The NEW NVA - User Reviews - post your review here

[savvypaul]

A80 TO M600
Have played a lot of albums since the now completely silent mono blocks arrived back. After a few hours they were sounding very good and the improvement is far from subtle. Most noticeable was a greater sense of separation and space in respect of everything I played. This stands out when electric guitars and other lead instruments are accompanied by acoustic guitars providing rhythm, as on Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album. It was also very noticeable with piano on the 70s Queen albums I played. When the power chords enter the mix the increased separation allows the piano to remain distinct more so than before, examples being “We are the champions” and “Spread your wings”. The improvement also applies to the acoustic guitar on the latter. There is a similar improved separation effect with lead and backing vocals exemplified on tracks such as “Long away” where Freddie Mercury’s prominent backing vocal to Brian May’s lead vocal contributes so much to the mood, emotion and dynamics of the song. Over more time it became apparent that there was an improvement in dynamics. I found myself reducing the volume by one or two notches with no decrease in the sound level on peaks. The A80s look the same but the components inside are obviously superior and the music has never sounded so good. On the basis of what I am hearing I highly recommend the Mk 3 upgrade.

 

[savvypaul]

A70S (1980s vintage)
This is a very late review that I should have done months ago . My only plus is that I have told both Mark and Paul how happy I am . I have quite a few NVA amps and as my main system use Quad ESL 57 speakers using a good NVA to power them just makes sense .

I had an S300 which was superb. The transparent and natural qualities of the NVA are the same as the Quads strong points so what you get is just music no fuss no drama unless it is in the music . I was able to borrow a pair of M600 monos and they were better than the S300 but in truth not enough to convince me to pay the additional .

Then just by chance I bought a pair of A70 aluminium cased monos and after talking to Paul he agreed to at least look at them and at the very least get them working . So they were sent direct to Mark then opened up to see what could be done . I hate equipment being wasted and skipped so this appealed to me . NVA were outstanding not only working on pre their era items but also offering a full set of options including making the whole interior a full M600 with dual power supplies and capacitors . I decided I would go for it and then was patient and waited till they had the time to complete the work .

The day arrived and I travelled to the new showroom and construction site . Mark had them on and working but in to Cube speakers which sadly for me are not to my taste so aside from getting confirmation they sounded fine was not able to be too critical . Got them home plumbed in my system and from switch on I was so happy . The sound was just what I had hoped and to my view even better than the M600s I borrowed . The real bonus was I knew these amps were not fully run in so a couple of days with Tara Labs Cascade burn in file playing and then just wonderful music . The S300 is superb but these refurbished units just give more of everything; bass, separation, sound stage, everyone everything . The highest compliment I can pay these amps is that they just get out of the way and play music and it is the music you notice and not the equipment . These are my last ever amps while I use the Quads and I doubt they will ever leave . M600 amps are the best and you will not need anything more .

My thanks to Mark and Paul for their patience and hard work they not only make great amps but they offer exemplary service . The fact they are both lovely men as well is just icing on the cake.

 

[savvypaul]

P2
Ordered via their website simply enough, emailed NVA to ask if needed configuration for my cart, no it didn’t. excellent. Both boxes come in good sturdy boxes, and the internal packaging is very good. You get the nice pair of cotton gloves as well, those who have shiny things typically like to keep them that way. Simple enough to set up, keep the Stage away from arm and your WIFI, Bluetooth devices etc. So, on goes an electronic piece of vinyl from Future Beats Alliance (this has many stringed harmonies, deep bass and some tunes have that nice punchy crisp electro rhythm to them. Set at point 1 on my P50sa pre-amp, it was an immediate improvement over the GSP Reflex M with PSU1 I’ve been using for the last 12 months, not that the Slee isn’t and excellent MM stage, it is….something has been added with the NVA Phono 2 – more music, that’s what has been added. I don’t really want to use Marketing blah blah blah, nor would I class myself as even an Audiophile, but I do love music and most of all that “can’t put my finger on it” moment…. the bass is tighter, wider, fuller…. I can pick out Bert Jansch individual twangs of his cat gut strings. Previous reviews have reported a hum, I do not experience any of this, however I’ve positioned as per the guidance that comes with the units. I’m looking forward to playing a lot more of my collection, I am very satisfied not only with the units, but each experience with NVA in the terms of straight forward no fuss customer service.

