[mr_bill]

John - any updates or new web to refer too?
Thanks,

[John Casler]

Any word on the sound of this unit compared to the DDA-100? I own one of those, and am interested in the new amp to replace my larger stereo setup. The DDA doesn't use a traditional DAC, but I see these specs include a Sabre model. Any comments on that?

Thanks,
Eric

Hi Eric,

Finally, I have the IDA-16 installed in my system and burning in.

If early listening is any indication this model should be incredibly popular.  Very few things it doesn't do exceptionally well.

I want to get 50-100 hours on it before any critical listening, but here are the EARLY ASSESSMENTS.

I am running it in on a pair of VMPS RM-40 speakers which are a pretty hard load to drive (they LOVE Current) and they are VERY Revealing if the electronics allow you to hear everything.

And with the small amount of listening in the "full-range" config I notice the following:
 
1) Greater Separation

Now this is with limited listening, but I really noticed that the L&R images are hard left and right.  At first, I thought that one of my speakers wasn't working, but it was because the sound was only coming out of the RIGHT speaker, and then it dove hard left.  But then it went CENTER FILL and man was it clean and clear Center and "in between" the speakers.  That is, the soundstage was CLEARLY, Spread Cleanly between the speakers.

2) VERY PRECISE Imaging (in a similar league with the DAC-9 ($1495)/P20 ($5k)/REF-18 ($7.6K) combo)

The last system I had set up was the DAC-9/P20/REF-18 to RM40s.  I must say, initially the IMAGING is close to, if not as good as that $14,000 group.  At this point, the weight was not quite the same, and the depth might be a smidge off, but for $2350 it is amazing.  No doubt some of this is due to the ESS SABRE 32 9018 DAC chipset implementation and the INCREDIBLE  thin-film switched-resistor Volume Control.

Here is what the website (coming soon) says about the Volume Control:

<<<Such deafening silence is further augmented by the IDA-16's innovative volume control; a feature based upon advanced, thin-film switched-resistor technology that places only a single resistor in the signal path at any volume setting. Volume adjustment is conveniently achieved in 99 precise, 0.5dB increments and is further complimented by providing individually adjustable volume for each input. Precise level matching of your various sources becomes a breeze and makes comparison between them equally so.>>>



3) Great 3-D DEPTH and HEIGHT.

While maybe a smidge less than the P20/REF-18, at this point in the burn in, it is beyond impressive at this price.  It is like my front wall disappeared.

4) Might be a little lean in the lower Mids and Upper Bass, but I need to listen to much more and after burn in.

Also it may be a little lean in comparison, since I was running a VMPS 525wpc Powered bass system for the RM40 woofers, so I could dial up a stronger woofer response.  Running the IDA-16 "full-range" (at 200wpc for the whole speaker) I lost a bit of heft.  However, again at this point in the burn in, the clarity of bass frequencies is really enhanced.

5) Clarity, Resolution and Detail are the equal or better than I have heard. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN

Right now, this is the STRONG SUIT.  You can clearly hear deeper into each portion of a recording than most any other High End Equipment Combination in recent memory.  It is like 4K sound relative to the detail and resolving power.  This incredible quality might also be related to the low/no jitter of the 9018 DAC

Anyhow, that is what is hitting my tympanic membrane at the moment.

Let's see how this thing does after 50/100/150 hours.

[John Casler]

And if I might add a comment regarding POWER.

While this amp is rather on the small side, don't let that fool you into thinking it is a "light-weight".

I am powering the VMPS RM40 Tower Speakers "FULL-RANGE" and while I do listen nearfield, I find 80db on the volume setting to be higher than I could listen long term comfortably.

My normal POWER is 335wpc x 2 for the tweeter/midrange bank and 525wpc x 2 to the woofers.

[fiveoclockfriday]

John,
Wow, thanks for the write up! I'm very interested to read more, and hopefully hear this amp before too long.
-Eric

[Toka]

This looks like it might be just what I am looking for (well, this plus an AVP-18)! Only hitch I see is no 12v trigger...does it have any sort of auto-on capability?

