NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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Peter, by email:

So.... I finally managed to some serious a/b listening tests (Vinyl last week and CD this morning), and it is quite clear that I am not going to able to send this BMU back! The difference is quite astonishing(!) and any other upgrade would be completely pointless without this in place first.

View the NVA Balanced Mains Unit at the NVA website: https://nvahifi.co.uk/products/nva-bala ... t-bmu-1kva
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Company Name: NVA Hi-Fi
https://nvahifi.co.uk/

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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Richard, by email:

With a little help you have earned the third WOW!

I now have the S150 with the LS6 cables hooked up to a trial set of Dynaudio Special Forty and OMG! I genuinely want to take a month off work and listen to every single vinyl LP, 12” and 7” I own to hear what this system teases out!

I am so glad that I “stumbled” across you on Facebook. I believe I have got an absolute steal for the sound I am getting.

View the NVA S150 stereo power amplifier at the NVA website: https://nvahifi.co.uk/products/nva-s150 ... -amplifier

View the NVA LS6 speaker cable at the NVA website: https://nvahifi.co.uk/products/nva-ls6- ... us-lengths
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karatestu (Wed Feb 09, 2022 5:43 pm)
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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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Hi-Fi News & Record Review, August 1998
AP70_HFN98.jpeg
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Hair-shirt styling and a minimalist
interior yet, in the right system,
the AP70 integrated gives a five-star
performance
The styling of NVA's AP70 integrated amplifier is hair-shirt: featureless black with just two large control knobs on the fascia, one for input selection and the other for volume. The inside is minimalistic too. No phono circuitry, a passive pre-amplifier, as few active devices as possible, with hardly any capacitors in the signal path and certainly no inductors. No protection circuitry, and of course no speaker switching or tone controls.
On the other hand, the audio signal is positively mollycoddled. All signal routes are via silver alloy cable with PTFE sleeving. The input selection switch feeds the signal direct to a cermet volume potentiometer of 100K ohms linear law for high precision and channel balance. This is bypassed by 10K ohm metal film resistors to simulate log law characteristics for smoother volume adjustment. A combination of aluminum, perspex and wood for the case, with glue rather than screws connecting the metalwork together, is claimed to isolate the circuitry from magnetic eddy currents and static charge problems.

CE European directives for electrical standards are not strictly adhered to. Speaker output sockets suit only 4mm plugs, and neither the amplifier inputs nor its general circuitry are isolated from outside sources of interference. Not that this amplifier is aimed at those users who are likely to be blasé about these aspects - in fact you should make sure that accompanying equipment is well matched.

There is no lack of power, however. This is not one of those weedy 25W integrateds, but a strong 60W per channel is available from two 12A Darlington devices per channel, and dual mono construction is completed by two 160VA power transformers. Because of the lack of output inductors, solid core speaker cable is recommended for optimum stability, not bi-wired and ideally less than 5m in length.

SOUND QUALITY
Musical detail is maintained at such a level that, in my view, this amplifier easily attains audiophile levels.

With the NVA on a RATA Torlyte stand, and fed from AVI and TEAC CD players using silver alloy, PTFE coated interconnects, an astonishing musical performance was brought forth once the amplifier had been warmed up for a few days. (NVA recommends it is powered constantly.) Output was anything but thin, instead imbued with a satisfying amount of body that ensured the warmth of orchestral instruments and vocals was achieved with highly natural results. And yet this has been managed without any suggestion of coloration, the sonic delivery crystal-clear.

This is one of those products whose performance is so coherent that it is almost impossible to talk about the characteristics of bass, midband and treble; it is much easier to concentrate on the musical detail which is maintained at such a level that, in my view, this amplifier easily attains audiophile levels.

There is no rounding, or falling away, of detail at the frequency extremes. Cymbals and maracas exhibit excellent transient qualities while sparkling with clarity. Bass guitar and percussion hold firm and fast with every note carefully crafted.

These characteristics are maintained with a wide range of speakers and at all listening levels. While there is a volume level for each disc at which the output sounds its most natural, you can turn the level down without losing the enjoyment of the music.

Musically the amplifier is a revelation on just about every disc you can find. It has the capability of raising the hairs on the back of your neck with discs that might otherwise appear mundane - I even found myself playing Karl Jenkins's Adiemus, Songs of Sanctuary right through from beginning to end!

What you must do to achieve these levels of performance from the NVA is get everything else about your system absolutely right. Cabling is highly important; source distortion components must be free from distortion artifacts and as accurate as possible. The speakers must be nominal 8 ohms and not have nasty crossover impedance effects from notch filters and the like. Not that you have to worry about driving ability otherwise. Get the system right and this amplifier responds with five-star performance.

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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What Hi-Fi, September 1997
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Lucid NVA amp a major league player
*****
NVA AP80
Amplifier

For Excellent full sound with lots of musical detail

Against Nothing

Verdict A deceptively ordinary-looking amp, the NVA rivals more pricey designs with its superb musicianship

This is one excellent amplifier. Solid looking and well-specified - picking it up confirms the weight of multiple power supplies hidden inside its slim brushed-aluminum casework - the AP80 majors on drive and clarity. A good way to describe the sound of the 80W per channel NVA is that it has a valve-like lucidity and speed, yet with the battleship-sized weight and control that you get from better transistor designs. It tools along at normal listening levels with infinite ease.

With Mighty Sam McLain's I'm Tired of These Blues disc it tosses out the sound of the kick drum, creating a pulse within the room, and excels at sorting instrument separation, giving each both space and definition within a soundstage that conveys the ambiance of a recording situation.

Bandwidth is exemplary - the amp providing excellent explosive bass from our Reference disk of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite played by the Minnesota Orchestra. It's dynamically coherent way up into the audio spectrum, with high hats or triangle sounding bright and resonant, and decaying naturally.

As for inputs, the AP80 offers five at line level, plus a tape loop. The speaker outputs require four millimeter plugs - there are no binding posts on the back of the amp - and controls are the bare minimum: you get a source select switch and a volume knob.

