Integrated Amplifiers

The original Nu-Vista 800 [inset] caused something of a storm when it launched some nine years ago. It was also rated at 330W/8ohm although I suggested at the time [HFN Nov '14] that Musical Fidelity revise this to 300W/8ohm to better reflect the 2x325W/8ohm and 2x580W/4ohm achieved in practice. I'd say the same for the 800.2 although both amplifiers had/have exactly the same reserve to accommodate peaks of 370W, 700W, 1.30kW and 2.2kW into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads at <1% THD. Distortion was a low 0.001-0.004% from 20Hz-20kHz/10W, though our sample of the 800 showed a higher THD level through bass frequencies via the right channel.

Power aside, the new 800.2 is clearly a more refined implementation of the 800 blueprint. Distortion is better matched between the L/R channels of the 800.2 and lower too, falling to 0.0005-0.002% over the same range [see Graph 2, p53] and holding to 0.0008W/1W, 0.0005%/10W, 0.00065W/100W and 0.004%/300W. By contrast the older 800 achieved 0.001%/1W to 0.002%/100W and 0.005%/300W. Gain, via the balanced XLR inputs, is reduced from +42.3dB to a more 'sensible' +30.8dB in the 800.2 but the 86dB A-wtd S/N (re. 0dBW) is unchanged. The digitally-governed volume control is also retained, operating in 0.5dB steps over a 114.5dB range with an error of just +0.3dB over the top 90dB, +0.5dB over 100dB and +1.3dB over a full 110dB of its range – impossible to achieve with a conventional analogue potentiometer! PM