NVA Review Archive from HFS - read only

[savvypaul]

By Email

First and foremost thank you for resolving the issue with the BMU, worked perfectly second time round!

Having now listened to it for a few weeks and given it time to burn in a bit I have to say I am amazed at the difference this makes, everything is so much more "real" separation is improved, bass is cleaner , deeper and more defined, little nuances in timbre and voices are more promenant making the whole perfrmance that bit more "live" and believable it's really an eye (or should I say ear!) opener and significantly enhances the listening experience.

No problems whatsoever powering my system and I have pushed it! (One of he downsides of the greater quality of performance is the tendancy to turn it up

I will be looking to buy another for my Father, are there any options on the sockets, he has all 15amp round pin plugs & sockets in his system so would prefer to retain this if possible, also the power lead is quite long, I have mine curled up under the unit but ideally would like to shorten it, would this invalidate any warranty?

Thanks in advance and congratualtions on a well priced, well made product, can't wait to get back rediscovering the music collection all over again!

Regards

Mike

 

[savvypaul]

Received by email.

The Croft is lovely, but the kind of extra ‘easy-clarity’ and ‘hear-through’ quality that NVA exhibits right from the little AP10, only really comes from the Croft ‘R’ and ‘RS’ models in my opinion. The bass of the Crofts is subtly coloured as well. Not an issue as such, but audible when compared with what I regard as ‘better’ amps (Albarry, Icon Audio, Pathos and Devialet directly compared so far – LFD sounded boring and Sugden sludgy).

At home, both my NVA amps have a way with music that’s graceful and captivating, not in the slightest harsh, but not soft-n-soggy either. None of the Naim artificial ‘bump and grind’ thankfully. NVA’s have a very simple circuit with as little as possible in the signal path and it shows. Damping of wayward ‘porty’ speakers like mine is high (the Croft behaves more like a valve amp despite the MOS-FETs) but there’s an agility to it as well.

Lest you think I’m slagging the Croft off, I’m not in the slightest. Rega amps are very good in my opinion, but none of them quite have the musical insight the Croft’s give and all Rega amps need an hour or so to ‘warm up.’ NVA’s take this further right from switch-on, they’re THAT good and it’s a shame RD was treated so badly by blinkered and brainwashed idiot dealers in the 80’s (I was part of that and he wasn’t alone in this treatment either). The big Krell amp I’ve recently been given now sounds very good indeed, needing a few days of lengthy idling and music to settle down for some reason after a year or more of disuse, but returning to the NVA was like cleaning the sonic window as regards ‘expression’ and ‘involvement’ in music and speech – so much better with the NVA. I listen to a lot of audio plays at the moment and the superiority of NVA is clearly ‘felt’ in the way one can suspend disbelief and ‘connect’ with the story unfolding.

Hope this helps you make a decision. I was very late getting to hear what NVA amps can do, but I like them very much (the speakers take some time, but again, it creeps up on you Smile). Just use them with the recommended cables etc. and concentrate on expanding your music collection from then on as the amps just won’t ever get in the way.

 

[savvypaul]

Postby _D_S_J_R_ » Sat Sep 12, 2015 6:21 pm

Cubettes - here we go.....

What an eventful afternoon! After helping to bring in 'Applemarc's' traded in TDS power supplies from the Doc's car and nearly killing myself in the fuggin' process (FOUR 1KVA trannies in each!!!!!) I needed a sit-down (actually, this was just before I left to come home after a glass or two of iced water to cool me down

)... Anyway -

The little Cubettes are dinky and really cute looking! The basic box is very lightweight and a 'thin-wall' design

which is perfect for the mass-loading treatment it receives on its journey to becoming a loudspeaker enclosure - the finished articles are bloody heavy for the size, I estimate around 15kg each without actually weighing them. I heard them with the usual Sony DAC, but with an AP20 and LS1 cables, which is how they're most likely to be used I reckon (it looks as though the AP20 and P20/A20 will be the same price for now at least - £300 - and the same amp spec).

Right, here we go with ridiculous descriptions of the 'sound' of the bloomin' things. After the rather 'tight assed' (or should I say 'carrot up its backside tendency') presentation of the big, now over-damped imo Harbeth SHL5+, I was hoping the Cubette at around a fifteenth of the price would do some of what the Cubix Pro's do and I have to say I WASN'T disappointed at all. Very deep bass cannot be expected from a tiny sealed box and small driver, but what bass was there (a damned sight more than you'd expect) is tight, TUNEFUL and expressive if recorded that way - and more of this latter in a minute... lower mids were again, clear as a bell as I've come to expect, with no smear or cheap-box fuzz to spoil the party. Upper mids again, are something to get used to and then savour, the upward projection of these frequencies definitely being an acquired taste, but one that can be highly addictive. The tweeters as I heard them, didn't interfere at all and were very sweet toned when called into play.

