Nuforce Icon-1 - the next big thing from Nuforce (in a small package)

Don_S · « **Reply #40 on:** 22 Apr 2008, 06:36 am »

What speakers are recommended? I can't figure out a use for the Icon without speakers. I would like to take advantage of the introductory price but do not want to have to buy speakers now and then probably want to replace them when the matching ones are released.

To connect the Icon to my computer I do not need to do anything special right? Just a USB cable and that bypasses the aduio output card.

cityjim · « **Reply #41 on:** 22 Apr 2008, 01:09 pm »

How do those balanced 110 ohm impedance cat5 cables react here ? Then dumping into a 4-8 ohm speaker ? Please publish a frequency response graph for us to see .

Is Nuforce shipping some 110 ohm transformers to connect your speakers to ?

cityjim

rustydoglim · « **Reply #42 on:** 23 Apr 2008, 01:29 pm »

I will try to answer several questions here:

1) Don't worry about the Cat 5/Cat6 RJ45 to Banana speaker cables. It is not an issue. At low power, ethernet cable has high bandwidth, good shielding. And the extra wire allows Icon to recognize S-1 and activate the internal equalizer (this is active crossover since S-1 has not crossover)

2) We expect most people to use Icon with S-1. If you have an existing desktop speaker, fine, you can use Icon to drive it. If not, please wait for S-1. It will sound better than any desktop speaker on the market.

3) The Icon is packaged for general consumer (that's why we included everything), not for your typical audiophiles. We will be providing several accessories for audiophiles:
a) 45W power supply (instead of the standard 25W) at $45
b) 2meter black RJ45 to Banana (plus a RJ45 coupler to extend it to any length) $39
c) RJ45 to speaker binding post connector box (the case is the Icon case so you can get matching color)

We will also sell you an Icon front panel (to open up Icon to mod it, the front panel and volume knob can get scratched or damaged) for $10 (estimate price) so you hackers can go mess with it (no warranty).

BradJudy · « **Reply #43 on:** 23 Apr 2008, 02:49 pm »

Quote from: nuforce-jason on 23 Apr 2008, 01:29 pm

2) We expect most people to use Icon with S-1.

I don't share this expectation, particularly since the S-1 is shipping after the Icon and all of the initial buyers will be using it with something else. I view it more as an alternative to a Trends/Sonic Impact/KingRex/etc than a package with the S-1.

It's unfortunate to hear that the amp doesn't use all of the wires for signal - the resulting wire gauge for signal was already rather small.

rustydoglim · « **Reply #44 on:** 24 Apr 2008, 10:04 am »

Hear it for yourself, that's all I can say. We have a reputation to maintain

rustydoglim · « **Reply #45 on:** 25 Apr 2008, 09:47 am »

I got more info for the Icon cable:

Gold platings are all 15-micron (standard is 2-5 micron) on all Nuforce cable connector
The standard speaker cable is Cat5 ( 24 Ga x 8 )with high quality copper and gold plated terminals.
We will be selling a 2meter Cat6 speaker cable ( 22 Ga x 8 ) plus Rj45 coupler (for extending the cable further). The set list for $39.95
3 of the Cat5 wires are used for each channel (3 left, 3 right, 1 for detecting the presence of S-1).

Therefore our cables are not standard off the shelf cheap wires. They are premium quality wire custom made for Nuforce.

BradJudy · « **Reply #46 on:** 25 Apr 2008, 12:35 pm »

Quote from: nuforce-jason on 25 Apr 2008, 09:47 am

3 of the Cat5 wires are used for each channel (3 left, 3 right, 1 for detecting the presence of S-1).

Do you mean six wires for left and six for right with 3 used for each leg on each channel, since there is a separate Cat5 cable for each channel?

stefano · « **Reply #47 on:** 25 Apr 2008, 12:41 pm »

Quote from: Toka on 22 Apr 2008, 02:29 am

Heck, I'm GLAD they have their own connection and that they are already included. Saves me money and a potential hassle. Its designed to work with the amp...just plug it in an enjoy.

Own connection 1 meter lenght for one who want to use the Icon as first amp are useless... My room is 4 x 5 meters...

rustydoglim · « **Reply #48 on:** 25 Apr 2008, 06:27 pm »

Icon is primarily a desktop amp and the 1m cable limit the use of Icon to a near field listening experience for general consumer.
For audiophiles who KNOW how to evaluate and tweak their system, we will sell a 2meter cable with RJ45 coupler.
We will also publish the spec of the RJ45 pins so people can make their own cable.

dburna · « **Reply #49 on:** 14 May 2008, 04:15 pm »

I have a question about the "matching" S-1 speaker. A friend of mine is a florist and is looking for a background music system for the shop. This is not a "desktop application," per se, but rather a small-to-medium size room environment meant to play music a low-ish levels.

