NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

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

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

[southall-1998]

The NVA AP10H (headphone amp) is just simply wonderful.

You get shed loads of detail and pure clear explicit musicality. It's all shocking, and a killer bargain at the same time. To have this sound quality for well under £300 is completely insane!

At VERY high volumes levels. The sound stays intact, composed and doesn't get nasty on the ear. I wish, that a lot of 'other' amplifiers can do what the AP10H does.

S.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Re: NVA bake-off

postby Neilwootton » Sat Oct 15, 2016 11:27 am

What magic is afoot here ! Listening to the loan phono 2 today through the Living Voice after leaving it cooking for a few days, audiofool bullshit aside this thing is staggeringly good, and I don't just mean, hmmmm it's different etc. I mean WTF good. Quiet, punchy and revealing it just sings. This coming bake off is going to be a total whitewash.
I've read and understand the reasons why but still don't get why NVA isn't dominant in the market place, it's just so much better than anything else, Christ knows how much money you would have to spend to better it and I've had some stupidly priced gear

[savvypaul]

Balanced Mains Unit (BMU)

I've had the unit just about a week now. Here's the effect I hear in my system...

...the first, most obvious thing is that my system sounds much more substantial. This is made up of more depth and weight combined with what I can only describe as 'natural ease'. At the same time, notes stop and start with greater purpose. I then notice greater separation, transparency and texture. I am able to much better hear the layers of the mix and the full decay of individual notes. There is no artificial brightness or forwardness. The cumulative effect is that recordings across the spectrum, from those that I always felt to be very good to those that I avoided playing, are all more enjoyable.

Of course, 'I only know what I know' so worth letting you know that the BMU replaces a RA SuperPurifier, Powerbar and Reference Powerkord and my description of the 'BMU effect' is therefore, unavoidably, a comparison to that set up.

The BMU set up looks a worthwhile amount neater than the somewhat untidy 'bits & pieces' it replaces. It could be even neater if the sockets were at the back, but they are very accessible on the top and that is a worthwhile thing in itself. Build quality appears very good. There is a tiny amount of glue overspill but it is not visible unless I stand directly over the top of the unit.

In summary, I was about to write that I couldn't put my finger on anywhere near as effective a way to upgrade an existing system for £500, but then I realised that the 2nd hand value of the RA items will not be far short of covering the whole £500.

I have the BMU placed around 6 feet away from my amplifier and about 2-3 feet away from my other components. The BMU is completely silent in operation. The 4 sockets are sufficient for my 2 source system, so I haven't needed to daisy-chain a distribution block - I just need to swap one plug to switch between digital and vinyl.

Rest of my system: WTL Versalex, Transfiguration Cart, Graham Slee Revelation C, Vortexbox Player, IFI Micro IDSD, Sugden A21aS2, Harbeth P3ESR, Townshend Supertweeters, Townshend cables

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

As balance.

Re: AVI vs...? bake off anyone?
darius-lpv » Sun Oct 23, 2016 10:08 am

ok.. I have properly working cube 2 now so let’s begin listening with a notepad and pen in hand:

I’ve tried them in two different rooms;
1st 6m x 3m living room,
2nd 3m x 3,5m bedroom.
In both scenarios and moving the speakers a lot in order to get bass right it’s just a mission impossible - there’s excess of bass no matter what + is uncontrolled, slow and spoils the midrange..it feels like the bass wants to do all but excel at nothing: there’s rumble and it affects midrange badly so there’s this nasty nasal layer over vocals ( something you notice immediately if you’ve ever spend some time with better quality monitors)… the midrange is recessed, stereo image average.. sound changes as I walk the room..

the look/ set up:

This is not ‘child friendly’ system; due to material used corners of cubes and amp are very sharp (something I notice straight away while unpacking components); cables are very stiff so can’t hide them easily or push hifi unit right against the wall because of the inflexible cables hanging at the back;
no remote control is a massive minus for me.

price:
cubes 2 ( £1000) with ap50 ( £700) and ls6 ( £300) cable ( I believe this is the speaker cable I have)..
Put these next to a pair of £1000 dynaudio lyd 7 or £700 avi dm5 and nva £2000 system seems a very poor value and bag of problems this system possess makes a big no-no for me. I can’t see myself enjoying nva’s...I don’t even try to compare nva to avi dm10 as both systems are on antipodes of decent sound reproduction.

summary:
first and worst: bass
second worst: midrange
third: occasional top end thizz

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Phono 1

Jonty2547 » Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:34 pm

Another NVA treat turned up today in the Phono 1.

Getting a nice selection of beautiful black boxes now

I won’t review what i’m hearing as i’m hopeless at it, but its good. Very very good!
The only stand alone phono stage i’ve used before was a Pro-ject Tube box S and this not only blows it out of the water, it then proceeds to stomp all over it then chuck it in the trash. I also very much favour it to the Croft Integrated.
What I will say that is that with previous phono stages there was quite a difference between listening to CD's and vinyl in terms of reproduction. Not anymore.
As I predominately listen to vinyl it's a no brainer for the price

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

OK I have combined neilwoottons comments so far into one post.

