NHB-458 monoblock power amplifier

[Mike Lavigne]

JT hasn't heard his own speaker???

Kevin Malmgren has been designing the crossover in San Diego and Jonathan is in Portland; i just happened to have a business trip to Newport Beach a couple of weeks ago exactly when Kevin had pretty much completed the crossover design and so i drove down one afternoon and heard it. it was a matter of fortuitous timing me hearing it before Jonathan.

what's funny is the exact same thing happened 6 years ago with the MM3's. i had a business trip to Torrey Pines, i had VR11's on order, but dropped in at Kevin's to hear the new speakers (which i had heard numerous times at Jonathan's as they were being developed). Kevin was also just done on the crossover that time too.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

i considered that. but when the 14 large wooden crates arrive i'm not sure i can sneak then in. it is a bit different from my Anna Cartridge. and Kevin coming up to dial them in would be hard to explain. the first lie is easy. after that it gets complicated.

she knows, i was kidding.

 

[jazdoc]

i considered that. but when the 14 large wooden crates arrive i'm not sure i can sneak then in. it is a bit different from my Anna Cartridge. and Kevin coming up to dial them in would be hard to explain. the first lie is easy. after that it gets complicated.

Maybe a few well placed houseplants would do the trick!

Congrats!

 

[LL21]

Hi Mike

While i have never heard the MM3s, i am curious as to how you compare the MM7 v MM3? The MM7 is certainly 'a lot more speaker'...and i have heard nothing but good things about the MM3. Thanks for any initial impressions.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hi Mike

While i have never heard the MM3s, i am curious as to how you compare the MM7 v MM3? The MM7 is certainly 'a lot more speaker'...and i have heard nothing but good things about the MM3. Thanks for any initial impressions.

i will answer your question on the Evolution Acoustics sub-forum and start a new thread. i think further comments on the MM7's should be referenced to that so they can be found later. this thread is really about the big dart 453 amps.

here is the new thread and an answer to your question.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-thoughts-and-impressions&p=100685#post100685

 

[LL21]

i will answer your question on the Evolution Acoustics sub-forum and start a new thread. i think further comments on the MM7's should be referenced to that so they can be found later. this thread is really about the big dart 453 amps.

here is the new thread and an answer to your question.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...-thoughts-and-impressions&p=100685#post100685

Thanks, Mike. Coming back to the NHB-458 monos...curious if you've ever had the chance to compare them with any others.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks, Mike. Coming back to the NHB-458 monos...curious if you've ever had the chance to compare them with any others.

Lloyd, i had the NHB-458's in my room for a month......with my NHB-108 sitting right next to it. so obviously i did compare those 2. the stereo 108 aqquited itself nicely compared to the $135k 458's, but the 458's bring a level of effortlessness, scale, and space which is unique. over these years i've had many amps in my room to compare with the 108's; none did what the 458's can do, and with the 458's you get the 'big amp' attributes without the normal sense of less refinement from a mega-watt amp.

i've been trying to find a way to rationalize a set of 458's, but now i find that the MM7's will take my system farther than the 458's, and i cannot afford both.

 

[rnsa2000]

Hello Mike,

will you use the NHB-108 with the MM7?


Best regards,
Ricardo Nonato.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hello Mike,

will you use the NHB-108 with the MM7?


Best regards,
Ricardo Nonato.

hello Ricardo,

yes, i will use the 108's with the MM7's. the MM7's are more efficient (96db compared to 93db) than the MM3's, so the 108 will be good. i also have my Found Music 2a3 monoblocks which will end up working much better on a more efficient speaker.

if at some point i can afford the 458's, they are still an amplifier i'd love to own.

best regards,

Mike

 

[rnsa2000]

Hello Mike,

I'm hoping to get my HSC-8550, but my intention in the future is to use pre and power darTZeel. I could now check closely the potential of this power with Dynaudio Temptation, a box that is very difficult to be played, and say he took the job very well.

I wonder when you can use with MM7 458. For your experience with this system, do you think will win with the monos?


Best regards,
Ricardo Nonato.

