Beta Novo In The House
Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: Headphone Audio
Forum Name: Graham Slee Headphone Amps
Forum Description: Questions, answers and product information zone for Graham Slee Headphone Amplifiers
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=222
Printed Date: 27 Mar 2026 at 1:05am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Beta Novo In The House
Posted By: mrarroyo
Subject: Beta Novo In The House
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2008 at 11:45pm
|
Package arrived today. Out of the box w/ the green psu it sounds amazing! I compared it w/ my fully burnt-in and heavely modded Singlepower MPX3 and the Novo amp is more than keeping up in detail, clarity, air between the notes, and what I call "sweet presentation". Keep in mind this is straight out of the box w/ no burn in, look forward to trying the PSU1. For the time being I close with:
 and some pictures for your enjoyment.  ------------- Miguel |
.Replies:
Posted By: Saso
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2008 at 10:38am
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Very nice pictures and tasty impressions. ------------- Cyrus CD8x -> Earmax SE -> W5000 & DT880 iPod Classic -> GSP Voyager -> ER4S & ESW9 |
Posted By: FritzS
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2008 at 10:38am
Great - you are the first 
I hope I get a test sample too - I was the first who called Graham for one ------------- AKG K812, K872, K712, Q701, K701, K501, K550, K271, Denon AH-D 7000 "Green" SOLO (with LME49860NA), WNA MKII Marantz SA7001 KI, Philips CD650 Revox B790, G1042, Reflex |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2008 at 2:15pm
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Hi Miguel Look like you're set for a fun weekend!
Would love to know how the Novo compares to the Solo + PSU1
when it's burned in.
Can't wait to hear your impressions in comparison to the Solo:
1. Soundstage
2. Speed of attack
3. Detail
4. PUNCH
5. Warmth
6. Bass response
My main phones are Ultrasone Proline 750's (40 ohm) which the Solo drives just fine.
Given that the Novo has Graham's new impedance cancelling network, I can't wait
to see if the Novo can improve on the pleasure I get from the Solo.
Have fun Miguel!
Mike
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Posted By: jamescodway
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2008 at 8:31pm
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Forgive the probably ignorant question... is that an "aux ground" on the rear? There isn't one of the those on my solo... could that possibly make it some kind of built in phono stage? James
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Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2008 at 9:16pm
No. This is for when those new fangled class II (non-earthed) Switch Mode Power Supplies have more mains leakage current than would be comfortable for associated equipment (which could cause a little hum in a small minority of installations), although well within international safety limits. In fact all class II power supplies, linear or switching have mains leakage (but switching class II's have a bit more). The only type that doesn't is Class I, which is an earthed power supply and the mains leakage would be exactly the same as class II if not for the earth wire draining it away. And that's exactly what the Aux Ground is for. We are busy making some resistive links which we hope to include, where the customer can choose the existing acceptable leakage, or drain it to the most convenient earth by linking a length of wire to the accessory link. More details when I can get my brain to describe it better ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
jamescodway wrote:Posted By: FritzS
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2008 at 6:33am
mrarroyo, sorry my enviousness 
I forget - you need them for the Head-Fi event ------------- AKG K812, K872, K712, Q701, K701, K501, K550, K271, Denon AH-D 7000 "Green" SOLO (with LME49860NA), WNA MKII Marantz SA7001 KI, Philips CD650 Revox B790, G1042, Reflex |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2008 at 1:25pm
Don't worry Frederick! We all want to listen to the Novo. 
I am packed and ready to start the +/-4 hour drive to Orlando, Florida (no Disney World this trip
 ). The meet is scheduled to start at 2:00PM EST.  I have about 28 hours of burn in on the Novo and it sounds sweet. My initial impressions were correct, the amp has continued to blossom. I am really looking forward to having 200 hours of burn in. But maybe not to much since then the Novo's will be going on a three month trip so others (10 or so) can enjoy them.
Mike, so far I have used three cans to "peak into the Beta Novo" sound. These are: Akg K701 w/ a V3 re-cable by APureSound, Ultrasone HFI-780 also w/ a V3 re-cable by APureSound, and an stock Beyer DT880 250 ohm 2003 version. The first two are low impedance (64 ohms or so) and the Beta Novo has driven all three w/ aplomb and punch. I do listen to low volumes and w/ the stock walwart I have not had to push the volume pot past 10 o'clock. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2008 at 5:37pm
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Thanks Miguel. I look forward to hearing more impressions of the Novo and the Meet! Have a great one!
|
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 12:48am
Ok, the meet IMO was fantastic! The other participants voiced the same opinion. We started at 2:00pm and it was over by 10:00pm. 
If there was a little letdown is that many who indicated would be attending and even paid failed to show up.
 On the other hand it allowed more time w/ the gear and believe me for the number of participants at hand there was a lot of gear (see pics below).60% of the individuals who tried the Beta Novo loved it and indicated they would be hard pressed to justify spending $3,500+++ for my tube amp. This for a Beta Novo w/ only 25 hours of burn in. The others liked the sound but were hard line tube lovers and preferred the Singlepower MPX3 SE Slam.
I do look forward to the 200 hour mark of burn in. Graham, so far I can not hear a difference between the wall wart and the PSU1 even after I installed an expensive aftermarket power cord. The wall wart you provide is doing a fantastic job.
I left the meet wanting a new set of cans the Denon D5000, man do they sound sweet! Specially after the Mark mods. Anyways here are some pics for your viewing pleasure.
        ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 4:08am
Thank you Miguel, I am more than happy with that result.  I have come to realise that I could stand in the streets of the USA giving away greenbacks, but a perecentage would refuse to take them on some "religious" moral high ground or another. I do this job for the real people: young or old; black, white, yellow, red... but obviously not for the religious high ground. For 200 hundred quid I give my all...  ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Saso
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 4:56am
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Miguel, how good (as for sure it didn't handle them bad) did the Novo handle the MD5000 in your opinion?
------------- Cyrus CD8x -> Earmax SE -> W5000 & DT880 iPod Classic -> GSP Voyager -> ER4S & ESW9 |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 11:50am
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The Beta Novo has had no trouble drivning any of the headphones I have thrown at it. for example:
- AKG K501
- AKG K701
- Ultrasone HFI-780
- Ultrasone PROline 2500
- Denon D5000
- Beyer DT880 (2003 model, 250 ohms)
Some of the guys there were the type I that listen very loud. For example while I was happy driving the Denons D5000 w/ the Beta Novo volume pot at +/-10am this guy was driving the same can w/ the volume pot at 2pm.
Graham, I hope that another guy takes the lead and plans a mini-meet by the first week of September. Thus we can have a hands on before I ship the amps to the various users for their in-home test. Plus by then the amps would have more than 200 hours of burn in.
Will keep you all updated. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 12:02pm
 In a year's time he'll probably be listening at 3:00pm Miguel. Miguel, do you perhaps have access to Edition 9's during your Novo loan period?
|
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2008 at 12:07am
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that_hertz, funny you should ask about the Edition 9's. I have thought of getting a pair for quite a while but had refrained for due to their high price ($1,200). Now that I listened to the D5000 I am not so sure I want the 9's. Man, I wish I had more money then I would just get both. I will contact a couple of guys to see if I could borrow one. Not likely but worth a shot. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2008 at 12:39am
Miguel, you are a true gent.
I had the D5000 in mind and the JVC DX-1000's but with being perfectly
happy in the Ultrasone camp for a while now I decided the Ed 9's were
the way to go. I'm sure my Solo will power them just fine but I like the sound
of the impedance cancelling network in the Novo.
Graham did mention that the 'ICN' would fit in the stock Solo but that space
in mine is taken by the switchable contour from the Voyager :)
Thanks Miguel!
Mike
|
Posted By: leo
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2008 at 1:48am
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Love the pics Miguel and write up, Novo's not bad for a tiddler is it? makes you wonder why you need these over sized amps with enough quoted power to run a pair of speakers
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Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2008 at 4:07am
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Very nicely stated leo.
I just took a quick listen on the Beta Novo using the 2003 Beyer DT880 (250 ohm) and there is a very nice synergy going on. The Beta Novo has about 55 hours of burn in and it is being driven by a Philips DVP5982 using the L/R outs directly into the Beta Novo. The amp continues its journey, the detail I am hearing was not expected. I mean, it is not the level of detail I would have thought a $400 amp would deliver. I will be meeting w/ another member of Head-Fi this coming weekend and we will compare the Beta Novo against a couple of amps to see how it does.
I am also trying to talk a couple of guys into a mini meet during the upcoming three day weekend. The postings will continue. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2008 at 2:21am
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The amp has about 130 hous of burn in. I just took another peak and I am very surprised at how revealing the Beat Novo is. I was listening to a jazz cd by Simone and I could hear her breathing into the microphone in between the words.
The amp is very warm at least in my opinion, but it does so with no loss of detail and with great extension. The cans are Beyer DT880 and Ultrasone HFI-780, very different in that the first is open and 250 ohm and the second is close and 40 ohm.
To be continued ... ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: paaJ
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2008 at 12:35pm
| did you happen to compare it to the solo? |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2008 at 10:35pm
|
Today I did a side by side of the Beta Novo ( http://www.gspaudio.co.uk/ - http://www.gspaudio.co.uk/ ) with my Singlepower MPX3 Slam SE ( http://www.singlepoweraudio.com/ - http://www.singlepoweraudio.com/ ) For the bulk of the test the equipment used was:
Note 1: For the first part of the test I used a Sony DVP-NS300 playing the Bemun CD by Cyminology ( http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7407141/a/Bemun.htm - http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7407141/a/Bemun.htm ) Note 2: Sound pressure levels were verified w/ each can via the Radio Shack Digital Sound Level Meter Model 33-2055 ( http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=33-2055&origkw=33-2055&sr=1 - http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=33-2055&origkw=33-2055&sr=1 ) Note 3: The Beta Novo was powered w/ its switching wall wart. I used various cans for the comparison. These were:
Now that all of the above reference information has been listed lets get on the music listening experience. First off both units were allowed to at their normal operating temperature, this was achieved by waiting 45 minutes while playing music through both to allow them to achieve their final operating temperature. As stated above the first part of the test was using the Sony DVP-NS300. During this portion the files were sent to the Monarchy Audio DAC as a 16 bit 44.1Khz, thus no up sampling was used. Although I listed the modded HFI-780 as the third can it was actually the one I used first. After going back and forth on a few tracks the following are my impressions using the Ultrasone can.
