NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by CN211276 »

TIS Mk2

Having not seen pictures I was immediately struck by the thickness and weight of the cable. It looks a lot different to the SSP Mk 2 which it replaced between my pre amp and mono blocks.

From the off it was apparent that the sound was better. The main difference was the sound stage in terms of width and to a greater extent depth. There is more space between everything, something I have experienced with every NVA purchase. Drums are further back, allowing more room for other instruments and vocals to “breathe”.

Most of the music I listen to is dominated by the electric guitar. With the TIS Mk2 instrumentation lower in the mix is more prominent, increasing enjoyment. This was very much apparent with Mick Ronson’s guitar solo at the end of Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream”, the piano being a lot more to the fore front. Another example is early Whitesnake albums where Jon Lord’s keyboards are often low in the mix behind the guitars.

I have also detected a slight improvement in dynamics with cymbal crashes having a bit more “bite”. Bass also seems to be slightly better defined.
The SSP Mk2 is now connecting the Phono 1 to the P50 SA. The improvements to vinyl reproduction are similar to those described above, but in addition there is noticeably more detail, especially with higher frequencies. My review of the Phono 1 on page 14 did not do it justice because the interconnector I was using was holding it back. This might seem strange, but to my ears the sound from vinyl is now more digital. I think there is a two way effect with digital sounding warmer and less clinical with the TIS Mk 2.

In the context of my system I am very pleased with the TIS Mk2 and it is a worthwhile upgrade.
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

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

Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Colbat

RIP Doc

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

P20/A20 - some thoughts 6 months on

alfafan123 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 2:27 pm

I see that the P20/A20 Loan Scheme is back up and running again so thought that some potential purchasers might like to hear my thoughts (warts and all) after six months or so of ownership and after the initial euphoria has worn off.I hope this might encourage potential buyers of the P20/A20 package to take advantage of the loan scheme and try it for themselves.

I expect that like many people who count hifi and music as their hobby I have owned many different products and makes of gear over the years. However some make me feel like why on earth did I buy that? or Hmmm not bad but doesn't really engage to Wow! or this is a grower and/or a keeper.

After a small initial problem with a bridge rectifier which RD sorted (thanks Doc) I have now owned my P20/A20 for a little over 6 months and in frequent use it has worked flawlessly. However reliability although laudible it is not what makes me keep gear and neither is value for money. It has to communicate emotionally to me and make me want to listen to music.

I use my P20/A20 in my small study hooked up to my iMac as source and via the suppled LS2 cables into JBL Control 1 speakers (89Dbw) in a near field desktop configuration. My initial reaction was Wow! it is so easy to hear everything without any grain or harshness with bass notes that stop and start and that is still true after 6 months but I would add now that music just sounds right. It is like the musicians/vocalists are well rehearsed and playing together. Not the most dramatic of comments I grant you but it is rare that I now think oh that is a terrible recording so it reproduces musical timing exceptionally well. I find that I can relax while listening and simply enjoy the music which sounds open, dimensional and dynamic. Cymbals and percussion sound clear as a bell but are not bright or fatiguing and do not get drowned out in complex or busy mixes. Similarly vocals have an organic coherence that makes intelligibility of lyrics easy.

Another comment is I find the design and appearance of both items classy, understated and yet also attractive and something I have not tired of. IMHO it makes some of the gear on the market just look ridiculously over-styled/over-engineered.

A few further thought re living with it everyday..the A20 is very very quiet both acoustically (inaudible at >2ft) and electrically (important for near field listening) and despite its modest power happily drives my Rega RX3s (also 89Dbw) in my main system in a much larger room. It is also gentle on switch on emitting only a very soft "plop" and virtually silent to switch off...so no nasty loud pops or clicks. I have found it good practise to keep my mobile phone away from the units to avoid occasional interference.

So the P20/A20 is a keeper that has grown on me and continues to do so. Just use it with efficient speakers and you will have dynamics in spades that you never have dreamed of from a 25wpc amp and it has never sounded weedy with my speakers.

IMHO the P20/A20 package is exceptional in todays market not only for value for money which is pretty obvious but more importantly for its musical performance which is extraordinary and is something that puts a smile on my face as its many engaging qualities continue to become apparent to me.