 

[savvypaul]

P2
Now what can I say about the quality of sound, well, if I close my eyes it feels like I’m in the same room as Jeremy Tuplin and band (oh, how I’m missing live gigs). My Vinyl was sounding very good with my fairly new Pro-ject Classic turntable going through my fairly old NVA AP30. Then a horrible sound started coming out of the speakers, every time I turned the amp to phono. So the amp was sent to NVA, in the hope it could be repaired. To cut a longer story, the phono part of the amp was too old to be repaired, so now I have 2 extra boxes attached my AP30 - phono2 plus PSU, and the difference in the sound quality is absolutely stunning.

 

[savvypaul]

AP10H
Upgrade from Rega EAR. I am really thrilled with the NVA Headphone Amplifier which just oozes quality in addition to the weight being reassuring. I connected it to my Marantz CD63 KI Signature CD player and used my Sennheiser HD700 headphones and the sound is superb. I played some of “The Planets” as recorded by Charles Dutoit with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and “Mars” was exhilarating. This recording won the Gramophone Magazine Award in 1987 for “Best Engineered recording”. I have attached the article from the October 1987 edition of Gramophone. It really is an exceptional recording. If only all progressive rock albums of the 70s were recorded to that level of audio magnificence!

 

[savvypaul]

AP10H
I got my AP10P about four months ago and it is very good indeed. I have ATH-A900X headphones and with my previous headphone amp they sounded soft and bit dark. Now with AP10P sound is muc more controlled detailed and refined. My overall listening experience ia now much more enjoying than it was before. Very good sound per pound ratio indeed!

 

[savvypaul]

AP10P
Thanks for the wonderful amplifier - I didn’t know such clarity and detail was possible at the price.

 

[savvypaul]

AP10P
Having recently swapped out the AP10P for an AP10H with external PSU my next plan was to reuse the AP10P in my office rig. This was always going to be interesting as I've never tried NVA amplification with speakers only headphones. The office rig was previously: PI base Squeezebox / Arcam AV9 / NVA MK1 SSC / Rotel 970BX Power Amp / NVA LS5 / NVA Cubettes. I've always really liked the Rotel so swapping in the AP10P was not something I expected to do a lot. Holy cow, I've heard and used the expression like removing a veil, like pulling back a curtain. Well this was like knocking down a wall in those terms. I am truly amazed at the difference.

 

[savvypaul]

BMU
Paul kindly delivered my new NVA BMU unit yesterday, and I spent the latter part of the afternoon re-arranging equipment and socketry to suit the new arrival. This 'review' is based on listening to one vinyl album and three CDs, so it is only a snapshot view, but there is a noticeable uplift in sound quality. Apologies for any hifi w*nk words that follow...The first thing I noticed I'd call 'presence': the soundstage seems to have moved forward and is sharply defined. Bass quality has improved immeasurably, being less 'woolly'. Albums I know well seem to have been 'turbo charged': they feel 'faster', & previously hidden details brought into focus. It feels far more dynamic. I'm normally not one to make early comment, wanting to live with a new piece of equipment for some time before commenting, but this was a real surprise for me. I had assumed that my mains supply was good enough (between 236 and 244V, no extraneous noises), but it certainly benefits from the BMU. It's still early days, but all I want to do is get back home and play some music.

 

[savvypaul]

BMU
The BMU just arrived, I've already unboxed it and set it up and everything is running great! The info from the DAC on the input voltage suggests that we shouldn't have any more problems. Thanks so much for your work in sorting this. The BMU has really transformed things. I've undertaken various tweaks and upgrades of my core system over the past several years, and nothing has had such an obviously improving effect as the installation of the BMU. The most easily discernible effects were that the soundstage is now markedly wider - the sound now seems to be coming from well beyond the boundaries of the speakers - and that the bass has deepened and become more prominent, balancing out what was a disproportionately prominent midrange (which I'd previously assumed was just the character of my speakers). This is very obvious when listening to jazz LPs - the double bass, with it's place and contribution in the ensemble, is now much easier to discern, making performances that I'm already very familiar with sound fresh and exciting. Finally, the sound now seems to occupy more of the space in between me and the speakers, filling out more of the room, rather than just being at the speakers. I wouldn't be surprised if there we more subtle changes that I've not picked up on yet, but these were the most obvious ones. Needless to say, I'm delighted with the purchase and there's no question I am keeping the BMU.

