NVA Review Archive from HFS - read only

[savvypaul]

NVA Phonostages review.

Well the Doc dropped off the NVA phonostages for me to try since we never got to the Huddersfield bake-off a couple of weeks ago. My brother came round as a second pair of ears and we used two songs for the comparison, Mary Black - There's a Train that Leaves Tonight and Acoustic Alchemy - Mr Chow.

First up was my usual Arkless which I have been happily using for the last few months and we have always thought it was a bit of a bargain since I purchased 2nd hand for £200.

I then changed over to the Phono 1, this was the biggest wow moment for both of us. The music moved to a different level of enjoyment, especially the bass which came through with more clarity, and the sound was more listenable/smooth with no lack of detail. To say I could have paid an extra £100 to achieve this, what was I thinking about.

Next up the Phono 2, what did this bring to the party. Firstly it opened up the sound from top to bottom even more, percussion was especially easier to follow on the Mary Black track. We both felt that on both tracks the music came across with more weight/solidity.

The icing on the cake came with adding the 2nd power supply. With this in the system, there was greater separation and instruments were easier to follow, it brought smiles to our faces.

My brother felt adding the 2nd power supply was more beneficial than changing from the Phono 1 to the 2, I was a little unsure enjoying both upgrades.

A couple of days later, we again listened to the Phono 2 with and without the extra supply. Paul Simon - Graceland was used and sounded simply stunning with the Phono 2 but adding the extra supply confirmed our findings, bringing out low level detail more to the fore. I can honestly say I have never heard this album sound so good, making this for me a must have upgrade.

 

[savvypaul]

Re: All change on the TT front

Post by zebbo » Sun Jul 23, 2017 9:05 pm

Ok, BBPSU + Phono 3.

Had some friends round on Thursday night, (as the Mrs was out,

), for an evening of good music and a beer or three. All friends present are owners of decent hi-fi systems so know what they are listening to.

We started off using my Phono 2 and played a few albums of various genre from gentle folk, (Mary Black), through some blues, (Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Keb Mo), and some more contemporary stuff, (Imelda May, Dire Straits, etc). As usual the sound did not disappoint, lovely detail, not too much of anything, all pretty natural sounding, just what we've become accustomed to really. The soundstage, while quite nicely presented, has never been huge and often just hints at what might be beyond the confines of my room. I've always assumed that was the limitations of my listening room.

Well, changing over to the BBPSU + Phono 3 blew that theory into the weeds straight away! My god, I swear the back wall of my lounge disappeared! Nothing really changed much musically, the bass is pretty much the same, the detail is pretty much the same, maybe a tiny bit better, but the acoustic that it was all being played in was now just a huge open space. There is an EASE to the sound that is infectious and everything sounds even more natural, even more REAL than it did before. Some albums showed a greater improvement than others, which is to be expected I suppose, being dependant on the quality of production, pressing etc, but one album in particular now sounds absolutely stunning! It's probably just about my favourite album to-date and I have NEVER heard it sound so good - Janis Ian - Breaking Silence. If you don't own it, check it out, if you do then you know what I'm talking about. 100% analogue including the use of valves and it is amazing, musically and technically.

Concerns, questions, caveats?

Because the Phono 3 is different to the Phono 2, how do I know how much of the improvement is down to the new head unit or the massive PSU? I would like to try the Phono 3 with a, still substantial, but physically smaller PSU to see if the humungous BBPSU is completely necessary. Something that doesn't elicit a reaction of "what the hell is that bloody thing?!" would be nice.

 

[savvypaul]

Post by dwhistance » Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:12 pm

I thought I should report back as thanks to EvilC I have now had a chance to listen to a few of his NVA amps and cables. Amps used were a Mk1 A30 and Mk2 A80's (we skipped the A60 he also had available!), interconnects were SC and TIS, speaker cables LS3 and LS6. P90SA pre and Epos ES14 speakers remained consistent throughout. The sound was excellent to start and just got better and more "real" as each piece was upgraded. A particular surprise was the change from LS3 to LS6 loudspeaker cables when we were still using the A30 and SC's - with the change of speaker cables there was suddenly much more depth and more details were revealed, it was not subtle at all! Thanks again to EvilC for such an excellent demonstration of what you have all been telling me.

I now need to try some NVA in my own system to see how it works here. My plan is to start with cables so I can get them "run in" before I try the amps (although I must admit I was lucky enough to pick up a P50SA at a good price on Ebay recently but I'll hold onto that until I can try it with some NVA power amps). To that end Doc would you please put up a 9m pair of SSC on Ebay which will deal with the long interconnects for between the pre/power amps? The shorter ones I need are all standard items so are already on Ebay. Re speaker cables I'm going to go straight for LS6 but need an unequal length set, 1.5m on one side and between 3.5m and 4m on the other, how do I purchase these?

David Whistance

 

[savvypaul]

Cube 3s

I was very happy with my Dynaudio Emit 10 speakers, which will now be sold. They are transparent and sounded better and better as I added NVA kit to my system. There was no way I would consider replacing them with another point and squirt design. Having read about the Cubes and the benefits of the semi-omnidirectional approach, I had to give them a go with the 30 day return option providing security. The Cube 3s seemed most appropriate in the context of the small dedicated listening area of the room.

Like all NVA equipment they arrived very well packaged. I was a bit surprised at how heavy they are. They look good mounted on my vintage Atacama solid stands. The metal meshing a plus point, making them toddler proof. Initial impressions are important and what really struck me was the scale and realism they produce. This was something new to me. To establish the optimum position I played some Bob Marley as there is prominent bass, with the subwoofer off. Once I discovered that they sound best five inches from the rear wall, I tilted them slightly inward.

The upper bass is a revelation. Bass guitar notes are precise and clearly defined. This is something I was missing out on previously and is very pronounced on early Beatles recordings. There is also plenty of extension, so much so that I have lowered the cut off frequency of the subwoofer to the point that it hardly comes into play when playing music. Some tv programmes are a different matter though.