Next in line came the Grado RS-1, these are the ones w/ the button on the grill and I have owned them since around September 2005. I use the bowls that they ship out with and I have washed them a few time to make them softer. Following the same format I used w/ the Ultrasone my impressions follow.
Next in the comparison using the Sony DVP-NS300 as a transport via the Monarchy NM24 DAC came my beloved AKG K501 w/ the APureSound V3 re-cable. For those who do not have nor have listened to the K501 these are very power hungry cans that IMO demand a lot more power to accurately and effectively bring out the best in them. Prior to listening I checked again w/ the Radio Shack Sound Level Meter and I was obtaining the same average SPL readings using both amps with the K501. REVISION: I increased the volume on both amps since the volume levels were too low.
Conclusions using the Sony DVP-NS300 as a transport:
Note: For a quick test I decided to change the tubes on the Singlepower, now it sports a Sylvania 6SN7-GTB brown base and two Sylvania 5687 on Slam Adapters. I did a quick comparison w/ the Sony as a source and the change in the Singlepower is immediately recognizable to a more in your face and with a deeper bass. Yes now it has more of what it was missing and to some it would be a better sounding unit but you do loose some of the airiness that the all 6SN7 tubes provide. It goes from a very open and airy presentation w/ a huge soundstage to one in your face w/ lots more bass and impact. But for the sake of the on-going test I went back to the original tubes. For those interested in this tube combo I can tell you that now the Singlepower is a bit better than the Beta Novo. However the Slam Adapters to use the 5687 tubes cost $100 a piece and you need two, plus S&H. So now we are comparing a $400 amp w/ a $3,700 amp, and I still say you should first get the Beta Novo since to me the differences are not worth $3,300. Next comes the use of the Apple Lossless files via the Chaintech AV710 soundcard and an optical cable to the Monarchy NM24 DAC. Files were sent in 24 bit and 96Khz. The music selected was Bill Evans Time Remembered. I am not going to bore you w/ a line-by-line account w/ each of the various cans. I will tell you that although the second half of the test validated what I had already heard there was less of overall difference. Perhaps this is due to the files being up-sampled before being amplified. Regardless the difference is not night and day more of a subtle difference that I would not have heard if they were not done side by side. Which IMO more than validates my opinion that everyone should own a Graham Slee Novo, at $400 it is an steal. I can not wait to implement the latest tweaks that Graham sent me, they raise the bar on the Novo. To clear some possible questions brought by some of the readers I will continue to burn in the Beta Novo but using the PSU1 as the power supply and I will use it next weekend to conduct a follow up to this comparison. By then I should have the Monarchy AC Regenerator that I will use to power the Monarchy NM24 DAC and the Sony DVP-NS300. Next week I will use the Sylvania 6SN7-GTB w/ a brown base as a driver tube and a pair of 5687 on Slam Adaptors as the power tubes on the Singlepower. I will add to the cans an AKG K701 w/ a dual entry 10 foot APureSound V3 re-cable terminated in a ¼” Furutech plug. So more to follow, and I hope you enjoyed reading my impressions which IMO sometimes raise more questions than it answers. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 02 Sep 2008 at 6:01am
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Thank you for that Miguel, I enjoy reading your impressions and about all the goodies you get to play with I thought to continue this thread with reports from other beta testers, so will add a little "teaser". Novo has been with me for 8 days now and is happily playing music to itself most of the time. Source is a modded Marantz CD 52 SE Mk II via a Burson buffer ATM - may try others later. My very well burned in Solo is connected via the pass through connector and so far I have only used K701, later I will also try ATH-W1000. Astute readers will recall my disenchantment with the K701 when I first got them and even after 500 hrs I was not happy with them. In fact, I could not understand how reviewers could rave about the K701/Solo combination, to me the Solo did not have enough grunt for them, only my Yamamoto HA-02 seemed to give them what they needed. However, following some rather brutal treatment and with probably over 1000 hours on them I now find the combination quite enjoyable. I did say this was a "tease", I am not about to rush into glowing prose. Which is not to say it is not good - merely that it is not ready - IMO - for a fair evaluation. This amp has a definite burn-in required and will sound better and worse at times during that period. It now has around 190 hours and this morning I listened to Eva Cassidy and Chuck Brown "The other side" album and there were some goosebump moments. There have also been times when it was Solo first and daylight second and I briefly wished not to have to say anything - thankfully that too passed. So, as the 200 hrs draws near it is sounding very promising indeed. Miguel mentions a "tweak" - I have been reassured that this modification has already been made to the unit I have here and by extension, would assume that to be the case with the UK ones too. Watch this space |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 02 Sep 2008 at 6:14am
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We did find in the development of the Novo that the K701 was by far the most difficult headphone.
------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 02 Sep 2008 at 6:34am
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Graham, I hope you did not take my remarks remiss - the comments were directed at the cans not the Solo which I really like with the ATs - I just found (as have many others and you yourself mention) that they seem to need a real kick in the backside to start singing. That said, having given them a severe flogging, they now play quite nicely with the Solo and volco levels on Solo and Novo are virtually equivalent for similar listening levels though I expect the ATs to be lower, the K701 are quite OK for normal listening (to me) at around 9 - 10 o'clock with serious headbanging happening at 12 o'clock. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 03 Sep 2008 at 12:41am
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IMO the AKG require a very long burn in, to the tune of well over 700-800 hours. It looks like you (tg) have experienced the same. However once they are fully burnt-in they are a delightful can. Mine were re-cabled by Alex of APureSound using his V3 silver over solid copper and it sounds much better. BTW, I compared the re-cabled K701 w/ an stock K701 with the same number of hours and the improvements were very noticeable. Anyways, back to the Beta Novo. I just took a quick pick using my APureSound re-cabled K701 w/ a Philips DVP5982 as the source. The tunes were courtesy of Sade Diamond Life.
The Beta Novo had no difficulty driving the K701 to very satisfactory levels. For me the volume pot would be at 9 o'clock but for the test I went to 10 o'clock, a volume I might be able to withstand for 10-15 minutes. I write the volume pot setting so others testing the Beta Novo can have an idea and compare it to their settings.
I also compared it w/ another amp which currently retails for $399 and it is of a hybrid design (12AU7 driving an SS output stage based on the OPA275). Both my wife and I preferred the Beta Novo's presentation. The other amp is very very good, but IMO the Beta Novo is in a much higher plane.
More to come, thanks. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 03 Sep 2008 at 10:43am
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Novo received this morning - thanks Graham!
Damn, there's going to be a long wait
until I can get everything set up at lunch time!
Will start burning in today and probably do some
initial comparisons with the Solo which I won't report
on until fully burned in.
More to come....
|
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 03 Sep 2008 at 2:25pm
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Out of the box, immediate impression: punchy, energetic, highly detailed. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 03 Sep 2008 at 5:55pm
Wait till it has 350+ hours of burn in. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2008 at 1:19am
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The Novo has been burning in for nearly 36 hours now. The sound is definitely changing. I've set up the Novo and Solo (with PSU1) together with the same source, about 5 feet apart so A/B comparisons are relatively easy by switching the head jack from the Ed 9's from one amp to the other. Hmmm.......:)) The Novo really is a little wonder. The Novo is the Solo's rebellious, aggressive, boisterous younger brother. Ok, I said I wouldn't do a comparison at this stage but just how does the Novo stack up to the Solo (non-green) with PSU1? Please bear in mind that my Solo has maybe 1000+ hours on it. The Novo still has has a way to go. At this stage: Solo 1000+ hrs, Novo 36 hrs. The Solo has wider / deeper soundstage. The Solo sound is warmer.
The Solo sound has more overall weight / 'fullness'(?). @36 hours with the Novo The Novo sound is very close to the Solo. The Novo seems more aggressive . High freqs are more prevalent with the Novo. Not a fair comparison due to the relatively few hours the Novo has been doing it's stuff, I agree. But at this stage if I had to choose between the two? I'd keep my Solo with no regrets  I'll post an update on the Novo after a week of burn-in. Cheers Mike |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2008 at 2:38am
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Mike, nice impressions. The Novo will both mellow as well as open up a bit, however it will not loose its "in your face" presentation. For me it is a welcome change from the more laid back amps, although both types of amps have their place.
I hope you also try the PSU1 to see if you can hear a difference. BTW, IMO the Novo needs over 350 hours of burn-in, yours may be different since the tweak has already been implemented. Look forward to more of your impressions.
Note: I am trying to set up a mini-meet this Saturday to test the Novo w/ a couple of other Head-Fiers. Hope it happens so I can post their comments. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2008 at 10:50am
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Cheers Miguel I will certainly try the Novo with the PSU1 next week when the Novo has I won't have the Novo long enough to report on 350 hours of duty. I'll be passing on to Darren of Audio Elevation to pick up the baton.
Have to say though, at this price point it's an amazing little amp
Enjoy your meet Miguel!
|
Posted By: Darren/Audio Elevati
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2008 at 2:30pm
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That_hertz...the earliest I could possibly pick up the baton would be weekend 13 Sep. If you want to keep another week or so beyond that, that gives continuity of writings re the changes over burn in. If that gives you the chance to get 350-400 hours in, that's probably better feedback for Graham.
I seem to live my life burning stuff in these days - it will be nice to have something that's ready to go out of the box via you for a change. I'll have to start sending your our demonstrators to burn in for us!
