NVA Review Archive from HFS - read only

[savvypaul]

From John at TAS - TSCS speaker cable.

I do not have exotic cables I use the Belken Cables that have performed pretty well in my system for many years. To be honest I do not enjoy swapping cables on first listen I was not impressed whilst it had a bit more treble detail the sound initially was a bit closed in I gave them a few more listens and the cables started to show me why many rate them so high.

A comparison between the Belkin and the NVA TSCS cable is not a fair battle considering the price difference. I expect a good difference and yes the cables certainly lives up to this. Everything sounds more natural and real, its a bigger step up in sound quality in my system than using Balanced Mains. drums are fuller and punch more. High hats have a naturalness. I played a variety of music and the result was similar throughout.

Listening

Derek Trucks On the first track Voluntary Slavery it gives new insight into the song, drums are more real and the music just has a better sense of flow
Pink Panther Horns are more natural, the music has a great sense of swing
Dream Theater The Dance of Eternity More insight again kick drums have improved

The jump between the Belken and NVA cables is not subtle and in terms of this context I would say you get what you pay for. I need to hear the cables with the new drivers I will be putting next weekend as the drivers make a huge difference in terms of transient attack and soundstage that I currently cannot reach. So I will update after that

Read more: http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/2185 ... z47J6Te300

 

[savvypaul]

BY email from Richard Evans

LS6

I really don’t understand those people who rant about speaker cables all sounding the same, that the sonic differences are a figment of the listeners imagination. Who are these people? What is their agenda? Presumably, their assumption is that If science is incapable of measuring the audible differences between two different audio cables then they must be all same? richard Feynman would never of said that. What miserable lives these people must lead. Put the oscilloscopes away, pour yourself a beer and listen. And if you still can’t discern a clear audible difference either bin your current music replay system or visit your local GP ...


I can qualify this rather passionate monologue because I’ve just auditioned the LS6 speaker cable. The difference between this and my previous cable is simply vast – about the size of Hampshire! The emotional benefits are epic. Musical. Swapping in these cables reminds me of the time I ditched my massively overrated American power amp for the Alecto monos. Music, music, music. I don’t think I have particularly sensitive hearing and I don’t know a great deal about ‘hIfi’ but I do appreciate the emotional tug that great musicians can bring. I enjoy most genres and I’m privileged enough to be able to see a live band in London virtually every week so I think I know what great music should sound like … It sounds a bit like music played through the LS6. It really does. Well done NVA.

 

[savvypaul]

I've been using an SC for the last month or so as I had one cable spare (the other one and a half pairs that I own must be somewhere in the house I just can't find them).

The SC as a digital cable so positively trounced a Mark Grant one that I only had to switch the MG back in briefly to know that I was going to stick with the SC until I can go higher up the NVA range for a digital cable.

It's been a little while since I had the MG digital cable in between my CD player and Beresford DAC but the improved clarity of the SC was immediately obvious. I was too busy enjoying the improvement at the time to take note of the reasons why the SC is better than the Mark Grant, for me it just is. It's hard to believe that such an inexpensive cable does such a good job.


Main System. Amp - Luxman LV-120, CD - Pioneer PDX505 & Hitachi DA 401. Turntable - Trio KD-2055/Denon DL-110 & Ortofon VMS20E. Cassette Deck - JVC KD A55. Speakers - Arcam Alpha connected with NVA LS3.

Headphone System - Little Dot Mkiii headphone amp, various vintage CD players into NVA P50 with Sennheiser HD600 and Beyer DT 880

 

[savvypaul]

Hi Doc,
Just to confirm cube 3's delivered yesterday. For now placed on the top of my Sideboard and initial impression very good, great imaging, something that has not been top of my agenda in the past. Today I have received some speaker stands so looking forward to the cubes on these. Will give a report within the next couple of days. Thanks for the loan.
Dave