I played the gracious host hiding my cards close and not playing NVA until later, some very nice equipment, no doubt some of it room dependant but none the less my listening room unusually favours all. Some other amplifiers not pictured including an Icon Audio stereo 20pp which probably the cheapest tooby here I liked the most. The worst was a Unison R S6, wooly, boomy and confused. The AI500 was sounding lovely, best of the tubes, but I knew it would be. The Naim was hilarious, shockingly bad, all bloated bass and just slow. It was a vinyl friendly day with no digital front ends used. Music included the usual suspects, Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, Dave Brubeck, Miles D etc. JL Hooker, the healer, Willy Nelson, lots of classical and acoustic sets.
Alot of comparison arguments etc, switching speakers trying to create synergy, critique of individual pieces. Then I hooked up the NVA and it was literally a show stopper, 180g Wish you were here, we all know the intro and everybody just shut up, have to say the phono 2 is a game changer through the Living Voice. Again, I keep saying it, but you could see the confusion. First comment was " that's the finest analogue sound I've ever heard " all talk turned to the diddy A20/P20. How much is this gear, what's available, where to buy etc. I know I am a convert but I must say the difference's were not subtle. Alot of people rethinking their approach.
I really enjoyed the day, funny in many ways, educational and alot of " I told you so ! "

One of the biggest surprises of the bake off was the comparison between an Avid Pulsus phono stage a friend of mine recently acquired, I knew it was coming and having warmed up and listened to the phono 2 for a week was keen to compare them. At £1300 the Avid has won superb reviews and is a well made bit of kit although not as stylish as the NVA in my eyes. A thorough A/B was performed and what struck everyone first was how low the Phono 2's noise floor is, not an easy task with a 0.4mv cartridge, a real blackness from which music emanates, the Avid was alot busier in this respect. Through the Living Voice both phono's presented air and attack in spades with the NVA leading (majority opinion) the way. It was most obvious on Nick Drake's pink moon with his guitar just sounding shockingly "real" through the phono 2. It was agreed by everyone the phono 2 was just the best phono used on the day regardless of cost etc.

Well, quick opinion on the cubes, after a good clean and polish I have set them up using forum advice and it took me about 10 minutes to dial them in. The best way to describe it is they "snapped into place". Different presentation than the norm in the fact they portray a musical performance and fill the room rather than firing at you. Much as a live set would. Using ls1, Graham Slee phono (phono 2 has been packed, carefully away ! ) and A20/P20, bass is tight and tuneful, vocals are superb through them and what struck me most is separation. I speak as I find and if they were crap I'd say, I expected alot of faffing to get them right after previous comments but it was very easy. They are very, very good indeed.

Set up the AP50 with 2 temporary feet, very impressed, I now understand the comments "the further up the NVA ladder you go you simply get more"
More dynamics, headroom, bass and attack. Will let it warm for a few days and report back.

[BillyBones]

Reviews are not my thing I'm afraid, but to anyone lurking out there thinking about dipping their toes into the world of NVA can I just say that listening to an A20/P20 combination is a simply wonderful experience. At £300 including speaker cables and a pair of ICs you just can't beat it for value. I'm using my Beresford Caiman MkII as the only source ( in conjunction with my Squeezebox Touch & CD player ) and the A20 is driving a pair of Epos Elan floorstanders at present. I've just moved from a 120W Creek integrated and initially I was concerned about the big drop in power. I need not have worried, the A20 drives the Epos along with ease, and the extra slam and soundstage is apparent straight out of the box. Basically I'm loving it, and after hearing Jimbob's A40 Mono's a few months back, I think that will be my next port of call, and fairly quickly too. My only minor quibble is that I've moved over to NVA after nearly 30 years of having the use of a remote control. It is quite a shock to the system when you are used to just being able to adjust the volume or muting it without getting up, but I'm learning to live with it. I'm sure it wont be an issue in a weeks time.

That's it, if you're tempted with an A20/P20 go for it, you'll be very, very happy you did.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Same speaker as Darius had, reviewed above.

Cube 2 loan speakers

Neilwootton » Thu Oct 27, 2016 3:50 pm

After 2 days with the Cube 2 and a lot of listening I can safely say the key to them is setup, they like 24inch wooden stands best with slight toe in and slight movements inward until they snap into focus, it is extremely obvious when you get it right. After a severe clean and polish they really are a stylish speaker and have yet to find any injured children at their base ! As per my initial assessment they integrate with the room very well, I always find a good test of a speaker is the ability to follow bass lines in a complex jazz track and the Cube 2 presents this very well. Treble is crystal clear without being grainy or fatiguing. Midrange is very articulate giving a holographic 3d image.

It seems a strange thing to say but when volume is turned up they become loud but not uncomfortable, you know it's loud but not conventionally so, they just fill the room with music top to bottom and back to front.

If you can't be arsed to set them up and rush to judge, and I must stress this, you will not hear them correctly. My experience has always been for midrange and clarity I have used small monitors, Proacs, LS3/5a etc and for fullness, scale and slam a bigger floorstander or standmount, ATC etc.

The Cube 2 provide both, simples.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

NVA LS1 speaker cable

postby Jonty2547 » Fri Nov 04, 2016 11:23 pm

I’ve had these for a short while now, and whilst it would seem obvious that these would trump the basic LS2 speaker cables included in the insanely good value for money P20/A20 combo, they not only trumped them but opened up a whole new window into my music!
I’ll be honest by saying i swapped them (at my risk) for my Van Damme black series four and just for a laugh some QED silver anniversary cables and there is no contest, not even worth the admission fee. Quite possibly the most pointless exercise ever, however..
I did some back to backs with Dire Straights remastered “Telegraph Road” with the different speaker cables and the LS1 just portrayed what was meant to be on the original recording whilst the others presented a more muffled and strangled sound.
It’s fair to say that they have no fancy overpriced plugs fitted, so if that’s what turns you on then maybe look elsewhere.
But, what they do so well is to add nothing and take nothing away from what is being played at the time.
So, for the price of a half decent meal and a few pints, the LS1 is quite frankly a absolute bargain.
I’d love to know what this cable would cost with a “dealer” margin on top