John C will tell you all that the reason I'm on the list at all is so that I can break the Novo, nothing to do with the sound quality! I don't know my own strength sometimes. I only know it's greater than the strength of Anthony Gallo speakers and Thorens tonearms so far but I'm testing my limits on other stuff too
 ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation - taking your hi-fi to another level. |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2008 at 2:41pm
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Hi Darren Ok sure. I'll keep until the 19th/20th before sending on to you. I think my wife will have probably reached the limits of her patience by then She keeps commenting that I'm always telling the kids
to turn off their tv's and lights when they're not in their rooms yet my office is on 24/7. I've given up trying to impress upon her the positive effects of burn-in on electrolytic capacitors but something tells me I'm fighting a losing battle
Cheers Mike |
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2008 at 10:05pm
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Can't wait... Do we exchange PM's for address details or has Graham passed them on? |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 05 Sep 2008 at 11:41pm
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Mike, as you break in the Novo use different cans so the amp "sees" different impedances. It might be good to use different sources as well. I also change the volume settings throughout the day.
I hope to know in a couple of hours if the meet tomorrow is a go or a no go. Will keep you all posted. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2008 at 1:41am
Hi
I think Graham is arranging this one. I'm the first in line...the Novo is here next me...I
was offered an extra week but I'll send the Novo to the next in line (Darren) earlier than
I stated and hopefully that will mean other people will get to listen to it sooner.
It really is something quite special.
If you're unsure of the rota then please PM Graham ServerBaboon.
I take it you're a sys admin ServerBaboon?
Cheers
Mike
|
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2008 at 1:54am
Hey Miguel
I'm limited when it comes to cans. Although some people may not see it that way
I have Ultrasone Edition 9's and the Proline 750's which amazingly have the same
driver........yet there is a HUGE difference between these cans.
The 750's seem flat in comparison now. Never would have believed it but what can I say:
Holy Sh** .....you know the feeling you get of the air being moved around you by
big floorstanding speakers...that's what the Edition 9's sound like
The Novo has been fed SACD's, radio, test tones, the Isotek cd and pink noise.
It's a trial by fire but the Novo is screaming 'Bring it....'
|
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2008 at 12:24pm
Yes it was an insulting term used by the web monkeys who decided we weren't good enough to be Server Monkeys. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2008 at 4:08pm
|
Today I did a follow up using:
- AKG K701 w/ a 10' dual entry re-cable by APureSound's V3 cable terminated in a 1/4" Furutech plug.
- Ultrasone HFI-780 w/ a 7' dual entry re-cable by APureSound's V3 cable.
The tunes were courtesy of Grover Washington's Love Songs CD. And the source was a Sony DVP-NS300. In today's listening test I had the following three amp rigs:
1. Beta Novo w/ +/- 500 hours of burn-in and using a PSU1 w/ +/-100 hours of burn-in.
2. Beta Novo w/ +/-470 hours of burn-in using the switching wall-wart also w/ +/-470 hours of burn-in.
3. Head Direct's EF-1 hybrid amp w/ +/-375 hours of burn-in. I used an NOS JAN 12AU7 driving an OPA275 w/ buffers output stage. This unit retails for $399 in the USA.
I matched the sound pressure levels using a Radio Shack's Digital Sound Level Meter 33-2055.
Last time I indicated that I had not been able to hear any difference using the PSU1 versus the stock switching wall-wart. At said time I was criticized, but I stand on my comment that w/ 30 hours of burn-in on the PSU1 I could not hear any improvements.
Have things changed now that the PSU1 has a bit over 100 hours of burn-in? Well, yes with a definitely maybe on top. I honestly can hear the difference, IMO there is a more open presentation w/ a bit more air between the notes. I also hear a longer decay in the notes w/ perhaps a tiny widening of the soundstage. This changes are not night and day, although subtle they are very discernible. I say so because I asked "she who must be obeyed" (my beloved wife) to listen in and give her impressions. Well, she w/o any "guidance" by yours truly indicated that she heard a difference, and she called it "clearer" - less congested.
Is this enough to justify the premium in price? Well, again yes with a definitely maybe on top. I say so because neither of my Beta Novo's have received the tweak (parts are in transit from the UK). Also because Graham is looking into a tweak for the PSU1 using a 47uF cap and ferrite beads on the IEC plug supply to the PSU1. It may be that the PSU1 will also benefit from additional burn-in, this will be easy enough to "hear" since I will continue to burn it in.
Anyways, I am speculating that by improving the Beta Novo via the tweak it may have higher resolution to allow me to hear additional improvements brought by the PSU1. In addition if the tweaks that Graham is looking to further improve the output of the PSU1 then it should translate into a better overall power being fed into the amp.
I will revisit the PSU1 once it has at least 250 hours of burn-in which should be next Saturday, September 13. By that time the parts for the tweak should be in and installed which should provide additional aural improvements to the Beta Novo.
I want to make clear that I am not putting down the PSU1! Instead I am praising Graham and his staff for the magnificent job they have done w/ a switching wall-wart driving the Beta Novo. Yes it is that good and should be in everyones wish list for this Christmas (I have already set money aside
).Oh, I almost forgot to include a comparison w/ the Head Direct EF-1. First I should mention that I am a valve head and usually prefer their more open and laid back presentation. To me there is a "sweetness" to a properly implemented valve amp that I do not normally hear with an SS amp.
The Beta Novo has "helped" me in changing my views, at least w/ regards to the Beta Novo which as I indicated in a previous write-up can more than keep up w/ my highly tweaked Singlepower Slam SE. At that time I was asked to compare w/ a SS amp, which sadly I do not own any. Today I was hoping to have a mini-meet in Miami, however it was not to be (hopefully next week). Thus why I used the closest I have which is the Head Direct EF-1.
Anyways, I actually liked the EF-1 a lot. It does have what to me is the typical tube sound. A wide, soft, and mellow presentation. As indicated I used an NOS JAN (joint army navy) 12AU7 instead of the stock Chinese tube. This at the recommendation of many who believe that the Chinese tube are not very good. I will interject that I fully disagree w/ said statement. While it is true that 15-20 years ago I could not stand their tubes and would not use a Chinese 12AX7 in my Fender Champ Amp that is no longer the case. Chinese tubes IMO have improved by leaps and bounds and are worthy of a listen, specially at their going prices.
Back to the comparison and sorry for the "side tour". Both my wife and I preferred the sound of the Beta Novo over the EF-1. In comparison I felt there was a "veil" in the EF-1's presentation as compared w/ the Beta Novo. This difference was even more noticeable when the PSU1 was used instead of the stock wall-wart.
Which would I buy if I could only afford one? The Beta Novo, no question. However if I had money or perhaps later I would definitely consider getting the EF-1. Why? because I can see myself on an early Sunday in a relaxed mood where I just want softer music playing in the background while I read the newspaper or a paperback. Plus it would be nice to have another amp w/ a different presentation to provide a change.
More to come ... ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2008 at 6:39am
Understandable. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 09 Sep 2008 at 11:50pm
|
I received the parts for the tweak and last night I modded one of the Beta Novos. I will let it burn-in for 3-4 days and do a side by side. Then I will modify the 2nd Beta Novo before I ship (9/17) the two amps to the additional 10 reviewers in Head-Fi. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2008 at 11:25pm
|
Three days ago I completed the tweaks on one of the Beta Novos. Both have continued their burn-in and each has about 600 total hours, of which one has 72 hours of burn-in w/ the tweaks (6 resistors and 2 caps) that Graham sent me. I just did a side by side using: - Grado RS-1 (stock) - Ultrasone PROline 2500 (stock except I shortened the straight cable to 5 feet and re-terminated it to a 1/8", thus I had to use a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter) - Ultrasone HFI-780 w/ a 7 foot dual entry re-cable by Alex of APureSound and the diode board removed For music I used Joe Pass Trio Eximious CD played via a Sony DVP-NS300. Interconnects used were by Blue Jean Cables. Both units were powered by the stock switching wall warts. I also asked my wife to provide her opinion and funnily we both agreed. Both Beta Novos have a very wide soundstage w/ extreme liquidity and detailed presentation. The music flows easily and the decay of the notes is smooth. The main difference we could hear is that the Beta Novo w/ the tweaks seems to have a "center channel" in addition to the right and left ear-speakers. By this I mean that there seems to be almost like an additional speaker right between my eyes that concentrates/expands on the music the un-modded one plays. It is not "new" music or "additional" music but rather like a concentrated blast that cuts through, hits you right in the middle and says "here I am, listen to me". Interestingly while you are being smacked for attention you can still hear the same music on the extreme left and right that the un-modded one is playing. It is almost like two different amps yet they sound so similar. I do not know if what I am saying makes sense, perhaps Graham who has listen to both can chime in. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2008 at 1:50am
|
Hi Miguel, Thanks for these comments. I feel the "extra speaker" will blend in and produce a more three dimensional sound stage with further perspective in all directions on a 180 degree plane before you (with some musical phasing effects it can even wrap behind but these were most noticeable from vinyl). It was our intention to project the "back wall" as far afield as possible along with greater separation to give a feeling of performers placed behind, in front, and slotted in between. At this price I've maybe got too adventurous, so I will not be too upset if it doesn't fully achieve this intention. By the way, the Novo is now available for order at http://www.audiocontrol.co.uk/graham_slee/novoheadphoneamp.htm - our online shop  ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2008 at 2:16am
Thanks for the impressions Miguel.
Funny you should mention that about the centre stage with the Novo. I always thought
the Solo had a similar central point of focus that brought the music closer without losing
any depth. I haven't noticed this on the Novo but that's perhaps due to the fact that I'm
so used to hearing a similar presentation ('centre channel') with the Solo.
