In some ways, the name of Musical Fidelity’s latest amplifier is a misnomer. The Nu-Vista vacuum tube was indeed a‘New Vista’ electronic device when it was introduced by RCA in 1959, when it was physically smaller, more robust and exhibited higher performance than anything else available at the time… and indeed, in some applications, for the next 20 years. But it is now 2023. The Nu-Vista is not a new device, and why would Musical Fidelity use an old-fashioned vacuum tube anyway?
Well, it’s for the same reason that valve audio amplifiers have never gone out of production and valves are still used in most musical instrument amplifiers — sound quality. Put a valve in the signal path and music just sounds more musical. Where Musical Fidelity has been smarter than most is, firstly, where it uses valves, which is the input stage, rather than the output stage, because the inherently low voltages mean negligible component stress, in turn meaning that the valve’s life is essentially unlimited. The second smart move was to use Nu-Vistas as opposed to any other valve type because they have proven to not only have a long lifespan but also be exceptionally reliable throughout it, not to mention low noise.
But all of the above was true when Musical Fidelity introduced the original Nu-Vista 800 integrated amplifier back in 2015. If the same Nu-Vista valves are being used (which they are), why the need for a Nu-Vista 800.2 model? Why not just continue with the almost decade-old Nu-Vista 800, not least as it was one of Musical Fidelity’s best-selling amplifiers?
The answer, according to the company’s new owner, Heinz Lichtenegger (who purchased the company from his old friend, Antony Michaelson, who foundedsports a host of changes, all of which offer improvements on the older model.