Follow up

Received a pair of Cube 3's on loan from the Doc since I was keen as mustard to hear a set of NVA speakers having read all the positive results on HFS. Well started off placing them on top of my sideboard to get a feel for them since I did not have any stands. The stands arrived the next day and I must say they made quite a good difference. Started by placing the Cube's close to the back wall, 2" - 3" with a slight toe in. Moved them out until I felt 10" to optimum in my room which gave the bass more 'air' I then moved on to toe in finally settling for the speaker facing directly towards my listening position, this giving the best soundstage. Listening for the first 5 - 10 mins I felt the sound was very good and then it suddenly occurred to me just how bloody good. Great detail, the bass tight and tuneful, the word addictive came to mind, they make you want to hear more and more music. My brother came round the next day and had exactly the same experience, listening to the music for 5 mins and then the 'wow' moment. These really are very musical and involving speakers, I have heard many, and must say these are close to the top of the pile, and for the money won't be beaten. They are also great for tv audio which has got be a plus. For those that are interested equipment used:- Project cd transport, Calyx 192 dac, Sony 770ES, Artisan silver interconnects and Van Damme blue speaker cable. Thanks again for the loan of these great speakers Doc.

 

[savvypaul]

NVA P90SA Passive Pre-Amp Review

Introduction & Background
I have been fortunate to have the loan of a P90SA for the last week. I wanted to trial one for several reasons; firstly, I wanted to have a solid and reliable 'base' for my system. Something that brings all of the other components together beautifully. Secondly, I am intending to upgrade my mono amps in the near future, but also wish to bi-amp, so it is necessary to have hardware that will allow this. Thirdly, I wanted to improve upon the pre-amp I was previously using in my Beresford Caiman MKII DAC. Finally, and far less importantly, I have experienced an annoying 'ground loop' buzz and wanted to remove that. So, a number of valid reasons.

You can see my system below, decent by any measure, but with plenty of room to grow. During the trial I listened to various artists and genres from my Tidal HIFI and SoundCloud subscriptions, as well as my standard 'comparison' CDs, being 'Every Kingdom' by Ben Howard, 'Sigh No More' by Mumford & Sons & 'The Lumineers' by The Lumineers. Funnily enough

The P90SA itself arrived well packed as always. Standard NVA construction that we are all familiar with and little to comment upon, other than it was clean, all panels aligned and no glue or other contaminants found on the surface. Very well provided for at the rear with inputs; as everything is routed through my DAC, I slipped it into 'Fixed' output and connected it to the 'Direct' input. I thought it would be a PITA having to adjust two volume dials, but actually it isn't irritating at all. The stepped attenuators give a very pleasant feedback feel in use.

So, on to the listening. I struggle to articulate what I hear, so I hope you all understand my poor attempts to translate that experience to text...

General impressions
The extra 'depth' to all recordings was immediately apparent. I don't mean this in a 'side to side' sense that people often refer to when discussing the soundstage, but in an actual 'front to back' sense. I close my eyes and feel it - quite astonishing.

Silence. When nothing is happening either before a track plays or during a track, there is just blackness. Utterly silent. No ground loop buzz.

Separation. The instruments and musicians are more defined. More distinct. I can sense the space between them.

Clarity. I have always had this experience with NVA. It was my No.1 goal in HiFi. The P90SA delivers it to an even greater extent. It genuinely feels as though the artists are right there in front of me, the timbre, the tone and projection are all perfect.

Conclusion
The P90SA has been no disappointment. It has proved to be everything I hoped and a little more; it is a solid base from which to build a truly competent system. Which causes me a problem, because I don't want to give it back...

 

[savvypaul]

Another Phono 1 review

Post by Quarknosis » Mon Jun 20, 2016 11:30 pm
I received a MM Phono 1 a weeks ago. After a couple of emails with Doc suggesting that I run an earth lead from the Phono 1 to my mains earth I was still having hum from my Rega turntable. I decided to try my Lenco/Jelco combination with a Nagaoka MP 110 (and also for a short time with a Denon DL-110) and have now got a vinyl playing system with extremely low levels of noise.