I must say though that this was never a problem with the Solo (it just felt right
very quickly) and its seems I feel the same way about the Novo ;)
The Beta Novo is on around 270 hours burn in now and it really is sounding better
all the time. The sound is smoother overall and the bass seems more prominent
and more defined today. Haven't had enough 'quality' time to just sit, relax and listen this
week and it's been all work and no play for both of us (me and the Novo).
Some detailed impressions to come over the weekend.
|
Posted By: dazzer1975
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2008 at 3:29pm
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Looking forward to your impressions that_hertz, I'm on the tester list for the novo but would be really interested to read a comparative review alongside the solo if you feel that would be appropriate? |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2008 at 10:46pm
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Hi Dazzer
will do my best this weekend. Hoping to get some time this evening
but my wife is out tonight so my ears need to be free and listening
for my two year old :))
Hopefully she won't be too late 'cos I got some new SACD's this week!
I can tell you though, you're in for a treat with the Novo...it's sounding
quite different from my early impressions.
I don't want to linger on the Solo / Novo comparisons but still it's inevitable
that this will be foremost in people's minds - at least those familiar with
the Graham Slee brand - and I would be asking the same question no doubt.
My main focus will be on the Novo and I'll do my best to include some comparative
notes on the Solo :)
Cheers
Mike
|
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2008 at 11:41pm
The reason it is so apparent to us is that we had a tweaked one side by side w/ an un-tweaked one. Both amps being fed the same music while using the same headphone.
Go forward 24 hours to NOW (6:30 pm EST on September 12). The amp "center channel effect" has mellowed a bit or perhaps it is that the soundstage has gotten wider. I believe it is the later. When I compare it to the non-tweaked not only is the soundstage wider but the highs have more sparkle and seem to extend further. However the biggest difference is that the non-tweaked when compared against the tweaked it seems like it has a veil.
Even w/ the perceived veil of the non-tweaked amp my wife feels it is sounding better than yesterday. I have a very short aural memory so I will not make such an statement. However I can tell you that the tweaked one has pulled further away in quality, impact, and involvement factor.
FYI the music was courtesy of Samantha Siva. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2008 at 11:59pm
|
I think also that perhaps you get used to the soundstage / imaging very quickly Miguel (or at least I did).
On the subject of aural memory: Does anyone know if there are devices out there for A/B comparisons of headamps?
I'm imagining two cables with headphone jacks which go into a single switch box
one end and into the head amps at the other.
You headphones would then plug into the switch box so you could literally
switch between amps.
Graham, if you're not busy tonight could we have a beta unit ready next week ? :) :)
|
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2008 at 2:05am
Thanks for the tip...
|
Posted By: oxophone
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 12:46am
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Has any one tried Grado Gs1000 with NOVO? I am planning to get Cambridge Audio DACMagic when that is released and mate it with NOVO and GS1000 for home listening from my laptop. Do people think this to be a good rig? Any suggestion would be highly appreciated. |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 1:58am
|
Ok, I've completed my review of the Novo tonight after about 4 hours.
I have alot of detailed notes here, including Solo comparisons.
Will post findings when I'm happy to do so. Hint: Can't stop smiling :)
Current opinion: it's on sale....£200..nothing comes close at this price :)
Take a bow Mr Slee.
Will post review when I get time (my enemy).
Cheers
Mike
|
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 1:52pm
that_hertz, you are such a tease. Post that review NOW!  ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 2:21pm
|
While you are waiting for that_Hertz (and me I suppose I will make a few observations on the subject already mentioned of soundstaging, I would preface those with the fact that I probably have the longest running of the final spec Novo betas - it now has close to 500 hrs and was fitted with the tweaks Miguel now has from new. Not wanting to "jump the gun" I have not made any observations other than that I am in agreement with Miguel regarding the length of time necessary for full development, viz around 350 - 400 hrs. Remarks in this and the other thread WRT soundstaging interested me sufficiently to conduct a few comparisons of my own within the last few days. Comparison between Novo, Solo, Yamamoto HA-02 and speaker system on a number of different tracks led me to the feeling that there was not a lot of difference. WRT imaging and soundstage, I only the other day connected the Novo directly to my Reflex and spun (amongst other things - as one does This was almost an eargasmic experience for me - soundstaging on a pair of ATH-W1000 was amazing for someone who normally prefers speakers. It had height, depth and great breadth, instrument positioning was pinpoint and rock solid. A superb performance, by the orchestra, by the conductor, by the engineer, by the Reflex and not least by the Novo in propelling it all into my salivating ears in all its myriad of colours and tones, half-tones and shades, light and dark, loud and soft and all with verve and elan and that infectious enthusiasm that seems its trademark. Guess that is enough purple prose for now |
) to post a "proper" review,Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 2:51pm
Hi Miguel :)
 Sorry didn't mean to tease! Working on my bloody accounts now so will post tonight!
|
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 4:25pm
|
A tweak that may prove of interest to beta testers. Previously it had only been connected to the Green Solo and my double insulated non-mains earthed Marantz CDP. Initially I attributed the improvement to development of the burn-in process, however I became curious and then experimented with a grounding wire seemingly to good effect. Being time poor and hurrying on with the burn-in and listening tests I merely left the ground wire connected and being satisfied that it had now fully developed I gave it as extensive a listening on as great a variety of material as I had time for. All that went well to my ears and I arranged with Alex to visit with him for a listening session. Following that session, where no ground wire was used at any stage (although it should have been grounded via the preamp in the first session but was not during the PC session, this was verified by touching the case where the residual is easily felt by a light touch) and after returning home, I conducted a series of comparisons with and without a ground wire. My conclusions following a further 4 hours of this are that most of the improvements mentioned by Miguel in connection with the use of the PSU1, are achievable by using a grounding wire to a suitably mains earthed device (I used one of the case screws of a connected PC). In summary, increased extension both top end and bottom, increased "air" and separation of instruments, more "sparkle", more clarity and definition, enhanced soundstage and relief of dynamic compression and congestion of particularly "busy" orchestral works such as the final movement of Beethovens 7th Symphony. This is in no way adverse comment on the sound without the ground lead, Alex has already commented favourably on that elsewhere, nor does it preclude the possibility of further gains from the use of the PSU1 - not having one myself to trial I cannot say. Grounding wires to cure such potential differences between components are a not uncommon solution to hum problems (consider turntables for example) and other forms of signal degradation. If the Novo is connected to a mains earthed preamp or amp by its passthrough connectors or a mains earthed source then this may be of no benefit. Since the residual current from the SMPS can be felt by a light touch on the casing it is easily determined if such a lead might be beneficial. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2008 at 11:38pm
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Man, now I have to go and get some wire to try the grounding stuff. The good thinf is that it shoud be a cheap tweak. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 12:52am
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Miguel, I just used a single strand of Cat 6 cable, nice solid core makes it easy to bend around the post and take on and off, much easier than multi strand stuff which really needs a spade terminal. T |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 2:18am
|
Ok finally, here's my impressions on the Novo :) At the time of writing these comments it had been burned in for around 300 hours. From what I'm hearing, the Novo should not be considered fully burned in until around 500 hours.
My stuff: Oppo DV-980H (CPD / SACD player) Audioquest Jaguar cables (0.5m) Custom IC cables (2m) Beta Novo received with latest upgrades (Stock wallwart) Ultrasone Edition 9 phones Graham Slee Solo (Monitor Class/non-green) + PSU1
For comparative testing against the Solo, the Audioquest cables fed the the Novo from the Oppo, while the Solo was fed from the Novo pass through via the custom cables. I gave the Novo and the Solo equal time with the PSU1. The Novo The soundstage has improved immensely from the out of the box state. Much wider and generally presenting the music in a bigger space. It conveys music with an immense feeling of energy but it's initial agressiveness has smoothed over time resulting in a much warmer siganture. I've noticed the effects of burn-in moreso with the Novo than with any other amp so far. Was it Alex from rock Grotto that hinted about burning in capacitors before they are placed into production units using a rack of some sort? Sorry if I misinterpreted this. So here it is, a diminutive powerhouse that has matured significantly in a couple of weeks. There is still some way to go before the Novo settles fully....I've seen comments citing 350-500 hours. I really hope I can be tagged on the the end of the rota so I can hear the Novo beyond this! I've listened to ALOT of music in these last couple of weeks and settled on a handful of genres for the purposes of this review. The Novo has handled all genres superbly and while it has an up front, energetic presentation, I was more than happy with it's presentation of classical and jazz. Ok, some music with the Novo Audiophile reference IV (SACD) A little obvious perhaps and I don't consider myself an audiophile - incidentally, how do you become a card-carrying member ? :) Track: Esther Ofarims 1972. La Vezina Catina. This track is a classic and would be one of my desert island discs if I ever had the misfortune to be marooned on a desertisland :) The Novo presents Esther's achingly beautiful voice perfactly, soaring over the backing violins. Presentation is close / intimate and there is a great deal of depth. Lots of detail when I can force myself to focus away from Esther's voice. Fiddler on the Roof - Manuel Compinsky Piano takes the lower and outermost position in the soundstage while the solo violin takes it's place in the centre with great depth. The Novo presents this with more warmth than I was expecting but with it's (current) up-front energetic nature. I could listen to this piece on repeat until dawn. Incredible virtuso peformance, amazing little Novo! Change of pace.... The Eagles : Long Road Out of Eden (CD) The opening track starts with percussive instruments bouncing left and right building to a hugely dynamic intro. Very Very good. Big punchy bass with great definition. Overall presentation is very engaging / exciting. Great forward depth and detail. Smooth decay. I wish I had a drum kit to hand :) Police - Regatta de Blanc (CD) Bring on the night - starts with Sting's bass, stacatto with a sweeping flange effect and echo, cymbals layered wide across the soundstage leading to the big bass drum intro. Great dynamics, lots of detail, big soundstage with centre most prevalent. A real sense of 'being there'. Excellent. Van Halen II (HDCD) Spanish fly - acoustic tour-de-force. I can hear Eddie moving on his seat. in the same room. Very intimate with a great sense of space around the performer.