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by karatestu »

I bought one of the Doc's TIS mk2 (the interconnect statement) cables he had on offer a little while ago.Only just got around to installing it :roll: . As i have multiple power amps which have interconnects hardwired at one end i thought it would be easier to try the cable between my Naim CD3.5 and Avondale DIY preamp. After changing the stupid din sockets on the Naim cdp and hooking up the TIS we were good to go.....

The following is copy and pasted from my thread on the TIS............................

TIS cable is in and I am currently listening to Stevie wonder Innervisions :dance: That bus is in the room again doc :lol: Very interesting but I have not listened any way near enough yet to make any comments apart from I can hear more of the music :guiness; . I have replaced a cable and sockets in one go so I don't know what did what between them.

More listening to do..............

I am currently playing Weather Report Domino Theory. Yes I know , AGAIN. I have a about 15 cd's I listen to when playing about with my system and this is one of them.

I have just had one of the longest tingling, hairs stuck up on the back of my neck moments. Very emotional - I almost wept with joy the music moved me so much. It was the last track on the album - Domino Theory. All of you who don't like Jazz (or Jazz fusion as this is known) are probably shaking your heads thinking how can I be moved by a "random collection of noises". Well I can and it has just happened. Being a drummer helps I suppose and jazz is the pinnacle of drumming.

In the track Domino Theory I am suddenly very more aware of Wayne Shorter's saxophone. In places his parts are exactly the same as Joe Zawinul's (RIP)keyboard parts - so very together that sometimes I could not make out the full tone and sound of each. I most definitely can now. It brought tears to my eyes listening to how well those two interacted and played together, and the increased information around each instrument brought some magic moments where the full intention and brilliant technique of the musicians were brought over.

More later when I have listened more. It's karate training tonight though which will put a spanner in the works........................

I am currently sat captivated in my listening chair, unable to move with mouth open a lot of the time. Reminds me of being stoned, it is that good :grin: . I never thought that cables could make such a difference, but they can :shock: I have obviously never heard a really good cable up to now. Eyes wide open.

There is much more information present with this TIS between CDP and preamp. Call it information, detail or whatever you want but it is not the kind of upgrade that would happen if improving a regulator or power supply and it is never in your face or unpeasant. It is a different kind of detail where the instruments sound more like the real thing rather than a faxcimile of it. The whole of the instrument is there - resonating, harmonic detail which is so beautiful I want to weep again :roll:

I am finding most improvement in the mid and high frequencies. The shimmer of cymbals, sound effects put on instruments etc etc. I can hear further into the recording, even the room where it was recorded. Soundstage and imaging have been improved. Even though my semi Omni speakers are not well known for their imaging the improvement is clear to the ears :dance:

Once again the atmosphere of the recording and the beautiful, technical playing of the musicians is what shines through with this cable.

More listening to do........

Another observation.

I am hearing the best vocals I have ever had. So clear and natural. Also less sibilance which is nice. I can hear the individual parts in multi layered vocals better. Listening to Sheryl Crow (the track "Home")at the moment and I have never wanted to screw her more than now :whistle:

Earlier I was listening to Portishead Dummy and I never thought that Beth Gibbons was that good a vocalist. Now I can clearly hear that she is better than I had given her credit for :dance:................................

Back on topic......

These TIS really are someting special. The music has never been so good.

Lets see how many i need...

1) CDP to pre check
2)Phono1 to pre
3)Preamp to poweramp1
4)Preamp to poweramp2
5)Preamp to poweramp3 (when i get round to adding another for triamping)

Looks like i need another four - better get saving up.

Plus, i was thinking of adding yet another amp so each bass driver gets its own amp instead of paralleling the two isobaric bass drivers. This will get expensive.


To conclude, this TIS cable is exceedingly good and probably even better than that. I was not prepared for the jump in the musical ability of my system when adding this cable. I use a super sound cord in my other other system and knew that was good but this cable is so much in a different league it could almost be from another planet. Music has never been so good for me. In the words of Abba:

"So I say
Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me"
DIY FREE ZONE

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Re: P20 / A20 starter pre and power amplifier loan

Post by ArloFlynn » Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:52 am

A review of my short time with the P20/A20 NVA loan system.

