The amp I now have in my hands is a truly special case, since it doesn't come from a classic audio company like all the American ones. Those, having been founded in the '50s, have had another half century of technological evolution. The Nova Audio project, however, was born of the lack of Soviet state investment in the space race. Vladimir Ratayen, a space engineer, together with some colleagues (most of them military engineers from the various armed forces), decided to devote themselves to designing and manufacturing amplifiers for hi-fi-addicted "audiophiles," later going on to make professional PA power amps. And now also this series designed exclusively for fixed installations.

The fact that this brand reached Europe and the rest of the world was also pure chance, since the partners at Reflexion Arts came across Nova Audio at a trade show in Russia, which they attended not to sell, like everyone else, but to buy... Who'd have thought!

UNBOXING
Installation amps tend to look rather plain, since they don't have to be transported or handled constantly. The Nova has a simple, very Spartan finish, but with careful details such as Allen screws flush with the surface (better bluing to prevent rust would be great), XLR connectors with a very well-finished metal surround (of unknown brand) and a good lacquer finish on the outer casing.

DESCRIPTION
The MA 1200 AG is a mono subwoofer amp with a signal system that receives the signal in stereo (inputs A and B). The first thing it does is take an output per channel in parallel with the input. That output, by means of a true switch, is connected or bridged across the input by a built-in crossover, to send it to a mid/high amp with a frequency cutoff that is factory-set and selectable on order (in this case 120 Hz with an 18 dB-per-octave slope). After this curious link, the full signal of each channel enters a circuit that sums signals A and B. The result is a single signal which, after passing through a low-pass filter at the frequency requested from the factory, feeds the amp. It is then processed by a variable subsonic filter, selectable between 25 Hz and 70 Hz by means of a knob located on the back of the chassis. This lets us set the appropriate frequency range for our subwoofer.

Amplification is handled by a chain of bipolar transistors, wonderfully powered by a combination of two dual-winding transformers, tremendously military in appearance, and eight good high-capacity LP capacitors.

On the front panel you can see signal, overload (input overload) and protection LEDs for each channel; a power LED and the power switch, as well as two ventilation grilles for a single fan located at the rear.

At the rear we have the A and B inputs on XLR, the crossover link outputs (on balanced jack), switches for activating the crossover and for 0 or plus 3 dB sensitivity, output terminals (two pairs but only one channel; pay attention to the configuration!), a master bass volume, the subsonic knob and a white power cable in the best washing-machine style. There is also an input fuse.

UP AND RUNNING
We connected a Meyer dual-18 bass reflex cabinet to the amp, a cabinet well known to all PA engineers and installation companies. We have 500 W per speaker and 4 ohms in total, theoretically a fairly tight match given that, according to the spec sheet, we have 1025 watts measured at 1 kilohertz and 1% distortion.

It must be said that our point of comparison is the original Meyer amp, which, although it has a fair number of gigs behind it, is of extremely high quality and ruggedness, with very low distortion levels at high power (inversely proportional to the price paid for them)

At first, when driven with a dynamic, harmonically rich signal, the Nova Audio's response is fantastic. The definition, listening to the bass on Sly's "If You Want Me to Stay," is perfect. With great drive and low distortion, which confirms the figure of a damping factor below 400:1 and the choice of amplification transistor type, bipolar, which, when well selected, gives better results in the low end than MOSFETs. Class G amplification demands a good amount of power, although, if it is generously supplied, it usually results in a good outcome.

Its resistance to hard work and its heat generation hold up to any test. We'd stake our reputation on it, since by clipping the signal we tried to trip the protections and couldn't... These are the usual ones: short circuit, thermal (90ºC on the transistor heat sink and 130ºC on the transformers via contact on the winding surface), overload at plus 14 dB, DC at 4.5 V and turn-on mute. This gives us the option of remote start-up from an external panel, so that the machine room can be kept locked and out of reach of the public, bar staff... We missed RF protection and a soft start, which, as we see in the catalog, is available on the brand's more powerful models.

The "buts" we found in this comparison begin when you reach the power limit and the overload LEDs (clip LEDs) on the front panel light up clearly. That's where it really hurts the amp. Distortion increases dangerously, since we are pushing it well above the permissible input voltage (1.63 volts) and serving it an appetizer of 2.20 volts. This is where the Meyer amp reveals that it has internal processing, limiting the input with great quality. Although I'm not sure that this processing technology, together with the bass subharmonic synthesis and the configuration options, really justifies a price almost five times higher.

Another clear drawback is that the amp can't be used at 2 ohms, since, although that option is offered and it works, it loses all the charm of its sound. We can see the amp starting to struggle, and we strongly advise against it, even if the unit isn't going to burst into flames as happens in other cases...

STRIPPED DOWN
Once we removed the top cover of the casing, we were pleasantly surprised. It's entirely hand-assembled! The antithesis of Far Eastern gear and a throwback to the English and American equipment of the early '80s. With thick fiberglass boards and solid traces that can withstand repeated repairs without fear of burning them, and attention to detail in the selection of components, with op-amps of Western or Japanese manufacture mounted in sockets, which lets us swap them out for a quick repair.

The ceramic resistors and other simpler components are of Soviet origin. The importer assures us they are military spec, which guarantees oversized tolerances and, in short, preserves quality along the signal path.

The power transformers are two hand-made pieces, with a classic winding over another of flat wire (ribbon) that acts as the electromagnetic element, ensuring high capacity while saving space and weight. Outside the former Communist countries, these transformers would represent a cost that would be difficult to bear.

This power supply alerts us to one drawback of this amp: its power consumption. This problem shouldn't be significant in a fixed installation, since we can draw a good amount of current from the mains; 9 amps for 1200 watts is not very economical, but sound always has a price...

CONCLUSION
This amp is an almost tailor-made option for our installations, especially when we want full, deep, punchy bass. A rugged, durable machine, easy to repair and moderately priced, helped by the built-in crossover as standard. It also avoids the confusion of other systems whose subwoofer follows the stereo image, and it doesn't sacrifice the content of each channel.

We advise matching the speaker load correctly when configuring the system, and not trying to get more than 1200 watts out of it by forcing the signal, since we would only lose the very thing we were after from the start: quality.