 

[LL21]

Lloyd, i had the NHB-458's in my room for a month......with my NHB-108 sitting right next to it. so obviously i did compare those 2. the stereo 108 aqquited itself nicely compared to the $135k 458's, but the 458's bring a level of effortlessness, scale, and space which is unique. over these years i've had many amps in my room to compare with the 108's; none did what the 458's can do, and with the 458's you get the 'big amp' attributes without the normal sense of less refinement from a mega-watt amp.

i've been trying to find a way to rationalize a set of 458's, but now i find that the MM7's will take my system farther than the 458's, and i cannot afford both.

time, Mike, time...it heals all wounds and rationalizes all good audio purchases...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

time, Mike, time...it heals all wounds and rationalizes all good audio purchases...

truer words have not been written.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hello Mike,

I'm hoping to get my HSC-8550, but my intention in the future is to use pre and power darTZeel. I could now check closely the potential of this power with Dynaudio Temptation, a box that is very difficult to be played, and say he took the job very well.

I wonder when you can use with MM7 458. For your experience with this system, do you think will win with the monos?


Best regards,
Ricardo Nonato.

Ricardo,

if i read your question correctly, you are asking; "will the 458's sound better than the 108 on the MM7's?" yes, they would sound better. absolute power corrupts absolutely. or....more power is always better unless it's not. in the case of the 458's, it is better in every way. OTOH; the 108 is close to the 458 in some important ways, not so close in others. and on a 96db efficient speaker that only needs to power down to 50hz, the 108 is closer to the 458 than it would be on most other speakers.

as far as the integrated 8550; i think it would do well with Temptations. on that speaker, the 458's would be quite a bit better than the 8550. since the 458's are not only more powerful, but lower noise, and more refined. in the case of the 458 compared to the 108, low noise and refinement are very similar.

i hope i answered your question.

best regards,

Mike

 

[mep]

Mike-Are you still listening to your tube amps?

Mark

 

[rnsa2000]

Mike,

thanks for answering my question. And congratulations for your excellent system!


Best regards,
Ricardo Nonato.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike-Are you still listening to your tube amps?

Mark

not that much, as it's 3 watts are not quite enough to boggie with lots of music. OTOH i do really enjoy what they can do on the right music. so i'll listen to them for maybe a few days at a time, then not for a few weeks.

it's not really fair to expect those amps, as wonderful and perfectly executed as they are, to power my speakers in my room. when i move my chair more into the nearfield that makes quite a positive difference with the 2A3's.

but adding 3db to the efficiency of the MM3 to the MM7's might just make a difference. we will see.

the real problem for the 2a3's is that the darTZeel 108 is such a magnificent solid state amp and so natural sounding, and so low noise and micro-dynamic. i've even come to appreciate the 108 more than prior to owning the 2a3's.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike,

thanks for answering my question. And congratulations for your excellent system!


Best regards,
Ricardo Nonato.

thank you.

 

[mep]

Mike-I'm not surprised and I think I *kinda sorta* predicted that would happen. As you and many others have stated, power corrupts and it is hard to give it up.

Mark

 

[joeinid]

not that much, as it's 3 watts are not quite enough to boggie with lots of music. OTOH i do really enjoy what they can do on the right music. so i'll listen to them for maybe a few days at a time, then not for a few weeks.

it's not really fair to expect those amps, as wonderful and perfectly executed as they are, to power my speakers in my room. when i move my chair more into the nearfield that makes quite a positive difference with the 2A3's.

but adding 3db to the efficiency of the MM3 to the MM7's might just make a difference. we will see.

the real problem for the 2a3's is that the darTZeel 108 is such a magnificent solid state amp and so natural sounding, and so low noise and micro-dynamic. i've even come to appreciate the 108 more than prior to owning the 2a3's.

Mike,

That is an excellent description on my Dart 108 as well. I find myself coming back to it and appreciating it more and more every day. I would love to be able to own the 458's or at least another 108 and bi-amping. Sublime.

Joe

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike-I'm not surprised and I think I *kinda sorta* predicted that would happen. As you and many others have stated, power corrupts and it is hard to give it up.

Mark

yes, you certainly did.