HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

TheMadMick wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:13 pm
It arrived a few days ago. I ordered the 3kVA one as the kW550 pulls nearly 20A transiently on start up. Probably overkill but it also has no fuses being wired straight into the supply lead. I also took the late Doc's advice and wired in a Schuko socket to get rid of the fuse in the plug.

The wiring diagramme on the web page is a bit confusing (probably my age?) but once I got that sorted it was quite simple. Be aware that the glands seem to be sized for PVC/PVC SWA cable. However a bit of creative thinking got round that.

First impressions - I was a little disappointed when the BMU buzzed a little but that stopped quite quickly. On playing a couple of tracks, I found the bass much better defined and much more articulate. Not sure if it's the DC blocker or the Schuko plug & socket. Personally, I don't care. Hope it continues.

At least the DC blocker seems to have stopped the buzzing. Not that it annoyed but I figure it can't be good for the transformer and another BMU is not on the cards.

Hope this is informative.

Can you post a link as I do not see one with description of 3kVA
also some photos of wiring would be appreciated - and generally some photos of finished unit ;]]

That is the standard version. The high power model is here:

https://www.atlhifi.com/shop/fully-asse ... d-in-case/

Thank you Fretless
That's the massive jump in price - not sure if it is needed when combined with NVA BMU

TheMadMick wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:13 pm On playing a couple of tracks, I found the bass much better defined and much more articulate. Not sure if it's the DC blocker or the Schuko plug & socket. Personally, I don't care. Hope it continues.

Concurs with my own experience of using a DC blocker with a balanced mains supply (no Schukos).

Docfoster wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2019 5:11 pm

TheMadMick wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:13 pm On playing a couple of tracks, I found the bass much better defined and much more articulate. Not sure if it's the DC blocker or the Schuko plug & socket. Personally, I don't care. Hope it continues.

Concurs with my own experience of using a DC blocker with a balanced mains supply (no Schukos).

That's what I find odd. All the pundits said there should be no effect. I had difficulty in seeing that. However, if anything, I expected a reduction in relatively high frequency hash - and that happened to a certain extent. However, the bass improvement was a bit of a (pleasant) surprise.

There you go. Funny the things that happen in this hobby.

I was one of the great unwashed who thought that mains was mains and wouldn't make any difference to the performance of an audio system.
Now I begin to realise that it does.

Same thing happened to me with cables; 'why bother - it's only bits of wire and the sound is made by the things in boxes'.

The DC Blocker is the little thing in the corner, dwarfed by thr BMU.

I have immediately noticed an improved sense of overall control, rock-solid stability and a sharper edge on fine detail in the soundstage. Now there is a new, intensely crystalline focus.

As for bass. The subsonic effects present in Laurie Anderson's 'Gravity's Angel' have never been more earthshakingly audible.

Remarkable.

Yesterday I had to turn the power off as we were having a smart metre put in. (The instillation was postponed because of an issue the distributor has to resolve, but that is another story). When switching back on I thought I would give it a try without the BMU running off the DC blocker. After all it has been a long time since it has not been connected and during this period the NVA amps were upgraded to the latest specifications and there has been numerous improvements to the digital source.

When I first fitted the DC blocker I could not detect any change in SQ and the buzz from the occasional BMU was completely removed. Now there is a very noticable improvemen in SQ with the DC blocker removed. It is as if the DC blocker was now in some way getting in the way of the music. The frequency balance has not changed but I can precieve more life and excitement, an altogether better listening experience. The DC blocker will not be reinstalled. The BMU did buzz a bit this morning, but it is situated well away from the hifi and this is a small price to pay.

Getting rid of things that are not essential often brings musical rewards I find. Who needs fuses, relays, non essential switches, thiele networks, zobels, mains filters, IEC mains connectors, signal 0V to safety earth connections, anolgue output stages (in my case).padding resistors, bloody great speaker level filter capacitors.

If I remove anymore things from my gear then we will be playing our own musical instruments for entertainment