MUSICAL FIDELITY Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 High End Fully Balanced and Discrete Phono Preamp User Manual
- June 15, 2024
- MUSICAL FIDELITY
Table of Contents
MUSICAL FIDELITY Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 High End Fully Balanced and Discrete
Phono Preamp
Product Information
Specifications
- Product Name: Nu-Vista Vinyl 2
- Type: Phono Preamp
- Tube Stage: Class A Nuvistor
- Phono Stage: MM/MC
- Input Type: Single-ended RCA or balanced XLR
- Power Supply: Separate low-noise PSU
- Operational Amplifiers: Discrete operational amplifiers with transistors
- Phono Stage Parts: Fully balanced 3-part phono stage (gain + EQ)
- Subsonic Filter: Yes
- Control Circuits: Gain, loading, input, subsonic, EQ curves
General Description
The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 is a high-end phono preamplifier designed by Musical
Fidelity. It features a discrete Class A Nuvistor tube stage and is capable of
handling both MM (Moving Magnet) and MC (Moving Coil) phono cartridges. With
its beautifully designed and executed massive casework, this flagship phono
preamp aims to provide ultra-high performance and highly accurate sound
reproduction without any practical limitations.
Technical Talk
The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 utilizes separate low-noise PSU and discrete
operational amplifiers with transistors. It features a fully balanced 3-part
phono stage with gain and EQ settings. The phono stage consists of a low noise
balanced input amplifier (1ststage) with selectable gain options, a balanced
correction amplifier (2nd stage) with selectable gain options, and another
balanced correction amplifier (3rd stage) with selectable gainoptions. The
preamp also includes separate discrete power filtering and DC blocking PCB, as
well as a subsonic filter. Control circuits are provided for adjusting gain,
loading, input selection, subsonic filter, and EQ curves.
The Advantage of Discrete Circuits
Unlike integrated circuits (IC), which are composed of compact and
efficient electronic components, the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 employs discrete
circuits. Discrete circuits consist of individualelectronic components such as
resistors, capacitors, and transistors. By using discrete circuits, Musical
Fidelity is able to create a more extensive design process with hundreds or
thousands of components. This approach is believed to result insuperior sound
quality compared to standard phono preamps with integrated circuits.
Fully Balanced
The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 is a fully balanced phono preamp. This means that it
utilizes balanced XLR inputs and outputs to minimize noise and interference,
resulting in improved audio performance and better signal integrity.
Extreme Cartridge Loading Options
The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 offers extreme cartridge loading options for each of
its single-ended RCA or balanced XLR inputs. These settings can be
individually adjusted for MM or MC cartridges and are stored separately for
each input. This sophisticated implementation allows the preamp to be
perfectly matched with anycartridge and seamlessly integrated into your Hi-Fi
system.
Product Usage
Connecting the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2
- Place the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 in a suitable location near your turntable and audio system.
- Connect the turntable’s output cables to the single-ended RCA or balanced XLR inputs on the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2.
- Connect the output of the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 to your amplifier or audio system using the provided cables.
- Ensure all connections are secure and properly seated.
Adjusting Cartridge Loading
To adjust the cartridge loading, follow these steps:
- Select the input you want to adjust using the input selection controls on the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2.
- Locate the cartridge loading controls for that input.
- For MM cartridges, set the loading to the recommended value specified by the cartridge manufacturer.
- For MC cartridges, consult the cartridge manufacturer’s specifications and set the loading accordingly.
- Repeat the steps for other inputs if necessary.
Using EQ Curves and Subsonic Filter
The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 allows you to adjust EQ curves and enable a subsonic
filter. Follow these steps to make adjustments:
- Select the input you want to adjust using the input selection controls on the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2.
- Locate the EQ curve and subsonic filter controls for that input.
- Choose the desired EQ curve option based on your personal preference or the characteristics of your vinyl records.
- If needed, enable the subsonic filter to remove low-frequency rumble and unwanted noise.
