HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

A customer who has owned one of these for a couple of months has contacted me. He started with the basic Cambs unit and thought it was crap, he sent it to Arkless and thinks that is less crap but not good enough for him. He has now ordered a Phono 2 and is waiting delivery.

Anyway to the point. I have been offered the Arkless unit in exchange for a second PSU for the Phono 2 and I am very much in two minds whether to get it. If I comment on it I will be accused of bias, and I have already personally heard how bad the Arkless is. If I take it to bake offs or make it available on loan I am sure I will be accused of messing with it. So how can I assure that it has not been messed with, well the only solution I see is if I go ahead with the deal is for it to be sent to one of you by the seller so as to listen to and report and then pass it around to others and to Bake-offs, so it never comes near me - what do you all think.

Don't bother with it, be the better man, I've heard his budget stage and it's not in the same league.

Take it and send it out to anyone who owns an NVA phono stage and wants to try the Arkless. Tell them that if they prefer the Arkless then they can keep it for free and return the NVA for a refund...

Never heard Jez's modded Cambridge. Only heard the stock version......Shit!

The Phono 2 is a good phono stage. My father used to own one, from 2010-2015.

S.

I'm with Jayman, we heard it up against the Phono1 and it wasn't in the same league. You'd be better sending Arkless a Phono 1 for a trial, see if the result sobers him up.

Send it to me and I will do a review against the Phono 2 and a Musical Fidelity of similar cost. Otherwise use it at the next bake off. Is it a MM/MC version?

MC, I am still thinking about it, more comment please.

It definitely needs comparison Doc, but have it sent to an independent 3rd party because as soon as you'd take personal ownership of it, the warped minds elsewhere will claim its been tinkered with.

Well we should give it a crack in all fairness if we are continuing to take the piss out of Arkless. Perhaps it could be sent round members in a similar fashion to JA's trial version. That's playing fair unlike his recent comments about NVA kit.

I have a Phono 1, but I'm sure anything I reported would be considered biased. Not sure that I would want to subject my ears to the Arkless after what I have reas from reliable sources.