For those skilled at soldering, this amp comes in kit. But the pre-built model is worth every penny.

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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AUDIOPHILE WITH HI-FI ANSWERS, August 1991

NVA P50/Phono2

With the unstoppable advance of CD, passive preamps are becoming more and more popular. And NVA, one of the first companies to introduce the idea to the UK, has just brought out its latest model.

Why go passive?
With the increasing use of CD as primary source, the need for traditional pre-amplification recedes. Line-level sources such as CD, tuner and tape normally have sufficient output to drive power amplifiers such as Roksan's Artaxerxes and NVA's own Phono 2 can be used to feed passives. All you need worry about is the number of inputs provided since a passive preamp is simply a potentiometer placed between the source component and the power amplification.
Proponents of passive preamps point to their simplicity; those who argue for traditional active preamplifiers point to potential difficulties interfacing passive preamps with certain kinds of interconnect cables and power amps which may present the wrong electrical charteraracteristics. There is truth in both arguments.

NVA claims to have been one of the first manufacturers to market a passive preamp way back in 1983. Interestingly, the development was not driven by the widespread usage of CD, as the date might imply: according to NVA's owner and designer, Richard Dunn, `It has always been our view that circuitry should be kept as simple as possible. We developed a passive simply because it offers better sonic performance.'
When NVA switched to a passive preamp (with phono stage, of course), the company also changed the input stages of their amps to offer the correct load to the potentiometer.

NVA's P50 and P80 are built into an aluminum box, epoxy glued together - NVA is part of the school that believes magnetic boxes are a bad thing - that most people either love for its solidity, or hate for its Spartan simplicity. And, by gluing rather than screwing, even the tiniest eddy currents are eliminated.

Inside, there's no circuit board, just a potentiometer, a very high quality switch and some expensive silver wire.

The other main design aim was to provide good earth paths. Ground plane earthing is used, which the manufacturer believes is superior to the more fashionable star-earthing used in many better known amplifiers.

To help me evaluate the passive preamp and Phono 2 disc stage amplifier, NVA supplied a complete amplifier system, including a pair of A80 mono power amplifiers and even their own LS1 loudspeaker cables. The Phono 2 disc stage has its own external dual-rail power supply and is best regarded as an optional extra to the P50. Most passive preamp buyers are wholly CD-oriented: I'm not. I want to be able to play records too.
Over a period of several weeks I used the P50 preamp and Phono 2 head amp both within this system and with a variety of source and amplification components from other manufacturers. The final listening session took place using an Arcam Delta 170 CD transport with Micromega Duo BS converter, and my regular Linn turntable, the NVA amplifiers driving Naim SBL loudspeakers. I think it's fair to report that overall `the amp done good!'

It's obvious listening to the NVA combination that the company's design philosophy is based on information retrieval. That's not to imply that there's any lack of cohesion or musicality in the amplifier's presentation, simply that the P50 scavenged all the minutiae you can imagine. With a good Compact Disc player upstream, one that was able to reveal nuances and low level information, the P50 gave a graphic account of what was present on discs. It was similarly dextrous when handling dynamic variations in the music.

This transparency proved to be a double-edged sword in some circumstances. By stripping away the masking with which many conventional preamplifiers sweeten a CD player's rough edges, several sounded distinctly uncomfortable. Neither did the NVA A80 power amplifiers suffer from undue warmth or euphony, so take heed those who would front these amps with a CD player which is anything less than impeccably behaved.

Record-playing activities proved rewarding using various moving coil cartridges. Audio Technica's OC range, including the AT-OC10, worked particularly well, offering just the right amount of gain. Given such a cartridge the Phono 2 displayed the familial propensity for unearthing tiny details from within a busy mix, at the same time retaining a good overall grip and perspective on the music.

There was no obvious attempt to impress by selectively tossing titbits at the listener; the NVA disclosed such information completely within the context of the performance. Acoustic guitars illustrated this especially well, with plectrum strikes and fretboard squeaks fully integrated into the sound of the instrument and not flamboyantly detached from it.

Some listeners might be impressed by an artificial approach emphasizing detail in an impressive but, to my ears, inaccurate and ultimately annoying way. They would not appreciate the integrity of there NVA amps. Further to the amp's credit, despite this welter of information, it never sounded relentless, even when pushed hard: and the system's gusto and zeal tended to invite realistic playback volumes.

The P50 preamp made an excellent companion for CD and LP, hiding next to nothing and not stamping a sonic footprint onto recordings. The Phono 2, which made it `complete', did justice to a range of good cartridges. But something tells me that the majority of P50s will find their way into the homes of CD fans. I just hope that their players are good 'uns.

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Hi-Fi News & Record Review, August 1996
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MINIMAL
ART
The NVA AP50 integrated amp
is a return to British
solid state minimalism
After it's burned in for a few weeks, the AP50 reveals surprising qualities like smoothness to rival vintage valve confectionery

How refreshing it is to see, amidst a plethora of amps so cluttered as to be rococo, a return to good old-fashioned British minimalism. Not that NVA is completely innocent of the charge of producing what in the world of watches are called 'complications'; the company's flagship models are as ornate, stylised and over engineered as any Japanese single-ended triode amplifier or computer-driven solid-state behemoth from America. But NVA's AP50 integrated amplifier is a dose of sanity as the hi-fi buttons 'n' knobs count increases with the number of surround-sound formats on offer.
This amp is so cleanly styled that it'll confuse those introduced to audio through an A/V receiver of post-1990 construction. Then again, it's not surprising, as Richard Dunn is the industry's self-appointed pomposity filter, author of numerous missives protesting one thing and another. But he does practice what he preaches, and the AP50 is as free of taurean faeces as is possible without eliminating basic operations. Even the on-off toggle has been relegated to the back panel, which houses only the requisite (gold-platted) sockets for the six sources, the tape loop ingress and egress, and speaker sockets which accept only the near-to-extinction banana plug. The front panel bears but two large knobs, one a nicely weighted device for altering level, the other for selecting the source. As the front NVA panel is made from black perspex, NVA has used this to good effect by including a tiny red LED to indicate on/off status in a most tasteful manner. But it won't cause palpitations among those who get their rocks off by switching off the lights to watch their hi-fi systems luminous capabilities. All we're talking about is a tiny red dot.

