Audio withdrawal


I experienced the audiophile's worst nightmare today.  A component (NuForce reference 9 mono block amplifier) went bad.  It's made by a company which has gone out of business and has no referring repair service.
My local stereo repair shop was not sure they could fix it.

My system is fine tuned to just the way I like it, and I didnt want to start over with the nightmare of mixing and matching components until I found just the right combination.
After extensive Googling, I managed to find the one person in the universe who is qualified to repair my amp, an ex NuForce employee. I  sent it off today.
My problem is It's going to take a week or two before it comes back and I'm already in audio withdrawal.
Trying to find something to do, I'm writing this post.
Anyone  have other suggestions?
 
128x128rvpiano
I think it's a good idea to keep a back up amp around. I have several. It's also good to hear things from a different perspective occasionally.
In my opinion Class D sounds better when theres a hybrid type of system employed with tubes in the input stage to add a bit of warmth,  which is similar to class AB.  I have tried solid state preamps with Class D amplifiers of different manufacturers and always came back to the same conclusion.  
It just sounds right when tubes are in the mix.
I found out today that my amps won't be ready for about a week and a half.
Maybe I'll have to buy a new stereo amp to survive.
Headphones aren't doing the trick.
To make you happy, go to massdrop.com and purchase some quality headphones for far less. A friend suggested me just today. There is a section - audiophile. Click on that and explore.
https://www.massdrop.com/?origin=%2Faudiophile
I have the original NuForce Reference 9 mono block amps.
i sent both amps to the NuForce technician.  He's going to repair the one
and seriously upgrade both of them.


I have the Ref 9 V3 SE monos.  Look at Nuprime.  Several of Nuforce's key minds went to form this company.  I'd bet they can and will fix your amp if the current place can't.  Good luck either way.
To the OP, I feel your pain, my preamp is away at the factory for repairs.  Before its trip I bought a spare preamp, and then another even better spare.  There's no way I could go without...
Mixing and matching is so passe. Just buy well-designed neutral components, and you will be able to enjoy listening to music rather than equipment.
I had no idea that Nuforce had gone under. It's a tough market out there. They were one of the first high-profile class D amp companies.
Thanks for the recommendation.
i already own Sennheiser Headphones that are pretty good.
i also have an extraordinary Cowon player that reads FLAC files.
Probably  not as good as what was suggested, but good enough to listen to
dozens of albums I have on it in decent sound.

Ditto dbtom’s recommendation.

Time for some nice cans and a little headphone amp. AKG K550 (extremely comfortable!), Asgard 2, and a Dragonfly Black plugged into a laptop. Cans, amp, & DAC all new for around $600.

Late arriving thought:  the K550s are sensitive enough you could drive them very well with a DragonFly (v1.2) alone.
If I were classical musician, I’d probably play for myself more than I would listen to some one else.
Going live concerts is just another great idea. 
Interestingly, I'm a retired Classical musician who was getting bored with music and started this addiction to audiophilia.
Now that I don't have my toys to play with any more, I've gone  to my Cowan MP3 player loaded with great music. 
I'm starting to listen to MUSIC again.  I'm forced now to concentrate on the music and not how I can tweak the sound.  It's a great pleasure to get back to my first love which is music.
It can only be a bonus when I get my set back together, if I don't let the addiction take over again.
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Time for some headphone listening. It’s where I started (re-started) my audio journey for no other reason than budget constraints.

Headphones, IEMs, Amp/DACS, and playback sources are enjoying real growth so there’s plenty of good values to be had for a few hundred dollars to get you through the downtime. And, who knows?, you might start another branch to your enjoyment of this hobby.

Then again, there’s some awesome gear available for a few thousand too.

Good luck.

Go outside. See what's out there........

If that doesn't work, shop for new music and play all the new stuff when you get the amp back.