One of the first things I noticed was how much cleaner sibilants are compared with anything I have heard before. The main reason I was listening to less and less vinyl was that I was finding sibilants harsh and really annoying. This vinyl set up is much much better at handling the sssss sounds. I can’t say if this is totally down to the Phono 1 as there have been so many changes to my system recently. I am using all NVA between the phono sockets attached to the tonearm, right through to the speakers and I was already finding sibilants much smoother before listening to the Phono 1, but on vinyl the improvement has been huge. I listen to lot of late 70s and early 80s Dub and with the phono 1 in place the cymbals have don’t have the splashy sound that I usually experience.

Another benefit has been that the soundstage has a stronger central location, most other phono stages that I have used previously seemed to pull the image to one side. I have just set bias by ear at the moment and it is sounding far better than it ever did when trying to set bias by using a test record or ungrooved record in the past. Images have also improved, Dave Brubeck’s Piano doesn’t stretch from in front of the drums to outside the right speaker any more on the Time Out LP, it’s width seems more realistic.

The Phono 1plays music extremely well. As I said earlier I was listening to vinyl less and less and I was really starting to wonder why I often read comments about vinyl being better than CD. Now I understand. Considering Dub again and the bass comes across with great variation between recordings. I’m now experiencing it bouncing along or relaxed, complicated or simple rather than just happening. Onto some Brazilian fusion and Super Strut by Deodato, with a lot going on in the track, it felt like every instrument was easily identifiable with nothing being drowned out by anything else.

I don’t listen to Classical very often but I decided to give some a try and was pleased to hear a very enjoyable performance and was impressed by the building crescendo on a performance of some Holst, I’ve never experienced an effect like that before on any system that I have heard.
I’ve also been really enjoying listening to singers a lot more as well, I usually have a preference for instrumental music but the Phono 1 has a lovely way with vocals that I found myself picking out records to listen to voices more than usual.

This is probably the best phono stage that I have heard so far. Having said that most of those that I have owned have been in cheap integrated amps, low cost separate phono stages or DIY attempts. I have heard the Firebottle MM/MC amp but the system I had at the time was nowhere near as revealing as the one I have now. I think I am enjoying the NVA more than the Firebottle but it is about a year ago since I heard the latter so I can’t say for sure, but it does seem that with the Firebottle I was putting records on to hear what the phono stage sounded like whereas I am spinning records to listen to music with the NVA. I have also heard the phono stage of the Rega Elex – R which I thought was horrible so the NVA would be a clear winner in that case for me.

So the Phono 1 will be staying with me. It was supposed to be my final phono stage but after listening to it I’m now wondering what the Phono 2 sounds like if I can ever afford it (who said that the NVA sound was addictive?). But I’m going to enjoy the Phono 1 for now as I feel that there are higher priorities for my system (better NVA speaker cables, doc mod drivers and an improved Lenco build) which need to be improved before the Phono 1 does.

Quarknosis

 

[savvypaul]

From DQ

A40 power amps

For the past 2 months I have been enjoying a loan of the diminutive A20, HIFI Bargain of the year and enjoying it very much. I was well impressed with it, the only issue was possibly what I wrote above. I was enjoying the A20 whilst I manage to stem the flow of my money to my children sufficiently to save up for some A40’s.

So they arrived Tuesday. First thing to say is they are little black acrylic beauties, you cannot appreciate the beauty of these things until you see them, I adore the integrated recessed heatsink which forms part of the structure of the amp rather than metal fins tacked on as an after thought. NVA is a small British hifi company and the design of the mk2 amps is a masterclass in functional simple and beautiful aesthetics that would not look out of place in a design museum or Bauhaus institute. Richard, IMO the MKII amps are a hifi design genius that is sadly underappreciated.

So they look good, but I wasn’t expecting too much of the sound, after all I had my loan A20 and I had been using the mk1 A50’s.

It was immediately obvious that the power and control I thought I was missing had returned, but it had returned bigger and better. The amps were better in every way.

Joy divisions atmosphere, the repetitive drum pattern was lower with more scale, the contrast between loud and soft was greater and the drums were easier to pick out in the mix.

