Has anyone heard or owned them?
Apparently their timing and have unbeatable clarity, although they look very basic.
Apparently their timing and have unbeatable clarity, although they look very basic.
NVA
- Thread starter plastic penguin
- Start date
Edbostan
Well-known member
abacus
Well-known member
Al ears
Well-known member
Heard of never owned and don't know anyone who has ever owned any of their equipment.
I guess you have read this thread from the archives :-
NVA Cube 2 review
Courtesy of Richard Dunn I had on home demo: NVA Cube2 speakers [£1000], NVA AP50 integrated [£700], NVA LS6 speaker cables [£300] I’ve tried them in two different rooms on a Soundstyle Z1 stands 1st - 6m x 3m living room, regularly furnished, brick walls, suspended wooden floor, I’ve spend...
forums.whathifi.com
Crikey, they divide opinion. NVA and AVI are well matched in that respect.I guess you have read this thread from the archives :-
NVA Cube 2 review
Courtesy of Richard Dunn I had on home demo: NVA Cube2 speakers [£1000], NVA AP50 integrated [£700], NVA LS6 speaker cables [£300] I’ve tried them in two different rooms on a Soundstyle Z1 stands 1st - 6m x 3m living room, regularly furnished, brick walls, suspended wooden floor, I’ve spend...
nopiano
Well-known member
I heard a NVA system at the Hifi Wigwam show - before the pandemic so maybe it was 2019. It was very impressive and live sounding. It was mostly live recordings, especially Eric Clapton. The founder and owner was doing the demo, but he didn’t look 100% fit. He also ran a forum called hifi subjectivist or similar.
Sadly he died not long after. His chief engineer together with a long-time fan apparently bought the business between them. That’s what you see now. I’ve not heard anything since, but I applaud their difference and sincerity. They are obviously small as they’re only just reached a scale to become VAT registered. If you buy before 30th September it’s VAT free! I’ve looked at their power amps and there’s a lot to like.
There’s obviously a lot more here…https://nvahifi.co.uk/
Sadly he died not long after. His chief engineer together with a long-time fan apparently bought the business between them. That’s what you see now. I’ve not heard anything since, but I applaud their difference and sincerity. They are obviously small as they’re only just reached a scale to become VAT registered. If you buy before 30th September it’s VAT free! I’ve looked at their power amps and there’s a lot to like.
There’s obviously a lot more here…https://nvahifi.co.uk/
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Amormusic
Well-known member
I owned the P50SA MKII passive pre (same as in review above) until recently. An excellent preamp. Very impressive in that it added nothing at all - a window to your power amp. I regret selling it and may end up buying another one.
I've also heard NVA setups which as mentioned above are a great listen.
I would certainly consider other NVA kit. I actually would like to hear that combo reviewed above. I suspect that would sound excellent on the end of my speakers.
I've also heard NVA setups which as mentioned above are a great listen.
I would certainly consider other NVA kit. I actually would like to hear that combo reviewed above. I suspect that would sound excellent on the end of my speakers.
Revolutions
Well-known member
If I ever get to the stage of having a separate DAC & phono amp, the integrated amplifier would definitely be on my shortlist when looking to upgrade.
The line input selection with no numbers really makes me feel dirty inside for some reason. Probably because I’d need to keep a notebook with what input was on what number, then spend 5 minutes starting at one & trying to count the clicks but get distracted halfway through… 🤷♂️
The line input selection with no numbers really makes me feel dirty inside for some reason. Probably because I’d need to keep a notebook with what input was on what number, then spend 5 minutes starting at one & trying to count the clicks but get distracted halfway through… 🤷♂️
nopiano
Well-known member
DIB
Well-known member
I've owned the starter pre/power combo a few years ago. For £300 they were astonishingly good value, sounded great and pumped out more than a tiny little 30w power amp should have any right to do. Fantastic value. I then traded them in with NVA to move up the NVA ladder and went for a better pre and more powerful mono power amps. Another great jump in performance. I even had a pair of their Cube speakers. Not bad but they didn't blow me away like the amps did, and to be honest they were pretty ugly, my wife hated them.
However I owned NVA 5 or 6 years ago when their price was hugely attractive (unlike the speakers!) but these days they are out of my price range even if I did want to go back to separates (which I don't).
If you're not bothered about minimalist looks, happy to use their own speaker cables (though not 100% essential I believe), and can live without a remote control (which I quickly found out I couldn't) then NVA amps could be for you, I've never heard better.
However I owned NVA 5 or 6 years ago when their price was hugely attractive (unlike the speakers!) but these days they are out of my price range even if I did want to go back to separates (which I don't).
If you're not bothered about minimalist looks, happy to use their own speaker cables (though not 100% essential I believe), and can live without a remote control (which I quickly found out I couldn't) then NVA amps could be for you, I've never heard better.
It's the minimal looks and lack of a remote that's put me off. And when I looked on their website they highly recommend their own cables which aren't cheap.
And the former owner, was a controversial character, like Ashley James from AVI, and was banned from more than one forum.
Al ears
Well-known member
Yes, I seem to recall somewhere that they stated their amps really needed their own cables to function optimally.
That's something that would put me off any manufacturer
WayneKerr
Well-known member
Al ears
Well-known member
not sure. Their resistance possibly.
Didn't Naim used to do the same thing?
Naim NAC A5 ?
Naim Audio NAC A5 | Audio Speaker Cable | Naim Audio
The Naim Audio NAC A5 loudspeaker cable has been designed and optimised to be used alongside Naim Audio amplifiers. Discover more online.
www.naimaudio.com
Al ears
Well-known member
Possibly, l thought it was some sort of interconnectNaim NAC A5 ?
Naim Audio NAC A5 | Audio Speaker Cable | Naim Audio
The Naim Audio NAC A5 loudspeaker cable has been designed and optimised to be used alongside Naim Audio amplifiers. Discover more online.
Naim have always pressured to buy their Hi Cap or whatever other boxes as well as cables. Another good reason not to buy their stuff.
nopiano
Well-known member
I tend to agree, but they are pretty transparent about it. This is their explanation:-
- IMPORTANT - there is no protection circuitry or filtering on the output of our amplifiers (that's one of the reasons why they sound so good!), so care must be taken in use. Do not short circuit the output; doing so will fatally damage the amplifier boards. Do not use high capacitance speaker cables as these could damage the amplifier by creating a virtual short-circuit at high frequencies. Do not use bi-wiring with non-NVA cables. Do not use Litz, Goertz or woven cables. Do not twist cables together. Avoid cables with a capacitance of greater than 200pf per metre (failure to do so will invalidate our warranty) and do not use non-NVA cables over 10 metres in length. The best sounding speaker cable for NVA and the perfect electrical match, is our LS series of low capacitance cables. Proof of purchase of NVA speaker cable, or another suitable low capacitance speaker cable, may be required when submitting any NVA amplifier for warranty repair.
nopiano
Well-known member
Low capacitance, as their amps deliberately lack protection.
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