I have had the opportunity of evaluating the excellent NuForce 9 V2 SE in my system. My system was configured as follows: TEAC X-01 Limited, JRDG Capri, NuForce 9 V2 SE, Vienna Mahler 1.5 speakers. ICs are AQ Sky XLRs, NuForce are powered via Cardas Golden Ref PCs, speaker wires are Cardas Golden Ref.
The amps were not new and had been previously used. However they had not been used for a couple of weeks prior to my insertion into the system. What seems to be apparent with switching amps I have tried this far is that they need to be turned on at all times and must play for a long time before sounding at their best. . . this is even for aledgedly broken in devices. This is very important, because otherwise you may be unwittingly undervaluing them based on very temporary artifacts that may be peculiar to this type of device. Beside the usual initial 'dry' sound, you may discover that the NuForce amps are INITIALLY doing something funny in the treble region, which sounds like a slight burr, resembling a slight ring modulation. A comment that I have heard somewhere is that their treble may seem slightly disconnected from the rest of the sound. True but. . . this is also very temporary. . . just be patient, leave the devices powered up at all times and play a lot of music for at least a couple of weeks. You will find that the NuForce will re-break in very nicely; The stage will open up; they will gain more and more authority; harmonic content will fill up; frequency will extend; and the anomaly in the treble will be absorbed and disappear. In the end you will be left with a very graceful and very nimble sound, which can be both delicate or powerful, depending on the music. from little amps that can even control the notoriously difficult twin 10 inch subwoofers of the mahlers with what seems to me a pretty iron fist. The amps filled my essentially 18x30 feet listening room with a very credible stage and textured music. I was particularly pleased by the sense of air surrounding the Clarinet and the English Horn solos in Dvorak's 9th Symphony undr Bernstein and the Israel Phil, the speed and impact of the timpanis from the 3rd movement of the same work was quite satisfying, and the realism of the voice of T. FD'Althan in Monteverdi's 2nd Book of madrigals was delightful. The amps seem to be excelling at staging and imaging.
I only wish that some of the metal work, connectors, switches, etc. . . on the NuForce matched the quality of the sound I was hearing and were commensurate with the price point. 5-way binding posts or patented Cardas connectors would have been welcome instead of the spade-only connectors with plastic screws.
But do yourselves a favor. . . if you have the opportunity of auditioning these fine amps, do not form any opinions unless/until they have been playing for a long time!
Guido
The amps were not new and had been previously used. However they had not been used for a couple of weeks prior to my insertion into the system. What seems to be apparent with switching amps I have tried this far is that they need to be turned on at all times and must play for a long time before sounding at their best. . . this is even for aledgedly broken in devices. This is very important, because otherwise you may be unwittingly undervaluing them based on very temporary artifacts that may be peculiar to this type of device. Beside the usual initial 'dry' sound, you may discover that the NuForce amps are INITIALLY doing something funny in the treble region, which sounds like a slight burr, resembling a slight ring modulation. A comment that I have heard somewhere is that their treble may seem slightly disconnected from the rest of the sound. True but. . . this is also very temporary. . . just be patient, leave the devices powered up at all times and play a lot of music for at least a couple of weeks. You will find that the NuForce will re-break in very nicely; The stage will open up; they will gain more and more authority; harmonic content will fill up; frequency will extend; and the anomaly in the treble will be absorbed and disappear. In the end you will be left with a very graceful and very nimble sound, which can be both delicate or powerful, depending on the music. from little amps that can even control the notoriously difficult twin 10 inch subwoofers of the mahlers with what seems to me a pretty iron fist. The amps filled my essentially 18x30 feet listening room with a very credible stage and textured music. I was particularly pleased by the sense of air surrounding the Clarinet and the English Horn solos in Dvorak's 9th Symphony undr Bernstein and the Israel Phil, the speed and impact of the timpanis from the 3rd movement of the same work was quite satisfying, and the realism of the voice of T. FD'Althan in Monteverdi's 2nd Book of madrigals was delightful. The amps seem to be excelling at staging and imaging.
I only wish that some of the metal work, connectors, switches, etc. . . on the NuForce matched the quality of the sound I was hearing and were commensurate with the price point. 5-way binding posts or patented Cardas connectors would have been welcome instead of the spade-only connectors with plastic screws.
But do yourselves a favor. . . if you have the opportunity of auditioning these fine amps, do not form any opinions unless/until they have been playing for a long time!
Guido