As a whole, I think this system (AP20 amp driving) is a bit volume dependent and is DEFINITELY VERY revealing of recorded acoustic and bad recordings in general. To start with, I couldn't pin the sound down at all, as one recording sounded dull, another fierce and the two presenters on a Swiss internet classical-music site sounded totally different, the lady as if she was in a cupboard (she probably was) and the fella boomy in classic 'BeeBeeCee' tradition. The music they played was sublime though in terms of performance and sonics.

After the power supply 'event,' the volume was kept down to my 'normal' low levels for half an hour or so before I left. The sound transformed into something I really want to live with and could live with for a very long time. I suspect these speakers would respond beautifully to an amp upgrade or two (the Doc now has the traded in TDS mono's in situ to power up and use for reference) and I look forward to reading and hearing of developments here.

So, where does that leave you/me/us? I genuinely cannot think of any NEW speakers at anywhere near £250 that would come anywhere near as potentially good as these. Yes, they DO reproduce it warts and all but with the AP20 amp power, sound amazingly involving at lower to medium levels, but what of the alternatives? Probably some far eastern import all boom-n-tizz with bling trims around the cheap nasty drivers and 'landed-cost' of around £30 to £50...

Blinged up, Sonus Faber style and with a dealer/distributor-chain, they'd be a couple of grand or more the pair and wouldn't sound any better IMO.. I look forward to trying a pair at home one day.

 

[savvypaul]

Doc sent me my LS6 today

Initial impressions.. Nice heavyweight cable, but I guess with all those conductors it should be!

Well worth the outlay - Doc you really are the undisputed master of your trade.

In comparison to the LS3 (itself no mean cable) but LS 6 provides far more authority over every element of music: incredible dynamics, bass weight (and detail) to die for. So much more emotion portrayed in singers voices has knocked me bandy. There's also a smoothness in presentation of performances. It's as if one has been transported to the sweet spot of a live performance or else finding yourself sitting next to a recording engineer at the desk.

To try and put it into a pictorial context, do you remember the Hubble telescope when they repaired the focus issue and pointed it into deep space then they all waited for the picture to develop and that wondrous image took the engineers and scientists breath away? Well the difference with the LS 6 is I didn't have to wait too long for the wonder sound wise! I'm sure they'll get better over the next few days when I'll put some notes together for general consumption over the W/E.

Who'd have thought that humble JPW AP2's could perform so damn well? Rob Holt perhaps?

Nah he only appears to talk

I going to enjoy myself tonight

I'd love to try TSPCS but alas, I can't justify the outlay - bet I'd be amazed yet again though.

 

[savvypaul]

Just a short report: my super sound pipes just arrived. They replace the pretty good Kimber Hero's. Pretty good ... Until now! Those not broken in ssp's sound incredible all ready. First impression after half an hour: much more and defined bass, air and focus. Thanks Doc!


DAC: Lampizator Amber
Streaming: homemade fanless computer, i7, Windows Server 2012, HQPlayer, Bug Head Emperor, JRiver, Audio Optimizer.
AMP: Rega elicit-r
Speakers: Magnepan MG1.4, Totem Rainmakers
Turntable: Rega P3, Rega exact cartridge
Cables: NVA SSP interconnects, audio quest power chords, Totem Tress Loudspeakercable
Headphone: audioquest nighthawk with rega ear amp

 

[savvypaul]

LS6

Postby Alfi » Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:37 pm
Well, it's been a while since I received and installed my LS6 so about time I provide a very short note on my thoughts..


Utterly, thoroughly, stupendously fan eff'ing tastic!

I have a copy of the Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Revisited" sessions, recorded (and filmed) in the church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto in 2006. For those who may not already know, this is a superb recording and production on CD, in fact this CD gives as good as (if not better) sound stage and imaging as the best vinyl I have in my collection.

Even so, a few tracks can be a little strident, well they were when I played this CD a long while ago with non NVA cables. Now however, with the LS6 and my other NVA gear (P50) it is all well controlled providing breathtaking clarity, awesome power when called for, but also superb subtlety and delicacy. Bass is very well controlled and the ambiance/acoustic of the Church is captivating - sending shivers down my back. Guitar strings being played with thumb and fingers seems to make one understand the feelings of the player at that moment in time - awesome!

Well done yet again Doc . These to me are almost the Dogs

in speaker cable

Sorry can't afford TSCS - yet

Alfi.

 

[savvypaul]

Visit to NVA Towers

Postby selby » Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:11 pm
I popped into NVA Towers to see the Doc earlier.

