NVA Review discussion

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)
Postby Colin Wonfor » Sun Apr 16, 2017 9:57 am

TheMadMick wrote:
LS6 & BMU

I had been happily using TQ green speaker cable for a few years but lusted after TQ ultra black - but could never find it at a price I was prepared to pay. I came across a review that said something like "NVA LS6 is about 95% of TQ ultra black" - so at a quarter of the price and a 30 day trial I thought I couldn't go wrong.

First, the "hair shirt" bit. It arrived just after Christmas 2016 in a small box with no paperwork I could find. I was then a little surprised (although if I read round I shouldn't have been) that I had 4 bi-wire cables. They are a bit on the stiff side and having found out they are, among other things, copper single strands, I was reluctant to keep bending them to get them straight - the wayward wires have a low wife acceptance factor - beware!!! I then strained my ancient eyes to determine which was the tweeter wire and which the woofer. Being an occasional guitarist used to feeling the thickness of guitar strings it proved easier to feel which was which. Surely a short piece of coloured shrink wrap would make this a LOT easier. Then I found that the tweeter connection would pull itself out of the binding post. Spades would have made a much more secure connection and would minmise the effective length loss by the cables sticking out of the speaker and amplifier biding posts. Good thing the Doc makes these about 10% longer than nominal although, if I'd known that, I could have ordered a 3m set instead of a 3.5m set. So is the cable worth the "hair shirt" approach?

Let me put it simply. If TQ Ultra back is better than LS 6 it must be one hell of a cable. However, I did need a LOT of patience to get it to run in on my system (see signature). It took over 5 weeks, the first week almost continuous running on my tuner and the Good Lord did not bless me with patience. Now it is run in, I don't think I will need a further upgrade. I'm delighted. You can read all the good things about LS6 in this thread and they are all true!

If you have the patience, buy with confidence.

The BMU arrived about 10 days ago and, unusually, Doc gave the opinion that it would need about a week to run in. Uncannily accurate. It seems to have just come on song and I might aspire to greater improvement with time? It is neat and heavy with a long lead. I prefer the black sockets provided to the gold ones shown on the e-bay illustration - but let's face it, who is going to see the sockets? I parked mine behind the rack (no comments please) where it sits and buzzes gently at about 100Hz (I assume). I simply love what it does and I trust it will also solve my "bad mains" afternoons (none so far). You can read the effects in the other reviews in this thread and they are all true.

Another recommended product.

Reply from Colin Wonfor

Being the Designer of TQ cables I would like to say Docs LS6 was much closer than 95% I would say in some systems I compared (incl NVA) it was more like 150% so choice of systems is very very important.
I have since done a new cable range which would make it just a little closer and better than TQ cables. So choice and time to choose is very very proper so do listen before buying it is a big investment.

Best Col

ADMIN EDIT - Colin I will have to remove this post, not because of content, you are welcome to express your views elsewhere on the forum. It is just this room is for storing reviews and is not for posting replies. I will remove it at the end of the day. I will create a new thread and copy it across so other s can comment if they wish.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Why are presumption made?

There is zero chance of any of the copper cores breaking no matter how they are bent in use. I could spend half a page explaining why but I can't be bothered, you can either accept that or not.

[TheMadMick]

Why are presumption made?

There is zero chance of any of the copper cores breaking no matter how they are bent in use. I could spend half a page explaining why but I can't be bothered, you can either accept that or not.

Doc

I don't doubt your assertion but that was not obvious when the cables arrived. Discretion is the better part of valour or better safe than sorry!

[_D_S_J_R_]

I still can't get my head round 'running in' of higher current wires and BMU transformers.. I'm not in denial, but I just don't (and can't) listen that way any more! My mood and now my ears change far more and this has the biggest influence on 'sound quality' for me at any rate and on bad days I just have to forget playing music at all as it sounds crap to me despite the gear.

The last time I actually felt I could hear cables 'burning in' was with two extremes, Klotz MC5000 mic cable (screen disconnected both ends) and the chunky rf-type cable Mark Grant made with posher Neutrik pro plugs (HD1500). I thought the MG cable was slightly leaner and possibly slightly less 'musical' and the MC5000 more 'plump' in the lower mids and upper bass, but damn me that after a few months continuous use, I tried again and couldn't hear a blind bit of difference.

Hell, the NVA interconnects I've had hear may well sound slightly different from each other to me, but any 'burning in' for me has been inaudible, even when I converted a 1m SC to SSC by adding extra lengths and fitting heat-shrink around them. You'd have thought they'd sound a dogs dinner, yet I could perceive no difference in comparison with a (loaner) proper Doc-made set I had here as part of the loan gear.

If you use NVA amps, just buy the best cables you can, plug the effers in and enjoy the music coming out. There's a trade-up scheme if you feel you need better (the freebies supplied with the A20/P20 don't appear to count here), but please don't ever feel short-changed, even with SC and LS2, as they're both great with all sorts of gear in my experience and I'd go as far as to say that LS2, basic as it is, is better than the old Linn, Cable Talk and Naim stuff we used to sell (QED wires were beyond the pale, truly shit, yet WTF wanked on about them at the time and we HAD to stock it )

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Why are presumption made?

There is zero chance of any of the copper cores breaking no matter how they are bent in use. I could spend half a page explaining why but I can't be bothered, you can either accept that or not.

Doc

I don't doubt your assertion but that was not obvious when the cables arrived. Discretion is the better part of valour or better safe than sorry!

Then just ask.

[TheMadMick]

It wasn't necessary. It all fits, even if the cables are somewhat unruly - but I have an understanding wife and a reasonably large house with a music room (she calls it the dining room ). Besides, it was before I joined this group and I wanted to get going. (Yes I know it's not the only way to contact you!).

[savvypaul]

I hope recent reviews of the NVA Cubes, mine included, will further the momentum of growing appreciation for these exceptional speakers. They really must be heard. I'm in Durham and always happy to welcome forum members who would like to hear them.

[antonio66]

I'd like to say what great reviews of the Cube 1's and 2's by Savvypaul and Steve the Shadow on the NVA Review thread.