Nuforce

I have recently received my Reference 9s back from a couple of final mods from NuForce. My amps are the version 9.02 and have extended bass, extended bandwidth, and the gold/copper WBT NextGen RCA inputs. Before this last mod, I also discovered that removing the yellow capacitor across the speaker outputs extended the bass and made the sound more transparent. So mine are without that output capacitor, as well. This is currently the latest version, and can be bought from NuForce with all the upgrades I have.

I think part of the reason I like these amps so much is because of the unique super-fast digital power supply that NuForce has developed. It seems to enable high dynamic capability with high speed (to catch the leading edge of musical transients without smearing or blurring them).

One poster said he thought the amps sounded more like what he hears live than any other amps he's tried and I agree with that. I use the super-fast VMPS RM30 speakers and can tell you that not all speakers are capable of responding accurately to the speed of the signal that the NuForce amps can deliver. The VMPS ribbon drivers are incredibly quick and detailed and with the latest Reference 9s will provide a near-live listening experience if the recording and the rest of the component chain is up to it.

Regarding tonality, as has been noted here, there have been different versions of this amp and different combinations of upgrades that have produced different results in my system. I liked the NextGen Platinum RCA inputs with earlier versions of the amps, but found them too bright for this latest, extended bandwidth version and had them changed to the copper/gold version, which has worked well to provide a natural tonal balance.

Another note on tonality is that the NuForce amps are very cable sensitive (just like most amps). They are especially power-cord sensitive and if you find the right combination of interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords, they will provide very natural and transparent sound.

The bottom line is that these latest Reference 9s, the 9.02 upgraded version, have taken my system to new heights that I believe would be difficult or impossible for other amps to match.

I'll be writing a full review for www.stereotimes.com, shortly.

Happy Listening!

Lacee, I see that you are brand spankin' new to audiogon. Welcome.

Your post begs a few questions so if you don't mind answering just one. What equipment, line conditioners, speakers, and cabling were used in the system you heard with the NuForce amps?

Contrary to your post, I just received the Dec 2005 issue of The Absolute Sound yesterday. There in the recommended components section I read:

"The diminutive Reference 9 monoblocks are sophisticate, analog-modulated Class D amplifiers that sound like sonic giants.

First, they offer deeply extended and tightly controlled bass, with excellent pitch definition.

Second, they offer open-sounding mids, almost shockingly detailed highs, and explosive dynamics.

But the biggest news may be their precise, three-dimensional sounding (which is reminicent, to some degree, of the ASR's world-class soundstaging).

Note: These amps are quite sensitive to associated cabling, so choose carefully."

-Chris Martens (of The Absolute Sound) review forthcoming.

As my 5 year old son would say, "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

I'm of the opinion that there are only a handful of reviewers whose opinions are worth listening to.

In this case Chris Martens expressed my personal experience pretty much to a tee and hopefully explains more fully my selling my treasured McCormack DNA-2 Rev. A amp and my subsequently becoming a NuForce dealer.

-IMO

Plato, earlier in this thread you mentioned the NF 8s with Aerial 10T speakers. Have you tried your new NF 9s with the 10Ts?

Mdconnelly,

Good question. When I heard my specific Reference 8B amps on the 10T's it was at a friend's home who is a member of the Phoenix A/V club. He has a wonderful setup and a fantastic, custom-built room that is almost perfect for audio, judging from my experience that day.

The one area that came off as lacking on the 8B's compared to the owner's modified Bryston 7BST's and the Rowland 201's was that of bass extension -- weight and slam. Both of the higher-powered amps beat the 8B's in that regard. But you also need to put it in the context that the 8B's were being used on relatively inefficent speakers ( 86 or 87 dB/watt, I believe) in a large room and at relatively loud playback levels. Still, the 8Bs acquitted themselves quite well although rated at less than half the power of the other amps on hand. Actually, I couldn't believe how loud the 8Bs played that system while maintaining their composure and ability to make music.

In my own system, on the VMPS RM30s, I also find the Reference 8 series a little light in bass extension compared to other amps I have used. Now the Reference 9's have considerably more rms power output capability than the Reference 8's, and they have more instantaneous peak power capability to boot.

That said, the 90dB/watt RM30's in my room are much easier for an amp to drive than my friend's 10T system. But, at even modest listening levels, the Reference 8's come off as being somewhat anemic in the lowest bass. There is no denying they are dynamic and extremely articulate in the bass they provide, yet the Reference 9's in my system sound more relaxed at higher average playback levels that the Ref 8s could comfortably manage. Perhaps more importantly, the Reference 9s provide real weight, slam, and extension in the low bass. I found early versions of the Reference 9s not quite up to the midrange/treble performance of my updated Reference 8s, in terms of speed, incisiveness, and hf extension. However, the 9.02 version of the Reference 9 with the double input capacitance (and yellow output caps removed) appears to surpass my Reference 8s in the midrange and treble, and it's a bit more holographic in its soundstaging presentation, as the TAS reviewer noticed.

If you own 10t's or any other relatively inefficient speaker, and enjoy healthy bass slam, then there is no question that the Reference 9.02 amps are the way to go.

On the other hand, a person who uses monitors, with limited low bass or someone who augments their main speakers with powered subwoofers could be very happy with either the Reference 8s or Ref 9s, I should think.

Frank :)

Plato, I apologize for my comment above about feeling few reviewers are worth listening to. I know you've been around Agon for years but I did not know that you are a reviewer and that comment was certainly not directed toward you.

I actually posted my previous response around midnight last night and I think agon finally turned around and posted it about 9 am this morning. Well after your previous post. So on the surface it may seem that my post was a follow up to your post. It was not.

I expressed my feeling about reveiwers in general but nevertheless, my statement was callous and over-generalized and certainly unkind to mention in the presence of a reviewer or perhaps in the presence of anyone for that matter.

I appreciate your not responding in kind and your keen insight into the NuForce amps. Please accept my apology.

-John
timestamped 9:28 pm.