First CD’s –

If I have anything new to demo (not happened too often) I always start with one of my favorite albums of all time, ‘’Low’’ – David Bowie
First 4 tracks kick in – ‘Speed of life’, ‘Breaking glass’, ‘What in the world’ then ‘Sound and Vision. Initially each song to my ears is slightly slower than what I am used of. However come the end of each track I am not noticing it. Bass and kick drum are banging away together well which is what makes side 1 of the album for me, so no disappointment there. Bowie’s vocals are slightly back in the mix too, but none the less, still in charge of the music, if you could picture the stage, I would say he is more in with the other musicians. On the Valve system his vocals are more prominent and forward of the instruments, making him stand out perhaps a little more than intended. His voice is also sounding a little sweeter rather than darker. Last time I saw Bowie live (one of his last concerts), I was in row 3 centre mic and he was ‘hangin 10’ most of the time – Very forward.

Next up ‘D’ White Denim
First 3 tracks – ‘It’s him’, ‘Burnished’, ‘Down at the farm’
I love this album, it’s in ya face, full on, looping mental all or nothing guitars, with a splattering of strings and woodwind here or there, however it’s not an album I can sit in front of the speakers and listen to, I normally have to leave the room, turn up the volume and get on with cooking tea or something. It sounds rubbish at low volume and at high seems to lose the musicality and sounds too loud and messy. With the P20/A20 though, I was able to sit and listen, and what a listen, everything was pushed back and positioned into its place, I could pick out the guitars, loops and heavy production work in the mix, it was no longer too ‘loud and in ya face’, but just ‘in ya face’. Cut the descriptive crap, it was a blistering listen, especially ‘Burnished’- poo’d all over any other listen of this album. Top marks. (Should buy it just to hear White Denim as I think they were intended) Everyone else was disappointed though, as they had to get their own tea.

Then Records –
1st up, ‘Low’ Bowie. Side1 - It sounded exactly the same as the CD, which I was not expecting, I really couldn’t detect a difference between the CD and Vinyl.

Next up
‘Never mind the Bollocks...’. Sex Pistols. Side1 – Very easy to listen to, I can pick out the instruments, Guitar, Bass, Drums, making it easier to follow the songs. Again, Johnny’s vocals are back in the mix and more relaxed than usual. This is another album I find it hard to listen to without upping the volume, making my ears bleed. I do have to push the volume on the NVA, but it makes it less loud and powerful and more detailed instead. I found this happened with a couple of other albums I tried.

Lastly
‘Transfomer’ – Lou Reed. Side 1 – I had stopped analyzing by now and just got on and enjoyed the music. It did sound good though, nothing lacking to how It normally sounds.

One thing I think I have learned with listening to the P20/A20 is, what ‘detail’ is. I always thought detail meant more sort of sharp splashy treble with less head nodding, foot tapping rhythm and rocking. Wrong! I think detail is less loudness, more musicality and space, so you can hear the instruments without losing any of the stuff that makes it rock.

The P20/A20 is just great, and stands up well to my system. I will definitely recommend it to a friend of mine who is just starting out. Will I be buying one? No! But that’s because I will be buying an NVA amp further up the ladder.

Thanks

Kevin

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by Berty bass »

Phono 2 + PSU

Usually I'd wait until the honeymoon period was over and until I'd finished experimenting with positioning the unit but - hey ho - here goes.

I should start by saying I play bass in a pop covers band and have done for several years. As such I think I know what instruments sound like 'in the flesh' and tend to listen carefully to bass guitar closely as that's my main reference point. Vinyl is my main source and my front end is the new Rega P6, kitted out with a Goldring Excel GS MC cartridge, which sports a Gyger S stylus. The P6 has only been round a few months and I'd partnered it and the Goldring with the new Rega MC Fono stage, and been happy enough with them. I strayed upon NVA quite by accident, when they were mentioned on one of the Rega Facebook Forums. I'd done a bit of reading and already joined this Forum when the Doc did his Black Friday promotion and - courtesy of a heads up from Andy-831 (thanks Andy!) - nabbed one of the Phono 2/PSU units early on. I took delivery last week so I'd count these musings as early impressions.

