Upgrade your NVA Power Amplifier(s)
Easily upgrade your NVA Power Amplifiers by adding a second power supply to your existing amp. By upgrading the power supply, you can improve audio transparency and dynamic ease, especially when driving more demanding speakers.
Simply ship your amplifiers to us for upgrade and avoid buying a whole new setup. All instructions, timings and processes will be provided after payment. If you're unsure what mark / model your existing amplifier is, and if it can be upgraded, contact us to find out!
Upgrades are non-returnable / non-refundable.
This is a bit of a follow on as I started out with the S80 before using the trade in scheme to move on to the S150 for more power and eventually upgrading that to the S300. Since this is all subjective I should say what other components I use so my pre is a refreshed NVA P80 with MM phono stage and separate power supply, Kralk Audio BC30 MK2's, Topping D30 Dac, Audiolab CDT6000 and Project Debut Carbon DC with Ortofon 2M Blue.
In some ways there is little to say that isn't already said online in the descriptions, the S80 is fantastic with 90dB+ speakers but will struggle with harder to drive speakers. I have some 85dB speakers and while the S80 didn't get hot it was clear more power was needed to drive these speakers which now sounded bass light. I upgraded to the S150 which made a clear difference but upgrading to the S300 really pushed them to their full potential.
With regard to sound, I always call it the magic which is mostly clarity, realism and imaging. When I first got the S80 it changed what I thought solid state was capable of giving, made my tube amp virtually redundant and completely switched me off from the seemingly never ended path of trying to build the best hifi system I can within my budget.
I couldn't live without an S80, it's a sweet sounding amp so now I use a pre-owned S80 (bought from NVA) to power my 90dB Kralks and my S300 powers my 15'' semi U-frame OB subs.
The S150 carries the same clear open sound of the S80 but will drive less sensitive loads easier, it's really the same for the S300 and no doubt the mono blocks. There is no suspiciously magic upgrade path here where the manufacturer promises you better components or more complex tech, you get more power and that gives more dynamic ease which is more noticeable with difficult loads. All three of these amps stand out as being very musical and engaging which is no doubt partly down to the purist design of the amplifier boards.
I highly recommend an NVA matched system, especially if you're looking for your end game. Customer service and support has been excellent. Their finance options and trade in schemes have made it possible for me to build a fantastic system while their home trials allow potential customers to demonstrate without risk.
M300 TO M600
Just had a pair of M300's upgraded to M600's and let's just say I am a happy bunny. The M600's builds on the strengths of the M300's but with greater scale, dynamics, tighter bass, more detail and all this adds to the musicality. In conclusion if you are using M300's and have £500 to spare get them upgraded. If you don't use NVA even if you are using more so called 'exotic' kit and are wondering, then don't hesitate give it a try and you may be pleasantly surprised, I was, I did and I am.
A60 TO S300
Thanks for turning my A60 upgrade around so quickly; just one more example of your superb customer service. I thought I would drop you a short note to share my impressions of the new S300 configuration. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a leap in performance – the A60 is a lovely amplifier – but a significant improvement there certainly is. My sound system has acquired a beautiful silkiness through the mid and top, and I wonder whether this may be due in part to the new power supply taking better control of the ribbon HF units in my Quad Z1 speakers. I can best describe the overall change as ‘less’ rather than ‘more’, in the sense that something has been taken away that was producing a subtle degree of impurity across the audio spectrum. New sounds in the back of the mix are discovered, distinct in placement, timbre and clarity. This amplifier is extremely revealing, as opposed to being ‘analytical’, if that makes sense. The old adage that “the wider the window, the more muck flies in” certainly applies, but this amplifier does not deal cruelly with less-than-perfect recordings; instead the open window lets the dust blow away. As an unexpected bonus, before the upgrade the A60 was prone to interference from the TV in the room below, which was cured by running the amp via a mains purifier unit. Now this sensitivity is gone and the purifier is redundant. I couldn’t be happier with the upgrade. Thanks for all you are doing to keep the NVA ethos alive and well.