I have had to raise the volume on the P50 SA a few notches, but this is due to the semi-omnidirectional design. There is no lack of sensitivity and I’m sure high volumes can be achieved with amplifiers with a lot less clout than my A80s.

Every type of music, from Motorhead to my granddaughter’s nursery rhymes, is just better with an increase in clarity and dynamics. The sound no longer seems to be coming from the speakers, but from a wide stage beyond the room. I no longer have to sit in the centre of the sofa for the optimum sound. SQ in the dining area of the room, well away from and not facing the speakers, has improved beyond belief with an increase in volume as well.

Less than a year ago I did not have any NVA equipment, now my system is all NVA bar the sources and SW, the Cube 3s have completed the chain. Favourite albums from long ago have taken on a new lease of life. I am hearing things I did not before and there is greater space between everything. I find that I am listening at less mean volume levels, but because of the increased dynamics peaks are just as loud, or louder.

Before discovering NVA and not falling for the flat bullshit in the 80s, after hearing the LP12, I thought all high end kit was a rip off and avoided it on VFM grounds. By cutting out all the sticky palms between design/manufacture and purchase, NVA provide fantastic value. I am enjoying music like never before.

 

[savvypaul]

New NVA system.

Post by Chunk McDaniel » Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:23 am

I took delivery of my NVA speaker cables and interconnects last week and my system has been running 24/7 since then to allow a quicker break in period. This was the last pieces I needed to complete a system I have put together over a 6 month period as funds allowed.
The set up consists of P50sa, Phono2, A80's and Cube2's connected with SSC and LS3 speaker cable. My sources are Pioneer PL-600x turntable (1979) also new to me and my Naim CD5.
I initially set it up and started playing cd's on repeat dipping in and out listening to the sound as it changed and morphed into what it is now a week later. My original ampification was old school Audiolab and Harbeth P3 es speakers with the rare Extender bass units.
My initial impressions after a week are that this is the finest sound I have ever heard from a system in my 30 years of this hobby. I loved my Harbeths but was never happy with the bass. Often sounding uncontrolled and boomy. Goodbye to that nonsense. I now have bass that is controlled and tuneful in a way I have never experienced. To explain ,one of my favourite albums is Solid Air by John Martin. My old set up could never deliver what is quite a difficult double bass sound without my room walls( partition) resonating and vibrating turning the whole thing into a complete mess at times. Now I can hear evey note with clarity and realism that makes this sound like a different and even better album. A sure fire product of Richard's mantra of working with the room not against it. My old set up would often reverberate throught the house at not particularly high volumes at the same volume I can hardly hear a sound in the other rooms with the NVA system. Once in the listening room my god is there music pouring from these little cubes of wonder. I am possibly hearing real music from my sources for the first time. NVA you have been a long time coming but oh how I am glad I found you.
Thanks Richard for producing such fine components which are clearly a labour of love and thanks to all the friendly forum members who gave your welcome advice. As for the review I read in what hifi of the Cubes. I cannot understand how that fool could not get these little speakers set up properly. He is either a complete bafoon and should not be let out on his own or more likely was instructed to write up a complete hatchet job. My Cube 2's were the easiest speakers to set up I have ever listened to. They just work.
This is just initial impressions more to follow when my NVA components and cables fully settle in.

 

[savvypaul]

Hello Richard

Just a short note to say all arrived safe and sound, Installed
Yesterday Sunday. Silent by the way as the PSU's are well
away from the phono stage

Only had chance to listen to a few tracks.
What can I say amazing! my Phono 2 is likely from 1990 or before,
serviced in 1995.

Wow I should have upgraded to the Twin PSU's years ago.!
Much more information, more dynamic etc etc just more real
the PSU is quite frankly a bargain (the 100 ohm setting likely helped as well)

I would urge anyone and everyone who owns a single PSU setup to buy another!

SME Model 15 with Series V Tone arm and Ortofon Cadenza Bronze MC

By all means use this on your site if useful

thank you
Simon

Over the moon!

Simon Howarth

 

[savvypaul]

Hello Mr. Dunn,

Here you are the review of the Phono2, I start at the beginning of the odyssey:

I lived happily for 25 years with the Braun equipment my mother bought at the end of the eighties (R4, P4, CD4, LS150). The P4 gave up 5 years ago and is now replaced with a Thorens TD126 and Yamaha MC-9.Two times since some capacitors and one time the speaker relais were changed in the R4 and every three years the MM/MC switch was cleaned and what ever I don’t know because of the need to often touch it a bit to get both speakers served. My thoughts were to buy a separate phono stage to get rid of that problem. So watched around the Internet and found recommendations regarding the Cambridge A651p. I ordered a used one at Ebay, it arrived and I was completely disappointed. It was lacking of everything, you couldn’t hear any breathings and quiet shouts on Keith Jarret’s Köln Concert for example. The drums were doing like ‘puff, puff’, half of the music had gone and the whole sound was flat. I found out that two engineers are doing modifications on these stages: Hoerwege here in Germany and Arkless in England. Hoerwege is a bit expensive and if I understood it in the right way they only replace components against better ones. I thought the change in the architecture as Jez Arkless provides could be more effective (nearly nothing left of this horrible stock stage!!). I sent it, it came back and I was surprised of the details in the music I had back and the sound increased during the first time but I always had the feeling the music is more shouting at than surrounding me and not effecting me physically (good music with good sound makes me grin!). That was the point I recognized how good my internal sound stage is and how much it takes to come to that level with an external one (and that I could have asked someone to just pass by this MM/MC switch!). But too late, I went on my path of finding a stage that wouldn’t leave me with ‘could be better but it’s ok’ feelings and became curious about the NVA products, read a few reviews (in which often superlatives were used) and decided to go for a Phono 2. It arrived three days ago and I continue listening with a grin in my face! Hawkwinds ‘Space Ritual’ was exactly that brain massacre as a journalist described it to be after the release of the record. This warm, rich and detailed sound with great basses and wonderful heights places you within the music. At the moment Tim Buckley in his London concert 1968 floats round me! It’s a pleasure! In a first reaction I wrote that I have back the sound I was used to. Now, after a few days I say it betters it and I’m awaiting the arrival of the 2nd PSU whether I don’t know what it should put on top.