The first thing that appealed straight out the box was the purposeful design and decent weight of the power supply - suggesting some quality parts within. My set up sits in a chimney breast (the fire having been removed!) so allows very little room for horizontal flexibility and initially just swapped the head unit over with the Rega Fono, powered it up and was greeted with what sounded like a helicopter overhead - it was sat right under my (Rega Elicit) amp! Some jigging around meant I was able to put it on its side, equidistant between the PSU and the amp and about 2' from each. This got the helicopter down to perfectly acceptable levels - inaudible at my usual listening levels but just about there when really turned up with no music playing. I suspect longer interconnects and some more thoughtful locating will reap even better results in due course.

When trying any new kit the first thing I try to establish is whether something is just different or actually better. I've got a few tracks I try for reference - Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On?' (with the masterful James Jamerson on bass); Scott Walker's 'I Don't Want to Hear it Anymore' and Teenage Fanclub's 'Mellow Doubt'. I found the Rega majored on energy and drive and the Phono 2 I initially found to be less impactful and more sophisticated. But I was aware that everything was there - and the sound stage seemed to have gained real depth too. Jamerson's bass sounded like a bass guitar rather than a bass guitar reproduced. Instruments are rendered with greater depth, nuance and faithfulness and everything is more present. I could hear Scott's breathing between notes and the strings had scale, impact and weight. The TF track I always listen to for when the bass slides in after the first few bars because it just kicks the song up the arse. Again - bass guitar sounding like a bass guitar, like it does when I plug my own in and practice! As others have said, I found myself simply sitting there and smiling. This was on the first night and listening time was limited.

Last weekend I had a bit more time which meant the big guns came out, specifically King Crimson's 'Starless' from their album, Red. This track is a monster, a real test for any system and a emotional experience for the listener - for me anyway. It's a 12 minute roller coaster which starts with strings and gentle vocals before progressing into some really subtle percussion, moving onto passages of distorted bass and abrupt stops and starts before ending in a crescendo of strings, mellotron, horns and every other f**king thing going. It's a ride and I was actually welling up by the end of this listen. It was genuinely emotional experience and a thrill from start to finish. The plunge into the deep bass underpinning the mellotron at the end nearly took my breath away.

To me music is about communicating emotion. If it doesn't make you feel then it's wall paper - or bog paper. I'm really enjoying the Phono 2/PSU, really enjoying it - oh damn it, I love it! It engenders a greater emotional response on the part of this listener I think than any other single piece of kit I've bought. It renders music and resolves instruments - including voices - with greater nuance and faithfulness than I've heard before, and positions them in a sound stage that is as deep as it is wide, and has made my system sound the best it ever has. Thanks, Doc, for putting a smile - hell, a great big, stupid grin - on a middle-aged music fan's face.

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Re: TSCS Loan 2.5m

post by dwhistance » Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:23 am

As I've had these playing fairly constantly in my system for a few days now I thought I ought to post an interim review. To put this in context my system, or at least the bit used for the review is as follows: source is a Mac Mini playing through a Mytek Brooklyn DAC. The DAC is connected to the pre-amp, a very much modified Quad 34, with 80cm of TIS Mk1 and the pre-amp is connected to the power amp, a Threshold S200, with 9m of SC. The TSCS, standing in for my regular LS6, then connects to Reference 3A Episode Be loudspeakers. Certainly not a typical NVA system.

I should say straight away that the introduction of each of the NVA cables into my system has been a revelation, revealing information that had been hidden by my previous cables and has greatly enhanced both mine and my family's enjoyment of the system so I may well be biased in favour of the Doc's "cable sound". With that in mind here are my initial thoughts on TSCS:

When I first put the LS6 into my system I was struck immediately by the sense of space as the soundstage opened up and also by the improved bass the speakers delivered. Swapping the LS6 for TSCS gave me a sense of deja-vu as again there was an increased sense of space and an even bigger soundstage. Similarly the bass is again better with even better resolution, so much so that listening to Yoyo Ma playing the Bach Cello Suites, music I know very well and have heard him playing live, he could have been in the room with me - amazing. TSCS also improves over LS6 at the other end of the range in the high treble. Parts of Pergolesi's Stabat Mater that have a tendency to sound sharp, reverberant and "out of control" snapped into focus, similarly with the Tallis Scholars recording of Gesualdo's Tenebrae Responses parts of which can be almost painful but are now revealed fully. LS6 does a very good job of separating the tones of the soprano and counter tenor, better than I had heard before with other cables, but TSCS does it even better allowing you to follow each strand of the music if you so wish. It also seems to expand the harmonics compared with lesser cables giving a much fuller more realistic sound. In case you think this is genre specific I have heard exactly the same listening to pop from Leonard Cohen, Rag 'n' Bone Man and Eric Clapton as well as jazz from Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Oscar Peterson. The only downside is that, as always, badly recorded music is shown up for what it is, albeit it is still very enjoyable.