Er, that's it. The unit is so clean and simple and nicely finished that, were the dealer to cover the NVA logo, you could easily mistake it for a Densen integrated amp or some other device of the Scandinavian persuasion. The amplifier is a tonic for those fed up with clutter, a throwback to 1983 and the days when anyone using a source other than a turntable was deemed an untermensch. Only this is 1996 and Dunn has a wicked sense of humour: phono is optional.

TECHNOLOGY
In the form which arrived for the review, the AP50 bore six identical line inputs, hardwired to the selector switch. NVA - as cable-sensitive a company as I've ever faced - uses silver alloy with a PTFE cover at this stage. The output of the source switch is fed to the volume control and tape sockets, again via silver wire. The potentiometer is an ultra high quality 'cermet' type using precision metal film resistors 'as a bypass to simulate a log law'. The signal is fed to the amplifier PCB again through hard-wired silver cabling.

CABLE MANNERS
There's a list of acceptable wires which accompanies the AP50 naming seven precise makes and models of wire at the top of the tree (two from NVA, all types of DNM), and a roster of 22 others which pass muster. And just in case you think that Dunn is kidding, the sheet also states categorically that, 'If any other cable than the recommended are used it will invalidate our guarantee'. And should you entertain the notion that such a stipulation is illegal, I think you'll find that the warning qualifies as valid instructions for use, and to ignore it would be like expecting a car manufacturer to pay for a new catalytic converter when you've been using leaded petrol.

Although I'm loath to cite a revival in passive pre-amplification, despite this technology rearing its head in all manner of unlikely places, the front-end of the AP50 is completely passive, with Dunn pointing out that there's a wee trade-off in using the cermet pot. Apparently, the cermet tracks are not as smoothly finished as conductive plastic film or carbon tracks, so there's a form of 'surface noise' just audible when you alter the volume. But Dunn argues that cermet provides far better sound quality than alternatives, so the residual noise during level changes is a small price to pay for sonic superiority. And besides, you do your listening when the levels are set and the rotation has stopped. (No, let me guess: There's a rare breed of Tasmanian audiophiles who listens to music with the volume constantly changing...)

Because it's fed by a passive pre-amp, the input stage of the power amplifier section has minimum inductance and capacitance, and a current mirror is employed to guarantee that the volume rails track each other correctly. Overkill has been applied in the power amps driver stage in that both the current and voltage amplifiers use devices hefty enough to act as output transistors; the actual output devices are 12 amp Darlingtons, two per channel and responsible for its 60W/ch rating.

NVA also eschews in this product any form of protection circuitry, which should be kept in mind when you first read the detailed instructions and warnings of locusts and boils should you behave in an unnatural manner. Grounds for turning you into a pillar of salt include short circuits, bi- or tri-wiring, running greater than 10 meters, using 'unapproved cables', high capacitance or Litz wires, or listening to Babylon Zoo CDs. Indeed, so fearful was I of incurring the wrath of Dunn that I didn't stray from using the supplied NVA cable.

Again in the interests of sound rather than 'unconditional stability', the AP50 employs the minimum number of capacitors, no inductors, low negative feedback, and Class AB operation. A 300VA toroidal transformer with a 25 amp bridge rectifier and a unique filtering system for the power supply. Even the case is slightly odd in the interests of sonic excellence; it's non-magnetic, glued together, and insulated to prevent static charge problems, and to stop induced circulating currents. Hell, Dunn has filled a 12-page 'white paper' with NVA philosophy, an audio Mein Kampf which makes fascinating reading if you don't mind being beaten over the head with an audio designer's beliefs. Fortunately for Dunn, he tends to make sense. Which is why the AP50 is such as killer

To everyone's dismay, there are dozens of amps out there for circa £520 which do wonderful things. Expand the sector to embrace £450-£700 and you find all sorts of goodies, including the delicious Densen Beat, some entry-level tubeware, British perennials, the better Japanese integrateds and limitless second-hand opportunities. Clear winners that obviate the existence of all others? That's wishful thinking on the part of magazines which gives awards for 'Best In Its Class'. Such a beast cannot exist because there's no such thing as a universal solution. Which is why cranky hardware like the AP50 actually has an easier time in the market than any of the half-dozen top-rated Asian 50-watters which compete for the exact same customer.

Dunn's logic is as transparent as the amplifiers sound: if you lay down a specific set of rules, you've (1) focused on the customers prepared to meet those criteria and avoided the time-wasters and the 'ineligibles', and (2) ensured that the amplifier will be used correctly. Admittedly, such an approach in anathema in business terms: it's the deliberate limiting of a product's appeal. But it doesn't half make life easier all round. And you customers will know exactly what they're getting.

SOUND QUALITY
If a gun were held to my head and I was forced to cite but one trait which defines the sound of the AP50, I'd have to say it's the overall silkiness

In the case of the AP50, it's an amplifier that - without drama - gets on with the job. It drove a weird mix of speakers (despite my ignoring the command to avoid speakers which might possess 'high frequency notch filters'), including the original Quad ESL, Sonus Faber Concertinos, LS3/5As, Boleros, and the Rega headphone adapter, and never less than satisfactorily. The unit never showed signs of distress. Asked to play loudly, it rocked. Asked to play softly, it did so with the dynamics intact. But it had a few secrets which it didn't yield so readily, and I was misled into thinking that the AP50 was simply a minimalist alternative to the Rotels, Pioneers and NADs of the world, or yet another Britamp to place alongside Arcams, Naims or Audiolabs.