- Repeat the steps for other inputs if necessary.
FAQ
- Q: Can I use both MM and MC cartridges with the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2?
- A: Yes, the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 is compatible with both MM and MC cartridges. You can easily switch between the two using the input selection controls.
- Q: How do I know the recommended cartridge loading for my MM cartridge?
- A: The recommended cartridge loading for MM cartridges canusually be found in the specifications provided by the cartridge manufacturer. If you are unsure, you can consult the manufacturer’swebsite or contact their customer support for assistance.
- Q: What is the purpose of the subsonic filter?
- A: The subsonic filter helps remove low-frequency rumble and unwanted noise that may be present in vinyl records. Enabling the subsonic filter can improve the overall sound quality by reducing these undesirable artifacts.
Nu-Vista Vinyl 2
High-End Fully Balanced and Discrete Phono Preamp with Class A Nuvistor Stage
Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 In Brief
Phono-Preamp
- Fully balanced and discrete design
- 3-part gain stage with Class A circuitry
- Split-passive RIAA, DECCA & COLUMBIA equalisation
- Two-step subsonic filter (Switchable: OFF –Mild – Standard)
- Low Noise Nu-Vista Class A circuitry
- 4x 7586 Nuvistors in balanced buffer circuit
- MM (40, 43dB) & MC (60, 63dB) capable with +6dB option for each gain setting
- Separate output and input stages -connect multiple inputs and ouputs simul-taneously
- Super Silent Power Transformer
- Discrete input power filtering and DC blo-cking circuitry
In & Output
- 2x RCA inputs
- 2x balanced XLR input
- 1x RCA output
- 1x balanced XLR output
Features
-
Optional connection for external Nu-Vista Uni PSU (sold separately)
Colour display with loading settings and clear selected input -
Load settings stored for each input
-
Dimmable display
-
Nu-Vista Remote Control “Front panel in your hand”
General Description
The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 is the new flagship of Musical Fidelity phono preamplifiers, an ultra-high performance, highly accurate phono MM/MC phono preamplifier with a discrete Class A Nuvistor tube stage. Beautifully designed and executed with massive casework, we set out to make a phono stage without any practical limits. It’s designed in such a way to ensure you cannot overload the input stage or encounter any practical limitations in the output driving capacity. Its purpose is singular, to be a con-duit for music. It exists to faithfully convey the artist‘s intent, their emotions, the passion di-rectly to your ears and heart.
Technical Talk
- Compared to its predecessor, the Nu-Vista Vinyl, the Vinyl 2 now features discrete and fully balanced audio circuitry on the inside. The phono pre-amplification contains three gain stages powered by fully Class A discrete transistor circuitry.
- The EQ stage doesn’t cut any corners either. Completely passive and in two separate stages (split-passive) – this is more costly to design and implement but ensures the most accurate representation of the ideal EQ curve.
- Split passive equalization allows for better impedance matching and lower deviation from the ideal EQ.
- In addition to the standard RIAA curve, we have implemented the two less common DECCA and COLOMBIA curves as well. The audio signals from the phono preamplifier go to a separate board for each channel, with a fully balanced discrete class A Nuvistor stage.
- The clean PCB layout and purpose-driven design guarantee the lowest possible noise and distortion with low output impedance. RCA and XLR outputs both have their own individual stages allowing you to use them simultaneously.
- The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 uses the same display technology and redesigned front panel as all other recent Nu-Vista additions.
The Advantage of Discrete Circuits
A discrete circuit is composed of electronic components which are disparate,
individual devices, also called discrete components. These can be “passive”
components, like resistors, capacitors, and inductors, as well as “active”
components like transistors. The opposite of this would be an integrated
circuit (IC = chip), which can, for example, be used as an operational
amplifier (Op-Amp) in the signal chain.
