HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Very interesting read this thread!

Shahinian loudspeakers (I think it were Arcs) were also very musical sounding to my ears and had a very effortless musical flow. Problem was that they were promoted by Linn dealers in Austria in the 80s and therefore quite expensive (to expensive for me at that time).

I think, there are different ways to find your way to enjoy listening to music. The NVA route - according to my own experience made - is one way...

Here is my speaker story:
My first speaker love were ESS floor standers, I bought used (loved the Heil Air motion tweeter and the mids, the bass was the weak point in this design) and then, I fell in love with British speakers and in particular with TDL transmission line speakers. Many years the TDL Monitor Compact floor standers (I bought the DIY cabinet version and together with my late father assembled the pair) reproduced music beautifully to my ears. Easy going, never harsh, I could listen for hours to all kinds of music and enjoyed it.

Then, I experienced music the first time with SET amps (300B amps) at a friend’s place and my audio / music journey took a different direction. By coincidence (or maybe not), I met David Haigner, the Austrian loudspeaker designer, some time later in a Hifi shop – both looking for a TT - and we became friends. Since then, the musical journey with SETs and high efficient loudspeakers has begun and this combination - for about 8 years now enjoying my Haigner Gamma horns - still gives me the most listening pleasure.

I'm starting to like Dali speakers. The 'Zensor' range is good value, but even better value purchased second hand. My father is currently using Dali Oberon 5 compact floor standers.

S.

Interesting Shane, must admit it's a brand that never interest, they way they look shouts style over substance to me.

wiicrackpot wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 10:16 pm Interesting Shane, must admit it's a brand that never interest, they way they look shouts style over substance to me.

I love the looks of Dali drivers. I know it's a shallow thing to say but they appeal to me. Plus I find their presentation involving. They play music to my ears. But most folks will find Dali speakers a bit 'Hi-Fi' sounding.

But as always, each to their own.

S.

I’m a big fan of Tannoy Dual Concentrics, I’ve owned Monitor
Reds, Monitor Golds, and little Gold Monitors.

In my current abode, I only got a small listening room 12ftx12ft (10 ft to ceiling), and I’m only recently back into hifi after many a house move.

Currently using NVA P80, A40, all NVA interconnects and speaker cables, into cheapy Tannoy Reveal passive Monitors. They suit this room perfectly, really punchy, detailed, and very dynamic. I bought them from eBay in fantastic lightly used condition for £38. I’ve spent many tens of thousands on hifi over the years, only trusting my own ears. Never found a powered Pre amp I liked half as much as a quality passive Pre amp, and tried loads of vintage valve amps.

My main setup for years was either a Radford STA15 or Leak Stereo 20 with Mark Levinson Cello passive Pre amp (very similar in construction to NVA P50SA. I’ve never liked the sound of Quad Monoblocks...

Anyway, NVA A40, P80, and a cheap set of Tannoy Reveals rock my world at the moment.

I’m going to keep this system as a backup, and eventually get a
Beefier NVA Monoblock set, and P90SA. Speakers is something I’m looking to experiment more with, maybe try some Cubes, maybe try Martin Logan Electrostatics (I loved my old ELS57’s)...

Recommendations welcome.

Try some Cubettes on the current system as they are on offer to promote, all you need is spare capacity on a credit card for a month, and then send them back. Then you will know if the Cube concept is in your plans.

BTW P80 is pretty ancient so are they (with the A40s) aluminium case units from 25 - 30 years ago..

It’s old for sure, but not much to go wrong in there. Wires, an attenuator, and a switch. Just the way I like it.

I’m planning to go for A60 or A80 monoblocks before the end of the year, and either a P50sa or P90sa Pre. I prefer the simplicity of a single volume control... but get the idea behind Independent volume for each channel.

Dr Bunsen Honeydew wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:12 pm Try some Cubettes on the current system as they are on offer to promote, all you need is spare capacity on a credit card for a month, and then send them back. Then you will know if the Cube concept is in your plans.

BTW P80 is pretty ancient so are they (with the A40s) aluminium case units from 25 - 30 years ago..

Do I order the Cubettes here or on eBay?

On eBay at the new shop.

Designing speaker compared with complex circuits is simple and fun.