVA BMU REVIEW

During the loan period, the BMU was used in two different valve based systems. System 1 was my system with an Icon Audio EL34 based amp, modded Allison Six speakers and Raspberry Pi with Audioquest Dragonfly Red DAC. System 2 included a Trafomatic 300B based amp, Impulse Audio Lali horn speakers and a Jolida DAC.

A range of test material was used on both systems with the emphasis on well recorded albums. In short, the BMU made a clear difference on both systems with a number of obvious benefits.

The bass and midrange gained extra weight in both cases giving the sound a greater sense of solidity but without the negative connotations associated with this such as wooliness, boom or bloat. In other words, the bass and midrange was still appropriate to the music being played.

The music also seemed to come from a blacker background in the sense that the leading edge of the transients was more evident rather than being a little submerged in the rest of the mix.

The overwhelming impression was that instruments and voices sounded more natural and unforced. This was particularly evident on the Kari Bremnes track ‘Birds’ where the string bass sounded particularly authentic.

Turning to some classical material, I felt that on Saint Saens organ symphony the strings sounded more ‘string like’ and the big tune in the fourth movement carried more weight and sparkle than without the BMU in situ.

The impact on sound stage was less easy to identify. The Allison Sixes project a soundstage well above the line of the speakers anyway and it’s also quite recording dependent. The Impulse Lali based system also puts out a soundstage that’s well above and behind the speakers with little sense of listening to a less well set up point and squirt system. Overall, I’d say that this was the area where the BMU had least impact, although in my case I’d say the soundstage still rose a foot or so further with some (not all) vocals higher still.

With the BMU taken out of the system, the sound seems ‘flatter’ with reduced dynamics, less weight, sparkle and separation. Put simply, the BMU makes music more ‘musical’, unforced and natural.

So in summary, would I buy one? In my case, this is a little moot. There are currently significant pressures on the household budget thanks to more work than we had hoped on the new property. I’m also rejigging my camera kit with much buying and selling of bodies and lenses. They say that the true cost of something is the alternative that you forego. The cost of the BMU nearly buys me a wide angle zoom for architecture photography. I suspect, however, that next December when the evenings are long I might wish that I’d gone for the BMU instead of the lens.

 

[savvypaul]

My NVA Amp Returns
Post by SteveTheShadow » Wed Jan 31, 2018 12:14 am

I bought an NVA A20/P20 starter set six months ago and was gobsmacked at the sound quality and it did sterling service in my system for a couple of months until the itch to go valves again became too much to resist and I built myself a low power single-ended triode amplifier.
Now the thing is, I am in love with the single ended triode sound, love the simplicity of these devices and the sheer musicality of the sounds they produce. I had modded and modded and improved the SET and was going to rehouse the whole shebang in another, better, case and properly incorporate all the mods I had done to it. To facilitate this I reintroduced the NVA A20 into the system so that I could work on the SET and still have nice sounds in the living room, whilst I was doing it.

What I was totally unprepared for was the sheer brilliance of the sound that came out of my speakers. Now to put this all into context, I had built a pair of my own semi-omni speaker designs, that whilst sounding very good indeed, were just a little bit "safe" sounding and though quite neutral, were tending towards blandness. I subsequently improved them, by increasing the tweeter output relative to the main driver, so that the sound became much more "live" and better balanced top to bottom.

I had done all of this, using the SET as the testing amp and the SET had been voiced with reference to the original sound of the NVA A20. What I hadn't done at the time, was test the speakers with the NVA itself. I had just used the SET and was thoroughly enjoying the clarity, dynamics and believability of the presentation especially as it was only putting out 4Wpc.

So, now that the NVA A20 had been reintroduced to the system, what was I to make of things? Well it was quite an eye-opener, to be perfectly honest. Clarity, dynamics, believability, musicality and sheer midrange magic were there in spades and the top end was just gorgeous; clear, detailed and without a trace of hardness or nastiness.

Now all this NVA excellence revealed by the improved speakers has put me in an awkward position. The music is so good, and the A20 is so easy to live with that I am yet again, for the umpteenth time, questioning myself as to whether I want to press on with the valves. I could spend a fortune on exotic output transformers and boutique components, but that would be hard to justify, when the NVA amp sounds so blinking fantastic.

