[papnikos]

Hi,
What is your oppinion about this combination, especially with Dodd battery preamp?

Thank you.

[gman]

I have a Ref 9V2 (not the SE) and I run it through my digital front end that has a built-in preamp with a tube output stage and IMO this is the ultimate combination. I've also heard my Ref 9s running through a few other solid-state preamps and I wasn't nearly as impressed. Both were very good quality preamps, but I didn't care for the combination as much as mine. I guess I'm spoiled.  Something magical happens when you combine Nuforce amps with tube preamps IMO.

[beachbum]

i am using a Audio Horizons 2.1 nbr tubed preamp with my ref 9 se v2s and have not looked back.

[nuforcelover]

i am using a Audio Research REF 2MKII with ref 9 se v2s ; before, I had an Aesthetix calypso with.
REF2 is a special partner for 9SE V2....matched fantastic

[papnikos]

Hi,

In which way the ARC Ref 2MkII is better than the Aesthetix Calypso with the Nuforce?

[nuforcelover]

Hi,

In which way the ARC Ref 2MkII is better than the Aesthetix Calypso with the Nuforce?

ARC REF 2 is a top preamp and it's logical that goes better everything  of Calypso, even without Nuforce

[STEF]

What about Modwright SWL9.0 and LS36.5 ?

Regards

[KrK]

I found the Modwrights a bit to clinical, even so the ARC's...

The best results I have are with my old Conrad Johnson (PV12, very tweeked), an Audio Note Pre-amp kit (very tweeked too) and a valve pre-amp build by The Jong Systems in The Netherlands.

All of this 3 pre-amps a naturally warm and very, very dynamic especcially the last one  witch is a big step futher than all the other 4 pre-amps

Kees

[mcullinan]

I have a Supratek Sauvignon which sounds awesome with the Nuforce. I also heard the Mapletree pre which also sounded very good.
Mike

[kehut]

I am using the venerable Conrad-Johnson PV-5. Its warm and lush, but has excellent resolution and dynamics for an older piece, and its superb with the Nuforce 9.02's I use. I had used a Modwright SWL-9SE, but also found it a too clinical for my tastes. A VTL 2.5 was too dry for me as well. The PV-5 has what I like with the 9.02's...


Happy listening! 

Ken

[bostonaudi]

I'm using a highly modified (by SF) tube MFA Magus with my 8.02 monoblocks (hopefully upgraded to V2 at some point). I am getting excellent sound, lots of soundstage and bloom, and very good bass. I am driving Selah Audio SA-1 monitors, it all sounds excellent together, and very quiet, no background noise. I don't see why a good ss pre shouldn't work well, short of a Krell pre (they sound steely and harsh to me). Well, OK, I had an Electrocompaniet 4.7 pre that also sounded strangely unmusical as well a while back. I should think a Pass Aleph, or Klyne would sound excellent behind NuForce amps as well. My old Tandberg 3018A sounds VERY good behind it as well (backup for the MFA)!

[styx]

Electrocompaniet and Tandberg? Are you Norwegian?

[daz_bike]

I can say that Shindo Pre-amp (Aurieges L) was a fantastic addition to my system which has Nuforce REf 9 V2.

Prior I had all the resolution, transparency, detail etc ...... but with Shindo in the system the system became 'musical' without missing the resolution, transparency etc ....

I am now totally happy as I have found what I was truley looking for in audiophile heaven and that is a musical system that has the right timing and is so musical ... I can listen and enjoy for hour after hour to pretty much all CD's.  Prior a lot of CD's were too harsh, fatiguing etc....

This has been my preamp experience and I would not change this preamp for anything ... but another Shindo higher up the range.  Although all Shindo have that musical signature, so you can't go wrong.

Rgds

[Telstar]

A friend of mine used an ARC LS26... that sounds good wirh almost everything, and wasnt a disappointment at all.

[MichaelHiFi]

I just listened to my old AR LS15 last night (sold it to a friend so I borrowed it). I admit to be somewhat excited to hear a good pre in the system. What a disappointment. Bass response went woolly, and the top end rolled off. Vocals were improved in a way, maybe the midrange came forward a bit but the whole presentation lost energy and focus.  The last cut was from Radiohead In Rainbows. A pretty dynamic cut which was tamed but lost the energy that is simply a prt of the song. After an hour of listening to the AR I went direct again through my SB3. Back to my _hit eating grin  aa. It seems that whatever I install in between the source and the NF SEV2's sacrifices something, be it soundstage, dynamics, image. With the Squeezebox 3 I get a good central image but lack depth and air around instruments. Vocals lack weight perhaps due to a slightly recessed midrange. I'm nitpicking of course and realize my Def Tech BP2000's never had it so good but clearly, I need speakers 

I would like to have tubes somewhere in the mix although I now wonder what will work. I'm thinking maybe a tube DAC such as Audio Notes DAC 2.1. Hum..

[invstbiker]

Hello, I use my 9V2SE's with a Cary SLP05, fantastic sound

[Karsten]

I just listened to my old AR LS15 last night (sold it to a friend so I borrowed it). I admit to be somewhat excited to hear a good pre in the system. What a disappointment. Bass response went woolly, and the top end rolled off. Vocals were improved in a way, maybe the midrange came forward a bit but the whole presentation lost energy and focus.  The last cut was from Radiohead In Rainbows. A pretty dynamic cut which was tamed but lost the energy that is simply a prt of the song. After an hour of listening to the AR I went direct again through my SB3. Back to my _hit eating grin  aa. It seems that whatever I install in between the source and the NF SEV2's sacrifices something, be it soundstage, dynamics, image. With the Squeezebox 3 I get a good central image but lack depth and air around instruments. Vocals lack weight perhaps due to a slightly recessed midrange. I'm nitpicking of course and realize my Def Tech BP2000's never had it so good but clearly, I need speakers 

I would like to have tubes somewhere in the mix although I now wonder what will work. I'm thinking maybe a tube DAC such as Audio Notes DAC 2.1. Hum..

Although there are good tubed preamps out there, I generally agree with these considerations. You will gain some "richness" in the vocal area but compromise other aspects. The NuForce amps are very fast and clean devices, which I like. This mean that they will not mask any problems in the chain, so I understand if there could be a reason to add a little "sugar" in some systems. However if the rest of the chain is up to par with the amps, it is surely not "needed"

Regards,
Karsten

[Kenobi]

Karsten,

Interesting point there.  I initially had problem (edginess and fatigue) integrating w/ my solid state system when I originally acquired the NuForce MCH3SE.  However, after some adjustments, softer isolations, more synergistic cabling, power conditioning, the system just sings now.  Turns out I had initially tweaked the system to wring out every bit of details from a Bel Canto Ref1K amp pair as well as others.  This isn't something I needed at all and counter-productive to the Nuforce's nature as it has all the details, accuracy and speed inherently.  I have since "soften" the isolation, have interconnects and PC that are neutral or slightly "warmish" to really bring out the music from the NuForce and have now succeeded.  No more edginess and fatigue, just music to my ears.

Regards,

Kenobi

[rustydoglim]

Thanks for your comment. This is a very good validation of what we have been trying to achieve with our equipment.