Best Regards,

Hannes Hofmann (Germany)

 

[savvypaul]

Re: Very Long Interconnects/Where to begin

dwhistance » Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:30 am

Having ordered the cables and picked them up from the Doc it took me a few weeks to get round to putting them into my system. However they have now been playing fairly constantly for a couple of weeks so it's time for a write up. Being somewhat anal by nature I introduced them one at a time so that I could hear the differences.

First up was a short length (40cm) of SSC between the tuner and preamp replacing a similar length of mid price QED, straight away there was a much fuller sound, more bass, more extended treble, more music.

Next was 80cm of SSP between my DAC and preamp in this case replacing 1m of Hovland cable which was, and I think still is, very well thought of in "hi-fi" circles and was fairly pricey in its day. The effect was just the same as with the SSC, fuller sound, more bass, more extended treble, more musical, however in this case I must admit I was surprised as the Hovland unlike the QED is a good cable to start with so the effect shouldn't have been so pronounced. I'm impressed!

Next was the 9m of SC between the pre and power amps which replaced a 2m set of Hovland. In this case there was essentially no change, however given the very long length of SC compared with the Hovland and bearing in mind that 9m of SC now costs less than half of what just 1m of Hovland cost 17 years ago I think that puts its performance in perspective!

Last was the LS6 which replaced a "cheap" set of Monster speaker cables I had been using simply because they were long enough and slim enough to allow them to run under the carpet pending the long interconnects. In this case there was absolutely no contest, the sound which was OK but a bit veiled expanded and filled out. There was now a real soundstage. Suddenly and surprisingly there was now real, well controlled bass and there were details everywhere that I used to hear from a previous "megabucks" system and had more or less given up on with my current lesser components. If I hadn't heard it myself I wouldn't have believed that a cable, particularly one carrying fairly high level signals, could make such a huge difference, simply astounding! It should be said that initially the bass sounded a bit "detached" and somewhat bloated but with burn in it has melded very nicely with the rest. I have owned some very expensive and well regarded speaker cables in the past including top end Nordost and Hovland and have never heard anything like this, LS6 is incredible!

As you will gather from the above I am very, very happy with my new cables. They have essentially given me a whole new system and one I am really enjoying listening to. Of course I am now wondering what improvement I would get if I changed the long interconnects from SC to SSC or even SSP, the DAC to preamp interconnect to TIS (I have seen the classifieds and am very tempted) and the tuner interconnect to SSP. I also need to deal with my record player as for some reason I completely forgot to get an interconnect for the phono amp to the preamp and, given the success of the other cables, am interested to know what the Doc's thoughts are for a tonearm cable to the phono pre.

Lastly many thanks to the Doc for his hospitality when I picked up the cables and for patiently answering all of my stupid questions. When I arrived he was having one of those difficult days we all get from time to time but he was very courteous and helpful despite having some pressing problems to deal with.

David Whistance

 

[savvypaul]

P20/A20 review

by Leadhead » Wed Nov 08, 2017 12:57 pm

Having picked up the loan kit on Monday evening and having a quick listen, I settled down last night for a good few hours of playing music to see if my initial impressions still held. I was thinking that maybe there was a slight lift in the upper frequencies as voices and guitar solo's seemed to stand out a little more than I was used to.
As it turns out, I was wrong. Everything, throughout the range, is just that much clearer. The bass drum intro on Dark side of the Moon had more authority and I could hear the reverb/echo. Jimmy Page's Stairway guitar solo on The song remains the same was clear, precise and had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and I could better hear the ambience of the Madison square garden. Diana Krall in Paris, wasn't, she and her piano were in my living room! Everything I threw at these little black boxes came back with extra detail. Dynamics were great too, whether listening loud or quiet, there was plenty of power and all this from just 25 watts!
Now, I know I haven't listened to lots of different kit, but what I have at home, I thoroughly enjoy and didn't expect to gain much, or anything at all, so to say i'm pleasantly surprised is an understatement. So, thank you Richard, for opening my eyes, ears, whatever! Only downside I can now see, I have to save some pennies for the upcoming NVA purchases!

Dave

 

[savvypaul]

Hi,

LS6 delivered today.

Upgraded from LS5(now in my AP10p / Magnum system).

I didn't expect a great improvement moving from LS5 to LS6. Proved totally wrong. All the earlier comments and ebay description spot on. It is not even run in and it does make the speaker cabinets disappear. Bass tighter, treble sweet, individual instruments space etc. A long night ahead

Phono 1 next

 

[savvypaul]

NVA TIS Review

kimangelis » Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:34 pm

Hello all.

This about the TIS interconnects recently purchased. Richard asked for a review from those who purchased same.

Saturday 21 October.

I first purchased a length of TIS to replace my SSP digital interconnect between CD spinner and DAC (both Rega).
I used all the same settings on the DAC so the only variable is the interconnect.

Primarly I noticed that things were different. I was blown-away at first but am aware such effects can be felt when turning up the gain, so ignored the effect.
Secondly was the lack of jarring when the music turned from melodic to discordant. There was no switch from the comfortable to the uncomfortable.
To be clear.. my previous SSP set-up isn't bad, but I do listen to extremely variable music both classical and electronic, so the variation in presentation can be extreme.
I was hearing more but not as a collection of seperate sounds but more of a better-assembled collection, such as I would experience at a good concert hall.

Monday 23 October

The interconnect pair between DAC and P50SA is installed. Prior to this I had listened to a few of my favourite pieces from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Animals as Leaders, Schostakovitch and Satie piano, Vaughan Williams and Rachmaninov symphonies and a varied collection of personal favourites. This I repeated with the TIS.