As I walked into his new work room I instantly saw the lovely looking Cube 3 speakers on stands and the Doc put some music on straight away. He started with an artist and CD which I believe other visitors have mentioned Sara K, 'Made In The Shade' I think was the album. My initial reaction was "WOW jeez this sounds good", I then started to look at the equipment to see what was producing this wonderful sound. You can't miss that amazing Sony CD/DAC combo, I love the wood/champagne Sony style. I could see a Statement Pre-amplifier and I could see some TIS interconnects and then some A80 mono blocks on the floor and I assumed LS6 or 7 must be the speaker cable. After a few tracks I said to the Doc how amazing they sounded, his response took me back...the actual system was:

Sony CD/DAC
BMU
Statement Pre-Amplifier
TIS

but then the shocker...

The power was coming from a A20 and the speaker cables were LS1.

The sound was amazing and all I can say is the A20/P20 combo for the money is going to be seriously hard to beat.

I left wanting to take the sound quality back home with me...I'm not sure I'll manage that but I'm looking forward to listening to the Cube 3's more but connected to my AP70 and LS6.

I'll stick up a proper review (as good as I can) about the Cube 3's in about a week.

 

[savvypaul]

Re: Visit to NVA Towers

Postby Stemcor1990 » Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:29 pm
Looks like the Doc has been Mr Popular today as I have just brought the Cube 3 back to Stemcor Towers under the loan programme. I will try to write a review in due course.

What I can say now is that I wholehaetedly agree with Selby's comments. The A20 was very sweet indeed. If it was made by anybody else I reckon they would be asking for the best part of a grand. The P/A20 plus Cubettes might be something special for the price.

 

[savvypaul]

Re: Visit to NVA Towers

Postby selby » Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:53 pm
I need a few hours to try and make sense and write something decent, but wanted a quick note on this thread.

The Cube 3's have just taken a gigantic poop on my Q Acoustics Concept 20's. It's night and day. Now I know the Concept 20's are a What Hi-Fi special but I got them because they were the best small, visually acceptable (to my missus) speakers. The problem is they just sound shit compared to the Cube 3's. It's all to do with the presentation of the sound, I don't know why but you can't not tap your feet when playing the Cubes. It's a bit like when you're at a live performance, it's just natural to tap along to the beat. With the Concept 20's they sound "ok", it's clear and a nice sound but they don't make you want to sit there and listen to the next track let alone tap your feet. A harder competition will be against my Loth BS1 as they have a dreamy 3D sound.

More to follow, but bugger me these things produce a gorgeous sound.

 

[savvypaul]

Re: Visit to NVA Towers

Unread postby Stemcor1990 » Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:52 pm
I've has the Cube 3's for 6 days and have given them plenty of music. I am treating the neighbours to Bowie's Hunky Dory as I type and this is where it gets interesting.....

A few months ago I was asked to listen to a "big" Linn system at a dealer. Hunky Dory was on the LP12. Was quite enjoyable until the backing vocals came in on Oh! You Pretty Things. Did it sound like vocals ? More like cats having the tails pulled. The level of distortion was so great that I felt embarrased to listen. It was time to make my excuses and leave as I don't think the salesman would have appreciated me telling the truth.

So how do the Cube 3 compare ? The truth is that they sound like people playing musical instruments. Bolder's bass on Pretty Things is so tuneful, guitars sound like instruments with strings (6 and 12). Drums are skins being hit and not thuds in the background. Cymbols have a metallic sheen and decay. The bonus for me is the addition of some tonal colour compared to my current Naim IBLs. And the backing vocals on Pretty Things ? You can clearly hear Bowie singing !

Obviously, this is not just happening with 1 album. The results have been the same irrespective of what has found its way on to the turntable. Poor records are shown up for what they are and good recordings are a joy to listen to.

Listening at low levels (which I used to hate doing) actually is acceptable with the Cubes. Crank the volume up and the music just gets louder - nothing added and nothing taken away.

I can see why the Cube concept has taken time to catch on; it's so different in appearance to "traditional speakers". Surely, an upward firing bass cone cannot work ? The truth is not only does it work but it is something of a triumph. IBLs are renowned for their fast and tuneful bass. The Cubes easily match the IBLs but you can add a lot more "depth" to the bass notes. I'm not really interested in specification but my guess is that the Cubes can go a lot lower. Not bad for a speaker with the same size bass diver.

I did say that I was going to experiment with positioning. If I am being honest, I have enjoyed the speakers so much that I have not got round to making any changes. They are sitting on top of the IBLs and toe-d in by about 10 degrees and close the the back wall which is an outside wall so very solid.

Now the bad news. Mrs S has already said that I can't buy a pair as Christmas is coming etc...

The good news is that in my opinion, these are wonderful speakers and I want a pair NOW !!!!!!!!! Sadly, I am going to have to demonstrate some patience but no prizes for guessing what I am going to treat myself to some time next year. Anybody want to buy a pair of IBLs ?

