Nva a80 mkii upgrade

[Rettib2001]

Hi,

I’m at a bit of a crossroads.

My Nva a80 mkii monoblocks hum. Nothing new there I guess but following a house move I’m closer to them than I was before and given that I leave the amps on 24/7 I can’t get past the background noise when I’m in the room not listening to music.

I have tried both with and without the BMU in place, same for the DC blocker.

Do the new Toroidy transformers remove the hum entirely?

I even removed the amps and replaced them with a class d amp… for about a day then realised I couldn’t live like that.

How much would an upgrade of my existing amp cost? Given that I live in France I’m a bit fearful of the logistics of it all…

Regards

Mark

[savvypaul]

Hi,

I’m at a bit of a crossroads.

My Nva a80 mkii monoblocks hum. Nothing new there I guess but following a house move I’m closer to them than I was before and given that I leave the amps on 24/7 I can’t get past the background noise when I’m in the room not listening to music.

I have tried both with and without the BMU in place, same for the DC blocker.

Do the new Toroidy transformers remove the hum entirely?

I even removed the amps and replaced them with a class d amp… for about a day then realised I couldn’t live like that.

How much would an upgrade of my existing amp cost? Given that I live in France I’m a bit fearful of the logistics of it all…

Regards

Mark

Hi Mark,

The Toroidy transformers do not hum. With my ear pressed next to the case, I hear nothing. The same has been mentioned in at least one customer review.

https://nvahifi.co.uk/products/upgrade- ... cification

We would do the work at our Polish workshop, so you don't need to worry about Brexit / Customs issues. The upgrade gives you 4 x 150va Toroidy transformers, 8 x Vishay capacitors, upgraded internal wiring, new heavy-duty bespoke packing boxes. Cost is £700.

Order via mail@hfsaudio.co.uk

Hope this helps,

Paul

[Rettib2001]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for answering so prompt.

Looks like I’ll be needing an upgrade soon then.

I have a second question which I hope you could help with.

I need to buy some new speakers (currently using a pair of Epos es11).

For a number of reasons, several wife related, I’m looking at vintage style large floor standers.

Speakers such as Klipsch Heresy IV, KLH mode 5 and Wharfdale Linton anniversary.

Should I be eliminating any of those from my shortlist, or indeed adding any others?

I’m not against tracking down some good older models either. The Epos es11 have been brilliant, and I’m sure the simple ‘crossover’ has a lot to do with that.

Cheers,

Mark

[savvypaul]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for answering so prompt.

Looks like I’ll be needing an upgrade soon then.

I have a second question which I hope you could help with.

I need to buy some new speakers (currently using a pair of Epos es11).

For a number of reasons, several wife related, I’m looking at vintage style large floor standers.

Speakers such as Klipsch Heresy IV, KLH mode 5 and Wharfdale Linton anniversary.

Should I be eliminating any of those from my shortlist, or indeed adding any others?

I’m not against tracking down some good older models either. The Epos es11 have been brilliant, and I’m sure the simple ‘crossover’ has a lot to do with that.

Cheers,

Mark

I and others use Klipsch Heresys (3s), and a chap here uses the Lintons. I'll have a look at the KHLs

[savvypaul]

PS. We have a new Cube speaker coming out in the Spring.

[savvypaul]

The KLH drop to 3.5 ohm impedance. Not ideal, but won't be a problem for upgraded A80s.

[dyardley]

Just wondering if you purchased the KLH speakers for your NVA amp, if so could you update this post with the results.

I'm looking to buy one of the NVA Integrated in the new year, probably Int250 and want to buy some KLH model 3s, they drop to 3.7ohms and have a 2nd order crossover.

[TheMarlin]

I’ve got a set of KHL Model 5’a that I use in my living room with my old Leak Stereo 20. Cracking speakers!

[dyardley]

Great, my room is a little small for the 5's but from what I've read on the 3's, they sound very similar so should be a good buy.

[Daniel Quinn]

Your amps will be 'upgraded' with smaller va transformers .

Hum may disappear , but in my view so will some of the musicality . Power supplies I consider to be of primary importance and transformers are an essential part.

Not everyone agrees with my view , however if you are concerned , I would discuss with nva , options/cost of various sizes of transformer .