Initially I was disappointed, as the quantum shift I experienced with the TIS digital interconnect was not multiplied by the TIS DAC-P50SA interconnects.
However, increased listening showed another aspect. One of imagery. The TIS took it to another level. I could 'see' the position of the bassist when listening to Amy W and identify the position of the 1st and 2nd violinists when listening to the LSO (Telarc CD). I am very aware I am listening to an illusion; a reproduction of music via electronics and moving speaker cones moving air.However, illusions are measurable, in that spacial positioning and musicality can be judged as accurate or not so.

Thursday 26 October

Home early as I was in work early... set about choosing a selection of 'testing' recordings (I have a lot of CD's) from raw crossed-mike piano recordings to more complex electronic pieces from the likes of Genesis and Pink Floyd. Testing vocals from Eminem, Annie Lennox, Seal, and some opera pieces from Wagner and Puccini.
Again the effect is more of a complete ensemble than a collection of individual instruments, particulary noticeable with multi-layered electronic pieces from the likes of Tony Banks. There is more detail but is never overwhelming.

Friday 10 November

Now have a full TIS loom between CD ad DAC, DAC and P50SA, and on to the A70's. Absolutely freezing here today so lit the log-burner, closed the curtains and pretended it was evening. Had a French classical afternoon from the likes of Faure, Durufle and Ravel. A lot of vocal stuff from the first two. Decided to switch back the digital interconnect back to the SSP. That didn't last long as there was a clear difference. Replaced interconnects between DAC and P50SA from TIS to SSP. Not so much of a difference. Ditto with the P50SA to A70 links.
Puzzled.....
However, once I reverted to all SSP the magic was gone. Some female vocals became strident and violins to shriek a little. Still very very good but not what I had been used to over the previous two weeks. Re-introduced TIS link by link, and although the stages brought about a minimal change, the whole was certainly more than the sum of it's parts. Up to stupid-of-the-clock again so tomorrows walk may have to be foregone....

It's now 2.00am on Saturday. My only (downstairs) neighbours are away for the weekend so I can press on.

Decided to switch from classical French music to more of my musical mainstays such as Steely Dan. Repeated the switching process and the picture became more two-dimensional with the SSP. Re-instaing the TIS link by link was again not revelational. But again the TIS as a whole loom blew away the SSP as a whole loom. The plucking of a bass string was more grainy (as it should be). I was aware of Donald Fagen's facial expressions as he strangled the hell out of a phrase. Switched to Steve Hackett to hear acoustic guitar and it was as though the system had disappeared. Fine, it was late at night/early in the morning so perceptions change. But the quality of what I was hearing had changed not just slightly but dramatically.

Monday 13 November.

Did a listen to all my classical and other favourites. This is music of which I am VERY familiar. It ranges from Vaughan Williams, through Rachmaninov, Shostakovitch, Gershwin, Copeland, Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, Genesis... etc etc. Swapped-out all of the TIS for SSP and listened. All very very good. Swapped-in the TIS and listened again.

With the TIS....

1. The soundstage is VERY clear. Positions of instruments, singers et al is almost realistic.
2. The music as a whole is more as I expect from a good concert hall or venue.
3. The image is much more 3-dimensional. A more effective illusion.
3. Clarity is much improved.
4. Detail is VERY much improved. A single plucking of a string is almost as if the player were there.
5. All frequences are brought together as a whole. There is a definite lack of screech.

Tha.. that... that's it folks. If I've waxed too lyrical then, well... hard luck. I write as I feel as I hear.

Best regards to all.

 

[savvypaul]

NVA Buying Experience / System Review

It's just a little over a year since I first became aware of the 'new' NVA. I had known the 1980s / 1990s incarnation but hadn't realised that the company had started trading again. From the utilitarian look of the companies 1980s offerings, I had taken them then for one of the 'flat-earth' brigade without ever hearing them. A spectacularly stupid (and deliciously ironic) mistake, given what I now know first-hand.

I came across the current NVA product line-up when I was looking at the Balanced Mains products being sold by Russ Andrews. A Google search for other 'balanced mains units' threw up some industrial types but also the NVA BMU. It seemed to do everything the RA unit claimed but with more convenience (long captive mains lead and 4 sockets) and much better looking...and at a third of the price. Being familiar with RA's 'creative' pricing I was not entirely surprised, but the difference was in four figures!!

I duly ordered an NVA BMU via ebay for £500 including delivery. Around 7 days later the BMU was delivered and I plugged in my system as it was; including Sugden A21aS2 and Harbeth P3ESR with Townshend cables. The NVA BMU made an obviously positive difference to my system (I posted a review of the BMU here around a year ago). I plugged it in for a few days at a time, then took it out for a few days at a time...and quickly understood there was no way I was sending it back. During this time I also read through the articles at nvahifi.co.uk and lots of threads on Hifi Subjectivist. In light of the direct selling policy; cutting out unnecessary dealer margins, 30 day home trial and money back guarantee, full value upgrade scheme and the logical purity of the NVA design philosophy, I felt like having some more NVA in my life could be a good idea and that not at least trying more NVA kit would be pretty dumb. I joined HFS and posted a thread:

“What next for a chap who has just found NVA?”

I got plenty of pointers on what to do next and why, but, after consideration I thought the right idea was to try 'the whole NVA thing', so I ordered P50sa, SSP MK2, A60 MK2, LS6, Cube 2. Richard had a secondhand pair of Cube 1s available at the time so I happily tried them ahead of the Cube 2s. I did introduce the NVA items into my system pretty much one at a time, though; partly because I logically should and partly because the delivery of the different items was spaced out over a few weeks. It quickly became apparent that the NVA items, individually and as a whole, outperformed my Sugden / Harbeth / Townshend set up by a distance. I actually kept the Sugden & Harbeths for an extended time to plug back in, now and then, to check that I wasn't deceiving myself . This has only ever resulted in out-loud-laughter, speedy removal and return to NVA. One particular moment sticks in my mind; when my partner first saw the Cubes, she said “they look interesting'. Halfway through playing her favourite piece of Chopin, she said “they sound bloody interesting”. At the end of the piece she said “how much can you sell the Harbeths for?”