 

[savvypaul]

BMU
Balanced Mains Unit. The idea is logical - normal AC runs in a sine-wave from 0 volts to 240 volts, 50 times a second. The BMU has a transformer that alters the voltage from +120V to -120V. Still having the 240V difference to power equipment but the plus and minus voltage is now 'balanced', in harmony, equal, whatever. It is a mysterious black box. A single mains lead out and four mains sockets on the top, somehow bigger - and more imposing - than expected. The effect is silence. Not just any silence but an empty silent void waiting to be filled. Sounds come, music, instruments, effects. I firstly went through a selection of tracks just to get an idea of what was going on. It's the room that everything gets. And this is most noticeable on acoustic instruments. I put on Michael Hedges 'Aerial Boundaries' and instead of being blown away I was sucked inside. There is a liquid serenity that just holds you gently in the music and you simply don't want to leave. It took me three tracks to realise that the one I had wanted to hear had long finished. Then onto Rachel Podger's magnificent recording of Biber's 'Rosary Sonatas'. Not just am I hearing far more in the sense of nuance and inflection. The whole recording is a natural, living entity that you can literally walk into. Some equipment doesn't like the BMU - specifically a Schiit headphone amp. But for the rest running CD players, DAC's Pi streamers and amplifiers - they all sound so much more refined and in control.

 

[savvypaul]

BMU
Thought I'd send you a photo of the NVA BMU unit purchased from you. It has rejuvenated my old Quad 909 and Artera Play and fitted into my Quad racking system perfectly. A significant improvement in sound quality for a modest outlay. All my old CD's have come out and am hearing things not heard before. Thanks for the fast delivery. I look forward to many years of use.

 

[savvypaul]

BMU
The BMU arrived about 10 days ago and, unusually, Doc gave the opinion that it would need about a week to run in. Uncannily accurate. It seems to have just come on song and I might aspire to greater improvement with time? It is neat and heavy with a long lead. I prefer the black sockets provided to the gold ones shown on the e-bay illustration - but let's face it, who is going to see the sockets? I parked mine behind the rack (no comments please) where it sits and buzzes gently at about 100Hz (I assume). I simply love what it does and I trust it will also solve my "bad mains" afternoons (none so far). You can read the effects in the other reviews in this thread and they are all true. Another recommended product.

 

[savvypaul]

TIS
The TIS interconnects were to replace a pair of SSP MkII’s between DAC and NVA M600 monoblocks. The SSP’s were sounding nice, so when the TIS’ were dropped in for the first time I wasn't sure what to expect. First impressions were interesting - by comparison the SSP’s were more laid back and recessed, but I had grown used to this sound. So initially whilst TIS were more up front with greater detail, a bigger soundstage and more bass, they were a tad overwhelming, and for a while I was swapping back and forth not sure which I preferred. But this has changed with time and the longer I have had TIS in the system the more I have come to appreciate them. The detail, soundstage and increased bass has evolved to include a much more relaxed feel. To my ears they took about 200 to 300 hours of play for them to fully break in. Now when I swap back to SSP MkII the SSP’s still sound great but TIS are definitely more musical and revealing. Since this purchase I now need a further pair of interconnects, so TIS it is..

 

[savvypaul]

TIS
Just picked up my TIS 0.5 interconnect cable and all I can say is, Oh my god the BASS is amazing this is without any run in time. Will post more in a week or so. All I can say is that I am really impressed. Cheers & Merry Crimbo.