In conclusion I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to these cables. They take the strengths of the already very good LS6 and build on them. I would also say that the difference between the two isn't incremental, it's huge, which is surprising as at this point you might expect to be well into the area of diminishing returns. They are expensive cables but in my opinion clearly worth the price and I will be buying a set early in the New Year.

Happy Holidays

David Whistance

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

eagwok33
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Re: Phono 2 plus BBPSU

Here is my review about my experience with the NVA phono 2 plus BBPSU:

Well, how to start:
After having listened 1 to 2 hours a day for about 10 days now to my phono 2 / BBPSU in my system, I’d like to share my impressions about my vinyl listening experiences with you.

My system is mainly non-NVA - with the exception of my newly delivered TSCS and the phono2 /BBPSU - and consists of:
Vinyl front-end: Perpetuum Ebner PE33 Studio with Schröder CB-Arm and Lyra Skala, 1980s Linn LP12+Lingo, Ekos, MusicMaker III mi cartridge; pimped Lenco L75 with Schick 12” tone arm currently not in use
Phono: Graham Slee Era Gold and Graham Slee Revelation with PSU1 and/or DIY power supplies, EAR 834P (with some part upgrades)
Preamp: LFD Anniversary
PowerAmps: DIY 2A3 monos and DIY First Watt M2 Clone
LS: Pair of Haigner 3-way horn ls (with 15” Altec 416 bass drivers and BMS compression drivers for mids and tweeter horns)

The first thing I noticed when connecting the BBPSU / Phono 2 to my mains in my music room, was a tiny bit of hum you could hear from the bass section of the speakers when the phono input was selected but the volume down. The hum wasn't audible from the listening position some 2.5m away, but it was audible when standing next to the speakers. As my speakers are 98dB efficiency this resulting hum is more a minor issue, though. The 2x 1000 VA transformers in the BBPSU have been dead silent from start. :-) In the meantime, I realized that floating the BBPSU helped to reduce the hum to close to inaudible levels. :epopc:

When I started my listening sessions during the first evening with my PE33 Studio and mc cartridge, the 1st thing I noticed was that the gain level (with the tube amps as well as with the First Watt M2 clone) was really low. A phone call with Richard revealed that he had built me an MM stage and I had ordered an MC stage. This was unfortunate but we immediately agreed that I try the MM stage and decide later if I send the unit back to him to be updated to an MC stage or keep the MM version or return the phono2 plus BBPSU in the unlikely case I didn’t like the sound of the NVA phono stage.
As I also own a very good step up a Berlin friend of mine made (1:15 ratio with nano crystalline cores) I mainly listened to my MC front-end with the phono 2 / BBPSU combo.

Well, if you are still reading this review, thanks a lot for your patience. :-) I reward you now with my findings regarding how the phono 2 plus BBPSU musically performed in my system. All findings below are with my new pair of NVA TSCS connecting amp and horn speakers. (I will write about them in comparison with my LS6 pair, once the TSCS has a bit more hours burn-in time).
Well, I listened to various music from Mozart piano concertos, classical symphonies and guitar recordings to intimate Jazz trio recordings and some blues, US folk & blue grass as well as rock music.