In our industry, we employ specialized IC Op-Amps built for audio applications, which allow us to produce very small and efficient electronics, as well as save the time of design engineers. However, countless hours of listening tests and years of experience have shown us that even the very best ICs do not tend to be so neutral, natural, dynamic, or vivid – all of which are characteristics of the Musical Fidelity “sound”. They are also difficult – if not impossible – to repair. For that reason, we’re re-discovering our passion for traditional, discrete designs.
Where standard phono pre-amplifiers with integrated circuits have a few tens or hundreds of components, discrete designs will employ hundreds or thousands of components by comparison. That makes for an extended design process, but in our opinion results in the best sound for your money.
Fully Balanced
A fully balanced design principle, as used in the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2, consists of a hot and cold (also called + and -) signal. Both the + and – signal chains effectively carry the same musical information. A truly balanced amplifier can now extract the final musical information out of the +/- signals and subtract, and remove, all noise that could potentially be added along the transmission.
A “pseudo-balanced” amplifier will not process the + and – signals independently but add them together before they are processed. The pseudo- balanced design will not benefit from the advantages that balanced connections have to offer like fully balanced amplifiers do. In a true, fully balanced device, the + and – sections of both the left and right channels are treated individually, which doubles the amplifier sections by 2 as a result. You need twice as much space on the circuit board, twice as many electrical components and be twice as careful with planning your circuit board layout. As a result, the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 excels at suppressing unwanted noise, errors, and interferences and offers the best signal-to-noise ratio possible.
Extreme Cartridge Loading Options
Each of its single-ended RCA or balanced XLR inputs can be individually set
for either MM/MC and loading. Each input also then remem-bers its own
settings.
Very large ranges from 40dB (voltage am-plification by 100x) up to 69dB (voltage am-plification by 3690x) are possible. The gain is cleanly switched using signal relays and you can see the big increase in amplification is why a phono preamp must be incredibly silent (a fully balanced design makes a big differ-ence here) to handle amplification levels this high. Input capacitance and impedance are switched by using JFET transistors.
A costly, yet technically extremely sophisticated implementation, it allows the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 to be matched with any cartridges and perfectly integrated it into the rest of your Hifi system. By that criteria the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 is perfect. It has no practical audible noise even at the highest levels of amplification. It doesn‘t really have distortion. You cannot overload its input or output and you can load your cartridge perfectly. It brings the artist’s intent, emotions and passion to your ears and heart.
Power supply
The Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 displays our continued development of our Super Silent Power Transformers. Industrial grade power sockets with EMI filter and DC blocker stop interferences and eliminate transformer hum. The encapsulated toroidal transformer is purpose designed for delicate phono signals with low core saturation and extremely low electromagnetic radiation. Each discrete amp stage has a DC servo ensuring optimal DC mode. The preamplifier is powered by two high-quality symmetrical low-noise power supplies, one for each channel. All the fully balanced Nuvistor PSUs are passively filtered and regulated. If we are working with the few hundreds of microvolts from a phono cartridge, everything is playing its role; every decibel of signal to noise ratio is crucially important.
Optional upgrade: Nu-Vista Uni PSU
Optionally, the Nu-Vista Vinyl 2 can be powered by the Nu-Vista Uni PSU (set
to be released in 2024). This will achieve better noise performance, by moving
the AC mains power supply from the main unit and build it into another
matching box. We are taking advantage of the extra space to set up mains and
output filtering a step above what is usually possible in one-box-solutions.
This quietens up the supplies and results in almost no mains-borne artefacts
getting into the sensitive audio circuitry.
Heroic Build Quality
Like all Nu-Vistas, their mechanical construction is uncompromisingly rigid
and solid in typical Musical Fidelity tradition. Front panel and side panels
are milled from extruded aluminium profiles and are extremely massive. The Nu-
Vista Vinyl 2 is basically immune against the effects of vibration from the
environment. The same can be said about electromagnetic immunity. The massive
aluminium case acts as a Faraday cage. It protects the incredibly sensitive
phono stage internals against outer electromagnetic fields. Also included is
the Nu-Vista remote control which is a solid “Nu-Vista” style re-imagination
of usual remote controls. Machined from solid, it has the same feel as front
panel of unit, has powerful beam, and runs off easily replaceable AAA
Batteries.
