Review: New Valve Order SPA II Tube preamp

Category: Preamps

A giant killer phono stage is born !
Over the past 25 years , I had been in search of the very best phono preamp.
I think I had finally reached Nirvana.

Before the NVO SPA 2, I had tried the following great phono-stages :

Klyne Audo Arts 3.5,
Vandetta SCP 2T,
Tom Evans Groove + SBX,
Artemis Lab PL1,
Audio Research Ref 2,
Tron Seven Reference ,
Oswald Mills phono stage,
Experience the Music Kahn LCR,

The NVO SPA II tops them all.

This is a 22 tube unit from Greece imported by Steven Klein of Sound of Silence.
Despite being a tube unit, the SPA II is the most quiet phono stage that I ever owned.
Micro-dynamics are the best with great rhythm / pace.
The sound stage is deep and holographic as well.
The highs are extended but not fatiguing like solid state units.
It has the emotional impact of the Kahn LCR unit but without the penalty of hum associated with nickel LCR's.

I cannot wait to try it out on my other system with the Telos armand Ortofon A90 unit.

I hope to report back in a few weeks.

Associated gear
Saskia Turntable,
Durand Talea 2 Tone arm
Dynavector XVs 1 T cartridge
ASR Emittor 2 version blue amp
Genesis 1.1 Speaker system