 

[savvypaul]

Sorry I keep forgetting about this thread, but we have a good one from ChrisB on TAS on the BMU, so I will copy it here.

System tested:
Accuphase DP67 CD player
Audio Research SP8 pre-amplifier
Mark Levinson ML9 power amp (bass)
Mark Levinson ML11 (mid and treble)
Mirage M-3si loudspeakers
Cables? - yes I used some of those too.

Music used was principally the following but various tracks from other albums were also played:
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - 'Ballad of the Broken Seas'
Jeff Buckley - 'Grace'
Porcupine Tree - 'The Incident'
The Jayhawks - 'Tomorrow the Green Grass'

Right from the first track and with the system stone cold without having been switched on for six days, it was obvious that it was making a difference for the better. Most striking and straight off, it was clear that the soundstage was a bit deeper but, more obvious was the way the performers were so clearly defined in their positions within it, no fudging, no blurring, they seemed rock solid. I place quite a lot of store in this type of thing, so some big plus points there.
A good bit of extra fine detail too and as the system began to warm up the bass got better. I liked the way that the different strands of the music became more clearly defined and therefore easier to follow. These are all cliches, aren't they? Well, the biggest one would be to that the whole presentation seemed to have been cleaned up. Contrary to John's finding, the system seemed quieter with the BMU installed but I think that was a result of the cleaner presentation. I kept turning it up!

A couple of interesting points:
1) One of the Levinson amps very occasionally develops a hum which manifests itself through the speakers but only lasts for a short while. It happened while the BMU was being used but this time the hum was different - it was thinner sounding and seemed to be at a slightly higher register. Perhaps a little louder.

2) One of the CDs we played was 'Tomorrow the Green Grass' by The Jayhawks and its final track, 'Ten Little Kids' finishes with the sound of children laughing and shouting and a dog barking. We play this album a LOT and we've done so for yonks and our dog has never once reacted to it. This time, he barked the bloody house down, convinced that there was a real dog somewhere in the house!

So, what of those people who have told us here on TAS that this device doesn't work, can't work and its benefits are figments of a deluded audiophile's imagination?
My wife sat beside me and listened. We didn't discuss it until we had played three albums right through and then I asked her what she thought: "It's very good indeed".

Did she have an 'expectation' of a big improvement or even a slight change for the better? - No
Did she have a subconscious need to justify an expensive purchase? - No
Is she given to spending large wads of cash on bits of hi-fi for imagined 'improvements'? - No

Read more: http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/1826 ... z3wVkH0nhb

 

[savvypaul]

From MartinT at TAS

NVA TIS

Construction of the NVA TIS (The Interconnect Statement) is good and weighty with the kind of build that gives you the confidence it's not going to fall apart. It's multiply screened as described in the website:

Large Solid (not stranded) silver alloy centre core with a Gore-tex dielectric. Precision manufactured by only one company world wide in Germany and we have exclusive use for audio. Screen is silver alloy foil surrounded by silver alloy braid surrounded by low leakage polymer sleeve. Two of these are used in shotgun mode for both positive and negative cable runs. The twinned cables are surrounded by a quality heatshrink and to finish off an outer braid / faraday cage of silver plated steel mesh.

The phono plugs are an odd design with a retractable connecting shield that gives the impression of a poor connection until you learn to push harder, when it suddenly snaps into a tight fit.

Comparison is with my favoured Yannis 222 ConnectLitz silver interconnects with WBT 0110Ag plugs. This is a very fair comparison since the pricing is largely similar. There are no direction markings on the TIS and NVA claim they are directionless. Nevertheless, I was careful to preserve the pairing while switching them around. Normally I would mark arrows on them, but not, of course, on loan equipment. I used the interconnects primarily in the preamp to power amp position (my most critical single-ended interconnect). I also tried the DAC to preamp link, but here the TIS and Yannis were a closer match.

I started with some extended listening to rock & singer/songwriter music. There are a few areas where the TIS sounds better than the Yannis: 1) in the positioning, separation and focus of percussive instruments in the soundstage; 2) in the potency and depth of the bass while retaining tightness and impact; 3) in stereo separation and wide soundstaging. The overall impression when playing such music is of a highly musical, non-harsh yet vivid presentation of a wide soundstage with clearly delineated voice and instruments and a very firm fundamental bass accompaniment. I stress non-harsh as some silver cables can be rather strident when unsympathetically matched. No such problem here, the TIS has no apparent harshness yet is highly detailed in the treble.