A80 TO M600
I took advantage of the offer earlier this year to upgrade my A80s to MkIII spec and after a short wait for Tomasz to return to the UK a received them about four weeks ago. I really liked the A80s in their MkII but they where never silent to the extent that I had put them on isolating pads to reduce the hum being transmitted through the wooden shelf they were on, not a particular issue when listening but just an annoyance. The first thing was the total lack of hum in either the 'new' amps or the BMU, so much so that I wouldn't know they were on if not for the red LEDs. First listen was Rovo and System 7 Pheonix Rising, it sounded a bit constrained but I expected it to take a while to bed in so was not concerned. What was it really impressive was the space in the mix and also more texture to some elements. This has become a bit of a theme with more listening over the last few weeks as the tightness went but many tracks shone with coherence and again that extra texture which really pulls you in. I also noticed that there was seemingly more grunt, this may be just better resolution of bass lines but I am generally listening at slightly lower volume levels. This comes on the back of upgrading my P50 SA to the new spec last year and I have to say it is a real pleasure doing business with Paul and Tomasz, and the products are just great.
A80S TO M600
The upgrade to MKIII spec is not at all subtle. It's not easy to describe what's special about NVA amps, but for me it comes down to the way the sound fills space - it has a distinctive kind of presence, that's very natural and very addictive. It goes without saying that the amps have retained this quality, and so the NVA magic is still there. But otherwise it's like having a new set of amps - increased detail, better separation, better imaging, deeper and more controlled bass, higher and more detailed highs. The MKIIs were certainly no slouch in any of these areas, but still the jump to MKIII is significant and not at all subtle. And importantly, even with the more detailed highs, the sound is still as natural and unfatiguing as ever - I could (and will!) listen for hours. A couple of small points: The MKIIs emitted a quiet, but still noticeable hum. Likewse, the speakers when connected to the MKIIs would emit a quiet hum, noticeable when no music was playing. The amps and the speakers are now completely silent. Tomasz and Paul are clearly onto something with the MKIII component changes. I sent the amps in the new boxes, which worked very well, and the turnaround was speedy. Tomasz had clearly given the amps a good clean as well - they came back looking better than they went out. To sum up, the upgrade to MKIII spec is money well spent. Thanks guys! :grin:
A80 TO M600
Have played a lot of albums since the now completely silent mono blocks arrived back. After a few hours they were sounding very good and the improvement is far from subtle. Most noticeable was a greater sense of separation and space in respect of everything I played. This stands out when electric guitars and other lead instruments are accompanied by acoustic guitars providing rhythm, as on Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album. It was also very noticeable with piano on the 70s Queen albums I played. When the power chords enter the mix the increased separation allows the piano to remain distinct more so than before, examples being “We are the champions” and “Spread your wings”. The improvement also applies to the acoustic guitar on the latter. There is a similar improved separation effect with lead and backing vocals exemplified on tracks such as “Long away” where Freddie Mercury’s prominent backing vocal to Brian May’s lead vocal contributes so much to the mood, emotion and dynamics of the song. Over more time it became apparent that there was an improvement in dynamics. I found myself reducing the volume by one or two notches with no decrease in the sound level on peaks. The A80s look the same but the components inside are obviously superior and the music has never sounded so good. On the basis of what I am hearing I highly recommend the Mk 3 upgrade.
NVA sells, and ships, direct to users. This saves you around 40% compared to buying through a dealer. We are so confident in the quality of our products and designs that we offer a 30 day no quibble returns policy. Listen to NVA in your own system, in your own room (by far the best way to judge any item) for up to 30 days. If you’re not delighted, return it to us for a refund.
How it Works
First, you purchase the item(s). Once your order is delivered, the 30 day trial begins. To return the item(s) within that 30-day period, contact us by email. We will provide you with a return authorisation number (RMA). You then return the item(s) to us by your choice of courier. Once we've received your return, you will receive a refund within 7 to 10 days.
Terms
The returned item(s) must be in the same condition that you received them in. If there are signs of user-related damage or missing accessories, then we may deduct a portion of the refund.
Shipping costs are not refundable.
For full details, please see our Returns Policy