As a music lover with a bit of spare cash it was not a big hurdle, then, to decide that it was an obvious case of 'the more NVA, the better'. Whenever opportunity has arisen – spare cash coinciding with curiosity / 'B' stock offers / secondhand items becoming available – I have added or upgraded my system (as per my signature).

How does it sound? Like a wide open panoramic view, like the valley laid out in front of you from the top of the hill with rich and natural colours and the interweaving of streams and hedgerows – not, as I now understand, the narrow, pinched, meanness of flat earth systems or the suffocated, stuffed and cosseted approach of BBC-type speakers – I fell for both, in the past. I see Lou Reed sneering at me from behind his dark glasses when I play his 'New York' album. I see Hank Mobley and Wynton Kelly talking to each other by sax and piano and the sweat bouncing off Art Blakey's drum skins on the Music Matters release of 'soul Station'. I see Willie Nelson sitting at the kitchen table of a mid-west farmhouse when he sings 'Family Bible'. I see Jonny Cash furtively popping pills backstage at San Quentin. I see Elvis Costello's hang-dog face when he confesses “Falling for you without a second look, Falling out of your open pocketbook, Giving you away like motel matches”. I see Nigel Blackwell giving me a nod when he tells me he knows that “Chesil beach is far away in time”. I see how it sounds, because it sounds how I see. The NVA is effortless, pure, open, even handed, unfiltered, simple.

There is another important reason why I have come to cherish the 'NVA thing'...which is the honesty of Richard Dunn. During my youth I hung around very occasionally with some pacifist / anarchist / artist / permaculturist types who had formed a punk group called Crass and lived in an 'open house' a couple of miles up the hill from my village. We helped them push their 2cv up the hill (it had no engine) in exchange for tea, home made bread and a few records (the sleeves of which we had to fold ourselves). Crass sold hundreds of thousands of records which they recorded, designed, manufactured, distributed, promoted mostly by themselves and completely without involvement of the traditional music 'business', maintaining complete control of their art and using the profits to help other bands make their first records. In a recent interview, one of the founding members Penny Rimbaud was asked how they could possibly have achieved all this while staying outside the then all-pervasive industry. Penny replied “Honesty. It is like honey to a bee.” Crass made the most of the tools they had, rejected and exposed the lies and manipulations of the 'business' and changed what was possible for musicians. NVA is utilising website, ebay, forum and bake-offs, side-stepping and exposing the dishonesty and greed of traditional dealers and magazines to change what is possible for audiophiles. When Richard says “I make the stuff for my own enjoyment, but I suppose it's fine for you to like it, too, or not” then that is honey to this bee.

All plain sailing? Pretty much, but patience and learning may be required; NVA does not cosset users against the real world at the expense of the music. The NVA gear doesn't use filters or chokes and is sensitive to placement. You need to keep head units away from their power supplies and amp transformers. Spread the gear out – closely spaced 'hifi' racks are not suitable; have a local carpenter make you something(s) at a fraction of the cost. If you have bad mains you will know about it; my BMU buzzes a few times each day for this reason (but this protects the amps from doing the same and you can keep the BMU tucked away). If you are unlucky the NVA may pick up RFI from digital sources including things like Sky TV boxes. The NVA will not treat the symptoms, you have to identify the cause (the disease) and deal with it. Richard is endlessly helpful and will never leave a customer unhappy.

A short while back, when the Cube 1s had been converted for bi-amping but the A70s hadn't arrived, and I had loaned my Cube 3s to another forum member, I had to plug other speakers in. It was a miserable time. All the NVA kit is special to me, but if I could only buy one piece of NVA, I would buy the Cubes...and then steal a BMU! They are genuine game changers in musical enjoyment. Stand out, exceptional items that will make you think again about what is achievable in a home audio system.

Some other observations (in no particular order):

There's a bit of an art-deco look to the Cubes.

I prefer my acrylic with the dust left on, most of the time.

As I have added more power to the set up, I am able to play at higher volumes without 'loudness'.

The P90sa takes the most time to run in.

The 2nd power supply takes the Phono2 from excellent to exceptional value for money.

The HFS forum is an invaluable asset.

You can have proper bass in a domestic room, without boom, and without room treatments.

Hifi kit does not have to add it's own 'flavour'.

The sale of my old kit will more than cover my NVA purchases.

You are dealing directly with the designer and maker. That's a rare thing. Don't expect a corporate customer service department. Expect to deal with a friend and extend the same in return.

 

[savvypaul]

OK so I am not the guy who would write a long and colorful reviews rather the opposite. Also as my Wife pointed out I am a bit lazy.

I will keep it short or as short as possible but without loosing the core which is my opinion on piece of gear.

About me:
I am headphone guy so all (almost) all listening is through those funny tiny (or not) thingies you attache directly to your ears…
My weapon of choice are planars.

A bit about technology:
Planar Magnetic Headphones are often called Orthodynamic, a technical term advanced / popularised by Yamaha in 1976 to describe their line of headphones at the time using a driver type known generically as isodynamic, planar-magnetic, or magnetostatic incorporating characteristics of both dynamic and electrostatic driver design.

Planar magnetic headphones are not difficult to drive bacause they are almost purely resistive
so the amp doesn't see any of the reactive load that it would see in normal dynamic headphone - however because they are so inefficient they need an amp that can swing a lot of voltage to drive it - so that's why it is recommended to use full size amp to drive them.
And till recent anouncement of Hifiman (6k usd) Susvara, HE-6 were them most inefficient of them all.

for those of you interested Tyll have done good YT video about Planar driver

My main headphones are Hifiman HE-6 - heavily modded

And that's what made me look at NVA in a first place - a speaker amp for my headphones

I was happy with AP20 but when opportunity presented itself I jumped on and got myself AP70 SA,
Not long after that Doc announced that his BBPSU prototype is up for sale for fraction of the price of production piece
and it could be used as a PSU for a Phono stage or AP10H to make it best NVA headphone amp ever to be manufactured!
It was no brainier for me, I only asked for SA to be fitted as I found benefits of SA in my AP70 to be way above upgrade price.
Not only (but mainly) from sound quality point of view, but also practically as SA takes away all channel imbalance - something that regular volume pot sometimes suffers from - mainly at very low to low volume settings and headphones are more likely to make it pronounce more that speakers.