[marc5656]

Ok I got mine!!! (IDA 16) It arrived Tuesday I hooked it up today.
I just hooked it up.
First Impression - AWESOME!!!
Have to wait a bit to break in my Gallo Strada 2's. There brand new and still a bit stiff.
Will report back soon

[marc5656]

I just ordered the IDA-16 It sounds incredible.

The DAC alone is suppose to be worth much more than the price of the amp!!

I'll everyone know as soon as soon as I get a listen.

I just received a pair of Gallo Reference Strada 2 Speakers with a Gallo TRD2 Bass Module to use with the NU PRIME.

Does anybody have an opinion about this set up?

[John Casler]

This looks like it might be just what I am looking for (well, this plus an AVP-18)! Only hitch I see is no 12v trigger...does it have any sort of auto-on capability?

It has no 12v trigger.

It can be powered up by holding the POWER Button on the front panel for 3 seconds, or via the Remote with a single push.

Another interesting feature is that each input remembers the VOLUME Level for that input.

[Sonny]

John, any updates on the sound of the IDA-16?

Thanks

[John Casler]

John, any updates on the sound of the IDA-16?

Thanks

Hi Sonny,

OK, I hardly know where to begin. 

Yes, I now have around 100+ hours on the IDA-16 and it is difficult to express all of the nice changes from what was a rather truncated listening session before break-in.

First my system:

Source: OPPO BDP-103d using a 1tb USB hard drive with both standard 16/44 CD files and many "Hi-REZ" files up to 192.

Digital Cable: AudioQuest EagleEye 75ohm Coax digital cable

Integrated Amp:  NuPRIME IDA-16

Speaker Cables: WyWires Silver Speaker Cables and Jumpers

Speakers:  VMPS RM40 speakers running full range

Subs: 4 stacked Dipole arranged VMPS LARGER subs powered by 2 VMPS Powered Bass System Amplifiers

OK, I ran through a rather good selection of my REFERENCE CUTS with which I am VERY FAMILIAR.

Here are a few:

Preamble/Amazing Grace - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Acoustic Live
Woman in Chains - Tears for Fears
Stop this World - Diana Krall
Piano Lesson - Porcupine Dream (96)
All Along the WatchTower - Jimi Hendrix
Duende - Black Light Syndrome
I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You - Alan Parsons (192)
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zepplin
Spanish Harlem - Rebecca Pigeon (192)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk (192)
Seeds of Love - Tears for Fears
The Heart Will Go On - Celine Dione
That's Just the Way it Is - Bruce Hornsby
Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin
Great Gate of Kiev - Mussorgsky
Keith Don't Go -Nils Lofgren
 
and many more that escape my short term memory.

Did the IDA-16 get better?  Oh Yeeeeeeah.

The four primary differences:

1) Bass is now fuller, clearer and deeper
2) Overall TONAL realism is on a par I have not heard before.
3) The "wall of sound" if it is engineered into the recording is absolutely incredible
4) Each and every instrument, performer and detail is EASILY heard

For example, on Woman in Chains which is an OLD cd the Wall of Sound was incredible.  It filled every square inch of the soundstage in front of me,  while allowing me to CLEARLY HEAR each and every instrument and singer in their exact space in space.

This resolving quality has always been a NuFORCE strength, where other amps would turn to "steaming sonic mush" (especially at higher volumes, this IDA-16 was just spectacular, at providing a MASSIVE 3-D, super deep and wide soundstage with clearcut sonic charachters occuring in their own space, but making a WHOLE that was the proverbial "Wall of SOUND".

As I listened to each cut, I could also CLEARLY hear the bass foundation, the array of instruments individually playing so you could hear all the subtle sounds of each, and the singer or singers each tonally, and geographically in a position on the soundstage in space.

