Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Room to arrange and discuss bake-offs
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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Exposure to Cubes sometimes confuses people. They have a mind set as to what a speaker is and what it does. If they want a Cube to do that but better then they get confused.

Go listen to live music, not the artificiality of a stadium or hall PA, I mean live music. Compare a Cube to that and you have the real comparison. The whole flat earth in yer face sound was created to simulate a home PA system, and most recent speakers are still trying to do this to a greater or lesser extent.

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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by antonio66 »

Good to hear everyone enjoyed your BO Paul. I remember hearing a pair of Elac's (don't know the model but cost £2500 many yeas ago) and thoroughly enjoying them. Now I have Cubes though, I'm pretty sure my feelings will have changed.

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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by savvypaul »

When I first got the Cubes it did take me a few days to properly appreciate what was happening. I had only known 'point and squirt' in 30 odd years of hifi ownership up until then (discounting 5 minutes here and there with a dealer's electrostatics).

It clicked with me first when listening to classical pieces. I attend concerts at The Sage, Gateshead and at churches / chapels, so I have a frame of reference for live music that is not pumped through a PA (although, I have plenty of experience of that, too.)

Once my ears / brain understood the difference between semi-omni and p&s then it's been impossible (for me) to unhear that difference. I can still enjoy p&s speakers for what they are...but I know that what I am hearing is being pumped 'at me'.
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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by Fretless »

When I first heard NVA Cubes at a demo in the late 1980's I was blown away by the 'archway' of music that these odd-looking (black, square, woofer on top - bizarre!) speakers created and this left a lasting impression. I got close to the effect for a while with a set of Magnepan magnetostatic flat-panels - but there was a sense of vitality and dynamics missing.

Image

Now with a modest set of refurbished mk1 Cube 3's in place - that old memory has been realised. It does require a mental shift in comprehension to listen to the room acoustic rather than the programmed-in 'HiFI-think' of standard speaker presentation. But my search is for insight into the music and performer - and the semi-omni approach gives you that in spades.

Cubes - small but perfectly formed ! :dance:

Upstairs:
Vinyl
Pro-Ject 1.2 + Grado Sig Jr + Cambridge Alva Duo
DigiVolumio PC + Kiss DP-500 + Sabaj A20d
NVA: P50sa - Cube2 - SSP - LS6+ Sabaj A10a (x2)
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Logic DM101 + Syrinx LE1 + Grado Sig MCX
DigiDenafrips Ares II + Volumio PC + Cambridge CXC
NVA: P50 - BMU+ Aiyima A07 MAX (x2) + Arcam One
HP: HifiBerry Digi+ PRO + Sabaj A10d
Office:
Allo DigiOne SIG + SMSL M300se + Douk G4 (x2)
Mission 760 + Monolith THX AAA 887
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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by Quarknosis »

savvypaul wrote: Sun Oct 08, 2017 10:30 pm I'd like to hear the IMFs sometime, Quark. Ooooh, and the Lenco that I've just spotted in your sig... :grin:
I should really update my signature, the Lenco is no longer with me but a listen to the IMFs could be possible :grin:

I do have plans to do a DIY speaker based on Cubes at some point.
Main System. Amp - Luxman LV-120, CD - Pioneer PDX505 & Hitachi DA 401. Turntable - Trio KD-2055/Denon DL-110 & Ortofon VMS20E. Cassette Deck - JVC KD A55. Speakers - Arcam Alpha connected with NVA LS3.

Headphone System - Little Dot Mkiii headphone amp, various vintage CD players into NVA P50 with Sennheiser HD600 and Beyer DT 880

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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by CN211276 »

I was far from sure that I would take to the Cubes as I listen to a lot of in your face hard rock and metal, but with the 30 day return option there was nothing to lose. I was conveted right from the off, the different presentation is so much better to my ears, what ever music is playing. The living room is not a concert hall and it now seems logical to me that the semi-omnidirectional approach is more appropriate in this environment. The sense of attack is not lost, even on the heaviest rock. and this is now coupled with the big sound stage with the music appearing to not be coming through the speakers.

The other big plus is I do not have to be sat in the middle of the sofa for the optimum sound. This is all the more important as the room is large with the dedicated listning area confined to a width section which only covers about a third. I am now on the PC, situated a good way away, and the sound here bears no comparison to what it was with point and squirt.
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NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
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Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

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NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, SSP, SC
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ

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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by herbie07 »

Dear all

Many thanks for the comments, the issue here lies with me and what I expect to hear in a domestic hi fi situation. It's odd because I don't have that expectation from my car audio for example. I look forward to additional bake offs to further my exposure and rewire/remove that expectation.

Antonio66 - the Elacs at the bake-off were much lower in the food chain (AU$1650 15 yrs ago, prob around £800-900 new at a guess).

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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Understandable, no one here is questioning your thoughts, more an interest in what is behind them.

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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by herbie07 »

Ah OK - to clarify no criticism of the Cubes was intended :oops:

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Cube 1s & 3s / Harbeth P3ESR / Usher S520 + ??? Durham

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

None was seen, please relax. There would have been no problem even if you hated the Cubes - IT IS A BAKE-OFF - and the only way to make them credible is to accept all and every opinion. You are absolutely welcome to hate anything and everything NVA if that is what you hear and decide.

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