With classical and especially choral music, the two cables are closer in performance but I still hear better detail resolution on the TIS with difficult massed voices. Choral music is so complex that it often runs out of resolution in the CD format, and SACD shows a distinct advantage here. The TIS responds by allowing slightly more insight into the layering of vocals and positioning around the venue. I do detect some foreshortening of depth here, where the Yannis has a small advantage. However, where the TIS may lose slightly in depth perception it wins back in immediacy and sheer verve across a whole variety of music. Meanwhile, that powerful bass performance underpins the proceedings and is wonderful on very deep organ pedals in the Durufle Requiem, Widor's 6th Symphony and selected other recordings with exceptional deep bass.

At £560 per 1m pair, these are not inexpensive interconnects. Roughly equal in price to the Yannis, and considerably less expensive than the best interconnects I have heard (the Coherent 6D), I think the TIS is excellent value for money with its high end exciting and detailed sound, which is more than a match for my high end system. I shall be sending them on very reluctantly, which is as good a recommendation as I can give.

Read more: http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/1905 ... z3wrrsuKnh

 

[savvypaul]

Post by accudazed on today at 10:14pm

Hi

Earlier on this thread I posted the following about the BMU:

"I've got the BMU at the moment and I am well chuffed with the results. I've repeatedly switched from mains to BMU to mains to, etc. and the difference is significant. The BMU offers much better SQ. Better in fact than I had expected. By 'better' I mean clarity, depth of soundstage, instrument placement and transparency all get a big boost. And for once this is not 'I've got something new so there must be a difference' situations. The improvements are soooooooooooooo obvious. Drum kits in particular (my favourite instrument) are just a joy to listen to. Great cymbal decay, easy to move around the kit, great cymbal/tom placement, etc. Lovely.

Hats off to NVA! I don't think I can live without their BMU. Total no brainer.

Now,where's the nearest 18 month interest free balance transfer credit card deal..."

Well, I've been without the BMU for nearly a week which has given me time to reflect on my stint with it (plus DSJR has asked me to expand my review).

First off, I really miss it. It's one of the best hifi products ever made. Must be.

I know that there is a picture of the BMU at the start of this thread but it does not do it justice in some ways. Trust me, the BMU looks even better in the flesh. Panel fit is first rate: there's a lovely glossy finish and it's pretty heavy too. Make sure the old goolie strings are in good shape though before you lift this beastie! There must be a monster of a transformer in there which has to be a good thing. There's a nice long chunky mains cable too which was really useful. No obvious way of opening the BMU or signs of any fastners either. The NVA workshop must get through a lot of glue. Probably a great place to work with all that solvent permeating the air...

I had no problem with the location of the plug sockets. I liked them where they were as they prevented the plug cables from getting in the way of each other.

Okay, so the BMU looks and feels like a high end product (at a bargain price) but its real ace card is how it utterly transformed the sound quality of my system. Every aspect of the sound coming from my speakers was improved. In all respects, the SQ was so much better. Not subtly, but significantly better. I'll be honest here. I'm a cycnical ba****d at the best of times, so I was prepared to be totally underwhelmed and dismissive of the BMU as another product destined for 'audiofools'. No chance. The only way you could not instantly detect a difference is if you are deaf.

The BMU makes your hifi sound clean, crystal clear and more dynamic. It's as if a thin obstructing layer of material has been removed from the front of the speakers. Want more?
Soundstage - wider, taller, deeper
Instrument placement - pinpoint and so much space between them
Timing - notes start and stop with such precision. Bass kick drums much tighter (but no deeper)
Detail - it was much easier to unravel complex layers of overdubbing. Not sure what that feint noise is in the mix? The BMU will draw it out. It's not so much a case of extracting things you have never heard before, just making them dead easy to identify.
Vocals - clearer (ahh, so that is what Sting was singing...)
Improved transient response

My Ayon CD player has a light which tells you when you are not getting power from the mains. It stayed illuminated all the time I was using the BMU. So, no naughty stuff going on there. You really are disconnected from the mains.

If the above sounds like the gushing of a deluded audiofool I can assure you that it's not the case. I cannot recommend the BMU enough.

For the cynics out there (of which I am one), please note I have no connection with NVA. I'm not a shareholder, investor, relative, friend, etc. It's simply the case of drawing attention to an outstanding product which you guys/gals need to get a loan of. Be careful though, as you will almost certainly want, no, need one within minutes of listening to it. It's even a bargain too FFS!

I'm saving up.

Cheers

Steve

 

[savvypaul]

Post by Greg on today at 6:58pm

The NVA BMU is nicely constructed in a fashion similar to NVA's other products. The rather novel difference is that it is fitted with Aldi/Lidl domestic appliance anti vibration feet. On delivery it was very cold so I left it a day to warm to household ambient temperature. On plugging it in and powering up, the mains circuit breaker did not trip and it hummed/buzzed quietly for a few minutes before becoming silent. For the rest of the week it remained powered up and was silent throughout. At no time did I detect any significant heat being generated by the unit. Like Martin, I don't like the modular 13 amp sockets fitted. One in particular would unclip from it's housing when the plug is withdrawn. Whilst it will readily clip back into place, I suggest this needs some attention from NVA.