Big mistake. After it's burned in for a few weeks, the AP50 reveals surprising qualities like smoothness to rival vintage valve confectionery. Although it's most evident in the region normally plagued by digital coarseness, this refinement also blessed all manner of vocals with a resistance to the shame of sibilance. If a gun were held to my head and I was forced to cite but one trait which defined the sound of the AP50, I'd have to say it's this overall silkiness. Which is not something I'd expect of a mid-priced, solid-state integrated amplifier.

Whatever Dunn's current feelings about soundstage and imaging, the AP50 is almost Yank-like in its three dimensionality. It's about as far from the 2D sound favoured by UK flat-earth amp builders as is possible for such sane money, and this begs the use of precise performers (in the imaging stakes, that is) like small two-way systems of the LS3/5A calibre. Perhaps there was some sort of mismatch with the Quads, but imaging was the one area which wasn't exploited when the AP50 faced the legendary electrostatic.

Sticking with the kind of two-ways likely to be used with an affordable solid-state integrated, I was overjoyed to learn that the AP50 avoided, like the plague, the kind of heightened hygiene, that aggravating sterility which too wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am sessions suggest is true transparency. The AP50 strips away nothing, and I implore you to audition it with rich vocals if you want to learn just what it can do. Arm yourself with some Nat King Cole, Keb' Mo', Johnny Rivers, or Howard Tate to hear the most detailed textures, and Nanci Griffith or Joan Baez to hear unbridled clarity without glassiness. And that's one hell of an accomplishment at the price.

AUGUST 1996, HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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CYBERFi - Review, 1996

Available: UK, Europe, Far East, Australasia, Middle East

NVA AP30 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
The NVA AP30 integrated amplifier is a 'low budget', pared down development of NVA's Statement series minimalist amplifiers. It uses the fewest possible components with the bare minimum of interfaces, switches, links and other sources of distortion. The AP30 is normally configured as a line source amplifier. However a phono stage can be added, at little extra monetary cost and the loss of one line input. NVA recommends the use of its own ultra low loss speaker cable with the amplifier on the grounds of preferred sound quality. Care should be taken not to use the amplifier with Litz cable. NVA warns that such cable runs the risk of causing high frequency instability. CYBERFi Editor Jonathan Kettle found that the AP30 did prove unusually sensitive to different cable type, its presentation changing dramatically for the better when partnered by NVA's own LS1 cable.

FOCUS ON NVA AP30
The paucity of controls and other external features is a significant clue to the nature of the NVA AP30. It has a volume, on/off switch and four-way rotary source selection control. Inputs through phono sockets mounted on the rear panel correspond with the fascia marks: CD, tape, tuner and disc. Normally the disc input is not a phono amplifier but another line level input. For those who want to play vinyl record using the AP30, a phono stage can be added, raising the price of the amplifier by about 20 per cent.

Clearly the AP30 is less comprehensive design than, say, the Quad 77, reviewed elsewhere in CYBERFi, and herein lies it appeal to audiophiles. Yet it's the very simplicity of this amplifiers design allied to the designer's careful choice of components that suggests it is capable of a high purity of sound. That, and NVA's track record. (If you want purity and earth shattering levels try investigating NVA's Statement series amplifiers culminating in the TDS (The Definitive Statement). The AP30 power output is rated at 30W per channel, though the nature of the design suggests a considerably higher peak output.

Here was an engaging and lifelike sound...
For the first week or two I used the NVA AP30 connected to my Snell Type J loudspeakers using Audio Note silver speaker cable. The resulting sound was not entirely satisfactory, there being a slightly raucous edge to the sound. When I mentioned the problem the NVA's designer Richard Dunn he berated himself for not insisting on supplying his own LS1 speaker cable. Replacing the Audio Note with LS1 cable made a colossal difference to the sound, bringing about a balance I could hardly have believed possible. Here was an engaging and lifelike sound with incisive, powerful projection yet without a hint of the previous overbearing brilliance. Complex instrumentation was easily discernible, yet there was no longer the slightest hint of glare.

Apart from the amplifiers sensitivity to cable type, my only other doubt about the AP30 concerns its volume control operating logic. The volume control, a cermet (ceramic/metal) passive attenuator of the sort using in NVA's Statement amplifiers, cannot be manufactured to give identical two channel logarithmic operating logic. Having auditioned it on the recommendations of audiophile colleagues within the hi-fi industry, the cermet pot turned out to sound in Richard Dunn's words, 'better than anything else' he'd tried. The quirky aspect of the volume control I had difficulty getting use to is that a high volume is reached rather earlier than usual. I found I rarely need to turn the volume control beyond 11 o'clock, though I suspect heavy metal, rap and grunge headbangers may want to push it round a bit further! My problem was that for the jazz, orchestral, instrumental and choral music I prefer, I sometimes found it difficult to make sufficiently fine level adjustments. Perhaps this difficulty was, to some extent, a psychological one. Often with volume controls, for example, not much happens in the first quarter to third of its travel. With the AP30, the gain is instant.

...the AP30 maintained a consistently astonishing capacity for musical insight...
Once installed, warmed up and connected with the correct cables, the AP30 maintained a consistently astonishing capacity for musical insight considering its comparatively low price. Time after time I was struck by the variety of acoustics captured on different CDs. Finely etched nuances were impressively detailed. Little mechanical noises on the Anne Sofie von Otter CD of Grieg Songs; the way she clears her voice midway though track 18; and the vocal purity and brilliantly characterised, intensely felt singing made its mark in a way you'd think impossible without listening to a much more expensive amplifier.

Bass weight was generally fine, drums and plucked double bass projecting powerfully without overwhelming and submerging the rest of the music. Some listeners might wish for a little more weight, in which case NVA's bigger, beefier Statement series could well be the answer. Yes switching to the AP30, having been using some expensive valve amplifiers, I felt the NVA amplifier held its own surprisingly well, sounding both solid, forceful and subtle. Perhaps the sound of the high hat cymbals was not as spine-tingling sumptuous. But for such magic definition you'd need to spend considerably more. Where the AP30 certainly did score was in its ability to grab your attention with the live feel of music. It's that all too rare quality of focus which, once heard in a hi-fi context, cannot be sacrificed.