Hall and Oates “shes gone”, is a joyous song of loss that is so well constructed it is a work of genius, the voices were awesome, but the way it portrayed the mix of electronic sounds and guitars that all build up to final chorus crescendo was so good, I played it 3 times.

The scale, realism and impact has returned to the music and curiously this is the case even at lowish volumes. I have had them 3 days and they are awesome. Above all what they do is play music, so you can just sit back and listen to it. My record collection is full of musicians whose life work was to create some of the most awesome rock music, and nva amps let you listen to the music and emotion of what they intended. You don't need to worry about all the hifi bollocks, you just listen and smile.

 

[savvypaul]

CUBETTES

Arrived yesterday. Little, black precious!
I'm really impressed by sound. Compare to my Minstrels, base is much deeper and natural.
Stage much wider, more natural soft sound. Dave Brubeck live at Carnegie Hall vinyl give me a lot of so realistic sound and drum was perfect!
Dire Straits /Dire Straits sound amazing as well.

Great thanks.
Wojtek.

 

[savvypaul]

NVA Phono2 Paul.Callaghan » Sun Jul 24, 2016 9:12 pm

I am very new to writing on any forum, I don't even do Facebook, my kids find it hilarious,so I will keep it short and to the point.

I have been using CDs since early eighties. My vinyl got ditched for the new kid on the block.The vinyl got put into the loft and that's where it stayed for the next twenty eight years.

As soon as I started working, moved in with a mate who was already into HiFi,I found I enjoyed listening to decent sound. I started of with a Toshiba Aurex system and then changed to Arcam and Cyrus separates which I collected for many years and built up to fourteen boxes sitting on two hark racks, my pride and joy, after my family of course, at great expense.

In February 2014 after talking with my Wife, I walked into my local HiFi dealer and after a few visits and weeks of listening I decided to trade all my gear in including my 5.1 system and buy a Pioneer sc-lx57, CD50 player and a 5.1 Monitor Audio Silver speaker array. What an idiot some will say and I don't blame you. I then added a Bdp-lx58 Blu ray player as we all enjoy watching movies in good quality.I listen to music and watch movies in the same room so I have to try and get the balance right for me and my family.

This is where I saw many turntables on display and I just knew I had to get one. In April this year I gave in and bought an Audio-Technica lp5, got my vinyl out of the loft, purchased a few new pressings and bought some older titles off EBAY and since then have just really enjoyed listening. I have been using the built in phono stage for a few months and found it ok but I knew things could improve with an after market phono stage. My local dealer was very helpful and I know sound is the most important aspect but for me the look of equipment must be right as well, especially when spending a lot of money on it, and nothing I had seen in my price range caught my eye, although sounded good.

I came across NVA whilst doing a search on EBAY for phono stages. It appealed to me straight away as it looked good. I did a bit of reading up, visited the website and had a good look through the products available. My budget was around £300 so the phono 1 was the obvious choice but I decided to wait and save up for for the Phono 2 as it had 2 shiny black boxes and would look even better on the rack. I have been using the phono 2 for a week now and it looks very good sitting underneath my turntable, so big tick in the Ist box. The first noticeable difference was the volume of the amp I had to turn it down to the level that I listen to CDs at so this was a big change from using the built in Phono.Unsure what else to expect I just listened and carried on listening, the separation of the instruments and singers voices was amazing, the clarity was also very good everything just sounded crystal clear. The music was from Dire Straits, Jackson Browne, The Smiths, Mary Black, ACDC, Cat Stevens and Sade to mention but a few.

