NVA feedback - what could be better

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Hemmo1969
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Re: NVA feedback - what could be better

Unread post by Hemmo1969 »

TheMarlin wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 4:21 pm Also, the attenuators feel somewhat vague, and the also point slightly at different times (imagine a clockface) at the same volume.
I can't agree, noisy (sometimes when being moved) yes, but never vauge.

I don't know how much you paid for the 90 but if you want the pre to sound even better then like many of us have, get the unit upgraded as soon as you can.

If you do have a particular noisy attenuators have you tried turning the amps off, disconnecting the pre and then giving both knobs a full 0 to 100 turning back and forth a few times? Doc recommended this to me in the early days of my ownership. After that not really a big problem, 99.9% of the time there is no noise.

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Re: NVA feedback - what could be better

Unread post by Hemmo1969 »

savvypaul wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 1:11 pm
Hemmo1969 wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 10:12 am
savvypaul wrote: Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:52 am

Will look into both.

Thanks, Zebbo.
Audio Note (as mentioned in upgrade components) do a nice selection of big knobs (excuse me vicar) silver or a rather fetching gold too I believe.
Lol.

Here are the Audio Note knobs - only £32.23 each (plus postage): https://www.hificollective.co.uk/knobs/ ... knobs.html

We are going to look at having acrylic knobs made with more visible indents - hopefully we can beat the Audio Note price ;)
Yea I was thinking more of the benefit of them being a brass or milled alloy piece (nice to touch) but agree for a 30mm knob a ridiculous price.

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Re: NVA feedback - what could be better

Unread post by karatestu »

DC on a pot can make it noisy it is said. I wonder if that can happen to stepped attenuator's too ?
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Re: For Sale: Musical Fidelity kW550

Unread post by Classicrock »

You might do better with pictures. This is a great amp. I have it's successor MF M6500i ,which is supposed to be an improvement according to Audiogon members, though all solid state. Still very smooth and valve like. I honestly wouldn't expect NVA to be a significant improvement.
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Re: For Sale: Musical Fidelity kW550

Unread post by karatestu »

Classicrock wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:32 am I honestly wouldn't expect NVA to be a significant improvement.
Maybe not for you but we are all different and prioritise different aspects of sound reproduction. Anything could happen.
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Re: For Sale: Musical Fidelity kW550

Unread post by Classicrock »

karatestu wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:37 am
Classicrock wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:32 am I honestly wouldn't expect NVA to be a significant improvement.
Maybe not for you but we are all different and prioritise different aspects of sound reproduction. Anything could happen.
One may be better than another, I don't know without a side by side comp, but it won't be night and day. More in common with the sound of these amps than you may think. Certainly liquid smoothness and wide soundstage. The new MF easily bettered the Albarry monoblocks I had previously. Used price for KW550 is about same as A80s currently and there is gobs more reserve power.
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Re: For Sale: Musical Fidelity kW550

Unread post by savvypaul »

The easy answer is to hear them side by side in your own system. That's why we offer a 30 day home trial.

Trust your own ears. Classicrock has had a downer on NVA since myself and Tomasz restarted the company. He's had digs at the Cubes, SSP interconnects and now the amps (he hasn't even heard the MKIII amps). All things that he previously loved. It's all in the archive. At least he got to sell his gear, here, for free - saving him £££s in ebay fees - so we can't be completely bad! He's a lot more enthusiastic about NVA gear in his classifieds ads, btw :lol:

Seriously, though, I'd rather have honest feedback than anyone skirt around a problem. If there are issues with a product or you think something could be better, I will always want to know. I hope folks will see that we are investing our money to build on the strengths of Richard's designs, while adding professional business practices that will make NVA easy and enjoyable to deal with, both for existing customers and the new customers that we need to attract...
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Re: For Sale: Musical Fidelity kW550

Unread post by CN211276 »

I can peronally vouch for the A80Mk3 being a significant step up from the Mk2, see my review of yesterday. Comparisons with the Mk2 are misleading.
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Re: For Sale: Musical Fidelity kW550

Unread post by Classicrock »

savvypaul wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2020 12:06 pm The easy answer is to hear them side by side in your own system. That's why we offer a 30 day home trial.