ALBUM ANALYSIS

Yuri Bashmet: Glinka, Roslavets, Shostakovich Viola Sonatas (BMG Music RCA Red Seal 9026-61273-2)

The most intense, controlled, sublimely realised recording of the Shostakovich sonata was powerfully conveyed by the AP30. The balance between viola and piano was convincing and the drama, dynamics, tonal clarity and sense of occasion forcefully projected

Purcelli: Dido & Aeneas Taverner Choir and Players Parrott (BBC MM129)

A difficult disc for any system to reproduce. The soloist and choral sections sounded well delineated with a vibrant, crisp projection. The sense of acoustic space and depth was strong, but somewhat contrived. The amp revealed some of the balance difficulties with this recording without allowing them to intrude too grossly with the enjoyable performance

Greig: Sons Anne Sofe von Otter, Bengt Forsberg (DG 437 521-2)

A stunningly beautiful album, precisely reproduced through the AP30. At times von Otter seemed within the same room as me. Some of the tiny flawed details such as cleared throat and manuscript noise from the piano were also captured, heightening the sense of realism

Abdullah Ibrahim/Africa - Tears and Laughter (Enja 3039 2)

The sense of solidity and weight to the sound of this roughly hewn album, particularly in the track Ishmael, was impressively preserved by the AP30. The intensity of the vocal lines and the drama of the percussion was dramatically realised, though the AP30 did not hide some of the strident qualities of the recording.

TECHNICAL DESIGN
The key to this amplifiers design is its simplicity. From the hard-wired input connections and the use of passive pre-amplification, to the absence of tone controls and filtering, this is about as minimalist an amplifier as you could conceive.

A 100kohm ceramic metal passive volume control is the main component in the passive pre-amplifier. A 10kohm metal film resistor is used with the pot to derive a near logarithmic attenuation logic. The almost total absence of filtering is very unusual. There's no output filer, only a 470pF input capacitor, and tone controls are omitted, on the grounds that NVA believes all these extraneous components and circuits are bound to compromise performance.

NVA's own phono stage can be added to the standard AP30 retrospectively. Alternatively NVA will fit the board during manufacture. As you'd expect, the phono equipped AP30 is slightly more expensive that the line only amp. All the necessary wiring changes and board fitting required to modify from line-only to phono-equipped AP30 are made at NVA's factory.

The amplifiers unusual glued case may not appear an inspired aspect of the design; don't be fooled. The case is an important element in the AP30. NVA discovered that the reason previous products sounded worse than preproduction, bread board equivalents was simply the addition of a production metal case. It turned out that the metal cases stored charge and electromagnetic fields which interacted with the signal-carrying circuits. Hence the use of wooden sides, an aluminum base and acrylic front panel.

The power amplifier is designed to deliver high current when required through conventional bipolar output devices. Mains power is fed to a 160VA toroidal transformer closely specified by NVA. Power supply regulation is achieved with the help of conventional 1950s wound paper capacitors.

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Hi-Fi Choice Review, August 1992
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AMPLIFIERS
NVA AP20



The NVA remains one of the last bastions of minimilist UK hi-fi, right down to to the throughly utilarian and utterly impregnable casework! You'll either love it for its purist ideals or loathe it as an anachronism.

Either way, the AP20 is as accommodating an anachronism as you'll ever find, one that's available with either MM or MC disc stages (but not both) or, alternatively, with neither. Got that? Good because round the back you'll discover standard phono sockets for CD, tuner, disc and tape.

Recessed 4mm sockets are provided for speaker cables, though I'd warn against using high capacitance brands as these might tip the AP20 into instability. High resistance cables, like NVA's LS1, will act as the `Zobel network' that's missing from its own output stage. Just use our cable booklet as a guide.


Lab report

TEST RESULTS
20Hz 1kHz 20kHz
Maximum Continuous Power Output
8ohms 32.5W 35.0W 6.8W
4ohms 39.1W 44.9W 10.8W
Dynamic Headroom (IHF) +2.09dB (56.6W)
Peak Current (5msec, 1% THD) +12.8A
Output Impedance 0.0065 Ohm
Damping Factor 1238.5
CD/Aux MM
Stereo Separation
(1kHz) 81.4dB 78.0dB
(20kHz) 64.8dB 57.9dB
Channel Balance
(1kHz, -20dBV) 0.49dB 0.52dB
(-60dBV) >50dB >50dB
Total Harmonic Dist.
(0dBW) -60.7dB -64.2dB
(2/3 power) -71.4dB -70.9dB
CCIR Intermod. Dist.
(0dBW) -62.5dB -63.3dB
(2/3 power) -26.6dB -26.1dB
A-wtd Noise
(0dBW) -87.2dB -84.4dB
(2/3 power) -98.8dB -87.0dB
Residual noise
(unwtd) -78.6dBV -78.6dBV
NVA has an uncanny knack of designing solid-state amps with tube-like overtones. Weed thinks the whole thing is a real hoot! Ahem. Loose power supply regulation yields a small 1.1dB rise from 35W to 45W into 4 ohm but, the flipside, its +2.1dB headroom and +12.8A current rating are very generous. The 0.0065 ohm output impedance is equally impressive.

However, slew-limiting restricts its treble output so you'll only get 21W at 20kHz if you're prepared to suffer five per cent THD. Hence the huge 2.3 per cent IM distortion and a 3D plot that comes straight out of the Audio Innovations' Boys Own book of Technical Horrors.

Meanwhile the huge channel imbalance incurred by the volume control limits its effective range to no more than 55dB while the MM disc response has a warming `bump' at 20-50Hz and an equally warming 1dB treble cut. It's very sensitive for an MM input at 1.75mV (re full output), but headroom is limited to just +20.6dB. The DC offset is too high but the RF result is most gratifying.

Sound quality

Initially alarmed by the noisy swish-swish of the NVA's cermet volume control, our listeners' fears were quickly allayed by the very organised and detailed sound that ensued. Here was an amp that retrieved the airiness and height of Prokofiev's Symphony despite its restrained sense of dynamics and decidely gentle tonal balance.