I actually found myself not wanting to turn the music off, as I carried on listening it got better and better. I am no expert on reviewing but all I can say is for me it was worth spending £500 because I enjoy music and it's even better when you are listening on the best equipment that you can afford. I am now saving for the 2nd power supply, will it be worth it? Who knows.Am I mad paying £700, double the price of my turntable with a cheap MM cartridge, yes I probably am but it's my money and my ears and that's all I can say apart from to recommend the Phono 2, give it a go I wasn't disappointed, don't think you will be

 

[savvypaul]

NVA TSS (The Second Statement) by Paul Messenger

NVA DIDN’T REALLY WANT A REVIEW, BUT READERS LOOKING FOR A SERIOUS BARGAIN COULD WELL FIND IT HERE

Anybody looking for a serious bargain in power amplification should check out the NVA websites. Unlike most of today’s industry, the company doesn’t believe in the current trend towards stupidly high prices, and also considers that dealers are not all that useful either. The result is a collection of hi-fi equipment that is sold direct to customers from websites at prices that seem almost risibly low.

Providing some background here, NVA originally stood for Nene Valley Audio, which is where Richard Dunn founded the operation back in 1982 (having sold his previous PA amplifier brand Tresham Audio). He’s had his ups, downs, and moves, and the base of operations is currently in South East London, but the decision to re-launch the company a decade or so ago came about because the internet enabled a low cost operation that combined servicing and sales.

That said, you won’t find The Second Statement (TSS) model on his website, as it’s only available as a bespoke item to existing customers. It’s an interesting design that resembles the NAP 500, it was temporarily replacing, more than any other I can think of, inasmuch as a two-box layout separates the power supply from the amplification.

However, NVA’s casework is deliberately made of acrylic, and it uses four XLRs rather than a pair of Burndys to connect a truly massive supply to the amplification unit. I snapped mine up as a secondhand bargain, but new examples cost £3,500, which might not be exactly cheap, but it’s not outrageously costly either, especially compared to the price of a Naim NAP 500 (which was away being DR upgraded at the time).

One crucial observation was that the change wasn’t nearly as obvious as the price differential might suggest. Furthermore, NVA’s TSS proved entirely capable of distinguishing between the various phono stages and step-up devices reviewed on pp46-48, which is proof positive of its fine capabilities.

A Best Buy rating is therefore clearly mandatory.

 

[savvypaul]

LS5 to LS6 upgrade
Fretless » Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:35 am

Luckily I was paying attention when this particular piece of advice was given about upgrading in the NVA range: “going from LS5 to LS6 offers the best bang for the buck”. In addition, recent political turmoils meant that I got an instant exchange-rate discount on UK purchases – so I thought it was time to move on up to these higher-grade speaker cables.

Strangely enough, the first listen with LS6 left me with the feeling that something had been removed from my system rather than added to it (apart from the suspicion that someone had removed the whole system and replaced it with something better while I wasn’t looking!). As if there was less ‘HiFi’ and more ‘music’.

The synergy of the NVA approach means that when you improve one part of the installation – the whole setup reacts to being ‘allowed’ to perform better. What gets removed is a hindrance to better sound. The equipment can do the job – providing it gets the chance to.

I won’t apologise for being an NVA fan, I’ve lived with an NVA amp for 30 years and only replaced it with another one. My system is now completely NVA from in-between the output sockets of the DAC to my ears, with my humble, self-refurbished original 1992 Cube 3’s doing loudspeaker duty. Well, those little speakers are kicking out tight, deep and realistic bass like they were fitted with 12” drivers on steroids and the sound is now so loose from the cabinets that it has got out and taken up residence around the listening room.

With LS5 the imaging and dynamics are exemplary. Fast, accurate bass. Detailed highs. Seamless integration in the middle. LS6 is based on the same construction as this cable but then adds threads of ultra-high purity silver alloy which somehow lets the music live and breathe in a new way. With LS5 you still hear an installation at work, doing its best to make good sounds – shifting to LS6, the reproduction becomes effortless and direct. The music appears in space as if it was already there.

My expectation with this upgrade was that the installation would gain a little in: image focus, detail, dynamic speed and bass depth. Well I got all of those but the quantum jump in ‘living real-ness’ has surprised me, it isn’t easy to describe without getting melodramatically poetic or resorting to clichéd superlatives. Every move up the NVA ladder comes with its own little revelations and brings you closer to your music – which is what it’s all about, isn’t it?

