First I would like to apologize for taking so long to post my listening impressions of Jason's Ncore amps. I had the chance to hear the amps in several other systems and my own. Unfortunately just for a few hours in each system. The systems and the impressions are as follows.
1) Letitroll98: Dan was gracious in allowing myself, fellow audiophile and friend Kevin, and Barry to hear the amps in his system.
2) Barry_NJ: Barry was very gracious for inviting Kevin and I to hear them at his house that same night.
3) Occam: Paul was extremely gracious for allowing Barry, Kevin and I to hear the amps at his house.
4) mjosef: And Martin went out of his way by allowing me the chance to hear the amps in my system.
5) hifial: Finally my system; my system is as follows: Speakers: B&W 802D (first generation)-Amps: Nuforce Reference 18 Mono Blocks-Source: PS Audio Perfectwave Transport and computer based music server by I2S and Ethernet cables to PS Audio Perfectwave Bridge-Preamp: PS Audio Perfectwave DAC MK II- Cables: Synergistic Research Galileo Universal Interconnect (balanced) and Speaker (bi-wired) Cells with Basik Cables-Vibration Control: Finite Elemente Ceraball MKII (amps) and Cerapuc (DAC +Transport + power conditioning)-Power Conditioning: Synergistic Research Power Cell 10 SE MK II with Tesla SE Precision AC power cord.
Now for some reason the Nuforce and my Synergistic cabling was not playing nice so I had a fellow Club member, Igor Kuznetsoff of K Works, who does audio design and consulting work and builds some great cabling, bring over some of his. Unfortunately I forgot to tell him to bring bi-wire speaker cables. So we bridged the B&W's posts and used Igor's for the balanced interconnect too.
First, I MUST STRESS that the Ncore sounded BETTER STRAIGHT INTO THE WALL!! In some cases MUCH BETTER, but always better. Now maybe there is a power conditioner out there that MIGHT improve the sound of the Ncore but COMPARE to make sure. As it sounded better into the wall at Paul's, then it will most likely sound better into the wall every time. The sound got closed in, got a little bright, noise was added in degrees from system to system. I did not bother trying it with my power conditioner but I wish I had the time to compare.
I am not going to describe what I heard in each individual system but rather the overall change, both +/-, if any, in varying degrees.
I have been trying to come up with one word that describes the Ncore. It has been difficult, at least for me. If I say it sounds CLEAN, someone might also think sterile, and it is NOT. Or someone might think bright and again it is NOT. If I say distortion-less. That might cover it but it has so much more. So in a few words; Clean, no distortion and I mean the least of any amp I have ever heard, musically engaging, natural tone and harmonics, fast transients, dynamic, to the point were you can turn the volume way down and still hear the WHOLE MUSIC, it does not close in at any volume, loud or soft, and I can not think of any amp I have heard that can do the whole volume range and not distort in some way. Did I say it has no DISTORTION. It really lets the music flow and be music. Does this mean that a bad recording will sound awful? Not really, for I heard bad recordings sound better. The Ncore's also separate the mass of instruments in an orchestra and a band in a very natural way. Some amps "rip" the instruments in a wide unnatural way while others, just a solid mass. And this was under not ideal conditions in any of the systems that I heard them in. The first and foremost was plugging them straight into the wall. At Barry's he had to use a three receptacle extension cord (12 gauge, 3 conductor, no switches, fuses or filters). Now Barry my disagree with me but I believe if he could have plugged them straight into the wall it would have made an improvement. We also found out later at my house that when we tried the Finite Elemente Ceraball footers it made an improvement. Also after market power cords. On my system the B&W 802D's love to be bi-wired and we had to use the jumpers in order to use the cables Igor brought. I did not realize it till it was to late but we could have used my Synergistic which are bi-wire. I had mismatched power cords. And we used the footers near the end of the listen. Yet these amps held their own and then some. Treble was extended but not bright, harsh, brittle or dry and tonally correct . Base was deep, tight, controlled and tonally correct. Mids were just, right, like the treble and base. The sound stage is wide and deep but not in your face or up on stage with the musicians. In fact I think some might mistake this and think the sound stage is not as deep and wide. But over time they might see the difference for what it is. When you are at a live performance you are best not in your face or on stage to hear the music at its best. You can hear so much detail that you missed before because they are so QUITE. A lot of amps can emphasis one thing or another but the Ncore is evenhanded from top to bottom. Paul played a track, which I can not remember the name, of which it had a instrument that Paul said is very difficult to reproduce in a lifelike way. I wish Paul would comment on that track and how well the Ncore did once he got his speakers fixed.
I love how some people are comparing them to used amps that when new, cost in todays dollars, significantly more then these amps. Lets say these amps cost $1,600 to $1,700, with everything, as monos. You would need to spend from 4 to 7 times that on a new amp that could compete IMHO. And I think in most cases these amps win.
Now as good as these amps are not everyone will enjoy the sound they DO NOT MAKE. Which is fine. Like styles of music, some people like jazz and others like country.
I think I have come up with one word to describe the Ncore amps. TRUTHFUL. And like the truth, some people "can't handle the truth". I can not wait to hear the NC1200 and see what that can bring over the NC400.
Well that is it for now. If I remember or think of anything else I will post it.