My question, Jason: will the S-1 speakers play loud enough (without distorting) that they can serve in this capacity? Or is the S-1 still considered only a desktop speaker? Can you mount the S-1 speakers (say, on a wall) rather than sit them next to a PC, etc? I thought that if you are allowing R45 speaker extensions, the natural result may be that the speakers are no longer situated directly on a table in a desktop configuration.

Thanks for your reply, -dB

nuforce-casey · « **Reply #50 on:** 15 May 2008, 08:31 am »

To be specific, you can calculate the SPL.

S-1 is 87dB/1W/1meter. Use the speaker loudness calculator to figure out if it's loud enough.

http://www.doctorproaudio.com/doctor/calculadores_en.htm

JLM · « **Reply #51 on:** 15 May 2008, 09:35 am »

BradJudy,

I followed the CAT5 "craze" and ran both a pair of the single strains of generic (made up of lots of tiny wires) and a pair of single strain cryo'd plenum rated as speaker cable for a couple of years. Except for the expected loss of deep bass, the former were an improvement over Kimber Kable 4TC, and the later an improvement over the former.

As desktop speaker aren't expected to have deep bass, the 12 watt limit of the Icon versus the power demand that deep bass exhibits, and considering the provisions for a sub already in place, I consider the CAT5 to be a non-issue.

I see the Icon as a very smart product, for the intended market. As audiophiles we're supposed to buy the bigger Nuforce stuff.

PhishPhan · « **Reply #52 on:** 25 May 2008, 02:09 pm »

When will we be able to purchase the Icon and S-1 as a package? Will it be cheaper to buy them together, or should I go ahead and buy the Icon now and wait for the S-1 to come out later?

Looks like a very, very cool little package.

PhishPhan · « **Reply #53 on:** 28 May 2008, 12:08 pm »

Anyone?

Toka · « **Reply #54 on:** 28 May 2008, 10:57 pm »

I got my Icon today!

I don't have anything readily available to hook it up to (S-1, where art thou?), but compared to some other D/T-class amps I own/used it has considerably more heft...does not feel cheap and/or light at all. Very classy packaging all around. I'm sure NuForce will sell a mountain of these.

PhishPhan · « **Reply #55 on:** 31 May 2008, 07:12 pm »

Quote from: PhishPhan on 25 May 2008, 02:09 pm

When will we be able to purchase the Icon and S-1 as a package? Will it be cheaper to buy them together, or should I go ahead and buy the Icon now and wait for the S-1 to come out later? Looks like a very, very cool little package.

So... What's the deal? Is the release date for the S-1 still up in the air.

PhishPhan · « **Reply #56 on:** 6 Jun 2008, 03:10 pm »

Quote from: PhishPhan on 31 May 2008, 07:12 pm

Quote from: PhishPhan on 25 May 2008, 02:09 pm
When will we be able to purchase the Icon and S-1 as a package? Will it be cheaper to buy them together, or should I go ahead and buy the Icon now and wait for the S-1 to come out later? Looks like a very, very cool little package.

So... What's the deal? Is the release date for the S-1 still up in the air.

Bueller?

kck · « **Reply #57 on:** 7 Jun 2008, 01:33 am »

My teenage daughter is running an Icon sourced with an iPod classic (mostly AAC files, but a good amount of MP3 as well), feeding Infinity 150 speakers. Very good sound, best I can tell when I can stand the 'music' she plays

. She very much likes the head amp and the concept of the USB DAC but has not tried the latter yet using her music from the laptop.

Would be curious if anyone has compared the analog out from an iPod (unmodified Classic preferred, as this is supposed to be a decent DAC) vs a computer USB out into an Icon like device.

I might go in for an S1 for her but she is headed off to college soon. My figuring is the S1 would be far easier to steal from a dorm room than the Infinitys. As it is she's going to have to lock up the Icon. I still remember being 'relieved' of stuff from my college days, everything from textbooks to LPs to even toothpaste! She also suffered through the theft of her first iPod a few years ago, in high school.

rustydoglim · « **Reply #58 on:** 8 Jun 2008, 11:10 am »

Quote

When will we be able to purchase the Icon and S-1 as a package? Will it be cheaper to buy them together, or should I go ahead and buy the Icon now and wait for the S-1 to come out later?

We will be getting S-1 samples early next week and will publish the photos around mid week.
Still working on ship date of S-1. The S-1 will be shipping in very limited quantity for reviewers and distributors. For customers, I think the best bet is around early July since we have to ship by sea to USA. We will get some by air for customers. Getting the initial production is always the most difficult.

There will be no bundle price for Icon and S-1. S-1 at $240 a pair is a steal consider the performance. If it doesn't sound better than any desktop speakers under $1000, you can return for a full refund

shaizada · « **Reply #59 on:** 8 Jun 2008, 06:23 pm »

I think a good contender would be the Focal XS at $750. I really hope the S-1 combined with the ICON can beat that sound because the Focal XS was sounding very nice at CES.