Yet another Phono 1

[wallace]

I could not have put it better myself.Sums it all up Steve...

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Steve - Are you going to tell them that at TAS

[SteveTheShadow]

Steve - Are you going to tell them that at TAS

Will do. That'll be interesting
TBH, it's a while since I have posted there.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Sorry I thought you were a regular, I don't check it very often now, unless I want to have nap and need a stimulus

My point is general, I love your reviews and keep them coming, just don't be scared to post them *elsewhere* on the web..

[SteveTheShadow]

Cheers Doc.
Now I've heard what the NVA philosophy represents, via the Phono1, I'm realising that it chimes in perfectly with the type of sound I have been trying to achieve over the past ten years or so.
I always knew, that vinyl could not possibly sound as bad as the Linn hideousness I had experienced, but yet, I had heard plenty of non-Linn fronted vinyl systems, that although not as nasty, still left a great deal to be desired. A lot of vinyl replay I have heard, still sounds surprisingly poor, given the amount of money that folks have clearly spent on the equipment and paraphernalia surrounding the black stuff. I have heard enough mistracking and inner groove distortion coming from very expensive set-ups, to last me a lifetime, yet some people are either in denial or utterly oblivious to it. Digital has its share of problems but vinyl nasties like that, are certainly not one of them.

I think, what the combination of heavily modified idler TT, unipivot arm, excellent Japanese MM cart, with Shibata stylus and the cherry on the cake in the form of the NVA Phono 1, clearly illustrates, is that it is not necessary to spend thousands of pounds to get vinyl to function properly and start to sing; that is if good engineering, rather than the desire to make a fast buck is at the head of the queue.

[SteveTheShadow]

http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/2537 ... o-1?page=1

[jammy395]

Nice one Steve......Its as you say, you can indeed build a great Vinyl system for
sensible money.

[SteveTheShadow]

Interestingly, today I revalved my pentode monoblocks with a set of EL34s.
I had originally designed the amp for EL34 valves, but had been using KT88s, with an adjustment to the bias voltage. The KT88s, in hi-fi terms were a bit better at the top and bottom ends than EL34s. As I said in my review the NVA phono 1 has been a revelation in terms of my own experiences of vinyl replay.
However, the NVA Phono1/EL34 amp combination is a match made in heaven, which means the Phono1 has gone up even more in my estimation. The musicality of the combination is outstanding; full-bodied, authoritative and completely natural and unfatiguing. Loving it!