Nu-Vista by Musical Fidelity
The Nu-Vista family is a continued labour of love for Musical Fidelity. The
brilliant Nuvistor tube never really went anywhere in audio. Un-til the early
1990‘s when Antony Michaelson and his small company named Musical Fidel-ity –
back then located to the west of London in an artisan hamlet named Wembley –
started making amplifiers with Nuvistors. They were made in limited editions
and sold out almost immediately. To this day these icons of au-dio
individualism are still highly valued. Now, after Musical Fidelity has been
passed on to new ownership, our vision is to continue making history. The Nu-
Vista Vinyl 2 will be no exception. We hope you derive as much pleasure
listening to it, as we had creating it.
Nuvistor tubes
- Nuvistor tubes were invented in the 1950s to solve the many shortcomings of conventional tubes. Unlike them, Nuvistor tubes offer very high reliability, low microphony, low noise, consistency from batch to batch, small size, relatively low power consumption and great technical performance.
- One famous application was in the Ampex MR-70, a costly studio tape recorder whose entire electronics section was based on nu-vistors. Another limited application of this very small tube was in studio-grade microphones from that era, the AKG/Norelco C12a, which employed the 7586, being a good example.
- It was also later found in the famed Neumann U 47 studio microphone. This microphone was highly regarded by artists all over the world, and was used by many top recording artists such as Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, and so on. Remarkably, you can currently see a U47 microphone, with its stand, cables and power supply on eBay for $10,999 „Buy-it-now“.
- Unfortunately just as uses for Nuvistor tubes were being explored, the transistor was inven-ted and it was ‘game over’ for Nuvistors. The-re the matter rested until about fifteen years ago, when Musical Fidelity created the first of its ground-breaking Nu-Vista series. These le-gendary, limited-edition products sold out in a matter of months. Today, fifteen years later, they command very high secondhand prices because of their beautiful sound, build quality, and longevity.
SPECIFICATION
MM
- Gain at XLR outputs : 40dB, 43dB, 46dB, 49dB
- Frequency response: +0.2dB, -0.2dB
- Input sensitivity : 5mV IN for 500mV OUT (at 40dB, 1kHz)
- Input impedance: 47kohm
- Input capacitance: 50-400pF selectable
- THD at 1kHz: <0.005%
- Overload Margin: 32dB
- Signal-to-noise ratio : >110dB „A“-wt. at 40dB
MC
- Gain at XLR outputs : 60dB, 63dB, 66dB, 69dB
- Frequency response: +0.2dB, -0.25dB
- Input sensitivity: 500uV IN for 500mV OUT (at 60dB, 1kHz)
- Input impedance: 5 ohms to 47kohm selectable
- Input capacitance: 400pF fixed
- THD at 1kHz: <0.008%
- Overload Margin : 32dB
- Signal-to-noise ratio: >98dB „A“-wt. at 60dB
Features
- EQ curves : RIAA, DECCA, COLUMBIA
- Subsonic filters : off, mild (IEC), standard (at 20Hz with 18dB/octave)
In & Outputs
- Inputs : 2x RCA, 2x XLR
- 1x RCA output : unbalanced, left and right 500mV nom, 10V max
- 1x XLR output : balanced, left and right 1V nom, 20V max
Power requirement
- Mains voltages : 115/230VAC 50/60Hz (factory pre-set); 100VAC 50/60Hz (alternative)
- Consumption : 40 Watts maximum, <0.5 W in standby (orange LED ON)
General Information
- Dimensions (WxHxD) : 483 x 188 x 510 mm
- Power connections for optional Nu-Vista Uni PSU (sold separately)
- Weight : 22 kg net / 30 kg in shipping box
MUSICAL FIDELITY
www.musicalfidelity.com
Technical data and price changes are reserved.