Nevertheless instruments like the woodwinds, rich in character, were faithfully represented, enmeshed in an equally deep and uncluttered soundstage. Otherwise this hint of softness, this velvety texture only mollified what were described as the `digital excesses' of our pop selection. So cymbals and strings lost the hard and edgy qualities that had been heard earlier in the day, traded for an altogether sweeter hue.

Vinyl was described as euphonic, an easy going presentation but one that lacked the openness and finer detail revealed via CD. Bass, in particular, lacks the resolution, the weight and impact that is available on-tap with the CD input.

Conclusion

As a CD-only amplifier, the AP20 has the ability to reproduce a stunning variety of tonal colours and musical styles, lacking only what our listeners insisted on describing as `grunt'. Stick with sensible low/medium resistance, low-capacitance cable and a pair of sensitive speakers and you too will discover the unforced and delightfully natural performance of NVA's AP20.

AUGUST 1992, HI-FI CHOICE REVIEW

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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Audiophile with hi-fi answers, March 1991

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

When NVA claimed it could replace the hi-fi of any Audiophile reviewer with its own gear, and then try to convince them it was better, we chuckled up our sleeves and gave them the green light.

For a small company, NVA has a lot of balls. The company's latest ad campaign suggests as much. The `NVA Challenge' is an open invitation to the world to shoot NVA equipment down in flames. We couldn't resist having a go.

The idea is simple: NVA people come round to your home laden with NVA goodies. And if after an evening's demonstration you're not convinced that they've bettered your system, c'est la vie...


Richard Dunn (right), the main man at NVA, turned up on my doorstep armed with mountains of equipment - a turntable, more amps than I care to mention, loudspeakers, cable, tables. You name it, he had it with him.

it was immediately clear from his comments that synergy is a concept he whole-heartedly embraces. Refreshingly, however, he doesn't insist that you use a complete NVA system, Dunn is happy for you to fit NVA equipment with a front-end or speakers from another firm, whatever he finds in your home in fact.

My resident system is real in the sense that I've assembled it for my own use and bought it mainly from retailers. It consists of Arcam Delta 170, Musical Fidelity Digilog, a home-brew passive preamp (see Audiophile December 1990), Albarry M408 Mark II monoblocks, Tannoy DC2000 speakers, Monster Interlink 500, and biwired Audioquest Green speaker cables.

Since NVA does not make a digital front end, the plan was for me to compare my chosen amplification system with NVA's. Although Richard prefers analogue to digital sources, I'm the reverse. Nevertheless, I let Richard Dunn bring round NVA's analogue front end - my 800 LPs have been gathering dust for months.

Attractive as it may appear, the NVA Challenge is not a perfect way of buying hi-fi. First, anyone contemplating buying even a since piece of equipment should devote far more time to auditioning equipment that the few hours available for the NVA Challenge. The number of permutations open to us left only a limited time to audition each combination.

A confident man, then, this Richard Dunn. If the session hadn't worked, NVA would be seen to be spouting so much male cattle droppings. Here's what happened.

Having arrived at about 7.00pm, Richard Dunn spent half an hour or so listening to my system while his amplifiers had time to warm up. He took the opportunity to outline the amplifier designs he'd brought along for me to hear, and to explain more about the NVA Challenge concept.

The outward appearance of the amps is in the grand tradition of Brit hi-fi: black anodised boxes, epoxy glued, but rather better looking than average.

Lined up against my system were two NVA A60 stereo power amps, a P80 moving coil preamp, with separate power unit, a Senior turntable, with Musician arm and Stilton modified Audio Technica cartridge. The line-up was completed by NVA's own turntable table, a Mana-like object with glass top supported on four metal spikes. Without it, I was told, the turntable will not give its best.

Richard Dunn of
NVA, on location
with a bootful of
gear and an
impossible task.
Maddeningly, he
succeeded in
providing our
reviewer with a
system to equal -
perhaps even
improved upon -
the original. And
he claims he could
do the same for
anyone...
NVA's stated belief, to which I'm sympathetic, is that the best circuit is no circuit at all. Accordingly, the preamp is passive except for the phono stage (which can be supplied for moving magnets).

For NVA's power amps Dunn strongly recommends his own LS1 silver alloy stranded cables, which have the correct loading for his output stages. If pushed he will also recommend conventional solid core (mains) cable.

There was one other item - the speakers. Having looked at my room and listened to my DC200s, Richard conceded defeat. His Cube designs have to be placed against a large area of blank wall for correct bass balance. My DC2000s are placed way out of the alcoves. He also felt that the DC2000s were performing exceptionally well (flattery, flattery). One up to the home team!

With my CD front-end feeding the P80 and the pair of A60s, the sound was immediately pleasing. Cabling was my usual Monster Interlink 500 between DAC and preamps. This was obviously not equipment that was going to draw much attention to itself. I needed to play a large number of CDs before I really got to grips with the character.

Switching between Dave Holland's excellent new album Extensions, Baada Maal and Reeves' Never Too Far and (just to shake up the poor man), Living Colour's Vivid at skull-crushing volume, the overall impression was of a highly detailed sound. Put another way, with the NVA gear in place of mine, there were couple of veils removed, resulting in a light airy soundstage.

While you may expect this would favor acoustic music, the NVAs did an excellent job with Living Colour's heavy rock. There wasn't the weight and sense of things being hit, a hallmark of the Albarrys, but on the plus side, the sound was tight, controlled and completely integrated. Rhythm sections had real integrity, and there was a convincing sense of people playing together. I suspect the NVAs slightly lost out to my own amps on front-to-back. Within the NVA soundstage instruments were located exactly, giving a sense of being slightly further away from the musicians. All-in-all, then a commendable result.

Having listened to about an hour and a half's worth of digital, it was time to try out the analogue. The Senior is rather nice looking turntable, mite larger than most on the market, simply because Richard likes it that way. For the singles freaks among you, the thing even turns at 45rpm.