All I can say is that the NVA phono 2 / BBPSU has superb musicality and this is one of the most important things I’m looking for in a piece of audio equipment! To my ears this phono stage lets the musicians express what - as it seems to me - they intended to record live or in the studio to the vinyl in the first place. What I haven’t heard with my other phono stages is this musical flow, emotion and especially “silence / breathing space” (I don’t know how to describe it) between notes. This makes a lot of a difference for me on how a musical performance is perceived via an LP (or CD or digital file in general). It is this kind of flow, emotion and “silence” between notes which makes a reproduction “more realistic” to my ears. For example, I often listen later in the evening at lower levels and also tend to read a book or news paper besides listening to music. Well, with the phono2 this isn’t really possible, as the music delivered feels often so reaI and engaging that one has to focus on the music played! 8-)

I have had the chance to audition quite a number of phono stages up to now (tube and solid state ones, some of them also “crazy” expensive) but only a few of them have delivered such a realistic reproduction of music (and these were unfortunately either expensive ones I don’t have the funds to own or DIY tube ones I currently don’t have the ability to build).

Another strength of the NVA phono 2 is the dynamic performance of reproduced music. For example, the shadings of natural instruments (bass and violin) are reproduced in an exemplary way (LP of Norman Blake / Tut Taylor / Sam Bush… song: Sauerkraut n’ Solar Energy, Sonet Productions Ltd, London, 1976). This is really exceptional and in my opinion is most likely also a result of Richards’s “big power supply”-philosophy. The BBPSU with 2 times 1000 VA transformers is definitely overkill spec-wise for a phono stage but such a device then has plenty of reserves driving the phono 2 and is also a very low resistance supply. Both things seem to be a big plus when it comes to the musical outcome! :-)

Overall, I am very impressed with the music the phono 2 plus BBPSU reproduces from vinyl. I can’t compare it to the phone 2 with one or two standard psu but I’m sure both versions are capable of similar musical performance.
Is there something to criticize? No, there is nothing in my book. This is an exceptional phono stage for sure. A real keeper! :dance:

The only thing I’d like to mention is the following:
The BBPSU is quite a heavy beast – about 20 kg – and has no on / off switch. It is important to separate it as far as possible from the TT and phono stage or other sensitive equipment.

And plugging it into the mains the first time, could trigger the circuit breaker. Thankfully, it didn’t do it in my case. According to Richard it’s the best thing to leave it on constantly as in idle mode power consumption is minimal. Only when one goes on a trip, it is a good idea to take it from the mains. Well, fine with me! :-)
I didn’t explain this to my wonderful wife, who is very supporting and understanding when it comes to my audio and music hobby! Thanks, Sweety! I know, she would not be happy about “electrical appliances” without a power-on/-off switch, though or at least it wouldn’t be an easy task to convince her about why such a switch isn’t standard with a BBPSU. So, WAF most likely isn’t as high as mine, I would assume! :think: As the unit is sitting in my dedicated music room, everything is fine, though!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Norbert

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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by CN211276 »

LS2

At the price I could not go wrong buying short lengths for the second system in the bedroom. The system was previously bi-wired with QED 79 strand so two sets were purchased.

Because of the layout of the room sound quality is compromised by the positioning of the speakers and the review has to be considered in this context. Any improvements in sound stage and imaging would be masked. What is apparent is that the sound is noticeably clearer as if there is less getting in the way of the signal path. It is as if a layer of colouration has been lifted. The listening experience is more pleasant. There is also improvement at the frequency extremes, the bass being tighter and the treble being more extended with greater sparkle.

A good vale upgrade.
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Farnells cat 8 ethernet cable

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

Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/AQ DF Colbat

RIP Doc

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LS6 speaker cable review

Unread post by karatestu »

I bought 5 Metre and 2.5 Metre sets of LS6 in the Black Friday promotion and received them before Christmas. I have done a fair amount of listening in that time but they are to my ears, still improving :shock:

I am listening with highly modified Naim CD3.5 with 4 psu's - TIS - DIY Avondale 821A preamp - home made cables - (four) DIY Avondale voyager power amps - DIY isobaric,3 way semi Omni's . Previous speaker cable was Avondale Black Link which is highly regarded and was a significant upgrade from my Naim NACA5 speaker cable.

At first I could not put my finger on the change the LS6 brought but after an album or two it began to unfold for me.

As ever with NVA it is all about the music - there is more of it. It improves things over my Avondale blacklink cable in key areas.

There is more space, instruments sound more like real instruments. I have noticed some bass lines much easier to follow. There is more information present but in a subtle, not in your face way. More lovely textures to synth's and bass. I noticed the sound of a snare drum earlier which clearly was not being hit in the centre of the skin where as before it was masked. The space around instruments is clearer - leading edges and decay of notes are more detailed.

