Yet another Phono 1

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Not yet, can't send on Bank Holiday. I mark it sent when it leave me to Nadia for packing. She has just told me she has run out of foam used in the packing so I can't order until tomorrow, wont get until Weds, so can't send before Thurs, so you can't get until Fri - sorry

[SteveTheShadow]

Not yet, can't send on Bank Holiday. I mark it sent when it leave me to Nadia for packing. She has just told me she has run out of foam used in the packing so I can't order until tomorrow, wont get until Weds, so can't send before Thurs, so you can't get until Fri - sorry

Come to think of it, it is a bloody Bank Holiday so obviously you couldn't have done it today.
My bad. Stand down everyone

[SteveTheShadow]

The Phono1 arrived this morning and has been playing a couple of LPs to warm it through after its journey North. I must say, it is a beautiful piece of minimalist art in its own right and that's before we start to talk about the actual sound it makes.
I'll post a review on that aspect this evening

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

That's because the designer is a classic bit of minimalist art




apart from the belly

[wallace]

I give in,which bit of you is minimalist..... OOPs i thought i was on AOS for a minute then,...

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

My willy

Well obviously there is no point in trying to compete with Marco

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Stop listening and start writing

[SteveTheShadow]

Right, it's review time

A bit of background first:
I was a reluctant vinyl user, after having been severely burned in the 80s/90s by the Linn- Flat Earth nonsense and because of it, had come to loathe and despise vinyl replay, with such an intensity, it bordered on the unhealthy.

I had long since embraced the CD and later, computer audio with open arms, and could not understand how anyone in their right mind, could prefer vinyl. But I never got rid of all my records, and after my son had built me a turntable based on a Goldring/Lenco Gl75 idler drive and a mate had given me a Mayware Formula IV arm as a box of bits to rebuild, I fitted an Audio Technica AT440MLb to the arm and was suddenly back in business and liking what I heard.

So to the present. I have been using a borrowed Musical Fidelity XLP S phono stage and enjoying my records once more, but I needed a phono stage of my own and so bought myself the subject of this review; the NVA Phono 1.

Ordering the Phono1 a couple of weeks ago, it arrived this morning and was quickly connected into the system and warmed up for an hour.

The mirror finished, black, acrylic case is quite beautiful; a perfect example of form follows function, and represents classic British Hi-Fi minimalism in the grand tradition.

The look of the thing inspires confidence from the outset. Everything about it says "quality." The gold-plated phono sockets are tough looking affairs; zero frills, bling free, like they are there to do a specific job, ie. pass a tiny signal in the most efficient manner possible, without losing information - that's it.
The captive mains lead is of a generous length, which means no problems with the cable reaching your electrical sockets, making positioning the unit a doddle. A single red LED to the left of the NVA logo indicates power is reaching the unit.

I will admit, I was a bit worried about hum, due to the lack of any metal in the external construction of the Phono1, but I needn't have been concerned; there was a compete absence of anything really; no hiss, no hum, nothing, nada. In fact I wondered if the thing was working until I passed my cleaning brush over the AT440MLb stylus and heard the familiar scrape through the speakers.

So to the sound,
The Phono1 simply sounds like music. There is a liquidity to the presentation that is quite addictive. It makes you want to keep playing records; digging out stuff, long since consigned to the "sounds crap" end of the shelf and discovering that it sounds bloody good actually. One of the best things about the sound of the Phono1 is the way that it deals with "hot" vocals. We have all cringed at the sound of sssssingers, spitting out sssssibilance and spoiling the enjoyment of what would otherwise be great records, and once it happens, you sit there waiting for it.

With the Phono1, this often troublesome aspect of vinyl replay is quite absent; 's' sounds coming over cleanly and naturally, and if your cartridge has a good line contact stylus and tracks well, the vocal reproduction allowed by the Phono1, puts the performer right in front of you, large as life, vinyl artefacts conspicuous by their absence. This is seriously impressive.

Soundstaging is also impressive, the Phono1 throwing a wide and deep picture on big classical orchestral productions. String tone, comes over without harshness whilst brass blats and blares convincingly.
Piano tone is natural, clear and free from clankiness.

The top end of the spectrum is extended and again pleasingly clear, clean and detailed, with ride cymbals shimmering nicely and crashes being splash free. Triangles, wind chimes etc are sharp and cleanly reproduced. Shakers are pin sharp and do not get buried when the music gets complex.

At the bottom end there is plenty of depth and extension with pleasing growl from bowed basses. Electric bass is well defined and textured. Kick drum is controlled and Timp rolls thunder without loss of grip. The bass end is held nicely so that it doesn't overwhelm and smear everything further up the range when the going gets complex.

Overall pace rhythm and timing, is well portrayed and pitch relationships are absolutely nailed down, with nothing sounding discordant. A good test of pitch is Fender Rhodes electric piano, which on some systems, can sound vague and off tune somehow. There is none of that nonsense with the Phono1.

I think we can safely say that I like this phono stage; I like it a lot. It has given my record collection a much needed shot in the arm. Awesome stuff Doc.

[antonio66]

Great review Stevie.

[jammy395]