The four sockets was all I needed to supply my RPi/HiFiBerry + streamer, Beresford Caiman ll, DIY pre amp and power amp so I used it to power the whole system. Music streamed was lossless files in high resolution.

I held several extended listening sessions with it in place not so much because I needed the time to draw a conclusion on if it made a difference, but rather that I enjoyed the difference it made so much compared with standard mains supply that I wanted to listen to as much music as possible.

I found the BMU improve the sound across the full frequency range making the presentation tighter, more controlled, cleaner and as a result, more realistic. In terms of realism, this was very evident when listening to a good (there aren't many of them) quality live recording. I felt I was much closer to listening at the actual gig. More aural information is revealed including micro sound detail assisted by an overall drop in the noise floor. The immediate impression is a boost to the bass, but the reality is the improved sound resolution happens right across the frequency range. It is the improvement to bass, however, that is immediately striking, yet once I got used to the sound, I identified many areas where I was hearing a much better reproduction. Furthermore, the speed and attack on notes was much sharper and overall, there was an enhancement to the weight and authority of the sound.

What the BMU brought to my system was a considerable surprise as I was expecting only subtle changes but the difference was very evident and undoubtedly enhanced my listening enjoyment and experience.

With a a degree of reluctance, I handed the BMU in person onto 'alaska' this morning.

Read more: http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/1826 ... z3yfA1VleZ

 

[savvypaul]

Post by MartinT on today at 8:39pm

After asking to re-borrow the TIS cables as I had been so impressed with them, I received another loan pair from NVA, this time a 1m set. These are newly made so I wasn't sure what to expect with the memory of the previous pair still pretty fresh in my mind. Once again, they are connected between preamp and power amp, replacing my trusty Yannis 222 ConnectLitz.

I needn't have worried, all that I remember about them is present and correct. Playing one of my favourite evaluation discs, Christina Pluhar - All' Improvviso, I noted the sense of immediacy, fantastically vivid castanets, the delicacy of the dulcimer strikes, the powerful bass line and sense of a big space, the ebb and flow of the rhythm and the incredibly soaring dynamic swings. Depth is better than I remember, perhaps the shorter length being a benefit here?

Trying another favourite, The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come, the simplicity of the music belies the complexity of the acoustic. I heard a cymbal being disturbed at the beginning, what I thought of as distortion on the tape being someone shifting around, other things raised above the (quite high) noise floor. Damien Rice - O has a more tightly focussed and impactful side drum than before.

So it goes, I'm enjoying my music collection very much. What the TIS does is to bring to the fore a great sense of vivid music making without ever being bright. That's a pretty good trick in my book and falls neatly between the lush presentation of copper and the detail and delicacy of silver without any harshness. So this is what a good silver alloy sounds like? I'm impressed.

No mistake this time around, this set is staying here in my system.

Read more: http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/1905 ... z3yfjlNPnP

 

[savvypaul]

Since I can't use the thicker, custom constructed NVA speaker cables in the main system, the Doc suggested I try some LS2, the very basic, good quality copper cable at the 'bottom' of the NVA speaker cable range. Lengths were duly cut and I already had the 'Z Plugs' here. I made them up this morning in between testing other amps I'd just finished off and have just replaced the old but once good Cable Talk cable I was using before (as near as damn it , current Talk Electronics 3, same gauge and basic internal insulation I believe).

Bloody hell! I was aware of the same kind of difference Alfafan heard with his system, which uses the same old Crown power amp, but passively driven. Remember how much clearer it was when you cleaned your stylus, or set up your springy turntable properly? That's the kind of 'window cleaning' effect this stuff has. Seven thick shiny copper strands in each conductor and a good gauge to keep damping factor low (Crown went into reams about this fact and even drew out a chart showing lengths and recommended minimum gauges for those lengths - mine are 8m each, so the gauge needs to be pretty good.

This stuff is CHEAP in the scheme of things, although you have to buy large drums of the stuff. Nothing fancy at all, but bloody hell it works. I've always preferred less but thicker strands to millions of fine ones and remember liking the Naim A5 when it was a mere fiver a metre (overpriced even then, but we didn't mind

). Now this cable is over £25 per metre (they're having a laugh IMO) this LS2 offers a similar gauge which will work with ANY AMP out there quite safely. I'm pleased 'cos I can try the NVA amps downstairs now, although the old bridged D-60's are pretty amazing still.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a no bullsh*t, honest, good quality starter cable. Many systems may not require anything more in all honesty...