I'm now retired and am sort of putting together a "final" system to take me into my dotage and I am seriously questioning the need to spend vast sums, when for far less money and messing about I could move up the NVA range of electronics and just concentrate on playing with my speaker systems.

 

[savvypaul]

Rolf Schnaibel - The Cube 1 sound very clear, its amazing that an 8" speaker can produce such an deep and strong bass.
My other speakers are 15" coax, but with cubes I can hear things I didn't hear before.

I read that cubes take a long time until they play at their best, but I enjoy them very much even with
only a few hours playing.

A friend had a short listening to the Cubes and was impressed.
He already has p20/a20, I gave him sound cords to try and he was shocked how good it sounds then.
I suggested to order a phono1 and a cube3, he has a small room and limited money.

Anyway, thank you for your great work and service.

 

[savvypaul]

LS6 Biwire

I took advantage of the Docs excellent pre Xmas deal to upgrade my speaker cables from LS5 to LS6, not because I was unhappy or dissatisfied with the LS5. You know the temptation was always there and the deal just tipped me over. They are biwired only because another forum member was selling a set of biwred Cube 1's some while ago, another bargain I just could not resist. Anyway so as I said I absolutely loved the LS5 with such detail and presence so had seen the various reports here and was very keen to hear what the LS5 could do...

I use mainly Flac files with some Spotify mixed in, Vinyl is very much secondary so this is written about listening to digital only. First impressions were mixed, on the positive side vocals seemed to have more grain and texture, an example being Genesis P-Orridge on Psychic TV's Snakes, and upper bass seemed more tangible, great but on the negative side some recordings I was very familiar with sounded splashy and harsh.

Oh no had I made a big mistake? Well I knew from the forum here that the general view was that the cables would need some time to burn in so I persevered. It took about three weeks before improvements began to show. The harshness faded to be replaced with lush detail, in fact there was more detail everywhere. I was hearing things clearly that seemed either to be previously back in the mix or absent. The degree of texture (timbre?) also stepped up in fact there was more of everything - amazing.

The net result is that when playing music now I am completely absorbed, I have been told of this tendency before but even I am aware of it.

 

[savvypaul]

P90SA / A20.

I had originally purchased an A30 as a temporary amp pending the arrival of some cash to fund an amp further up the range.

Upon arrival at NVA towers, the Doc said that the A30 was no more so I took home an A20. I already had the P90SA which was controlling a pair of Teddy Pardo monoblocs. I love Teddy’s amps but I was using his pre which does not have any form of balance control. A hearing problem means that some form of balance is now important.

Having started my NVA journey with a phono 1 and now a phono 2 with twin psus, it was inevitable that I was going to try a NVA amp (my speakers are cube 3s).

The P90SA and the Teddy power amps are a very nice combo. All I am interested in is a system that sounds a bit like people playing musical instruments. To be honest, this combo ticked the box and I could happily live with it.

However, the full NVA is an itch I have to scratch. The Teddys have been sold and the A20 has been up and running for a couple of weeks.

Firstly the bad. If you think that replacing circa £2K worth of Teddy Pardo with £200 worth of NVA is a good idea then you might be disappointed.
The good news is that the A20 gives a stupidly good account of itself. I would say about 85% of the Teddy performance at 10% of the price. Yes I missed the finer points of the musical performance which the Teddy reveals and the A20 hints at but on a performance per pound basis, the A20 is a gem and deserves to be more widely heard. For some, this might be all they ever need.
For me the combo does 2 things and they are the only things I value.
1. It makes bands or groups of musicians or whatever you want to call it sound like they are playing together. I have heard systems which sound “disjointed” as if one of the musicians is slightly out of step.
2. It is able to demonstrate those little nuances so it sounds like somebody is playing a musical instrument. I have just ordered a 2nd stock TSS and I’m hoping for some significant improvements in this area.

Apologies if my description sounds like a load of nonsense but it’s the best I can do.

During my visit to collect the A20, the Doc pointed me in the direction of a dac and psu combo for less than £50. Yes £50 - it’s not a typo. The dac arrived first and is quite good. The addition of the psu is taking things to a new level and as the supply beds in so the music improves. It’s going to be interesting using this with the TSS.