Flim and the BBS - Tricycle (SACD) Billed as 'Jazz' and a very rare SACD. I still have sleepless nights over how much I paid for this but it's obvious why this album gained such a reputation in audiophile circles - the CD is great also. I'm not a jazz fan but this floored me. Tricycle - starts with simple laid back piano..be very careful as the main chorus (piano) and drums have (I'm sure) surprised many people who's ears are still ringing today. Detailed midrange which is smooth. Soundstage is wide with sharp separation. Huge dynamics effortlessly portrayed by the Novo......I get the impression that despite the drum flurrys swirling left to right ..the Novo is nowhere near breaking a sweat. Thunder and the Birdies. Starts with huge drum intro which decays to blackness and builds up to the chorus of simple repeating piano chords which drift into the background. Everything sounds just right...layering of instruments in the soundstage gives a real 3d feel. Clever Novo. Bjork - Vespertine (SACD) Opener The Novo excells here. Bjork's breathy vocals soaring beautifully through stripped down rythms. At times the soundstage seems quite narrow but I'm noticing lots of detail vertically (?). SASHA Involver 2 (Trance / club music - CD) I'm guessing most (all?) of you will not be familiar with Alexander Coe's music. Anyway, if you like this kind of music he's as good as it gets. Starts with a huge soundstage , electronic bleeps and distant echoes in a cavernous space. Vocals pulsing in and out, building to huge bass drum and snare. The Novo is firing on all cyllinders. Fast, dynamic with a warmth in the mid-range providing perfect balance. Bass definition is as it should be here, forecful but well integrated and never overbearing.
The Novo and the Solo Ok, briefly and this is just my opinion! The Solo has a wider soundstage - not by much but it's evident in all listening. Both have similar amounts of detail. Tonally they are very similar but the Solo just gives me more of everything painting a fuller representation which seems to convery greater authority. There's not a massive amount of difference but it's there. The Solo has sightly better bass extension and perhaps a little more punch. The Solo is warmer overall but again not by a great margin. To someone not familiar with either amp they would sound very close indeed I believe. There is an improvement to the Novo with the PSU1 but it's subtle.
To my ears there was an increase in richness and seemingly a wider
soundstage but I didn't get much time to study this pairing.
The Novo is not yet fully burned in from comments I've read. Another 200 hours would only improve it's sound no doubt so so these comments should be taken accordingly. It's also worth noting that the Solo + PSU1 retails at £475.00 while the Novo is £200. Also, I only have one set of cans to hand now.
I would much rather have had a range at my disposal but I know that will be
catered for as the Novo makes it's way around the UK. (Many thanks to Graham and John for the loan. I'll be passing on to Darren from Audio elevation in the next couple of days and I hope I can join the queue again!) The Novo is quite remarkable then. It goes toe to toe with it's big brother and very nearly (but not quite) steals the show. In my opinion it's placed correctly in the product line and at this price I can't think of anything that comes close from Yorkshire or the rest of the globe. Cheers Mike
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Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 4:10am
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Nice write-up Mike, well worth the wait. |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 3:58pm
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Review time Firstly a big thank you to Graham for allowing me the opportunity to sample his latest creation. The star - Novo headphone amplifier Supporting cast - AKG 701, ATH-W1000, Marantz CD 52 Mk II SE, Burson audio clock and discrete opamps, Turntable, Reflex/Exp phono stages, VDH cabling - much software. References, Green Solo, Yamamoto HA-02, speaker system. Summary - the series name "Entheos" is well chosen. If there is one characteristic of this amp that stands out to me, it is enthusiasm. Skimming the notes I made during listening sessions over the last 3 weeks I find a theme of repeated remarks to the effect of melodic, bouncy, infectious. While not failing in any of the major disciplines of tonality, extension, dynamics, detail retrieval and soundstaging it is its apparent ability to project the emotion of the music effectively that is most striking. I found this to be equally true of pieces as disparate as Eva Cassidy singing the Judy Garland standard, Over the Rainbow and the absolutely cracking pace of Carlos Kleiber directing Beethovens 7th Symphony. There were a number of times when it succeeded in doing the goosebump and hair on the neck thing. While I have heard others speak of this phenomenom it is not one I recall experiencing often. I have a most delightful recording of Baroque trumpet and soprano, with the right phones and amp, there are places where the high notes of the trumpet and the soprano blend and mingle as they do their call and response duet and it is almost impossible to tell which is which, that combines with a wonderful sense of the notes soaring ever upwards in the cathedral in which it was recorded - the Novo pulled this trick off well. I listened to a great variety of music, mainly CD but some vinyl, with a remembrance there of a most memorable rendition of Pictures at an Exhibition on vinyl. Some indicators of the range, Prodigy - Fat of the land, Bob Seeger, Loreena McKennit, Eva Cassidy, Diana Krall, Led Zeppelin, Yello, Mike Oldfield, Aaron Neville, Diana Krall, Pink Martini, Oscar Peterson & Jon Faddis, Beethoven, Mozart, Lizt, Schumann, Bach, Baroque trumpet, Tallis scholars and more. No blow by blow on that listing, just some general observations. The design brief included the ability to impedance match most headphones - to check that, I used for the first 2 weeks, the AKG 701 which I have previously noted to be not the easiest to drive. The Novo handled them with aplomb, average listening level being between 9 & 10 o'clock on the dial - 12 o'clock was as high as I went with those and that only for some serious head banging with Prodigy. The amp, as I have indicated elsewhere, needed around 350 - 400 hours to fully develop and for SQ to stabilise. During that period its primary characteristics were always apparent, but there were aspects of presentation that took time to fully mature, bass definition was one of the last. As it reached its majority I changed my headphones to the ATH-W1000, these are an easy phone to drive but are my preference for listening to most music - I find them more revealing of subtle nuance and detail and having a fuller more rounded sound to drum and upright bass reverb particularly. One of the things I listen for is distinction between bass drum and timpany, the Novo presents this distinction quite well when it is there to be made. With these phones volume was generally below 9 o'clock but this did not seem to alter the quality of the performance. I did not seriously compare the Novo to my 2 reference amps, I used them as references to check its development. That said, I will offer that the character of the Novo and the Solo are somewhat different, both have their strengths and their own particular appeal. If price were not a consideration (isn't it always) i would be hard pressed to choose between them. It was with some sadness that I packed the little thing in its box to send it on to its next lucky recipient. I am not, as some are, a collector of headamps, I am not even sure why I have two ATM - I generally prefer my speaker system - but I could easily contemplate adding this one to my audio clutter - I have certainly spent more for a lot less. I must admit I find the kit prospect very tempting. So, once again, Mr Slee, well done and thank you for the opportunity to enjoy this, if all too briefly. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2008 at 11:36pm
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Nice reviews Mike and tg! It is a very nice amp that provides a lot of enjoyment for a low price. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 17 Sep 2008 at 11:16pm
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tg, I finally got around grounding the Beta Novo using the binding post on the back of the amp. The "tingling vibration" is gone, now I have to devote time to audition the grounded vs. un-grounded. Thanks. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 18 Sep 2008 at 12:00am
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I will be interested to hear what you think Miguel. One aspect of the Novo presentation that I neglected to mention in my review but which is mentioned several times in my notes is its impeccable handling of sibilance where it is present on the recording - eg close miked vocals - while presenting it as it is on the recording and not glossing over it, it in no way emphasises it or makes it unpleasant, it just presents it as a natural part of the vocal with nothing to "catch on the ear" - highly commendable - many amps (and other components) will have difficulty with this. To me, and this is only my opinion, proper presentation of this particular aspect of sound recording, is indicative of balanced frequency response, speed of response and phase coherence - the last also attested to by its sound staging ability. Just thought it worthwhile to add this observation that I previously omitted. |
Posted By: Ian/Audio Elevation
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2008 at 1:56pm
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Ok here goes the ramblings… Day 1 Got the Novo from Had first listen before bed last night and these are my first impressions. Remember this is just my opinion. I’ve taken a great deal of care in listening but I don’t have the ears of a bat like some of you guys seem to have (you know who you are Leo), and most of the time I get lost in reading reviews, as easy as I do in Grahams technical stuff. How do they hear all that stuff? And then put it into words? So this will be a pretty dumbed down (for me, not you) review and should be taken at face value. I’ll start with the conclusion, and hope this is not too controversial, because first of all I must say Graham that I think you have shot yourself in the foot with this new Novo headphone amp. Why? Because in my opinion it makes the Solo (Intro) redundant! Try as hard as I could, and I could not hear any difference between the Novo and Solo. Used with CD player and via my Amp tape loop, then through the Novo into the Solo is maybe not the best way but it did make it easy for me to swap headphones from one to the other in a split second and obviously the CD player means I can repeat the same few seconds over and over again. So that was my technique in a nutshell and for once I enjoyed the listening tests. I think my main trouble is that when comparing sources, amps, speakers, interconnects etc. by the time I’ve swapped the kit round I’ve forgotten what it sounded like. With this headphone and amp swapping being so quick I felt I could get the immediate feedback that I needed. After setting the volumes to match as closely as possible, I tried as hard as I could to hear a difference, any difference: Did the Novo have a bit of a harder edge? Maybe not as much punch, did I hear more attack on the acoustic guitar, maybe less space around the vocals? Needless to say every time I thought I heard a difference I then realised it was just my imagination. In short, there is no way in a blind test that I could have named the amp. So what did I listen to? My first choice every time – Natalie Merchant: Tigerlily (mobile fidelity version) – nothing can touch it (imo). It’s an album I know incredibly well, never tire of it, and has numerous special moments that work well in a listening test. But, as I said, I could not separate the Novo and Solo at all. Now that’s either testament to Graham’s success, or simply shows me up for my untrained ears not being worthy of the task. I’ll post more each day as I try different things and next week I’ll pass it on to the (more) youthful ears of Darren – he’s up with all the lingo so all you true audiophiles can tune in next week (no pressure there Darren) Next comes some more listening with different CDs and later on some vinyl, and I will add the PSU1 to both (hope I can hear a difference thereJ) For those interested in the kit: Shanling CD2000 Custom IC Thermisonics 2x10w Valve amp (later known as Kernow Electron) – tape loop Cusat 50 Novo Custom IC Solo Sennheiser HD 650 Nothing remotely high end there I’m afraid. ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation, Doncaster |
Posted By: leo
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2008 at 2:35pm
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Hey I was listening to Motherland last night
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Posted By: Ian/Audio Elevation
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2008 at 2:40pm
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You are so cool Leo ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation, Doncaster |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 26 Sep 2008 at 3:40am
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So, who is doing a review next? ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 26 Sep 2008 at 8:39am
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I believe Darren from Audio Elevation is next Miguel.... |
Posted By: Darren/Audio Elevati
Date Posted: 26 Sep 2008 at 10:01am
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Oh thanks, no pressure then.
