I have a pair of the Nuforce Reference 8 monoblock amps coming for an audition from Mike at Tweakgeeks, along with some CT reference mkII interconnects. I will be doing an A-B comparison with my Don Nance modified DNA LA-100 amp w/ VH Audio OIMP V-Caps.
Should be interesting. Hopefully Gordy can come up for a listen too.
NB
BTW, Its TweekGeek
Regarding the performance of the amps. My initial impression hasn't changed much since I first placed them in my system. There is significant speed, not just rise time, but decay time (when appropriate) is very fast as well. I am certain this is due to the power supply being able to "let go" of the signal unlike a transformer based power supply. For instance, a piano player strikes the key(s) hard. On most systems you get the dynamic transient of the key strike, but with these amps you also hear the fingers coming off the keys quickly as well. It just gets you one more step closer to realism.
Violins playing complex pieces full of harmonics are rendered more fully. You hear more harmonics leading to a more natural sound.
The soudstage width and depth are rendered very well. No complaints there.
There is an overall non-fatiguing sound to these at any volume level. There is no sacrifice in detail to achieve this non-fatiguing sound. These things will play louder than any 100 watt amp I have ever heard before. They played as loud, and sounded way better than my Parasound Halo A 51, a 250 wpc 90 pound beast. In comparison with the Parasound, the Nuforce had a smoother midrange and treble that was without glare or zippiness. The Parasound had incredible impact and force, but was downright zippy in the treble.
My EM meter reads very low on the NuForce amps. This is probably due to the fact that their isn't a massive transformer under the hood. In my opinion, this too plays a large role in their exceptional sound.
In comparison with my Sony ES Direct Digital Stream setup (9000ES SACD player with firewire out to 9000ES Digitally amplified receiver). The Sony setup had bested the Parasound by a wide margin as far as detail, soundstage, smotthness and accuracy. The 100 watt NuForce amps had more guts, detail, better harmonic information, and less harshness (especially at higher volumes) than the 200 watt Sony Direct Digital system.
The most important factor to me was, I could listen to my "old stuff" again without running out of the room, or turning the volume down. It was just a feeling of satisfaction I had in my gut. Knowing that it just sounded right. I was able to just kick back, enjoy whatever was playing without grinding my teeth, over analyzing things, or reaching for the volume knob to turn it down. It was the kind of enjoyment I had when I was first listening to music, when I wasn't so damn obsessed with the equipment. These amps brought back those long lost feelings. That to me is priceless.
I hope everyone here can find this type of satisfaction in listening to their music. That's what its all about. At least I hope...
Cheers