 

[savvypaul]

T.C.S. (pre AMP)

Postby phlakaton » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:25 pm
The Doc came to visit bearing gifts. A shiny new TCS to compliment my (ex of applemarc) Statement Amps and Cubes.

I had been a little apprehensive of swapping one pre amp for another, would their be a noticeable difference ? (£900 difference to be exact). After all they are just volume knobs !!!

How wrong could I be, the difference is astounding, and yes worth every penny. I have since re-listened to my entire collection hearing more detail and musicality than ever before.

Once more , I have few words that can adequately describe my pleasure of having stumbled upon the Doc and his magical music boxes.

 

[savvypaul]

Phono1 Review

Unread postby tomblackford » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:55 pm
So - a full review of my experiences with the Phono1 I loaned a week ago... apologies for the delay on this, the kids have been a bit unruly as Easter holidays come to an end. I hope this is the right place to post this - let me know if not and I'll try to move it.

I should probably begin with some background as to how I came to NVA in the first place. I've been using a Quad 33/303 combo for 10 years or so, predominently with a relatively budget vinyl source (Project Debut III, slighly upgraded stylus). Last year I invested in a Rasberry Pi / HifiBerry combination (running Volumio) and started thinking about digital more seriously, but I became convinced I was missing some fidelity somewhere along the line (even having circumnavigated the pitfalls of the 33's high-input sensitivity with attenuated leads).

My 33 had been serviced by Quad about 10 years ago, and I'd often considered taking the upgrade route, but the minimalism of the Pi/HifiBerry solution and a bit of research suggested the option of a passive pre. I initally considered a Tisbury, but it was easy to find as many negative online comments as positive ones... In fact, the only (reasonably priced) passive preamps about which I could find only positive comments were the NVA P-series, so I took the plunge on a P20, with the intention of sourcing a phono stage later once I'd established a passive pre was the way to go.

As documented elsewhere in the forum, after a few days I really came to appreciate the advantages of the passive pre with digital sources ('faster' transients, lower noise etc), but I struggled to find a phono stage that integrated well (in part, I suspect, as my speakers are relatively inneficient). I switched back to the 33 for vinyl a few times, but it now sounded 'boxy' and slow compared to digital sources through the P20. I actually began to question whether I would ever bother with vinyl to the same degree again...

Well, thanks to the NVA loan service (a truly wonderful idea IMO) I eventually tried the NVA Phono 1 and it's been a revelation. Without the benefit of a risk-free trial, I would have struggled to invest £280 in a phono stage, but having had the Phono 1 for a week, the advantages of speed and improved detail I first identified with the P20 are now applied to vinyl sources, and matched by greatly improved dynamics and a far more involving presentation compared to the 33. Records which I had relatively-recently dismissed as inferior to recent remasters (for example the Hawklords 1978 album) have been brought back to life and re-entered service.

We're clearing our loft, so I've had some boxes of less-regularly played records to hand, and (much to the regret of my wife) I've thrown literally everything at the system over the last week, from Roxy Music's Avalon to late 80s Earache Records grindcore compilations. In every case felt I was hearing the music presented better than I had ever heard it before with a far more clarity, deeper soundstage and improved bass. As I type this, the huge guitar barrage at the end of Shapeshifting, the penultimate track on Bark Psychosis - Codename: Dustsucker has just burst right out at me without any hint of (unintended) distortion despite being right near the centre of the disk. With my cart, the vinyl input level is comparable to the Pi at about 90% volume, which seems healthy enough (so loud home listening is 10am on the P20). The level of noise is now far lower than the 33's inbuilt phono stage, and the annoying hum, present whenever my turntable's wall-wart powersupply was switched on (regardless of the input selected on the 33) is thankfully no more..

Apologies for the lack of technical vocabulary here; as you can probably tell, I'm relatively inexperienced in such matters and upgrade rarely. Needless to say, I'll be purchasing the Phono 1 (in fact I'll be PayPal'ing the money over as soon as I finish posting this review) and I would suggest the combination of a Phono 1 and P20 as a great way to breath life into (or perhaps, get the very best out of) a good old Quad 303.

 

[savvypaul]

From MartinT at TAS

I wrote a piece on NVA LS7 speaker cable some years ago on AoS, but that was deleted in the great cull of my posts by the owner when I tried to refer back to it. The salient point was that it compared well with TQ Ultra Black speaker cable, which I was using back then, at a considerably lower price. I found that the balance between them was somewhat different, in favour of midrange detail and a very extended and smooth treble quality.

The TSCS (The Speaker Cable Statement) is a design enhancement over its predecessor the LS7. NVA state that it includes “extra thicker uninsulated solid silver cores and an overall faraday cage”. The 2m pair tested were very nicely finished, in separate positive and return runs, and finished with 4mm gold plated z-plugs. Price is £700 for this set. For comparison, my current speaker cables are Coherent 6D, costing £2300.