Trust your own ears. Classicrock has had a downer on NVA since myself and Tomasz restarted the company. He's had digs at the Cubes, SSP interconnects and now the amps (he hasn't even heard the MKIII amps). All things that he previously loved. It's all in the archive. At least he got to sell his gear, here, for free - saving him £££s in ebay fees - so we can't be completely bad! He's a lot more enthusiastic about NVA gear in his classifieds ads, btw :lol:

Seriously, though, I'd rather have honest feedback than anyone skirt around a problem. If there are issues with a product or you think something could be better, I will always want to know. I hope folks will see that we are investing our money to build on the strengths of Richard's designs, while adding professional business practices that will make NVA easy and enjoyable to deal with, both for existing customers and the new customers that we need to attract...
You really should not take every mention of other products personally Paul. I had a genuine issue with longer length of SSP in a certain context. Practically all my cabling is still NVA. I like how it sounds (or doesn't sound). Liked all the NVA kit I've owned. Little to criticise. Replaced some as something else worked better for me partly to reduce the box count as much as an uplift in sound. Still have Cubes and passive pre. Frankly if you are trying to alienate me as a customer you are going the right way about it. Still was going to send that cable in to split if it doesn't sell soon. Frankly I wish you and Tomasz every success with NVA. Just isn't the only good sounding kit out there and it isn't as much of a bargain now as Richard was able to charge so little. :mrgreen: Just supporting Madmick's sale as the big MF stuff is seriously good and not stratospheric in price as so many products are these days. As I said there are different flavours in hi-fi. In my experience a lot of it is sideways moves and just wanting a change. There is no absolute best or better.
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Re: For Sale: Musical Fidelity kW550

Unread post by savvypaul »

Classicrock wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2020 1:20 pm
savvypaul wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2020 12:06 pm The easy answer is to hear them side by side in your own system. That's why we offer a 30 day home trial.

Trust your own ears. Classicrock has had a downer on NVA since myself and Tomasz restarted the company. He's had digs at the Cubes, SSP interconnects and now the amps (he hasn't even heard the MKIII amps). All things that he previously loved. It's all in the archive. At least he got to sell his gear, here, for free - saving him £££s in ebay fees - so we can't be completely bad! He's a lot more enthusiastic about NVA gear in his classifieds ads, btw :lol:

Seriously, though, I'd rather have honest feedback than anyone skirt around a problem. If there are issues with a product or you think something could be better, I will always want to know. I hope folks will see that we are investing our money to build on the strengths of Richard's designs, while adding professional business practices that will make NVA easy and enjoyable to deal with, both for existing customers and the new customers that we need to attract...
You really should not take every mention of other products personally Paul. I had a genuine issue with longer length of SSP in a certain context. Practically all my cabling is still NVA. I like how it sounds (or doesn't sound). Liked all the NVA kit I've owned. Little to criticise. Replaced some as something else worked better for me partly to reduce the box count as much as an uplift in sound. Still have Cubes and passive pre. Frankly if you are trying to alienate me as a customer you are going the right way about it. Still was going to send that cable in to split if it doesn't sell soon. Frankly I wish you and Thomasz every success with NVA. Just isn't the only good sounding kit out there and it isn't as much of a bargain now as Richard was able to charge so little. :mrgreen: Just supporting Madmick's sale as the big MF stuff is seriously good and not stratospheric in price as so many products are these days. As I said there are different flavours in hi-fi. In my experience a lot of it is sideways moves and just wanting a change. There is no absolute best or better.
I'm very much of the 'live and let live' mindset. There are lots of recommendations for other products here. Vive la difference! For that reason, I very rarely challenge opinions (I can't remember the last time I did so) but when I do it is usually when there appears to be an agenda behind them. You haven't heard the MKIII A80s, so why make the comparison? I thought the whole point was to let people make their own minds up, using their own ears. I'm not so much 'taking it personally' as 'scratching my head'.

BTW, I valued reading your comments about the Cubes, regarding efficiency, power requirements and maximum SPL. I thought that was insightful and valid, and it has informed some of our thinking with the new Cubes that we will introduce later this year. I'm hopeful that we can offer a driver upgrade for existing owners.

We are always happy to help with any issues regarding any of our products. If you're having difficulty (with SSP), email us or PM.

Regarding value for money, I've explained here, many times, that we have to pay things like tax (and soon, VAT), unit rent etc. Richard was the only one who could sell at the prices he did. The new NVA products are better quality and, still, excellent value.
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