It was absolutely mesmerizing.  My intention was to just run through 5-6 cuts and hit the highlights of each.  2 hours later, I found myself listening to EACH CUT all the way through.

I would assume, the quality again comes from the NuPRIME design team integrating an incredible parts list, including the Cross Matrix Array Caps, the ESS SABRE 32 9018 Dac Chipset, the thin-film switched-resistor Volume Control, and many others, as well as how these are integrated into the product.

Have never heard (or more accurately NOT HEARD) an amp, DAC, or Preamp this quiet before.

It was SO QUIET, that on most of the older recordings I could easily hear the tape hiss from the production/engineering process.

If you have a good source, and speakers, you are going to be in Heaven.

I can also say, this is the first time, I was able to compare a couple 16/44 cuts to 24/192 and heard a difference.

I have yet to try the USB DSD  capability and am looking forward to it.

That's the latest. . . .

[Sonny]

Thanks John.  Appreciate the review.  I am interested in this and my only concern is that the VMPS are a little more forgiving than mine... So I don't know if it would be a good match.   Would you characterize the Ida as lush or warm?  I wouldn't think so. Right?

[John Casler]

Thanks John.  Appreciate the review.  I am interested in this and my only concern is that the VMPS are a little more forgiving than mine... So I don't know if it would be a good match.   Would you characterize the Ida as lush or warm?  I wouldn't think so. Right?

Hi Sonny,

Sorry I gave you the wrong impression.  VMPS speakers are certainly not forgiving, and todate are the only speakers I have heard that actually let me hear differences in gear (even cables) pretty clearly.

What speakers are you using?

You are correct, the IDA-16 is not a warm or lush amp, but it is also not edgy or sharp unless that is what is in the recording.

A couple other traits I recall now are:

Transparency, and Micro/Macrodynamics.

I would assume, because of the low noise and jitter, the IDA-16 allows me to hear deeper, not just into a recording, but into virtually every sound. 

And this trait then leads to a level of transient responses (micro and macrodynamics) that are instantaneous.  Even loud dynamic transitions and percussion are excellent.

One of my tests for this is the Diana Krall cut "Stop this World" where (IIRC) around 2:45 the drummer goes from the Ride Cymbal on your right side to maybe a Splash or other Cymbal (not a high hat) on your left.  While this is clear on most high end systems, it is unbeleivably real and clear with the IDA-16.  You can hear the change, hear the sonic difference between cymbals, and hear that the second cymbal "is not" a high hat.

It is like putting on a good pair of reading glasses the first time (when you didn't know what you were NOT seeing)

[Sonny]

Thank you John...
how's the dac section of the IDA?

Tuan

[John Casler]

Thank you John...
how's the dac section of the IDA?

Tuan

It seems to be excellent, and no doubt contributes a lot to the overall silence (blackness) of the sound.

The DAC section will be available separately as the DAC-10.

[kazsud]

Will the Dac-10 have a pre-amp like the Dac-80?

[John Casler]

Will the Dac-10 have a pre-amp like the Dac-80?

No, I have just been informed that it will have a Volume Control like the $5000 P-20 preamp.

[fiveoclockfriday]

John,
Is there any news on when the IDA-16 or DDA-120 will be available? I should say also, available online? It looks like someone already purchased one, but many of us don't have a dealer nearby.

Thanks, Eric

[John Casler]

John,
Is there any news on when the IDA-16 or DDA-120 will be available? I should say also, available online? It looks like someone already purchased one, but many of us don't have a dealer nearby.

Thanks, Eric

Hi Eric,

The IDA-16 is just now shipping so you can order anytime.  If you don't have a dealer, just PM me and I will work out an Introductory offer for u.

DDA-120 is "supposed" to be ready around the end of the month, but that is not verified yet.

[dr.sah]

This amp is awesome, I was blown away when i turn it on.

[John Casler]

Not sure if the website is live yet, but you can try:

NuPRIMEAudio.com