My opinion/review of AP10H SA + BBPSU

If step from AP20 to AP70 SA was gentle but noticeable then step up from AP70 SA to AP10h SA + BBPSU is even gentler but even more noticeable, but in reverse or mostly retrospectively (more about it later).

What I mean by that is that for me there is no dramatic jumps in quality between AP20 and AP70 as even AP20 was above most if not all headphone amps I have heard.
It is just with more power there is more music and in case of HE6 optimum power to drive them really really good.
With AP70 I was really happy, it took all goodness of AP20 and upped it a bit, it was actually so good that I wasn't really sure if it is possible to squeeze any more from my headphones. Even thought we are talking about 2 x 160VA(AP70) to 4 x 1000VA (BBPSU) power difference.
Well I was right in a way, there was no more to squeeze, power of AP70 was more than enough to let HE-6 shine to it maximum potential but what AP10H + BBPSU do - it is to let it breath. The best way I can describe it is: all restrains were taken away
HE-6 are now tapped to unlimited power resources and there is nothing stopping the music to be as natural and enjoyable as possible.

Now lets go back to why it is noticeable in revers - First time when I plugged "the Beast" as I now call it - I didn't really hear any difference - it was just as good as I thought I remembered from AP70 - so a bit disappointed I went back to AP70 and then I had an eureka moment, only then I realised how BBPSU is affecting the music and what Doc was trying to explain to me, I don't have an simple explanation except maybe that my mind found music from AP10H+BBPSU to be at it natural state - or as it should be - and didn't really register "how good it was" it was just 100% right, nothing to detect no problems to be found - it was good and that was end of it.

Downgrading to AP70 showed those little nuances, those little things it was lacking, those tiny tiny imperfections I would never noticed if not directly comparing with "the Beast" and imperfections is not even a right word here as it implicates that AP70 is doing something wrong and it is not! but I cannot find different one (as English is not my native language) so it will have to do the job.

Would I be happy with AP70SA - hell YES - for any other headphones except HE-6 I would be happy with AP20 but
Would I ever give back AP10H+BBPSU - No Fu*king chance!!!!

 

[savvypaul]

Re: Phono Stage Bake-Off - Durham - Arkless, NVA, Graham Slee +???

Andy-831 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:34 pm

Well here we go with my thoughts of the day

We kicked off with Paul playing us some digital files from his Vortexbox.

The Phono stage bake off started with the Phono 2 with extra Psu. I found this stage to be accurate and dynamic with a well projected soundstage, side to side, back to front and top to bottom. Plenty of air around instruments, easy to identify where on the stage individuals were playing. The stage had attack when needed piano was edgy and in your face, kick drums and bass were accurate and controlled, voices were superb particularly with female vocalists. The whole projection was wide, deep, accurate easy to follow with good clarity and resolution, this is an excellent piece of equipment.

Second stage was a modified Cambridge (Arkless). I found it flat, thin and generally unacceptable . I have had two original Cambridge stages which my audio memory tells me were better than this modified version however its been a good few years since I heard one and time does dim the memory somewhat.

The MF was third up and again was generally found wanting. The last two stages did not recieve any extended play they were simply outclassed by the other equipment on offer.

Next up was the Graham Slee. I quite liked this little box of tricks and could live with this phono stage. It excelled at bass projection gave a decent soundstage, resolution was not quite as nice as the Phono 2 and whilst it was a good package when its pricepoint is considered it did not quite stack up.

We then moved onto the Phono 1 It was very clear this was the "little brother" of the Phono 2. It basically was voiced to sound very similar to the 2 but with slightly less of everything, nevertheless an excellent phono stage that had I not heard the 2 I could very easily live with.

So on balance in Pauls system today I would overwhelmingly choose the Phono 2 as my personal favourite followed by the Phono 1 and close behind that the Graham Slee Which was probably sonically between the 2 & 1 but gets relegated to 3rd due to its price. The MF and modified Cambridge were someway behind the others in my opinion.

Well thats my take on a very pleasant and enjoyable day out

Andy

 

[savvypaul]

Re: Phono Stage Bake-Off - Durham - Arkless, NVA, Graham Slee +???

Toontrev » Sun Nov 19, 2017 8:46 pm

I must begin with thanks to Paul, he is a great host and you are made to feel very welcome, was also good to meet another HFS member, Andy, another nice guy. Made for a very enjoyable day, top blokes and good company.

I went along thinking that there wasn't going to be much of a difference in the phono stages, would I be able to hear the changes however subtle etc ?, at the back of my mind I was slightly worried about it, bonkers I know. How wrong could I be, to be honest the contrast with the NVA kit and the rest was so apparent its hard to believe .

Paul has a cracking system, everything played at the beginning sounded so clear, crisp and dynamic, I was really enjoying what we were playing until we started to change the stages.

First up was an Arkless modded Cambridge, I owned one of these in stock form a few years ago and thought it was excellent value for money. When Paul swapped it over I was astonished how much the sound quality suffered. Frequency extremes shrank, sound became muffled lacking in dynamics, the soundstage was thin and narrow. Dont get me wrong it didn't sound terrible but it was so obvious it was markedly inferior. You don't need to own golden ears to hear any of this btw it is so apparent. Moving over to the MF improved little, pepped the sound up a bit but I was glad when Paul turned them off.

What came next was remarkable, the Phono 1 is the perhaps the cheapest of the bunch but I wasn't prepared for the dramatic improvement. Just about everything that was right at the start of the session came back in spades. In case you're wondering I don't own any NVA equipment however when funds allow this has to change, it was that good. Clarity, dynamics, tunefulness of the bass lines, emotional involvement in the music and the rest, Joni was brought back to life again. Tremendous.

