My NVA Amp Returns

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SteveTheShadow
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My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by SteveTheShadow »

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

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

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

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

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

I'm now retired and am sort of putting together a "final" system to take me into my dotage and I am seriously questioning the need to spend vast sums, when for far less money and messing about I could move up the NVA range of electronics and just concentrate on playing with my speaker systems.
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southall-1998
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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by southall-1998 »

Nice write-up.

S.
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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by Lotus Seven S »

This actually complements my own experience with the NVA A20/P20 and my Leben tube amplifier, where going back to the NVA was wonderful - so much so that I ordered a A60.

But then going back to the Leben was also wonderful - just in another way. So I don't think it is a question of Either/Or but much more a question of enjoying Both and enjoying the small differences they offer.

I think our hobby requires "newness" once in a while just to keep the creative juices running.....
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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

By some a40s or a60s and give up building amps.

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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by karatestu »

Daniel Quinn wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:18 am By some a40s or a60s and give up building amps.
Hearing even my lowly AP20 makes me wonder why I bother with DIY amplifiers. But then I would miss the tinkering.

Sometimes I dream of down sizing to TT (PL71 ?), Phono 2, AP20, TIS, TSCS and little Cuboid 3's ........and throwing the rest in the bin.
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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by Vinyl-ant »

Why do you think I stopped with amps when i got the f5?
I cant build a better amp. Thats why I build turntables, i can build better decks
Analogue: oracle delphi sme 309, jbe series 3 cx unipivot dv20x2l, roksan xerxes tabriz vm750, jvc ql-y5f rigb at440, jvc ql-y3f vm750, lenco 75, technics sl150

Phono stages: cole lcr, benedict audio hothead

Digital: cyrus cd7, wiim mini x2, topping e30, jds labs el dac 2+

Amplification: nelson pass b1, nelson pass f5

Speakers: 15" fane aperiodic wardrobes

Cans: myryad z40, hifiman sundara + deva, fostex t50rp, sennheiser momentum on ear +over ear, b&w p5 and p7

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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by Stemcor1990 »

[/quote]

Hearing even my lowly AP20 makes me wonder why I bother with DIY amplifiers. But then I would miss the tinkering.

Sometimes I dream of down sizing to TT (PL71 ?), Phono 2, AP20, TIS, TSCS and little Cuboid 3's ........and throwing the rest in the bin.
[/quote]

Your downsizing idea is pretty close to the system I have now. I recently sold my Teddy Pardo monos and am currently using an A20. First impressions are that it’s not as good as the TP but at 10% of the price it certainly gives more than 10% of the performance. I’ll try to remember to write a review in the near future. I bought the PL71 and Denon 103 from the Doc so I know there’s plenty of life left in the tt. Rest of the system is phono 2 with 2 psus, P90SA (still running in) and a pair if Cube 3s.

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SteveTheShadow
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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by SteveTheShadow »

Daniel Quinn wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:18 am By some a40s or a60s and give up building amps.
You know DQ,
That's probably the most sensible thing to do. :lol:

I'll then be able to focus on further developing my semi-omni speaker designs.

Far better to do the one thing well and all that.
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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by Classicrock »

The only valve amps that impressed me were very very expensive. Some upmarket Conrad Johnson and a pair of Ming Da massive transmitter valve jobs come to mind. At sensible price levels for SQ a well designed solid state is better. Just that so many don't sound great. So I would say get some better NVA amps if the NVA 20 is so good and forget about valves unless you have £20K to spare.
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Re: My NVA Amp Returns

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

Lotus Seven S wrote: Wed Jan 31, 2018 7:08 am This actually complements my own experience with the NVA A20/P20 and my Leben tube amplifier, where going back to the NVA was wonderful - so much so that I ordered a A60.

But then going back to the Leben was also wonderful - just in another way. So I don't think it is a question of Either/Or but much more a question of enjoying Both and enjoying the small differences they offer.

I think our hobby requires "newness" once in a while just to keep the creative juices running.....
I don't know which Leben you have, but please be aware how audibly this amp brand *may* alter the signal going through it, as the majority of transformer coupled amps do (the Doc has additional criticisms regarding the amount of 'iron' and windings in the signal path regarding output transformers) - you may like it a lot as I do with some valve amps, but honest reproduction of the source into typical speakers? The NVA amps have a very low output impedance by all accounts and the speakers won't be so heavily influenced by the amp even before you listen to music through it...

https://www.stereophile.com/content/leb ... asurements
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way...The time has gone, The song is over, Thought I'd something more to say...

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