I like it a lot - there is more to hear but it is less fatiguing than before if that makes sense.

Busy listening to CD after CD which is a good thing

I reverted from triamping to biamping for this and it is clearly better than triamping with the old cables


Listening to Nick Drake. River man is a beautiful track which often gets the hairs on the neck standing up. No exception this time, if anything the hairs are not coming back down. There is much on this song to tickle the emotions. His voice of course, the guitar playing style the 5/4 time signature and the lovely string part. I have never heard Nick's voice so clear - every little warble is evident. Wow

I listened to A funk odyssey by Jamiroquai. The opening of the first track (feel so good) is always a hair tingling moment. It fades in with a wind blowing noise and lots of little tinkling bells. Then the synthesiser comes in the wind and bells swell and then boom - the full band in. There are some voices at this point which now appear to be immediately to the left of my head - it is a bit holographic, like seeing a 3D film, the voices popped out at me 10 feet across the room :grin: . That has never happened until buying the LS6. Being a bass heavy album (aren't all of J.K's) there is plenty of time to assess the bass performance with LS6. It is rich, wholesome with loads of texture - currently trying to work out what amp was used. Fast bass lines with lots of notes make more sense now than they ever have.

There is more high frequency energy and detail than before - cymbals really highlight this. The shimmering decay of a crash cymbal, the "ping" of a ride cymbal being struck on the bell near it's centre. I heard this on some Blue Note compilation CD's. Beautifully engaging and relaying more of the musician's feel and genius. Sometimes it is hard to tell exactly where a drummer hits the drum or cymbal. The sound is different depending on where it is struck and the LS6 add a lot to being able to hear it. Tracks that I used to find uninteresting are now being played because of the increased texture and emotion coming across from the musicians.

An excellent product and a steal at the price. The only way that these cables will be leaving is back to NVA HQ when upgrading to TSCS :lol:
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Re: NVA Reviews (THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR STASHING REVIEWS)

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Super Sound Pipe & LS/5 At The Crack Of Dawn

by Lotus Seven S » Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:06 am

I am a subjectivist - all the way down.

This means amongst many other things that it is almost impossible for me to write a review of these new acquisitions. But what I can do, is tell you about what happened to me, when I plugged in the black cables to the black boxes.

As a subjectivist I am also a relativist - things only have meaning when put into a context of many other things. So I am going to start a little ways back. I have owned very, very expensive cables, expensive cables and cheap cables. Looking back I am rather disgusted at my own tomfoolery - as I really have no idea if cables work or not - and there were several years where I preferred my interconnects at 5 euro to them at 1000 euro. Or to say it in another way - I no longer care if or how cables work. But I do want to have a pleasant time, whilst listening.

I bought these cables as a result of Black Friday - and this inevitably gave delays. I am very bad at waiting - and if I ever buy anything again from Richard then I will willingly pay extra for expedited transport. But this also meant, that I was impatient when I went to work with listening to the cables.

My first thought after the first notes were "Gosh". Then I thought "Lush". After that there was "Slow" and after that "Fast". And then I thought how is this possible? My working hypothesis was - These cables accentuate what is: Slow passages become slow. Fast passages become fast. Melodic passages become melodic. ETC.

I left them on playing music, whilst I went shopping and walked the dog. And then back to serious business.

And something had happened whilst I was away. Because now they sounded bad. Flat. And something was missing. At such times I resort to Pink Noise Brown Noise and White Noise. I hate it when that happens: But a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do.

So the first day ended rather frustrated. In the middle of the night, I thought - we are going to take it slow from now on.

And things have actually been fine since.

I fitted them to my tube amplifier and I immediately heard a "big difference". There was quite simply more ..... of something or other. Not quite sure how to say it. More "Bloom". (Not euphonic as such - but just more music in the music, so to say.)

So I am very pleased.

I am still a cable-sceptic. I don't know if they burn in. I don't know if these cables will work for others. And I don't know if it is all in my imagination - that just needed something new to play with. But I am keeping them - and I am looking forward to later in the day hearing more music in my music.

More is sometimes better than less.

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