We had a break and started up again with the Graham Slee, there was a lot to like about it. Gave the sound a nice punchy drive and a fuller bass. I enjoyed listening to it, this would have made top spot if it wasnt for the NVA stages but in my opinion it didn't beat the Phono 1 which is a third of the cost. I hear more of the music through the NVA stages, I guess extended listening time perhaps may reveal more of the subtleties in presentation but I really enjoyed what this equipment brings to the music. This is the second bake off I've attended and they are really enjoyable. Thanks once again to Paul.

 

[savvypaul]

Received by email

Hannes Hofmann

Here you are a short review after two weeks of listening to the phono2 with the second psu: I didn't expect a noticable difference to the phono2 with only one psu, because I was already delighted with it as it was. Adding the second psu makes voices a bit more clear and defined, seperates the instruments clearer and also the basses are a bit more pronounced. And that all in a pleasant, not overwhelming, way. Over all the feeling of being surrounded by the music increased. It doesn't matter what kind of music you listen to, the phono2 presents it in a natural and lively way and makes you smile every day from new because it sounds so good!

Best Regards,

Hannes Hofmann

 

[savvypaul]

Email from Chris Hemingway

Hi Richard,

Review as promised (I haven’t posted to forum but will if you want me to) feel free to correct any grammar foibles.


P20 / A20 Starter pre/ power amplifier loan.

So where does one begin with a review? The beginning? Well my taste buds for trying NVA were whetted at a recent ‘bake off’ at ‘savvypauls' (who is a genuinely nice guy) up in deepest darkest Durham. I’m ‘up North’, he’s ‘up North North’ We had a ‘Speaker listen off’ with Pauls system both vinyl & digital as the base source(s). Part of said system was NVA amplification, what can I say through the day I was wowed at how dynamic and open the system sounded with timing and rhythm to die for.

Onwards a month or so and I see our Doc is offering a ‘Load Unit’ (again) …. Many buttons pressed and postage money sent and behold I have a box of goodies on its way to me.

Fast forward again and I’m opening the box which is very well packed and has the pre and power boxes (lush shiny black) along with lengths of speaker cable and interconnect. What more could a man want. Everything turned off and old kit, amp unplugged and I slotted the P20/A20 into position and wired up to my existing kit.

So, early listening sessions were encouraging but also tinged with those early ‘warmin up’ trade-offs, timings were off and the overall sound was lacking in authority (I am talking the first hour or so of listening here) Piano notes appear a little too light when once I remember them being played with greater authority. Bass was ok, but this time not so much light as lacking in texture….. drum skins were giving me nothing back just a thwack of sound.

Later that evening I’m glad to hear things were coming together much better, I have to say it took less time than I imagined for the amps to start to shine through. Back to some tracks I knew well and wow this little fella is really punching above its weight (it is only 25 watts I keep telling myself) cymbals are appearing in a different place to normal, far off the usual narrow soundstage of my old amp. More than that actually, when I swap over to Vinyl as source and play a few more albums I’m astonished that I can hear more soundstage. Not left to right, that’s about as good as my Roksan, this is depth of soundstage had been previously something I rarely heard and now the drum kit is well behind the singer and the guitar is slightly to the left and somewhere in between!! This in particular was the biggest ‘find’ for me, yes I was swooned with a good amount of dynamics and the openness and clarity was what I remember from Paul's system (Don’t get me wrong not in any way as great but a sibling sound signature none the less) Three or four days in and the smile is still there, texture is well and truly perceivable in the lower end and piano note decay is a joy to listen to.

Another surprise that keeps me scratching my head is how much headroom this little two box wonder has? I honestly cannot believe how well it drives my Russell K Red 100 speakers with ‘only 25 watts’ (medium to large stand mount 2-way speaker) I know what working up the NVA ladder towards that I heard in said bake off will bring ……. More of everything basically, it could be an interesting journey.

Cheers
Chris (hemmo)

 

[savvypaul]

TIS Mk2

Having not seen pictures I was immediately struck by the thickness and weight of the cable. It looks a lot different to the SSP Mk 2 which it replaced between my pre amp and mono blocks.

From the off it was apparent that the sound was better. The main difference was the sound stage in terms of width and to a greater extent depth. There is more space between everything, something I have experienced with every NVA purchase. Drums are further back, allowing more room for other instruments and vocals to “breathe”.

Most of the music I listen to is dominated by the electric guitar. With the TIS Mk2 instrumentation lower in the mix is more prominent, increasing enjoyment. This was very much apparent with Mick Ronson’s guitar solo at the end of Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream”, the piano being a lot more to the fore front. Another example is early Whitesnake albums where Jon Lord’s keyboards are often low in the mix behind the guitars.

I have also detected a slight improvement in dynamics with cymbal crashes having a bit more “bite”. Bass also seems to be slightly better defined.
The SSP Mk2 is now connecting the Phono 1 to the P50 SA. The improvements to vinyl reproduction are similar to those described above, but in addition there is noticeably more detail, especially with higher frequencies. My review of the Phono 1 on page 14 did not do it justice because the interconnector I was using was holding it back. This might seem strange, but to my ears the sound from vinyl is now more digital. I think there is a two way effect with digital sounding warmer and less clinical with the TIS Mk 2.

In the context of my system I am very pleased with the TIS Mk2 and it is a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[savvypaul]

P20/A20 - some thoughts 6 months on

alfafan123 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 2:27 pm

I see that the P20/A20 Loan Scheme is back up and running again so thought that some potential purchasers might like to hear my thoughts (warts and all) after six months or so of ownership and after the initial euphoria has worn off.I hope this might encourage potential buyers of the P20/A20 package to take advantage of the loan scheme and try it for themselves.

I expect that like many people who count hifi and music as their hobby I have owned many different products and makes of gear over the years. However some make me feel like why on earth did I buy that? or Hmmm not bad but doesn't really engage to Wow! or this is a grower and/or a keeper.

