Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800.2 integrated amplifier & Nu-Vista DAC
As an audiophile who got his introduction to this hobby, or perhaps obsession is a better word, in the late eighties, the Musical Fidelity brand had a big impact on me. I remember hearing their Tim de Paravincini designed Class A, A1 model for the first time at Radford Hifi in Bristol. Paired with a Quad CD player and Heybrook HB1 speakers, the A1’s finesse and openness left a lasting impression. Years later, I got to own a heavily modified X-Can headphone amp, which displayed many of the same qualities. The brand was owned by Anthony Michaelson who founded it in the early eighties. Six years ago, Anthony sold the company to Heinz Lichtenegger, the man behind Project Audio. Since the sale, Musical Fidelity’s HQ has remained in Wembley, whereas production, at least in the case of these units, takes place in Taiwan.
The term Nu-Vista refers to the Nuvistor tubes used on the input stages of the amplifier and DAC that we are looking at here. RCA invented these tubes in the late 1950s to solve the shortcomings of the traditional tubes available. They are said to offer high reliability and an enhanced lifespan. The Nuvistor tubes are made from ceramic and metal, enjoy a high batch consistency, and have a relatively low power consumption.
The 800.2 integrated amplifier, launched in July of last year, replaces the original 800 model, first seen in the middle of the previous decade. A redesign was required because certain parts, namely the display, are no longer available. Further upgrades include revisions to the power supply and the new, much more modern display. The amplifier seems to have gained a couple of kilos too, now weighing a not-inconsiderable 41kg. The 800.2 retails for £10,999, which is good value in terms of its size and how it sounds. For those with deep pockets and enough space, Musical Fidelity offers the Nu-Vista Pre and Nu-Vista PAS power amp, each two-box affair priced at £20,499 and £21,999, respectively. Still got a change in your pocket and some rack space to fill? Why not substitute the latter for the PAM monoblocks? Again, each is a twin box affair, priced at £20,499 each.
The Nu-Vista DAC and Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 phono stage were launched late last year. Each is priced at £9,999. The Nu-vista DAC tested here is based on the ESS 32-bit Hyperstream II DAC architecture. If you feel this DAC needs more pep, the Nu-Vista Uni PSU is reportedly due soon.
Heavyweight build, useful features
These products from Musical Fidelity were delivered on a pallet. I have many gadgets around the house, but a forklift truck is not one of them, so the driver had to strip them away from the pallet and carry them into the house. Only when I moved and unpacked the boxes did we appreciate what a fantastic job he did. The combined shipping weight of these boxes is close to 80kgs, so these are serious products that, thankfully, offer serious performance. My samples were in silver, the alternative being black. The 41kg Nu-Vista 800.2 amplifier has heatsinks to the side, which is where it differs visually from the 21.5kg Nu-Vista DAC. Both are balanced designs, which helpfully meant I could use my favoured Townshend interconnects.
The size of each Nu-vista box means they are too large for most racks. I had to make considerable changes to my setup to accommodate them. The Nu-Vista 800.2’s considerable bulk is not wasted; it is the most powerful amp I have hosted. The class A/B design is rated at 330W into 8 Ohms, 500W into 4 Ohms and 1kW into 2 Ohms. There are four pairs of RCA line inputs and one pair of balanced XLRs, with RCAs for the pre-output, bi-amping, etc. For fans of bi-wiring, there are two pairs of binding posts. The fascia has two huge controls, one for volume and another for changing the source. There are two small buttons under the volume control for adjusting the display and lighting modes while the standby button is on the other side. Both the DAC and the amplifier have vents on the top that allow users to view the internals, not least the Nuvistor tubes, which glow red and then yellow whilst the components warm through and turn blue once they have reached full performance. The supplied remotes for each product are suitably solid and work well. There are many display options, including VU metres, which were wasted on me as I preferred to listen with the displays of both units switched off, partly for sonic reasons and partly because I find large displays quite distracting.
The Nu-Vista DAC can double up as a digital preamp with a volume output, which I defeated whilst using it with the Nu-Vista 800.2. In this mode, the volume dial becomes the menu selector after pressing the ‘enter’ button, a second button scrolls back. The left-hand rotary scrolls through the seven source options, which include USB, I2S, AES, coax and three optical inputs. I felt somewhat inadequate only using two of them – USB for a Melco server/streamer and optical for the TV box.
I assume that it’ spossible to find an HDMI/I2S converter to allow DSD/hi-res playback from my Oppo Blu-ray/SACD machine, which I would be sure to investigate if this DAC was with me long-term. Frustratingly, whilst the amplifier let me select a permanent display setting, the DAC would not, so I had to defeat the display each time I switched the unit on. The Nu-Vista DAC has a comprehensive selection of filtering, upsampling and re-clocking options. I generally preferred no reclocking of the Melco’s USB signal and the Linear Phase Fast filter with music, but the Optimal Transient Filter proved somewhat kinder to the signal from my TV box.