Ian won't let me have a go yet. Some rubbish about wanting to listen to some vinyl, whatever that is...
I'll be posting next week then passing the baton on again.
Motherland Leo? I like to skip straight to track 2! Tigerlily album is best for testing stuff though, as Ian rightly points out. ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation - taking your hi-fi to another level. |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 27 Sep 2008 at 2:12pm
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FYI, I have started a thread at Head-Fi on the Beta Novo. Basically it is a home loan program w/ nine (9) members. The amps were recently received by the first two testers and they should be writing a review by next week. Then of they go to the next two in line. The entire thing will last about 10 weeks. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Jake
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2008 at 7:06am
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Graham, Thank you for continuing to provide the planet with fantastic gear, and for doing this without taking us to the cleaners. And thank you so much for trusting me and other Beta testers with this new Novo; it has been an honour to have the opportunity to experience this new amp first hand. Like some others however I’m not a professional reviewer, and can only do my best to try and word my humble findings. My time with the Novo was brief but intensive. Systems I actually used 2 systems for testing the Novo, my main hifi system and my PC based system. PC System PC Stello DA220MKII DAC Green Solo Original Master Headphone Amp (solid state) AKG 701 headphones DH Labs Air Matrix Interconnects DH Labs Coaxial Digital IC Hifi VPI Scout TT Green Reflex DH Labs Air Matrix Interconnects Nordost Red Dawn Interconnects Construction I was quite surprised initially to see that the Novo was so much smaller than the already diminutive Solo. This follows Graham’s apparent principle of no more than is required to achieve the desired result. I like the simple styling of all the Slee products, and the Novo certainly didn’t disappoint. Setup I initially installed the Novo in my headphone rig, and utilising my trusty signal splitter (the Tri It Out triamping box) I was able to run 3 pairs of interconnects from the DAC to my 2 headphone amps plus the Novo. I could then change amps as quickly as it takes to remove the headphone lead from one amp and plug it into the next. This allowed me almost instant comparisons between amps, very handy when you have a favourite passage of music that you want to hear through both or all 3 amps. This also meant I had no need to utilise the Novo’s pass through connection, an option that I always try to avoid in any case. In retrospect I should have tried this to see what effect if any it had on the signal. Mostly I didn’t bother too much with my Chinese headphone amp (Original Master). Although for the price it is a great performer, it doesn’t match the Solo for resolution or outright slam, and as this is a fairly uncommon amp I thought the best comparison was always going to be with an existing Slee product. My AKGs are about 2 years old and have plenty of hours on them, so I have no doubt that they are well burned in. However, only a few weeks before receiving the Novo the 701s actually opened up another level, with the bass extending down more than they had ever before. Apart from offering me even more enjoyment I’m sure this improved their ability, and mine, to determine any differences in the amps. Listening PC System Using the PC as my source I performed extensive listening tests over several days, feeding it plenty of Hi Res FLAC files and ripped red books. Tony (tg) was surprised at how quickly I completed my testing of the amp, but I had plenty of free time that week and was able to devote quite a few hours each day to the task. Unfortunately in my PC rig I had trouble hearing much difference between the Solo and the Novo. I was starting to wonder if I was coming down with a case of the dreaded Cloth Ears. I could hear a very slight reduction in the bass registers, like it wasn’t quite reaching the depths of the Solo, and the soundstage was a smidgeon tighter but the top end was still pretty much there in all its glory. Listening Main System After a couple of days in the PC rig, and to be honest getting frustrated at not really being able to pick much of a difference I then moved the Novo to my main system. In this system I skipped the digital sources and hooked the Novo straight up to my Reflex. This kept the signal pure, and bypassed the CJ preamp , a stunningly fine amp it is but not much point in this test. Switching it on now I noticed a slight hum through the cans, and remembering what Tony said about the earthing I grabbed some wire and ran it from the Novo to the VPI. I found that even just earthing the wire to the VPI motor casing was enough to completely silence the hum. I then connected it more permanently to the Reflex’s binding post. Whether this earthing improved the sound or not I cannot say, but the hum was sufficient for me to not want to listen without the Novo being earthed. When connected to my PC rig I had no earth attached, I didn’t even think about it till it made its way to the main system. I began to spin the vinyl. The new self titled album from Mudcrutch, followed by a host of older classics from Alan Parsons, Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits and Santana. All are albums that I know intimately. Well now I was getting somewhere, this is where I really started to hear the differences that existed between the Solo and the Novo. For those of you who know, think of all the attributes of a nicely burned in Solo, the gloriously smooth and silky yet detailed high end, a bottom end that digs deep and low yet like the highs still contains great clarity and detail, and a midrange that while never in your face is always just about right. (I’ve always found the Solo midrange to be quite neutral which to me is a good thing). The Novo is almost all of this, it almost has the same great bass, almost has the same reach up high, and there is a little less air between the instruments across that slightly diminished soundstage. But the sound is pure Solo. All those wonderful dynamics are there, the same tonal characteristics, the same flavour, all just the same but just a little reserved. This to me is the Novo – its 96% of a Solo. Basically it displays all the great characteristics of the Solo, the punch and the drive, the clarity and definition, the way it can delicately relay the finest details to you –but then it pulls ever so short. More like its keeping something in reserve rather than having a shortfall. Who knows, maybe it needs another 500 hours on it? Now this is no mean feat, and bear in mind the Novo is half the size and less than half the cost of the Solo, so now we are starting to see the importance of this new amp. I would never call it a poor man’s Solo because that wouldn’t do it justice, this amp is remarkable on its own merits, yet I was amazed that something so small, and so affordable could come so close to an amp as capable as the Solo. I thought I did hear on some tracks a slight kick in the lower midrange of the Novo when compared to the Solo. Some drum beats seemed to stand out more on the Novo, which is interesting given that all else seemed to be a little less than the Solo. Summary Not much different to a Solo in sound but at a bargain price. What more do you want? A greater difference was heard when using an analogue source. Im not sure of the reason for this but I feel this points more toward the failings in my digital system than it does any failings in the Novo. And we all know vinyl rules don’t we? Once again thank you Graham! You wont need any luck with this one mate, its a winner. Jake |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2008 at 12:00pm
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Great review Jake!
Jake, how many hours did your Novo have on it when you received it?
Cheers
Mike
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Posted By: Jake
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2008 at 12:57pm
Thanks Mike, I got the Novo after tg, and Im sure he said there was at least 500 hours on it. Cheers, Jake |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2008 at 11:54pm
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Nice review, glad you enjoyed. The issue of the Novo's low price is a major selling point for this little jewel. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Darren/Audio Elevati
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 12:00pm
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Ok folks, here's my take on the Novo.
Gear
AMR CD77 cd player
custom ICs
into
Novo with SMPS
Solo via pass through with PSU1
Solo direct from Cd player
Later on, swapped PSU1 from Solo to Novo and vice versa.
Headphones
Sennheiser HD650 (for majority of listening)
Grado SR325i
Sennheiser PXC450 Noise Cancelling.
Music from
Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily
Jakob Dylan - Seeing Things
Kate Rusby - Awkward Annie
Jack Johnson - On and On.
For a long time I thought I'd have nothing to write here. Everything I've heard/thought has been summed up already by Ian/Audio Elevation and That_Hertz.
650s (most of the listening tests) - to my cloth ears there was initially bugger-all difference (translates to "no difference" for those outside Yorkshire) and I would take the Novo any day of the week and keep the extra £240 it would cost me for a Solo MC in my pocket until something else caught my eye. Put it this way, if you just bought the Novo on the strength of these recommendations or a dem with a dealer without also hearing the Solo, you'd be amazed how good the Novo is. If you then thought you'd upgrade to the Solo MC, you'd end up disappointed that the massive jump in sound quality wasn't there.
It's not that I'm saying the Solo isn't as good as we thought. Far from it, I am just astounded at how good the Novo is for the money. Giant killer anyone?
It seemed that the vol needed to be a little higher on the Novo for the equivalent output volume to the Solo but when I had them matched, there was very little to choose from with some artists when using the Sennheiser 650s. Switching to another track or other headphones seemed to highlight differences and, in the real world, those buying the Novo may not have headphones costing more than the amp so that may be a valid comparison to make in this test.
The 650s do a very good job of everything really. The way the Solo scores is that it has that little extra depth, oomph. You hear it in the vocals mainly I think where the likes of Jakob Dylan or Jack Johnson have a fuller vocal with the Solo as opposed to the Novo where the vocal can sound a little thin or hollow in comparison. The Solo just warms things up a little and that's nice to listen to.
