For Sale: Unique NVA TDS Monoblocks. Now £1750

edited August 2014 in For sale
My NVA TDSs. Plus, I’m throwing in my Statement Passive Pre-amp, too.

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The original - and best - Mk1 TDSs. Built like battleships in solid aluminium and almost as heavy!

It’s a difficult sale this. The TDSs are exceptional amps, but having recently moved house, my bank account needs some love if I’m going to get some of the things done that need doing here.

Can I put these amps in context?

When I was a reviewer, I had access to a lot of kit. I heard or reviewed just about all the top electronics then available.

But what did I choose for my own system? NVA. Because they’re really great amplifiers. In a few short years, I went from A70, via bi-amped A80s to the TDSs. I have an AP20 integrated, too.

These Statements were NVA’s final prototypes for their top amplifiers. As such, they’re not so shiny as the final production amps. But, soundwise, it’s another matter.

Crucially, these TDSs have four power supplies per channel. That means they deliver everything you love about the NVA sound, but in spades.

What’s more, they’re a total one-off, loaded with military-spec components, retrofitted by NVA to their thick gold-tracked circuit boards. That’s why I say they’re probably the very best sounding NVA amps available.

The Mk1 TDSs sold for £7000 the pair - the current Mk3s with plastic casings cost £6000 a pair. I believe the current Pre-Amp sells for £1200 new.

I’m asking just £3000 for the two monoblocks, pre-amp, no-compromise custom cables built for me by our own PAC, plus hundreds of pounds worth of NVA Super Sound Pipe interconnects.

They’re in Littlehampton, West Sussex. They’re too heavy to ship safely, but I can meet the purchaser anywhere south of the M4 and east of Exeter for the cost of petrol. Or come and hear them at my home.

This could be your only chance to own The Definitive Statements from NVA.


Edit: It seems that Richard Dunn has warned he won't support them or repair them. Fair enough, they are well out of guarantee.

A word on repairs. The TDSs, like all NVA amps, use the same circuit based on a classic design and can be repaired by any competent amplifier repairer. As you can see from the photos, access is very easy and the whole thing screams quality and simplicity.

What I can say is that they have never missed a beat since I've owned them. And they've never needed repairs. I'm listening to them now.

If you have any questions, please message me here on Chews and we can have a chat on the phone.

Comments

  • VERY NICE INDEED
  • They sure are funky.... :-)
    In all the years we've been rattling around together Mr. Ugly, I've never actually seen these chaps.
    I wish you well with the sale. With the cables too, it looks like a bargain. :-)
  • Cool............these are the amps that inspired me to DIY some many years ago now.
  • They look very interesting, for sure.

    They also are very distinctive soundwise. Probably the ultimate expression of NVA, as Dave says. they utterly peed all over my more recent NVA TSS, which uses the modern PCB mounted version of the circuit.

    Truly unique.
  • Would go nicely with some Magisters...
  • Yup. They'll drive just about anything - even those :-D
  • Thanks for pics Dave they look lovely.
  • Hi Colette,

    first off, no I personally would not be able to fix the TDS if it went wrong - I'm only a hobbyist and not an experienced electronic engineer.
    However, the circuit is pretty simple, despite what Dunn says. My understanding is it was based off a fairly classic minimalist design from the 60s or 70s.
    About 10 years ago I bought an old ex-demo pair of NVA A80s from Doug Brady Hifi in Warrington. They had been gathering dust in their store rooms before I came along, and when they were powered up one of the amps blew. The resident engineer had it fixed perfectly in a week. I still use them to this day in my home theatre.

    I've also read a Russian forum thread where an amp repair guy was sent an NVA amp to repair and he recorded his process of reverse engineering the amp to understand it and repair it. I think some schematics came out of that as well. And here's a thread on diyaudio where the guys on there discuss modifying an NVA amp. I have no doubt that many of those guys have no trouble understanding such a simple circuit.

    Finally there are the clever folks at the AudioTalk forum that would have no problem understanding the circuit. I took an NVA amp board to one of their DIY gatherings last year and they were explaining the circuit to me (before my eyes glazed over and I had to reboot my brain :) )

    Also, I imagine our own Colin here would be able to fix any problems? (if he had the time and inclination)

    If you are interested in this amp I would say that it's probably the best sounding NVA amp in existence. The current incarnation of the TDS only has 3 power supplies per channel as the cheap mass produced circuit boards that are used keep blowing when 4 PSUs are used and Dunn can't get to the bottom of the problem. The components used in Dave's TDS are in a different league to the current amps. In the current range the TDS uses exactly the same components as the cheapest entry level amp, so not much of a 'Definitive Statement' :)

    Anyway, hope that helps.


  • edited April 2014
    Some less informed folks seem to think there were no transistor based designs in the 60s.

    This is an example of the kind of simple classic transistor design from 1969 that I'm referring to:


  • Indeed. If memory serves our Col' was making Germanium transistor push-pull amps in '71. I think he moved on since then, so probably won't be available for repairing these... ;) Not that they are likely to need it though, These particular amps are very nicely specced and built (It's only Naims that need frequent servicing, isn't it?)

    I agree, these may be the best NVAs available today (probably so IMO). They are certainly unique, and have very good detail resolution and drive.


  • ... Not that they are likely to need it though, These particular amps are very nicely specced and built (It's only Naims that need frequent servicing, isn't it?)
    That's a good point Alan, NVA have said repeatedly that amps are not like cars and don't need servicing. Certainly my 25 year old AP20 is still going strong.

    These original TDSes are what got me into NVA as a teenager. I always lusted after the looks and design philosophy. I would love to hear them before they get sold on - need to find an opportunity to come down south on a visit :)
  • @Figlet -Via Maidstone perhaps?
  • It's a bugger that you lot are so far from uncivilisation...
  • OK. Let's get this thing on the move. 

    As described in the OP. £2750
  • Might be worth advertising these on some Italian or Asian forums that talk about NVA?  These are such a massively niche item that it needs to be shown to enthusiasts.  HiFi Wigwam gets huge exposure, but you've listed them there already.
  • You may well be right Neil.

    I do have a private individual (ie not a forum member) interested at the moment, so we'll see where that goes.
  • I've just been redirected here by searching for NVA amps.

    Are these still available please?

    kind regards
  • Welcome Mr. P,
    As far as I know, yes they are. Dave should be along shortly. :-)

  • edited May 2014
    They are still available. Thanks for finding your way here.

    Where are you based Mr P? Can I offer you a listening session?

    Please PM me so we can talk.
  • I'm in London.  Ideally I'd like to hear with my speakers.  Could that be arranged?
  • Where in London?
  • Crystal Palace area.
  • edited May 2014
    Looks like both parties who are interested have gear to sell, so they're not ready to go.

    In the meantime, I'll reduce the price to £2,500.
  • They're still here and still sounding fantastic!
  • Now £2,000.
  • Are they going to have to go on eBay?
  • Reduced to £1750.

    Can now ship anywhere, for cost of shipping and crates.
  • Yes.

    To a man who bought an amp from Alan a while back. He said it was such rubbish that he was in the market for something good!
  • The amp he bought from Alan :-)
This discussion has been closed.