I thought the nova300 was going to be a great match for me - well reviewed, high powered, geared up towards digital listening, decent price…what a disappointing experience.
Maybe it’s just really bad luck but I’ve had to return two nova300’s because both were plagued with major quality/sound issues.
The first nova had a very loud, unusual, continuous, high-pitched squeal from inside the chassis itself (not the speakers). I contacted customer service and they said that it was likely damaged during shipping. OK, makes sense…
About 10 days later I received the replacement. I turned it on and there was no squealing, so that was a good sign. Then I started to run it through it’s paces…
The USB-A input that is optimized for iOS devices to eliminate noise…always noisy regardless of Apple device/cable. Also, it had a generally thinner sound then the other inputs.
Optical output - fuller sound then the USB-A but hisses
When adjusting volume up/down (remote or knob) I could hear static-y “clicks”, almost like steps, being output into the speakers that matched the increasing/decreasing volume lights on the face of the unit.
The physical volume knob did not consistently register being depressed to mute/unmute
Now here’s the most surprising part…
The sound was so lifeless. Very clear, very loud but so incredibly dull.
The bass was flat, treble harsh, zero bottom at low volumes - all the very positively reviewed attributes/selling points were missing. There was absolutely nothing exciting about it. I tried adjusting the speaker placement, tried different sources but nothing helped. Honestly, my AVR with all the processing bypassed sounds way more engaging.
I really wanted to love the nova300, but between all the quality issues and the very anemic sound it is not the right integrated for me.
Is QC a common concern for this amp? You recommended it recently, and I found an open box deal for what appears to be a steal at $1199. That’s quite a bit, though, if defect risk is even moderate.
Not that I know of, that is a reasonable p ife for used, impressive for open box, I guess just make sure it’s from a legit seller and has a warranty. I did always think they were a tad overpriced
@FiCurious After receiving my second defective unit I started looking at the forums to see if QC issues were common…I wasn’t alone. The strange part is I purchased directly through Peachtree, not a third party vendor or used.
Ultimately I ended up w/ a Parasound Halo Hint Integrated. Isn’t as high tech but the Halo sounds so much better, at least on my speakers. The nova300 was too sterile.
I can def agree with this, I do really like the sound of the Halo line alot, but it is more expensive. Also yes being icepower chips it’s going to be very clean. The hint 6 is pretty awesome (I think I mentioned it correct @FiCurious)
Yeah, it was for the HE6. I have an MX3 I currently use to power a pair of old Realistic MC-1000s. Was considering getting something that has the A-B speaker zone option to serve both purposes.
Hmmm well not the zamp then lol. I would say if you want a parasound for their power amps I would look for a used a23+ or a used a21 (or a 21+). For an integrated that hint 6 is awesome but might be pushing your budget