Switching to the Sennheiser PXC450 noise cancelling headphones was interesting. With the active circuitry in use, everything sounds very bright and hard, the bass is missing and what's left is there to make your ears bleed. In passive mode, the sound is "not too bad" but then you remind yourself that they cost some £330 and suddenly "not too bad" isn't good enough. The Novo seemed to find them an easier drive than the 650s. If you need to cancel out the kids or are going on a 'plane, the 450s will be great but, for hi-fi, you'll be disappointed. I think the Novo is limited in what it can achieve with these headphones.
Onto the Grado SR325i, strange headphones in design and fit. Mainly fit. If anyone out there has Grado-shaped ears, please post a pic for amusement purposes.
These Grados sound fine in the Solo, much louder in the Novo. I'm sure GS can explain that. The whole sound with the Grados is airy and crisp but that translates to a sound which lacks in depth. Having heard vocals through the 650s that sound like human voices, the Grados disappointed.
I settled on the 650s for the rest of the listening, running the Novo with SMPS and Solo with PSU1 so that I could swap the power supplies over. Jack Johnson's "Taylor" is a great track but gets a bit busy as it gets going. The acoustic guitar was a bit tighter and meatier with the Solo and the vocal was fuller too. At the start of the track, more of the background noises could be heard with the Novo, though I am not sure why that should be the case. The Novo struggles a little with this track when it gets going, the Solo is more composed.
Swapping to put the PSU1 onto the Novo, I thought there should be more difference. Again it seemed to be subtle and in the area of the vocal, which was just rounder sounding. The Solo didn't seem to suffer that much for being without the PSU1 - is the SMPS with the Novo of a good quality Graham?
Finally, Mrs M was put through her paces.....using 650s I offered 3 options...
Solo (via pass through on Novo - she found the sound punchy, tapping along to the rhythm etc.
Novo - didn't like, mainly the vocal
Solo directly fed from cd player - found music definitely better with the vocal definitely better than the Novo.
BUT, she found the Solo the best of the three when it went via the Novo, not direct. She found it took a bit of the edge off the sharp vocal and was most enjoyable overall.
That's the end of the "Listener's Wives" section. There should be a conclusion...firstly, apologies for reviewing the headphones, not the amp. It's the first time I've done such a test and I don't listen to headphones much normally anyway (apart from on the move with the Voyager). What seems clear is that the Novo is superb for the money. Unfortunately, I was hoping to have the Heed CanAmp to compare but it didn't happen so I only have the Solo here. The Solo has been around for 6 years I think in current guise and to think that the Novo is very close to achieving what the Solo does says alot about what Graham has achieved here with this new design.
They'll sell like hot cakes so I'm looking forward to bumper Xmas sales. I've got a yacht in the Bahamas to save up for, you know...
Off to ServerBaboon now with the Novo so I hope he posts soon.
Darren
Audio Elevation ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation - taking your hi-fi to another level. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 3:31pm
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Good job we've been putting out the new Solo SRG on the quiet for the last two months then? Otherwise we'd have some angry customers... ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: Darren/Audio Elevati
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 4:10pm
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Such a tease, Graham. Now they'll all want one. Including me.
SRG - Sounds Really Good. ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation - taking your hi-fi to another level. |
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 4:48pm
| Darren I have PM'd you. |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 11:07pm
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Interesting stuff Darren - I'm not a Senn user but from reports had heard the Solo to have an affinity with them. Good to see the Novo getting a run with different cans as that is part of its "raison d'etre" Interesting too that your wife homed in on the mid-range and vocals - wonder if that is a "female" thing ? |
Posted By: mrarroyo
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 11:35pm
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Darren, was the Novo grounded when you used the smps? Thanks. ------------- Miguel |
Posted By: Darren/Audio Elevati
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2008 at 12:20pm
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No, not grounded. And that reminds me....I also noticed a buzz (someone else mentioned it already) but only on one occasion and I couldn't repeat it in later testing.
TG - I'll ask her if she's got a "female thing" . I'll be wearing full body armour when I do, just in case. ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation - taking your hi-fi to another level. |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2008 at 3:59pm
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Darren, I intended to suggest that it often appears that women have a differing - perhaps unconsciously so - audio frequency focus and hence notice things that a man might not. The corollary also applies since I have noticed sounds that have escaped the notice of women in my company at the time - usually lower frequency ones like a car approaching from behind whilst we were walking and carrying on a conversation. But you knew that didn't you, you tease PS - I do find it somewhat extraordinary that you find it necessary to ask |
Posted By: Darren/Audio Elevati
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2008 at 5:26pm
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We hear cars approaching 'cos we like cars. Women hear the sound of cars only when we point and say, ooh, look at that car. They see a pretty colour. In music, maybe it's the fact that we're listening for the cogs whirring behind the music to make the music work. Women just listen for the music and take it at face value. GS engineers in a cog-whirring noise especially for us. ------------- http://www.audioelevation.co.uk - Audio Elevation - taking your hi-fi to another level. |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2008 at 5:52pm
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So that's it - reminds me of a song I remember - "it went zip when it moved, pop when it stopped and whirr when it stood still, I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will" |
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2008 at 11:32am
Received at work today, will plumb in tonight. |
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2008 at 3:11pm
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Plumbed in last night. System consists of: Michell Gyrodec , OL modified Rb250 (with slot) and Ortofon 2m Black GS Green Reflex John Shearne Phase 2 & 3 Anniversary Amps biamping Audio Physic Yara's Denon DV3910 Universal Player. Green Solo ATH-A900 Headphones Cabling I use some homebrew CT100 cables with Monster Connecters for the Solo and Relex. I am still using the tape out of my amp so I can switch between CD and LP, also I didn't want to use the through connector on the Novo as I am not sure whether this would be a fair comparison with the green solo. I will be physically switching cables between the solo and novo but leaving them plugged in and warm. Tingling. When I had the Novo plugged into my amplifier using my CT100 homebrews I did not detect any tingling. When I had the no signal cabling connected I did get some tingling. I am not sure if this lack of tingling is from using the shielded cables or the fact I connected to my amps and not to my reflex. Using my CD player because of CDs lower noise floor I could detect any noise other than the music. While not intending to do a detailed comaprison for a couple of days more burn in I did a quick compare between the green solo and novo with Rodrigo Y Gabriel doing Orion from their latest studio album and the novo seemed to be a of comparable quality. Listening Switched to Vinyl for some general listening. Little Richard - Here Comes Little Richard - All the energy of this recording is there from the opening ' A-Wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo'. This recording is more a foot tapping test rather than detail, its all there but there are places on the original recording where Little Richards voice overloads the mic which you can really hear. Still very enjoyable. Burial - Untrue This 'dubstep' record has some deep bass but still has some high frequency detail in there which was all there and not swamped by the bass. John Barry - Themeology Started with the the theme to 'The Persuaders' wonderfully dramatic synth tune reproduced with all its scale from the low key beginning to the baroque? main piece. Ipcress File - The spooky overtone to this sparse tune is all there, the clarity of the flute (or what ever wind instrument it is) the sinister keyboard (harpsicord?). Simple starting tune but heavily atmospheric. At this point 'She who should be obeyed' decided that she was also 'She who should not be ignored' and so further listening was rescheduled to tonight. |
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 14 Oct 2008 at 11:58pm
Been doing some side by side listening with my green solo now, reviewing is hard work especially side by side . I haven't got a spare IC to use the pass through so I am having to swap both the ics and the phone socket and my age induced aad means I have forgotten what the previous sounded like. Marvin Gaye - Lets get it on (LP) Just got this repressing from Zavvi for £7. Novo seems to have a heavier bass line, perhaps for my taste a tad to heavy for me and had to resist the urge to turn it down so keeping the mid at the same level as the solo. The bass line did not wallow just seem more pronounced where as the green solo was still firm but seemed better integrated. Not sure how much burn in this Novo has had yet to say whether the base will reduce. Outside of the bass comments had trouble picking differences between the solo and novo. Japan - Ghosts (LP)This piece of 80s electronica has a mixture of keyboards and percussion instruments. Listened to this track several times on both amps trying to gain a idea of the differences. The differences as for me was that the solo seemed to have slightly more space or air in the treble especially the cymbals, triangles and xylophone(?) Its not that there is a problem with the novo treble just that I preferred that of the solo in a side by side comparison, the novo seemed to play the ting of a triangle where as the solo played the ting and also more of the harmonics. I am struggling to pick up clear differences between the two (besides the bass) and have to wonder about the relative costs .... the £250 difference between the solo and the novo. For me there is a difference but novo is so close and enjoyable that I would seriously wonder whether it is better to have the novo and spend the savings on more music or some ATH-W1000 from pricejapan. That said I lived with my green solo obtained at the trial price and so the Solo is the choice for me. |
Posted By: ServerBaboon
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2008 at 8:49pm
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Final write up to follow but off in the post tomorrow to Jon. Lent it to a work colleague overnight to let him compare with it MK1 XCAN with a pair of Senheiser 500's. He came away very impressed with the clarity and was a step up from his stock xcan, but what he did think was that it revealed the limitations of his cd player which the xcans had been glossing over. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2008 at 11:16pm
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Thanks Steve, looking forward to reading about your experiences
------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: jonclancy
Date Posted: 22 Oct 2008 at 1:52pm
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The Novo has landed!!
And is currently warming up for a listen tomorrow (driving my K701s from the radio at the moment).
Cheers
Jon
|
Posted By: jonclancy
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2008 at 3:08pm
| Musical little bu**er, isn't it? |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2008 at 12:43am
I'm pleased you think so Over the pond we just got our first negative posting on Head-Fi (I am told), hows that for honesty??? So by my guesswork that's around 10 for and 1 against? ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: that_hertz
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2008 at 2:23am
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I think 'someone' may have changed his views
'JP's later comments seem to ring true. As you know Graham
you can't keep 'em all happy all of the time.
The comments from across the pond on the Novo are invaluable
and right now the Novo is making the right impressions.