Heavyweights with a delicate touch
After making a few necessary changes to the living room to accommodate these larger than usual components from Musical Fidelity, I was impressed from the start. They proved a natural match to my Totem Forest Signature speakers, which appreciate plenty of clean power from an amplifier with good grip and control. From what I can gather another reviewer enjoyed these Nu-Vista components for several weeks before they came to me, so they were well run in. Consequently, after 24 hours or so, their performance was pretty much there, although they continued to improve a little over the next week. I connected the Nu-Vista DAC to my Melco N1 server using a CAD USB-IIR cable, I also used mains cables from Titan Audio and analogue cables from Townshend Audio.
So, how do these beasts sound? Well, rather good, actually. I am a sucker for equipment that can deliver a believable soundstage, and this system immediately impressed me in this regard. It does so without sounding larger-than-life or unnaturally highlighting detail, quite the opposite, it delivered some of the most natural music I have experienced at home. The Nu-Vista 800.2 amplifier and Nu-Vista DAC produce a highly transparent and detailed sound that has a lucid, liquid midrange and silky treble. Bass notes are natural and detailed, with all the depth required when the music demands. These components do not appear to exaggerate any frequency band; what is noteworthy in the case of the low frequencies is absence of ‘bloom’. The 800.2 remained in control of my speakers at all times, delivering tight, detailed, tuneful and, when required, weighty and thunderous bass. The wide dynamic range of the 800.2 was easy to appreciate and was a highlight of my time with this amplifier.
The new album from Shabaka, Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace, streamed via Qobuz in 24/96, was treated with the required delicacy and accuracy of timbre here. The bongos had a natural timbre and possessed that magical quality of sounding like they were in human hands. Shabaka’s clarinet had a natural tone and was utterly believable, helped by how these components presented the instrument in a 3D soundstage and a palpable acoustic.
At the other end of the spectrum, Trentemøller’s The Last Resort (16/44 download) via the Nu-vista DAC and 800.2 amplifier proved a spellbinding way to spend 77 minutes. Honestly, this was the first time I had played this album all the way through in one sitting, which was not the plan. Many reviewers use Chameleon, the album’s tenth track, to test how systems and components produce and control the lowest frequencies. The Nu-Vista 800.2 passed this test easily, delivering some of the most impressive bass I have experienced from my speakers. The bass was only part of the story here. I had not previously appreciated just how well-produced the rest of the music on this album was. It was not just the enormous walk-through soundstage either; the music was so delicately textured and displayed subtle details that I was completely unaware of.
Enjoying Idris Muhammad’s Power Of Soul (CD rip) through these components was responsible for another period of absence from the family. The title track showed off the system’s dynamics and sense of drama. Trumpets possessed just the right amount of bite without ever causing irritation. Here, the music rises and falls naturally and without unnatural exaggeration. The rhythm section was temporally accurate, without the system needing to highlight leading edges, a characteristic many other manufacturers tune into their products. When Idris hits his cymbals, you get just the right amount of crispness and bite but no added harshness – which I will add is not the case with the more expensive amp and DAC pairing I am currently auditioning for another review.
I feel that this system’s resolution is the key here. Bass guitar notes are lean if that’s how they were mixed, but full and powerful when required. If the strings on the recording were engineered to sound lush and expansive then you hear them that way. This album’s final track, Loran’s Dance, was another highlight, showcasing the dynamics and ability of the Nu-Vista components to show how the band’s interplay develops as this track builds. The saxophone on this track sounded so airy and natural, yet dynamic, which made for a truly involving experience.
The Nu-Vista DAC sounded fantastic with DSD files and did not bat an eyelid when faced with my DSD 256 version of Jaco Pastorius’s Truth, Liberty & Soul, which has caused lesser DACs to stutter or even freeze. This leads me to mention the one operational hitch that I experienced during my time with these components. When playing DSD via my Melco, the Nu-Vista DAC did not appear capable of gapless playback of DSD files. This may not be a problem for many, but if, like me, you have an extensive library of DSD recordings, this could be a deal breaker. It could well be that this is a peculiarity between my Melco and the Nu-vista DAC, but I could not get gapless play via any UPnP app, including Mconnect, Bubble UPnP and Jplay. Perhaps Roon users will be more fortunate, but I could not test this setup with Roon.
Nirvana, if you’ve got the space
As you have read, the performance of these components is exemplary, and both sit among the top components available in their price range. The size of these components will unfortunately mean that many potential buyers, particularly in the UK and Europe, where we tend to have smaller rooms, may be unable to accommodate them. There is also the question over the playback of gapless DSD, which needs resolving.
Despite these provisos, the Nu-Vista DAC and Nu-Vista 800.2 amplifier are outstanding performers. Audiophiles who enjoy their music presented in a smooth, natural, yet dynamic manner should place these components at the top of their shortlist. The 800.2 will drive almost any real-world speaker and can produce sonic fireworks when the music demands, yet with subtlety and in a cavernous soundstage. I know that every DAC and integrated amplifier that passes through my hands over the coming months will cause me to ask: Is this as good as the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista? I cannot give a higher recommendation than that.