This review is going to read a little like my review of the TIS interconnects. Remarkably, they have very similar characteristics. I’ll cut to the chase and say right away that the TSCS is better than I remember the LS7 to be. It’s hard to be exact as my system has considerably more resolving power now than it did then, and is much more revealing of cable differences. However, there is no doubt that NVA have taken a step forward and made an already very good cable quite remarkable, for little or no increase in price.

What the TSCS does breaks down into four areas as follows:
1) midrange detail is superb, with vocal qualities brought to the fore and a plethora of heretofore unheard tiny cues coming to the surface
2) dynamics are some of the best I have heard, from explosive macro-dynamics to the tiny micro-dynamics often buried in the mix
3) soundstage is wide and deep with highly focussed spatial positioning
4) treble extension is superb, non-harsh and with filigree detail
What this does is make music sound more exciting, more vivid, more ‘there’. The ebb and flow, the sense of swell followed by quiet sections down to a very low noise floor means that it’s sometimes hard to set the volume just right – a problem I don’t mind having at all because the TSCS (and TIS from pre- to power amp) allows my system to play hard without going harsh.

A few examples: the drums in Eyes on the Prize by Mavis Staples are extremely vibrant and alive, the whole song picking up an elevated vibe; the tinkly glass-like sounds in I’ll Find My Way Home by Vangelis and Jon Anderson have a new quality of metallic sounds I’ve not noticed before; the huge and infectious beat in Bobby Reid by Lucette, not to mention her wonderfully pure and powerful voice; the large sense of space after the bass intro in Words by Low; the sheer beauty of a live recording done really well in Hallelujah By Leonard Cohen.

The overall balance differs between the TSCS and 6D, with the former having powerful tight bass (in fact, very tight which helps the impression of speed and dynamics) but the 6D excavating to subterranean levels of extension. In the midrange, I think the TSCS wins by a small margin in overall transparency, an extraordinary achievement. Their treble characteristics are the most closely aligned, both extended and neither showing any harshness. That I can make such a close comparison with the best cable I’ve ever owned is testament to how good the TSCS is.

So far, the ‘Statement’ range of NVA cables have impressed me very much. They are undoubtedly high end offerings, capable of being used in highly resolving systems, but they simply don’t have the elevated prices displayed by many competitive products. For that achievement alone, respect is due. Highly recommended.

 

[savvypaul]

Okay I have now had some extended listening to diminutive P20 and A20 pre amp and power amp.

Albums listended to on Saturday
Prefab sprout steve mcqueen
Genesis abacab
Danny Wilson this is danny Wilson
Hall and oates bigger than the both of us
Steve windwood back in the high life
Moody blues – melancholy man
Phil Collins – In the air tonight

It was an enjoyable listen , not once did I wish I had my old amps back . There was no loss of music. They played my records in a very enjoyable musical way and for £300 they are an absolute bargain .

My old metal cased amps were made in 1983 and from memory I would say the new amps are better in some ways . They have a better sound stage . Most of my albums are multi-tracked rock albums and they are recorded to give the impression of instruments specifically placed .

Thus on moody blues album the differentiation and placement of multiple guitars was better and easier to differentiate . winwood's my love is leaving as electronic drum pattern repeated throughout the song which is placed to the left , it seem to be further left and further back .

I like my soundstage to be sound as I am about 10 rows back and I therefore do not like the voices to project to far in front of the speakers and I like to good depth . On in the air 2 nite the drums sounded spatially further back.

All in all I would say the instruments were better defined in space .

I would also say the upper frequencies are better and a tad clearer . These are impressions , they are not nite and day differences. There were no revelations or "f*ck me that is how that is supposed to sound" but I wouldn't expect them to be as I already consider my hifi to be very good and they were replacing NVA amps in any event.

There is one issue and that is the music as lost a little control and edge of the seat dynamism. A lot of rock music is about the interplay between various instruments and dynamic attack . The moody blues album is as some awesome songs on it with tremendous foot tapping interplay between the musicians. i gained the impression there was an element of realism that I am used to missing .
I am speculating but I put this down to the fact the smaller power supply compared to my Mono amps . Terrybooth always says what you get as you go up the range of NVA is the same but a little bit more , I now think I now what he means .

I think that little bit more power , control and realism is acquired with increased power supply.

I am going to solve this problem by returning the on A20 , keeping the pre amp and buying some A40’S , in my medium size room with efficient speakers that should do for now .

So to sum up , this pre and power amp is a hifi bargain . I have looked at both new and old amps on the tinternet and I cannot for £300 find anything I would rather purchase. Also as I way of getting on the NVA ladder it is the perfect solution cause you can keep the pre amp till you get the top of the powers amps and then go on the stepped attenuator ladder .

DQ