Clever little Novo
|
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2008 at 3:53am
Funny, I don't read it that way... ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2008 at 8:44am
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dinny fach yersel t'noo laddie Early days yet. |
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2008 at 10:03am
tg, that's not Welsh! ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: tg [RIP]
Date Posted: 26 Oct 2008 at 2:15pm
|
True enough, but I thought it closer to home for you At least it is not trans-atlantic. |
Posted By: jonclancy
Date Posted: 11 Nov 2008 at 9:00am
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Er.... my post seems to have disappeared.......
Jon
|
Posted By: Graham Slee
Date Posted: 11 Nov 2008 at 9:13am
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Err, our host had a big accident on Sunday... Here's what they had to say: Dear Graham Since today's disaster we have received many emails wanting to know why the servers are not backed up each night. This email is to let you know that all our web, database, and mail servers are backed up at least once a day using the software BackForWorkgroups with the Open File Add-on. Unfortunately the backup software failed to do it's job on the Zeus database server. On investigation it was found that the BackupForWorkgroups software stopped fully backing up the server last week and was randomly skipping some files in the nightly backup whilst still reporting all files were backed up successfully in the nightly backup report. It would have been impossible for us to know this issue without digging deep into the backups and individually checking each file had been backed up correctly which with over 45,000 files just for this one server would have been impossible to individually check each file. We have contacted the so! ftware vendors of the BackupForWorkgroups software and are awaiting their response as to why their software should have failed in this way with no warning. This issue should have never have happened as we have spent allot of time and money ensuring that all servers are fully backed up each night and that the backups remain on two disk systems. We also use redundant SCISI RAID Disk systems and also maintain redundant backup servers. Even with all this sometimes things can still go wrong in a spectacular way. We also run simulated server restorations on regular basis to ensure the integrity of backups, but with over 30 servers these simulated restorations can only be done on a bimonthly basis for each server. The backups for the other servers have been checked this afternoon and preliminary findings show no issues with skipped files, it seems that it only happened with this one server and at the one time that the backups were most needed. Once the investigation is completed and we know what went wro ng with the BackupForWorkgroups software all backup and recovery plans will be looked at to ensure that this failure never happens again. Once again we wish to apologise to all customers who were affected by this data lose. Regards, Web Wiz However, tg managed to copy the RSS feed before it expired so here's your review Author: jonclancy
Subject: Beta Novo In The House Posted: 08 Nov 2008 at 12:52am Novo Review Part One
OUT-OF-THE-BOX
The Graham Slee Enteos Series Novo
Discrete Solid State Amplifier is housed in an extruded aluminium case measuring
approx 10cm x 10cm x 5cm. Initial impressions – Black aluminium volume knob is
nicely finished. Overall case fit is very good, but finish on front and back
panel edges could be improved. This is a beta model, so perhaps the edge finish
on the production model will be improved. I’d like to see ink-filled engraving
rather than silkscreen on the front panel, but the market will probably not
allow this, as the extra cost would push the price in excess of £230 plus VAT,
and this is an entry level model, after all. Silkscreen printing is nice and
accurate.
The quality of the aluminium
extrusion is, however, excellent, and I especially like the use of flush-fitting
hex-head screws on the case. The quality of the RCA sockets on the back panel
appears to be very good, too. The Novo features a chain-through circuit that
makes integrating it into your system a doddle.
Power supply is a small,
switched-mode, wall-plug unit in black plastic. Multi-voltage in and 24VDC
output. The lightweight unit comes with a selection of international plug
adaptors, which is superb as the Novo is certainly small enough to take with you
on trips. I’d like to try the Novo with a linear PSU, and have a standard
7824-based regulated supply I will try later.
The Novo instruction sheet is very
comprehensive.
Overall out-of-the-box impression is
pretty good!
UNDER THE BONNET
Next step is opening up the unit for
a nose under the bonnet. Inside is a very tidy PCB with excellent build quality
and premium components. Attention to detail bodes well for the listening
tests. Because of the nature of the beast, some PCB tracks are necessarily long
– however, if the PCB was used as a drop-in upgrade board for an op amp based
CDP headphone output (or in a pre-amp – or AS a pre????), then these tracks
could be shortened considerably. Hopefully, Graham will be offering the PCB
only through diyaudiokits. While having a poke around, I noticed that Q3a
andQ4a, Q3b and Q4b appear to be thermally coupled, and perhaps could use a
little more thermal grease and a cable tie? Finally, I measured PD between the
casework and ground, to see if there was any SMPS tingle (or if I was imagining
it). I had about 4.25VAC on the meter, and it was almost imperceptible to the
touch.
Channel imbalance is evident with the
volume pot turned all the way down, but this is corrected by the time the volume
is in the 7 o’clock position. Depending on the source level, normal listening
position is around the 9.30 to 11 o’clock position. So not an issue, but worth
pointing out as initially thought a channel on my new DAC was faulty until I
gave it some more Vees. With the source paused, and the volume pot turned up
fully, there was virtually no hum at all – very, very quiet, and what was
present was probably caused by our crappy mains here.
Overall, the Novo has a nice PCB,
very clean, super layout, using good quality parts. This will be great for a
kit, suitable as a first time project, and I think everyone building one will be
very pleased with it indeed!
TUNES
All Review and Listening notes were
made in real-time with a Dictaphone and then transcribed (ish) to the report. I
started off listening to the Novo with Hugh Masekela’s “Hope”, Track 12,
“Stimela (Coal Train)”. This is a very nice live recording that is recorded at
a pretty low level, needing around 12 o’clock volume setting with the K701s,
vice around 9.30 – 10 o’clock for my other test tracks. The joy of this track
is the dynamic range, and the song has a couple of crescendos that would have
lost impact had the recording been more heavily compressed.
I decided to start out trying two
sets of cans – the K701s and also Sennheiser’s bang-for-buck PX100s. Transport
duties were undertaken by my Philips CD960 (unmodded, with the battleship build
CDM1 transport) and the numbers sent via HDXV coax (RCA to BNC) to my recently
completed Pedja Rogic AYA Rev2.0c DAC (Vanilla TDA 1541A, trick powersupplies,
re-clocking, custom-wound trafo). Analogue sent via Van Den Hul hybrid ICs to
the Novo.
NOVO LISTENING TEST -
MASEKELA
PX100 at 9.30.
Good bass weight and separation, and
quite fast, but lacking the air in the recording. This results in a slightly
enclosed sound. Mids are quite good, really. Not a particularly huge
soundstage. Altogether not as if you’re actually there for a live performance,
so pretty unexciting really. Kick drum carries a weight you can feel in your
head, but not too much detail or timbre with the kick. The crescendo at 3:50 is
a little harsh, but trumpet is pleasantly smooth., but without that rasp to the
notes you get with good reproduction. The listening test was stopped there,
because the PX100 were a limiting factor. As they are pretty new, with less
than 5 hours on them, it’s clear they need running in.
AKG K701 at 11.30
o’clock
Much less bass weight, but the
air!!!!! Drums have a timbre to them and speed / accuracy that is very, very
good. Crescendos are not harsh. Sax sounds very nice, though not that
full-bodied. Accuracy and detail much improved. Trumpet much, much better –
you can hear the breath going through it as he plays and you can hear the
vibration of his lips on the mouthpiece as he’s playing. Great instrumental
separation. Guitars easily discernable in the mix. You can hear Masakela
inhaling before starting to sing, his breath and the rasp in his voice.
Tympanies at 8:00 have masses of timbre. Brilliant! At the end of the track,
the ambience is there – you can feel the size of the room!!
SCHA LISTENING TEST
I decided to compare the Novo wih the
op amp-based SCHA. Mine is modded to the Rock Grotto standard (give or take)
and I’m using a TKD stepped attenuator for volume control. Input caps are 10uF
Wimas and op amp s LM4562. I have a Teddy Reg and JLH PSRR fitted between HA
and the PSU, and will try the PSRR by itself in later tests. The SCHA kit will
be on your doorstem from Jaycar for £20 in stock form, and a fully build and
modded version will cost around £60. With the TKD and TR the price is similar
to the Novo.
Great stereo separation, almost too
wide, but very detailed. Very good, nice bass weight, similar to Novo, and
perhaps a little rolled-off on top. Smooth delivery. Perhaps a tiny bit less
definition on the bass. Weight is there. A rounded, musical presentation.
Nice air and echo on the trumpet – you hear the rasp, but it’s smoother. Ties
in with the rolled off highs, but musical – very pleasurable. Perhaps the
soundstage isn’t as wide as the Novo, but a “blacker” and creamy presentation.
It’s certainly a more rounded delivery. Tympanies have the timbre and
detail.
BACK TO NOVO at 4:07 – Trumpet Solo
to end.
A little bit more air and
separation. Different, but not necessarily better. Separation on the guitars
is better, but might be the LM4562 in the SCHA, and I have decided this is the
best of the OPA627 pair and stock 2132. AD826 sounded great, but had high DC
offset. Novo is very detailed. You can hear the wavering in the repeated
trumpet notes – vey good. Definitely better definition. Voices sound great.
How would this be as a pre-amp????!!! Backing vocals readily discernable rather
than being part of the whole picture. Timbre in the mix is easily discernable.
Highs are not harsh, even at high volume. Very, very good.
SNEAKY PREVIEW - PATRICIA
BARBER
Volume at 9.30 o’clock.
Very amazing timbre, good
separation. For some reason, my eyes are sweating! This is very good! You can
hear the bass sliding up the fretboard in the background on note decay. Piano
sounds natural. Detail is fantastic. Wow, brilliant!
There is definitely a lot more air,
separation and detail on the Novo.
More to come………….. ------------- That none should be able to park up and enjoy the view without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps |
Posted By: jonclancy
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2008 at 4:07am
|
Hi Graham, I had a copy in Word format as well, but thanks for re-posting it! I saw your mod posted at the Grotto - is it OK if I apply it to my review model before I pass it on to Less, in a couple of days?? I'll be back online Thursday afternoon...... Cheers Jon |