 

[savvypaul]

TIS
I posted my initial experiences in October and they stand. In the meantime the cable has continued to improve. The level of detail is amazing and even better, it plays music. There is a down side however. Poor recordings still sound poor - even worse in some cases. There is also music which I am accustomed to hearing as a "wall of sound" e.g. Fleetwood Mac, Clannad. The increased level of detail doesn't suit all of them. That's not the cable's fault but changes the enjoyment quotient. Conversely there is some music that sounds sublime - Elbow, The Doves and Opeth's Damnation. However, there is still a trace of upper mid range hardness. I can live with it for the other benefits I get (even at the price - yes I bought it) and it does seem to be diminishing slowly. That's consistent with my experience with other high quality cables (or maybe it's my ears?). Yes I would recommend this cable to anyone with a reasonable system. It brings out the best the system can do and it doesn't smother the unpleasant bits. You have been warned. Enjoy!

 

[savvypaul]

TIS
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.

 

[savvypaul]

TIS
Listened to a few albums whilst warming the system up to listening temp (ouch audiophile bollocks spoke already but for crucial comparison between my old cable (Mark Grant GH1500HD) and the very smart looking NVA 70cm TIS connector, I chose the rather fantastic Laura Marling - Semper Femina (released October 2017) Vinyl LP. In particular the first three tracks…. Soothing / The Valley / Wild Fire. The TIS doesn't take long to show it's differences between my usual cable, there's a sense of the music being slightly louder (I check the volume) but I'm certain I haven't messed with the volume? (I haven't) But on the second and then third track I can hear that its certain elements of the track(s) that are easier to perceive. Vocals are a little more forward in the presentation, not overpowering or bright just better, I can hear the lyrics with more clarity (ever had that "Ohh that's what she's been Singing" moment) one or two words really pop out as new to me. Musically there's little different in its overall presentation than my usual Mark Grant but I'm finding with more listening that the rhythm track (background) is also easier to pick up and follow. Violins or acoustic guitar….. the pluck of a double bass also comes in with a sharper front edge (Transient?) which I like. Altogether a more focused listen, I do like being able to see 'behind' the singer to instruments being played and the extra information in the vocals is quite welcome.

 

[savvypaul]

TIS
The improvement brought about by the additional length of TIS is considerably more than that by the first length and is not subtle. It mainly concerns the higher frequencies where there has been a transformation. To optimise the sound I have needed to change the filter setting on the Qutest from white (Incisive neutral) to green (Incisive neutral HF roll-off). My understanding, though I am non tech and could be wrong, is that the TIS is able to transfer frequencies beyond the range of human hearing which have an effect on those we can hear. Cymbals now have a presence and clarity which was not there before. With regard to the impact of crashes this is very apparent on tracks such as Queen’s “Tie your mother down”. However the improvement brought about by more subtle cymbal work is even more pleasing. I am fully appreciating the contribution of the high-hat for the first time, very noticeable on favourite tracks such as Neil Young’s “Like a hurricane” and a lot of Def Leppard material. To sum up, TIS all the way from DAC to mono blocks, has vastly improved high frequency performance and increased the amount of what is classed as low level detail coming out of the speakers. Having one length was a worthwhile upgrade, but two is the equivalent of a major component improvement in the context of my digitally fronted system.

 

[savvypaul]

TIS
I have been using NVA interconnect for many years starting with Soundcord and ending up with the TIS, at the moment I am using an AP20 with headphone output and a SONY x555es with Sennheiser 650. Every time you upgrade with NVA you seem to get quite a marked improvement particularly with SSC to SSP however nothing prepared me for the the shock of moving from SSP to TIS. SSP is a really excellent cable but TIS is just in a different class. Sound stage is massive, vocals are so real you could actually be in the same room. I wont go on about more detail or better bass and treble but just let me say that a veil has has been lifted that I was unaware of. Everything is just so natural and musical. I have never been a great one for lyrics but that has changed as they seem to communicate so much better. I think really that is what this cable is all about, communication of the emotion that is in the music along with amazing clarity detail and smoothness. By the way something no other review has mentioned is these things really boogie they have had me up and dancing quite a few times which at 70 is probably a bit unedifying but I cant help it.