Ian7633
23-08-2017, 16:05
As many of you will know the phono stage bake off Jamie and myself had planned had to be cancelled but the NVA Phono 2 was already here so before sending it back we thought we'd try it out and give you our honest opinion. In the interest of comparison we used my Nakamichi CA5 E pre amp which has a Nelson Pass Threshold phono stage, I only use it as a phono stage and not as a pre amp.
First impressions taking the Phono2 out of the box were of a very nicely designed unit, clean, uncluttered lines from the glossy acrylic case. The rear of the unit is clearly marked for connections and power hook up is taken care of by two sturdy XLR cables. It can be used with one or two power supplies, adding the second is optional.
We tested it using my Toshiba SR 370/Mission 774 arm/Ortofon 2M black, Musical Fidelity A3 amp and Mordaunt Short Signifer speakers connected with NVA LS5 cable. The Phono2 was connected with both power supplies first and later with just one.
After letting it "warm up" we played Pink Floyd's The Wall and the first thing we noticed was the sense of space and of the sound stage being broad and well defined. The individual instruments had their own positions but they didn't sound disjointed or awkward in presentation. The bass was nicely controlled but lacked a little of the Nakamichi's punch but where the Phono2 shone was in the mid and treble, astonishingly dynamic and precise but never sounding harsh or forced. Gilmour's acoustic guitars felt like they were in the room, like you could reach out and touch them. The Wall is full of quiet/loud, light/dark moments but not once did anything seem lost or overpowering.
Next up was 10cc's Original Soundtrack, a master work of production that puts any equipment through it's paces. Again that wide sound stage came alive and drew you into the music, almost like being surrounded by the band. The Nakamichi once again had a slightly tighter grip on the bass but the Phono2 felt more involving and dynamic.
The guitars on Stephen Stills first album were full of subtlety and attack, all at the right moments and the vocals clean and sharp, even during his coke fuelled rantings.
We played the same music using only one power supply and there was a noticeable drop in overall presence but was still an enjoyable listen. You definitely get the best results with the second power supply connected.
In conclusion the Nakamichi is still a great unit but the Phono2 is an extremely capable and dynamic performer which brings a new space and realism to music, we liked it a lot.
First impressions taking the Phono2 out of the box were of a very nicely designed unit, clean, uncluttered lines from the glossy acrylic case. The rear of the unit is clearly marked for connections and power hook up is taken care of by two sturdy XLR cables. It can be used with one or two power supplies, adding the second is optional.
We tested it using my Toshiba SR 370/Mission 774 arm/Ortofon 2M black, Musical Fidelity A3 amp and Mordaunt Short Signifer speakers connected with NVA LS5 cable. The Phono2 was connected with both power supplies first and later with just one.
After letting it "warm up" we played Pink Floyd's The Wall and the first thing we noticed was the sense of space and of the sound stage being broad and well defined. The individual instruments had their own positions but they didn't sound disjointed or awkward in presentation. The bass was nicely controlled but lacked a little of the Nakamichi's punch but where the Phono2 shone was in the mid and treble, astonishingly dynamic and precise but never sounding harsh or forced. Gilmour's acoustic guitars felt like they were in the room, like you could reach out and touch them. The Wall is full of quiet/loud, light/dark moments but not once did anything seem lost or overpowering.
Next up was 10cc's Original Soundtrack, a master work of production that puts any equipment through it's paces. Again that wide sound stage came alive and drew you into the music, almost like being surrounded by the band. The Nakamichi once again had a slightly tighter grip on the bass but the Phono2 felt more involving and dynamic.
The guitars on Stephen Stills first album were full of subtlety and attack, all at the right moments and the vocals clean and sharp, even during his coke fuelled rantings.
We played the same music using only one power supply and there was a noticeable drop in overall presence but was still an enjoyable listen. You definitely get the best results with the second power supply connected.
In conclusion the Nakamichi is still a great unit but the Phono2 is an extremely capable and dynamic performer which brings a new space and realism to music, we liked it a lot.