Powered Cube to Cubix (P7) to Cubix Pro (P11)

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Terry, you are welcome any time.

[zebbo]

I would be interested to hear them at some point. I'll have to finally get my P90sa over to you to sort out the internal connections and take the opportunity.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Same applies any time with notice.

[terrybooth]

How are the middle set coming on? I'm planning a trip down.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

No progress. This year has been chaos so far with the move, the settling in, the flue, now my eye operation. I am just about keeping up with orders, and at least I have the top set working, and I am afraid they are so good that a little of the incentive to get the next set going has gone, but I must!!! keep nagging me.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Did some work yesterday and doing some more today. I am building the amp modules, so as long as I can find more time this week It *could* be working by next weekend, but I would give it until the following weekend for everything to run in a bit.

[Stemcor1990]

Had my first visit to NVA Towers last night to collect a phono 2 (more on that later). Doc had the first layer of the cubix pros running with his Sony 777 cd player and what looked like a P50 with the mains plugs attached to his BBBMU.

I’m no good at reviewing but here goes…… For me, it’s all about the impression of people singing and playing musical instruments. Higher highs and lower lows are irrelevant to me unless they are part of the musical performance. The pros have a different presentation from the standard “cones in a box” designs. I noticed that the soundstage was larger compared to my system which for me is a plus. Another benefit was in volume. I like to listen at what some people call “realistic levels”. Doc never cranked up the volume but it didn’t matter; I was perfectly happy to listen at what for me is a quiet level although I would love to hear what it can do with the volume at 11.

Where the pros really work for me is the way they make musical instruments sound like musical instruments. The tone of guitars, basses, drums, saxophones, trumpets etc was to my ears perfect. The dynamics were first class. It was so easy to follow the backing musicians when a solo was being played. Factor in a total lack of distortion and it was clear that the boy Doc has done good.

Unfortunately, I only had 40 minutes of listening time ( I did not want to outstay my welcome). My only criticisms was that guitar chords could have been slightly more clearer, in other words they did not sound quite like 4 or 5 or 6 strings being played in very close order. Very few systems are able to “do” chords properly. I suspect that an improved preamp will provide the solution. Similarly, I thought that there could have been a little more “wood” around a double bass. Bass fundaments and harmonics were very impressive (this coming from somebody who is almost tone-deaf but plays the guitar and bass). Bearing in mind that this is the “top layer” of the cubix pro, I would very much like to hear the second (and third) layers as this will most likely address my concerns.

If I recall correctly, the speakers were positioned a few inches out from the wall and toed-in slightly.

The music selection varied from what I would call country/Americana to classical to electro-pop. I was extremely impressed by the music the pros make. It’s not hi-fi (whatever that is) but the interplay of singers and musicians. Interestingly enough, recordings from the 50s and 60s sounded as good as anything from later years. It makes you wonder how much progress has been made in recording over the last half-century. The pros never made one genre of music sound great and another genre disappointing. I don’t think it’s a good all-rounder so much as a superb device for letting an analogue signal do what it was designed to do. Perhaps the amp/speaker combination is close to being a straight wire with gain transformed into sound.

So in conclusion. It’s good, no make that very good, no make that possibly something very special, no make that possibly something very, very special at a giveaway price.

If anybody wants to ask me a question then please feel free to do so and I will do my best to answer.

[terrybooth]

Thanks.

If the set up is what I've seen there, I think it will be a P50SA (but the Doc will correct if I'm wrong). Which makes me wonder if putting a P90SA in circuit would bring the benefits you want. Also, I don't know what interconnects are being used, but that could make a difference.

What you say about the music certainly chimes with me, and has since before getting the Cubix - that is to say, that's the NVA sound, not the Cubix Pro sound in particular. To my mind, the speakers just do what the rest of the stuff does: lets you forget that you are listing to a hi-fi and lets you listen to the music.

I plan to be making my own visit soon.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

It is my old standard P50 with a standard pot. But only one input and missing the selector switch. I use it for test. A job I have for the near future is to build a single input (all I need as I don't have room to run both analogue and digital at once) T.C.S with Shinkoh tantalums. Also at the mo it only has SC connecting pre to speaker, I have to build some T.I.S.

Middle modules of the pros are now built apart from fitting the bass/mid drivers, but still have to dig the power supplies out of the store room and finish them off.

There is a very slight drop in SQ from the BBBMU on going back to (lots-a-socket)BMU, but the lack of the beehive suddenly being agitated is a real blessing.

I am still enthralled at the music these things are making - I need as many people as possible here to confirm I am not going bonkers.

[Sandman]

I am still enthralled at the music these things are making - I need as many people as possible here to confirm I am not going bonkers.

Great I'll book the local village hall room for you - what are the tour dates

More seriously - Would love to listen if nothing else to hear what the top of the NVA upgrade path sounds like but its unlikely that I'll be in the vicinity in reality, so envious of those of you that have heard them. Depending on how long they end up being around and me saving enough pennies to finance another purchase (the planning bit is easy.....) maybe I'll opt to collect for once