After a small initial problem with a bridge rectifier which RD sorted (thanks Doc) I have now owned my P20/A20 for a little over 6 months and in frequent use it has worked flawlessly. However reliability although laudible it is not what makes me keep gear and neither is value for money. It has to communicate emotionally to me and make me want to listen to music.

I use my P20/A20 in my small study hooked up to my iMac as source and via the suppled LS2 cables into JBL Control 1 speakers (89Dbw) in a near field desktop configuration. My initial reaction was Wow! it is so easy to hear everything without any grain or harshness with bass notes that stop and start and that is still true after 6 months but I would add now that music just sounds right. It is like the musicians/vocalists are well rehearsed and playing together. Not the most dramatic of comments I grant you but it is rare that I now think oh that is a terrible recording so it reproduces musical timing exceptionally well. I find that I can relax while listening and simply enjoy the music which sounds open, dimensional and dynamic. Cymbals and percussion sound clear as a bell but are not bright or fatiguing and do not get drowned out in complex or busy mixes. Similarly vocals have an organic coherence that makes intelligibility of lyrics easy.

Another comment is I find the design and appearance of both items classy, understated and yet also attractive and something I have not tired of. IMHO it makes some of the gear on the market just look ridiculously over-styled/over-engineered.

A few further thought re living with it everyday..the A20 is very very quiet both acoustically (inaudible at >2ft) and electrically (important for near field listening) and despite its modest power happily drives my Rega RX3s (also 89Dbw) in my main system in a much larger room. It is also gentle on switch on emitting only a very soft "plop" and virtually silent to switch off...so no nasty loud pops or clicks. I have found it good practise to keep my mobile phone away from the units to avoid occasional interference.

So the P20/A20 is a keeper that has grown on me and continues to do so. Just use it with efficient speakers and you will have dynamics in spades that you never have dreamed of from a 25wpc amp and it has never sounded weedy with my speakers.

IMHO the P20/A20 package is exceptional in todays market not only for value for money which is pretty obvious but more importantly for its musical performance which is extraordinary and is something that puts a smile on my face as its many engaging qualities continue to become apparent to me.

 

[savvypaul]

I bought one of the Doc's TIS mk2 (the interconnect statement) cables he had on offer a little while agnly just got around to installing it

. As i have multiple power amps which have interconnects hardwired at one end i thought it would be easier to try the cable between my Naim CD3.5 and Avondale DIY preamp. After changing the stupid din sockets on the Naim cdp and hooking up the TIS we were good to go.....

The following is copy and pasted from my thread on the TIS............................

TIS cable is in and I am currently listening to Stevie wonder Innervisions

That bus is in the room again doc

Very interesting but I have not listened any way near enough yet to make any comments apart from I can hear more of the music

. I have replaced a cable and sockets in one go so I don't know what did what between them.

More listening to do..............

I am currently playing Weather Report Domino Theory. Yes I know , AGAIN. I have a about 15 cd's I listen to when playing about with my system and this is one of them.

I have just had one of the longest tingling, hairs stuck up on the back of my neck moments. Very emotional - I almost wept with joy the music moved me so much. It was the last track on the album - Domino Theory. All of you who don't like Jazz (or Jazz fusion as this is known) are probably shaking your heads thinking how can I be moved by a "random collection of noises". Well I can and it has just happened. Being a drummer helps I suppose and jazz is the pinnacle of drumming.

In the track Domino Theory I am suddenly very more aware of Wayne Shorter's saxophone. In places his parts are exactly the same as Joe Zawinul's (RIP)keyboard parts - so very together that sometimes I could not make out the full tone and sound of each. I most definitely can now. It brought tears to my eyes listening to how well those two interacted and played together, and the increased information around each instrument brought some magic moments where the full intention and brilliant technique of the musicians were brought over.

More later when I have listened more. It's karate training tonight though which will put a spanner in the works........................

I am currently sat captivated in my listening chair, unable to move with mouth open a lot of the time. Reminds me of being stoned, it is that good

. I never thought that cables could make such a difference, but they can

I have obviously never heard a really good cable up to now. Eyes wide open.

There is much more information present with this TIS between CDP and preamp. Call it information, detail or whatever you want but it is not the kind of upgrade that would happen if improving a regulator or power supply and it is never in your face or unpeasant. It is a different kind of detail where the instruments sound more like the real thing rather than a faxcimile of it. The whole of the instrument is there - resonating, harmonic detail which is so beautiful I want to weep again

I am finding most improvement in the mid and high frequencies. The shimmer of cymbals, sound effects put on instruments etc etc. I can hear further into the recording, even the room where it was recorded. Soundstage and imaging have been improved. Even though my semi Omni speakers are not well known for their imaging the improvement is clear to the ears

Once again the atmosphere of the recording and the beautiful, technical playing of the musicians is what shines through with this cable.

More listening to do........

Another observation.

I am hearing the best vocals I have ever had. So clear and natural. Also less sibilance which is nice. I can hear the individual parts in multi layered vocals better. Listening to Sheryl Crow (the track "Home")at the moment and I have never wanted to screw her more than now

Earlier I was listening to Portishead Dummy and I never thought that Beth Gibbons was that good a vocalist. Now I can clearly hear that she is better than I had given her credit for

................................

Back on topic......

These TIS really are someting special. The music has never been so good.

Lets see how many i need...

1) CDP to pre check
2)Phono1 to pre
3)Preamp to poweramp1
4)Preamp to poweramp2
5)Preamp to poweramp3 (when i get round to adding another for triamping)

Looks like i need another four - better get saving up.

Plus, i was thinking of adding yet another amp so each bass driver gets its own amp instead of paralleling the two isobaric bass drivers. This will get expensive.


To conclude, this TIS cable is exceedingly good and probably even better than that. I was not prepared for the jump in the musical ability of my system when adding this cable. I use a super sound cord in my other other system and knew that was good but this cable is so much in a different league it could almost be from another planet. Music has never been so good for me. In the words of Abba:

"So I say
Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me"