 

[savvypaul]

LS1 to LS6
Quarknosis » Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:55 am

Before my LS6 cables arrived I often had occasions when I wondered if going further up the LS range would be worth it as the LS1 is a very enjoyable cable. After the last few days I have to say that the answer is a resounding yes.

When listening to electronic music from The Higher Intelligence Agency I experienced an effect that was new to me, while the layers in the music were more clearly defined than I am used to, it was also possible to clearly hear the changes in volume of each individual layer highlighting the ebb and flow and making this a fantastic listening experience.

While this is the most extreme difference noticed so far between the LS6 and any of my previous cables, there have been other differences as well. Instruments seem to have greater texture and have wonderful tone which in a lot of the music that I listen to means that the bass is more satisfying but brass and strings come across far better as well. I remember reading in a Hi Fi mag years ago about hearing when a sizzle cymbal was played and I was able to hear this clearly for the first time with the LS6. There has been an increase in the width of the soundstage with instruments now placed about 18-24 inches outside the speakers rather than being just outside them before the LS6.

The often quoted NVA traits of clarity has also taken a large step forward as well as a more vibrant sound which paradoxically also seems very relaxed at the same time.

So another set of cables that won't be going back to Doc

 

[savvypaul]

A20/P20 Postby Neilwootton » Tue Aug 09, 2016 12:43 pm

Very well packed parcel just turned up, extremely impressed with build quality, fit and finish.

FOOK ME ! I didn't expect it to be this good, straight from cold it is staggeringly good, I've had and tried pretty much everything and this diddy duo stands tall.

Outgoing,
Sugden Mystro.
Audio Innovations 500
Exposure vi vii viii
Trafomatic Experience Elegance
The NVA (cold) is just better, no bullsh*t audiophile analogy needed, it's just better, simples.

Audio note speaker cable, off to eBay.

Emails sent to my toob buddies, you HAVE to come and hear this today !

WTF ! Lol and big thanks.

 

[savvypaul]

NVA Phono 1
By SteveTheShadow
Posted 2/9/2016 10:53 pm.

Right, it's review time

A bit of background first:
I was a reluctant vinyl user, after having been severely burned in the 80s/90s by the Linn- Flat Earth nonsense and because of it, had come to loathe and despise vinyl replay, with such an intensity, it bordered on the unhealthy.

I had long since embraced the CD and later, computer audio with open arms, and could not understand how anyone in their right mind, could prefer vinyl. But I never got rid of all my records, and after my son had built me a turntable based on a Goldring/Lenco Gl75 idler drive and a mate had given me a Mayware Formula IV arm as a box of bits to rebuild, I fitted an Audio Technica AT440MLb to the arm and was suddenly back in business and liking what I heard.

So to the present. I have been using a borrowed Musical Fidelity XLP S phono stage and enjoying my records once more, but I needed a phono stage of my own and so bought myself the subject of this review; the NVA Phono 1.

Ordering the Phono1 a couple of weeks ago, it arrived this morning and was quickly connected into the system and warmed up for an hour.

The mirror finished, black, acrylic case is quite beautiful; a perfect example of form follows function, and represents classic British Hi-Fi minimalism in the grand tradition.

The look of the thing inspires confidence from the outset. Everything about it says "quality." The gold-plated phono sockets are tough looking affairs; zero frills, bling free, like they are there to do a specific job, ie. pass a tiny signal in the most efficient manner possible, without losing information - that's it.
The captive mains lead is of a generous length, which means no problems with the cable reaching your electrical sockets, making positioning the unit a doddle. A single red LED to the left of the NVA logo indicates power is reaching the unit.

I will admit, I was a bit worried about hum, due to the lack of any metal in the external construction of the Phono1, but I needn't have been concerned; there was a compete absence of anything really; no hiss, no hum, nothing, nada. In fact I wondered if the thing was working until I passed my cleaning brush over the AT440MLb stylus and heard the familiar scrape through the speakers.