The finish is fine, the arm attractive. It's easy to use, to boot. The sound was slightly smoother than the digital front end, but not at the expense of involvement. This was a smoothness veering on over-politeness.

Having listened to a couple of old favorites, I felt the sound was a little clogged, a little leaden. `Ha!' said the man from NVA, `I'll soon fix that'. By reducing the tracking weight, all was soon sweetness and light, with the same kind of clarity and lack of veiling exhibited by the CD.

While I've highlighted the differences between the NVAs and my own system, the truth is that this was the kind of sound I like. The equipment was really unobtrusive, getting right to the heart of the music. There was no sense of the musicians being stifled, as in the case of some more expensive systems I've heard recently and in the past.

I like the analogue front end, but admit my own experience with competitively priced vinyl spinners is limited. What I can say is that the presentation was not so far from my favoured CD - tightly controlled, clear and involving. I was slightly disappointed that NVA failed to supply the promised cartridge, and I was left assessing the system with one costing five times as much. The realistically priced alternative would have been useful.

I still prefer my CD front-end to the analogue option, even though the turntable, arm, cartridge, phono stage and power supply were together almost twice the price. I cannot come to terms with surface noise, and therefore find it almost impossible to suspend my disbelief. For that reason, to my ears, a competent digital front-end is always going to be preferable to an analogue one. OK, so the Linn LP12 Lingos of this world are probably sonically superior to all but the most bone-crushingly expensive digital gear, but they still allow the imperfections of the medium to intrude.

Time to sum up. Had I been a real customer I might well have bought the NVA equipment. It works very well indeed with CD. My only real reservation was the feeling that drummers really do hit drums harder than the NVA was allowing them to. It's not an overall dynamic range thing, it's simply a lack of grunt (away Setright!), which Richard says he could fix by using a different set of cables with the bass/midrange amp. He claims there would be trade-off in transparency, however. Within the terms of the Challenge, this was a failing, because my objection could not be refuted within the timescale allotted.

Sonically, it's a qualified victory to NVA. Like all things in hi-fi, it's a compromise, but a highly workable one. At the end of the day, the whole system is very good value, and comes from a designer whose priorities very closely match my own. What's more, NVA gear certainly attains Richard's stated aim of presenting a highly detailed, musical sound. The NVA system could occupy space in my living room easily.

Unconventional as it may be, this is a perfect valid way of assessing the gear. The last thing you'll have is a pushy salesman who doesn't know the equipment he's demonstrating. When he visited my flat, Richard was scrupulously fair, allowing the equipment to do the talking. He's very confident of his products, and rightly so. Richard also intends that the same high standards will be adhered to by any of his dealers when they are setting up a Challenge. I was very pleasantly surprised - blast and botheration!

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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Hi-Fi News & Record Review, July 1997
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If ever a small UK manufacturer
has ploughed a lone furrow, it is NVA.
Now the indomitable Richard Dunn
comes up with a direct-selling
amplifier for those on a tight budget

It was never Richard Dunn's intention to set me on a chase to find the cheapest tolerable mock-audiophile system one could muster. But he did submit for review the NVA AP10 single-input amplifier selling for a paltry £160 and decided (after our photos were taken) to name it the NVA Personal. And personal listening is what this baby is all about; it just happens to cost next to nothing.
When NVA is offering with the Personal almost single-handedly creates a new genre of amp. Indeed, the only thing which preceded it with anything like a similar philosophy was the NAD 3020, also billed in its day as an ideal starter amp. But I can assure you that what cost £89.95 in 1979 would sell for way more than NVA's £160 in 1997.

And another thing: the NVA can be purchased as an easy-to-build kit for £30 less.

Because NVA fits neither protection circuitry nor filtering on the outputs, it's best to follow the company's directives. OK, so this is the antithesis of entry-level practice, which dictates that budget gear should be moron-proof

Where the NVA departs from the NAD 3020 is that the latter offered a full range of inputs, pre/power separation for upgrades or the insertion of processors, a balance control and so on. The price paid by the user for these extras was some of the nastiest assembly quality this reviewer has ever seen. By worshiping instead at the altar of minimalism, NVA hits its price point without compromising build quality.

What you get with the Personal boils down to this and nothing more: A volume control. An on/off switch at the back. A headphone socket. A pair of speaker terminals. One set of line level phono-type inputs. That's it. If ever an integrated amp appealed to the fundamentally British notion that the presence of any creature comforts means cost-cutting somewhere else, then this is it.

There is but one concession to luxury. Unlike the NAD, the NVA is built to impossibly high levels for the price, right down to a handsome perspex front panel, a recessed red LED to indicate 'on' (which truly disappears when the unit is switched off), reasonable socketry and a pukka 1/4in headphone output instead of the increasingly popular stereo mini-jack. There's a chunky, captive mains lead, real speaker sockets, and a case design, like those of other NVA amps, was determined by sonic concern. Glued together, it is insulated to stop induced circulating currents, and high frequency and high voltage static charge problems. Nothing on this 250 x 60 x 210 mm (whd) case looks like it's gonna break, fall off or do anything to rival the 3020's tackiness.

Performance also separates these amplifiers: the NVA actually drives hungry speakers, even though it's only rated at 15W/ch. As it proved in a killer system costing way under £400, this is no glorified headphone amp fitted with a pair of speaker terminals.

But first, some salient philosophy from The Edited and Condensed Richard Dunn Polemic, provided free with every unit:

'This amplifier is designed as a low-cost, high quality, low-powered amplifier for use in a second or "bedroom" system, or with high efficiency (89dB or over) loudspeakers. It is equipped with a standard stereo 6.5mm headphone socket of the front panel. If dedicated headphone listening is required, the loudspeaker cables should be unplugged (just the positive can be disconnected). We tried all forms of headphone switching, both mechanical and electronic relay-based, and the all compromised the sound quality.'

