I’m always a bit hesitant to buy into all the flowery-language of some boutique audiophile brands. However, flowery language aside, I was pretty impressed by the raw power this integrated amplifier from Nu Vista delivers.
If you’re in the market for an integrated amplifier with some serious amplification muscle, then you may want to have the NuVista 800 Integrated Amplifier on your radar. Just note, you’ll need to bring a large check with you as this unit isn’t cheap.
September 30, 2014 – The NuVista 800 Integrated Amplifier combines new and classic technologies to deliver an unprecedented “Super Integrated”
Nuvistor technology
Semi conductor technology
Surface Mount Design technology
CAD/CAM PCB design
Software control
Historical first
For the first time in the history of hi-fi, Musical Fidelity has combined Nuvistor technology with Surface Mount Design and CAD/CAM PCB concepts. A labor of love and passion, the NuVista 800 achieves absolute maximum performance from every part of the circuit, resulting in extraordinary technical and sonic performance in a 300 watt per channel ultimate “Super Integrated” amp.
NuVista Series A Sensation
Fifteen years ago , Musical Fidelity were the first company in the world to use Nuvistor tubes for our high-end NuVista series. The original NuVista series (NuVista pre amp, NuVista M3 integrated, NuVista 300 power amp and NuVista 3D CD player) created a sensation when they were launched, offering an almost perfect balance between state of the art transistor and tube design.
Because there were only a limited number of tube bases available in 1999, the NuVista series were all made in limited editions.Their reputation is legendary and, to this day, used NuVista series products sell for very high prices.
Nuvistor tubes were designed in the late 1950s. Their design process took into account all the criticisms and weaknesses of the standard glass tubes that had gone before. As a result, Nuvistor tubes offered:
- Unprecedented reliability
- Compact size
- Very low microphony
- State of the art technical performance
- Total consistency between manufacturing batches.
Nuvistors were the ultimate, high performance triode tube but, unfortunately, transistors were just coming of age as Nuvistors became available.
A Bright New Dawn
For at least three years after the launch of the original NuVista series, Musical Fidelity’s founder, Antony Michaelson, tried persistently to find more tube bases. Nuvistor tubes were plentiful but bases were impossible to obtain and, after a time, he stopped searching.
About eighteen months ago, Michaelson started thinking about NuVistas again and, via the internet, he was able to locate what are probably the last Nuvistor bases on planet Earth. Antony was thrilled and purchased all that could be found.
Michaelson’s unflagging persistent made it possible for Musical Fidelity to realize the dream of manufacturing more Nuvistor-based products, including the new super integrated NuVista 800.
General description
With the NuVista 800, Musical Fidelity combines state-of-the-art NuVista technology with state- of-the- art Surface Mount Design PCB techniques. The NuVista 800’s front end is positioned on the same PCB as the input circuitry. This keeps all PCB tracks as short as possible and ensures that this highly sensitive function is at right angles to any stray hyseresis field from the transformers. The result superlative sonic performance. The Nuvistor stage itself combines Nuvistor tubes with our exclusive Surface Mount Design and technology systems allowing them to perform at a level never seen before.
The power amp stage is derived from our monster Titan amp, regarded by many as one of the best amplifiers ever made. However, they have made subtle improvements to the circuit, squeezing even more performance from what was already a legendary circuit design.
The overall configuration is dual mono, with a separate 1.5 kV super-silent drive mains transformer per channel. The front panel is machined from solid mil-spec aluminium and surfaced to an exacting standard. The custom made heatsink extrusions are purely functional and well finished. Most other parts are milled from solid aluminium billet. The result: maximum performance from every part of the circuit, a demonstration of the labor of love and passion that went into the NuVista 800.
Technical performance
The NuVista 800 delivers a comfortable 300 watts per channel. It’s capable of truly massive current swings: about 200 Amps peak to peak. Distortion at 1kHz is indistinguishable at 0.002%. At 10 kHz, it is about 0.003% and at 20 kHZ an extraordinary 0.004%. More astonishingly, the distortion in 4 Ohms (1kHz) is its exactly the same is into 8 Ohms. Because of its huge peak current capability, it can drive any speaker with any cable, without breaking a sweat. NuVista 800 combines the beauty, delicacy and poise of state of the art tube and semiconductor design blended with massive power and current.
A huge power amp with massive reserves of power and current delivers the delicacy and speed of attack (and decay) of a small triode power amp effortlessly, with no coloration or limits.
NuVista 800 performs at the very highest level available, yet its retail price is only $12,999.