So to the sound,
The Phono1 simply sounds like music. There is a liquidity to the presentation that is quite addictive. It makes you want to keep playing records; digging out stuff, long since consigned to the "sounds crap" end of the shelf and discovering that it sounds bloody good actually. One of the best things about the sound of the Phono1 is the way that it deals with "hot" vocals. We have all cringed at the sound of sssssingers, spitting out sssssibilance and spoiling the enjoyment of what would otherwise be great records, and once it happens, you sit there waiting for it.

With the Phono1, this often troublesome aspect of vinyl replay is quite absent; 's' sounds coming over cleanly and naturally, and if your cartridge has a good line contact stylus and tracks well, the vocal reproduction allowed by the Phono1, puts the performer right in front of you, large as life, vinyl artefacts conspicuous by their absence. This is seriously impressive.

Soundstaging is also impressive, the Phono1 throwing a wide and deep picture on big classical orchestral productions. String tone, comes over without harshness whilst brass blats and blares convincingly.
Piano tone is natural, clear and free from clankiness.

The top end of the spectrum is extended and again pleasingly clear, clean and detailed, with ride cymbals shimmering nicely and crashes being splash free. Triangles, wind chimes etc are sharp and cleanly reproduced. Shakers are pin sharp and do not get buried when the music gets complex.

At the bottom end there is plenty of depth and extension with pleasing growl from bowed basses. Electric bass is well defined and textured. Kick drum is controlled and Timp rolls thunder without loss of grip. The bass end is held nicely so that it doesn't overwhelm and smear everything further up the range when the going gets complex.

Overall pace rhythm and timing, is well portrayed and pitch relationships are absolutely nailed down, with nothing sounding discordant. A good test of pitch is Fender Rhodes electric piano, which on some systems, can sound vague and off tune somehow. There is none of that nonsense with the Phono1.

I think we can safely say that I like this phono stage; I like it a lot. It has given my record collection a much needed shot in the arm. Fantastic stuff Doc.

 

[savvypaul]

Ebay Phono 2 purchase

Postby Alfi » Fri Sep 02, 2016 9:41 pm

I've been running an RJM Phonoclone 3 (47Labs copy/variation) for a number of years with various MC carts and I've been very pleased with it. But a short while ago I purchased a Phono1 for my MM's and consequently was very impressed with such a low cost stage.

I recently caught sight of the Doc selling a Phono 2 on eBay so I though what the hell, at that price (£380) it was worth a punt and given the tremendous feedback/reviews of the NVA P2 I though I'd be in for a treat. Well I took delivery today of a sizeable package with the contents really well packaged as is usual of NVA. Quality packaging quality visuals, I never really thought I'd like black acrylic but I do now, it has grown on me

So more importantly to sound quality, was I impressed after using my Phonoclone for the past month? No not really. I was utterly gobsmacked after just 5 minutes, it's been running for an hour now and it just gets better, how does Mr Dunn do it I thought? Hopefully avoiding cliche's……. Authority, Scale, Dynamics, Control, Clarity and Presence!! Utterly flecking awesome!! The record collection is going around again!

Thank you Doc!

I'll be selling loads of equipment over the next few months and then saving on top of that for some more NVA, hopefully some items from the Statement range but I'll need to discus sizes and prices. Anyone who cannot hear the improvements wrought by NVA must have heading issues

Alfi.

 

[savvypaul]

e: Ebay Phono 2 purchase

postby Alfi » Sat Sep 03, 2016 7:33 am

After further listening late into the night

I wish to advise that the Phono 2 also has much delicacy and sweetness to its capabilities, far more than I heard from all other stages I have used to date, it's not just a big and powerful presentation. I really struggle to understand how this can be bettered.

I'm not getting any younger so therefore people ask how can I hear any improvements with different audio components like a phono stage for example. Well my ears heard the change from Phonoclone 3 to Phono 2 plainly, I just wish my ears were 30 years younger to have detected even more loveliness

The Phono 2 is an awesome phono stage if you love your recorded music it's got to be NVA to hear it at it's best.

Alfi.

