NVA cubes late at night

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karatestu
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NVA cubes late at night

Unread post by karatestu »

What are the Cubes like when playing at very low levels late at night ?

I have a feeling they would retain most of their exciting character but sometimes you just don't know. Having the mid bass driver connected directly to the power amplifier output must have some sort of effect here. It is said that some speakers just don't come alive or seem very interesting at low volume (ATC?) whereas others seem to do ok.

The Fletcher Munson Curve implies that at low volumes, our ears have trouble perceiving low and high frequencies. Our ears tend to fixate on the middle frequencies, in the vicinity of 1k hZ. But when the volume turns up, our ears become more sensitive to lower and higher frequencies, drowning the middle frequencies.

A LOUDNESS button wasn't put on amplifiers for nothing :lol: However many of can't allow such things in the signal path.

I ask this because my diy speakers are very Cube like but I don't have a volume control at present. I can't test them at anything other than the volume the resistors soldered in my potential divider allows :roll: I have mine set roughly at where I would listen through the day and still be able to hear someone talk (all be it at a raised volume but not shouting). I can use a couple of albums that have a low recorded volume but that doesn't get quite low enough.

Yes I know (just pot a pot in) but if any kind Cube users here could describe what they think of them at low levels it would be appreciated.
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Re: NVA cubes late at night

Unread post by savvypaul »

The Cubes are decent at low levels because they maintain a wide and deep soundstage, so you still get the separation required for a convincing presentation. They do become more dynamic with more volume, though, but nothing like the volumes required with the ATCs. Small, insensitive speakers will also have the same problem, ime.

The best speakers I've heard at low levels are Klipsch Cornwall - they remain very alive and dynamic, even at very low levels. I imagine other large woofer / horn based high efficiency speakers will be similar.

The RME DAC includes a loudness feature that adds more at lower volumes and gradually decreases as the volume increases. I don't use it with the Cubes or my Klipsch Heresy, but I can see it being useful for some.
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karatestu (Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:27 pm)
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Re: NVA cubes late at night

Unread post by Fretless »

I play my system often late night / early mornings at quite low volume and the Cube2 (and old Cube3) speakers still sound refined, detailed and full-bodied even then.
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karatestu (Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:27 pm)

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NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
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Re: NVA cubes late at night

Unread post by CN211276 »

My Cube 1s sound fine at low volume, far better than P&S. It has been this way nearly all the time since Covid as I am hardly ever home alone. Only now with my other half visiting her very sick dad in Kenya can I regulary crank it up. In contrast the Cubettes in the bedroom system come to life at higher volumes. Think this has a lot to do with their far from ideal positioning as well as small size. One has its back to a window.
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NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
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Re: NVA cubes late at night

Unread post by karatestu »

Good to hear, thanks chaps.

If one is always listening at low (ish) volumes like me then it could pay off to design your own speakers to have a pronounced bass and high frequency so when combined with our perception at low volume everything evens out 8-) . Not something that could be done with commercially made speakers where you don't know how they are going to be used.

I have two 6.5 inchers which have a combined displacement of 280cm2. That (in theory) puts their displacement half way between a 8 " (220 cm2) and a 10" (340 cm2). That may be a plus point for low level listening. I know they don't go as low because of the 6.5 incher's higher resonant frequency but room gain seems to make up for it very nicely.
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Re: NVA cubes late at night

Unread post by NSNO2021 »

My improved Cubix are fine at lower levels but are distinctly better as the volume is wound up. This is most notable when playing vinyl. I am sure the reason for this is modest output of the First Watt mono blocks.
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