Dunn makes no outrageous claims for this amp, but he insists it's a 'proper' NVA product, just like its dearer siblings. Inside, the single input is routed directly to the volume control with silver-plated cable, the signal then fed to the amplifier PCB, also hard-wired with silver-plated cable. So paramount is the selection of cable in NVA philosophy that the company takes the brave/contentious step of listing the cables it deems acceptable for use with its products. And while its own wires top the list, others include a selection ranging from Ixos to Chord to Rega to QED to XLO. So NVA isn't above recommending products from direct competitors. Cool.

Probably the greatest contribution to the Personals sonic signature is made by its entirely passive pre-amp stage. The input to the power amp section has minimum capacitive and inductive coupling, as Dunn states, 'designed correctly to operate with the variable impedance output of a passive pre-amp stage.' Passive pre-amp fans, take note and glow smugly; this stage helps to make this a transparent and quiet runner. A 'current mirror' operates the pre-driver stage to ensure that the voltage rails track each other correctly. The driver stage has both current and voltage amplification using devices '...that could be used as output transistors,' a fave NVA party trick. The output transistors are two 12A Darlingtons per channel.

Because NVA fits neither protection circuitry nor filtering on the outputs, it's best to follow the company's directives. OK, so this is the antithesis of entry-level practice, which dictates that budget gear should be moron-proof, but the NVA wants to do no more than provide maximum sonic realism for minimal outlay. And if it means treating the amp like a high-end thoroughbred, well, that's part of the appeal: for only £160, you'll have the sort of set-up concerns single-ended triode users are used to.

I quote NVA: 'Do not short circuit the output. Do not use bi- or tri-wiring or high capacitance or Litz-type loudspeaker cables. These could damage the amp as they create a virtual short circuit at very high frequencies. As a rule of thumb, avoid cables with a capacitance per meter of more than 200pF.' In another instant disarming honesty, the literature states, 'The basic circuit of the amplifier is very stable but it is not unconditionally stable. Anybody can make an unconditionally stable amplifier. You just put capacitors everywhere, but it will sound terrible.' Hence the Personal uses the minimum number of capacitors, no inductors and low negative feedback in a Class AB circuit design, which NVA describes as 'unique'. The power supply is designed around a 50VA transformer with a 6A bridge rectifier and 'good quality' capacitors. (Again, the disarming honesty; others would have described them as 'designer caps'.) As stated before, output is 15Wch, and NVA errs on the side of caution by recommending speakers with 89dB or better sensitivity.

Which didn't stop me from using the Personal with my beloved Quad 77-10Ls, LS3/5As, ad summum, which this amp inspired. Sure, the Personal will drive speakers hungrier that its spec would suggest, but that is simply not the point. Or maybe it is, as this amp is also subject to the NVA practice which states than an NVA 'customer never loses money when he upgrades. Move up to any more expensive NVA amplifier for just the difference in purchase price.' So if you wanted to do everything in reverse, buying big speakers for the Personal, you could trade up to a bigger NVA later on, and not lose a penny. But let's back-track.

Sure, I used the Marantz CD63SE Mk II CD player and nifty tweaks like the Musical Fidelity X-10D and the Theta TLC, both of which are designed to lift budget systems out of the mire. But that wasn't the point.

Pretending that I was yet again - God forbid - a student, with financial problems, flatmates and the need to have a system which could be packed up in a moment and fit in the boot of a Mini, I thought in terms of bargain hunting. Allowing for some Lineaum-equipped Genexxa Pro LX5 speakers is now available for £99 a pair. A 'B stock' Panasonic RQ-S25 personal tape player at Canterbury Hi-Fi Center cost £30, while branded personal CD players are now £79, with 'B stock' selling for less than £50.

And it up: £160 for the Personal, or £130 in kit form. £100 for a pair of Pro LX5s. £30 for a 'B Stock' cassette player or £60-£80 for a portable CD player, both fitted with a 3.5mm stereo-plug-to-two-phono cable. Throw in some good 24in speaker stands and 3m lengths of speaker cable (£50 apiece) and, by my reckoning, that's just £360 for a system which, with the Personal at its core, can do the following: Boogie

Notice I said 'boogie', not 'bang head'. If you want to antagonise those living above, below or on either side of your crib, talk to some poor schmuck who's swallowed all the SET guff about '3W is all you need'; maybe they'll know of a speaker with 96dB sensitivity for £99 per pair. Even so, in a listening area which could qualify as either a normal person's bedroom or the kind of sty most students inhabit - 12 x 16ft - the NVA had no problems driving the Tandys to satisfactory levels.

But the sound? Sweet, smooth and surprisingly transparent, and that applies to both speaker and headphone listening. The sound is robust, with well-rounded, well extended bass, and it wasn't embarrassed driving through B&W's PB100 sub-woofer. Stage width and depth were truly thoroughbred, and it kept reminding me of the dear, departed Rogers Cadet III, which started me on the valve route when money was right.

The NVA bounces along, sort of a Citroen 2CV of amplifiers, merrily making music but never pretending to be able to do the impossible. What it lacks in absolute retrieval of fine details, exacerbated by slightly dulled transients, the Personal compensates for with an absence of 'active' nasties. The downside amounts entirely to sins of omission, exactly like the NAD 3020, which never sounded nasty. The NVA, though, never sounds anorexic, either, as did the gutless NAD.

This is not a case of Amplifier Lite. The NVA Personal is a real amp for high-end wannabees lacking deep pockets.

Here's my advice: If you just cannot stretch to £300-plus for a complete system and you're dying for some sounds, run - don't walk - to NVA and beg 'em to sell you a Personal. Then, before the imbecile at Tandy learns the error of his ways, buy a pair of Pro LX5s. Next, go to any hi-fi dealer other than a multiple where the prices are as fixed as at M&S, and ask for a B Stock personal CD player. Don't let them lie to you: all hi-fi dealers n the UK circa 1997 are dying for business, even your paltry £50. Seriously broke and prepared to live with headphones for a while? Then don't buy the speakers until you can afford them. Go instead for some £49 Grado SR40s.

There you have it: an amplifier for use during a Labour regime.


July 1997, HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

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