 

[savvypaul]

Phono 2 2nd PSU
Unread postby Stemcor1990 » Sun Sep 25, 2016 10:02 pm

The visit to Doc towers is always a pleasure.

I was there last week to collect a pair of Cube 3s. The old brain cell got working and a short conversation later I was the new owner of PSU no 2. First impression from cold was nothing special but I knew that the little fella needed time to warm up. Once warmed up there is no doubt that the new addition is worthwhile. If you want an analogy then it's a bit like a light dimmer switch. The Doc has said that the circuit is fairly similar throughout the range but with increased power supply as you move up. If you can imagine the dimmer switch at a low level = phono 1, then turning the brightness up a bit brings you to phono 2. A bit more = well you get the idea.

Once again, the upgrade brings you closer to what the musicians were playing during the recording which is what I wanted.

And the Cube 3s ? They are still in their bubble wrap. I want to get "comfortable" with the PSU 2 before changing the speakers. I had a pair under the loan scheme so know how good they are. I'm looking forward to listening to them and will update at some point in the future.

 

[savvypaul]

From Neilwootton

My system, newly acquired NVA A20/P20, Inspire TT/Koetsu Rosewood, Graham Slee phono stage, sound cords throughout, Ls1 cable and choice of speakers, Proacs super tabs, AVI Neutron monitors, Living Voice.

Bit of background, coming from valves to NVA and being astounded the above setup has seen off a few (very expensive) toob friends systems.

One example is a dealer buddy of mine to whom I sold my Audio Innovations 500, he came round to collect it and asked why I was selling off all my valve gear to which I showed him the diddy NVA setup, his remark was, Oh, are they still going ? I said it was that good he could bring anything round and compare, he rather smugly agreed and turned up the next day with a fully modded Linn lp12 (I know, sigh) Pathos twin towers toob amp and big Tannoy red Lancaster's. It sounded OK with a little too much echo and with almost a reverb quality to it, bass was like a bucket of gravel being shaken about, he thought it was the dogs, his vinyl of choice was J L Hookers the Healer.

I proceeded to put my system on using Willie Nelson's Stardust playing through the Avi's. Within the first 2/3 minutes I could see his face drop and confusion set in, I could actually see him trying to figure it out, he said he couldn't believe he'd turned up with 10k's worth and it had been spanked. He began to check over his Linn making excuses etc, I told him the best thing to do was get a hacksaw and trim 6 inches off each end as it would fit in the bin better!

 

[savvypaul]

A20/P20 new owner
postby Jonty2547 » Tue Oct 11, 2016 8:59 pm

So the A20/P20 combo arrived today..

..and as well as looking impossibly beautiful, it sounds better than it looks!

I feel more than happy knowing that my money has been spent on whats inside and not daft overpriced casework and other unnecessary “bling”.
A run through of Ian Browns Music of the Spheres revealed an experience i’ve not had before with that CD. I compared it back to back with my Croft integrated and the difference was astonishing and I mean really "sit up and take notice” astonishing.

Theres plenty of "HiFi" reviews out there professing to hear things that "weren't" audible before using certain equipment, but i can't say I've heard anything new.
What i will say, is that what I've heard is an uncoloured presentation of what is on the original recording and surely that's the point?

Sadly that’s as far as my reviewing talent goes, but i will say that for the small outlay of £300 that the A20/P20 and cable package is outrageously good value for money!
This could get addictive, very quickly

 

[savvypaul]

postby Stemcor1990 » Tue Oct 11, 2016 9:41 pm

Once you hear NVA it's a very nice surprise. I started with a phono 1 on the basis that it was not going to be that good and I could always get my money back. Well I was so wrong on that one. Fast forward a little over 12 months and the phono 1 is now a phono 2 with twin power supplies and there is an itch to scratch in the form of the statement phono. My speakers are a pair of cube 3s. Only had them a couple of weeks and plonked on a sideboard while I am waiting for some stands to be built but boy, these little boxes are something else. I'll write a "review" of the 3s at some point but in the meantime Jonty be warned. Now you have stuck your toe in the water you will soon be swimming.