Nuforce Icon Family of Products For 2009

rustydoglim · « **on:** 8 Sep 2009, 06:48 am »

This is a very brief list of all the Icon products for 2009. We will provide detail info on the new website soon.

Icon - integrated amp (USB DAC, 12Wx2 amp, headphone amp) with USB, 3.5mm, RCA inputs. An all-in-one device for driving S-1 or the new S-X speaker and active sub woofer. Shipping now.

Icon Mobile - portable and rechargeable USB DAC and headphone amp. Shipping now.

Icon uDAC - Volume control USB DAC with RCA and digital coaxial output. For use with Icon Amp-30 or other active speaker. Shipping mid to end of October. MSRP $69

Icon Amp - 24Wx2 stereo amp for use with Icon Mobile, Icon uDAC or Icon to provide more power to drive most bookshelf and desktop speakers. Shipping by 1st week of October. MSRP $179

Icon DAC (now called Icon HDP) - the crown jewel of Icon family, world class in every way and expect to outperform all USB DAC and headphone amps on the market at < $1000! Shipping end of October. MSRP $399.

So whatever your need, we have something for you to mix and match.

Toka · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Sep 2009, 06:48 pm »

Awesome!!

Doublej · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 12:52 am »

Jason,

Do you still have plans for a wireless music streaming device?

rustydoglim · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 12:37 pm »

I am not sure if that's needed anymore. On the low end, there is Squeezebox. On the mid price setup, you can implement a NAS server and use a low cost netbook as the wireless client with any one of the Nuforce USB DAC (Icon Mobile, uDAC, Icon, Icon DAC-1) to get pretty good sound out of the netbook.
I bet with the 24/96Khz Icon DAC-1, you get high-end sound at budget price.

roscoeiii · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Sep 2009, 02:45 pm »

Are all of these DACs USB input only? If so, that rules out these products for those of us using an Airport Express (toslink output) or using a DVD player as a transport (usually Toslink and digital coax as only digital output options).

rustydoglim · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Sep 2009, 04:07 pm »

We only implemented USB DAC for the desktop product line. We do have a high-end DAC coming out in November but it is "expensive" at $1250.

Doublej · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Sep 2009, 11:20 am »

Quote from: nuforce-jason on 16 Sep 2009, 12:37 pm

I am not sure if that's needed anymore. On the low end, there is Squeezebox. On the mid price setup, you can implement a NAS server and use a low cost netbook as the wireless client with any one of the Nuforce USB DAC (Icon Mobile, uDAC, Icon, Icon DAC-1) to get pretty good sound out of the netbook.
I bet with the 24/96Khz Icon DAC-1, you get high-end sound at budget price.

Can one send all sources of audio from your computer to to the Squeezebox? Specifically with a lot of content being served up via the browser these days, I am looking for something that will wirelessly send the browser audio to my hifi rig.

K Shep · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Sep 2009, 02:05 pm »

Hello Jason,

Do your DACs operate in adaptive mode? Are you able to share who mfgs your chip (Texas Instruments)?

Kirk

rustydoglim · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Sep 2009, 03:03 am »

We do not disclose anything internal and we wipe off the label on most critical chips.
Disclosing what's inside could be misleading and confusing to many users. Two vendors could achieve very different result in audio quality even if they use the same DAC. There are so many other factors involved.

pete338 · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 Sep 2009, 10:20 pm »

I love the form factor and the performance of the Nuforce icon...Just wondering whether there is any FM tuner in the market which is of the same form factor...

Thanks and Great Day!

Astroboy · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 Oct 2009, 10:40 am »

Any sneak peek?

Picker · « **Reply #11 on:** 3 Oct 2009, 06:21 am »

I'm alittle confused.

1) are the S-X speakers the same as the S-2 speakers that were to be "smaller than the S-1" or a S-1 with a waveguide designed after CES? (ie: what's the size and number of drivers in the S-X?)

2) is the Icon HDP (Preamp, 24bit/96Khz USB DAC, headphone amp) the same as Icon DAC and DAC-1?

3) does the 15Wx2 RMS Icon Amp have a preamp (vol dial

?

A photo with connections would help alot...

thanks for the preview, and congrads on V3!

rustydoglim · « **Reply #12 on:** 3 Oct 2009, 07:31 am »

S-X speaker is a new replacement for S-1. There will be no new production for S-1 and we're clearing the remaining stocks. Get them while you can. The incredible mid range of S-1 will be hard to beat.

Icon HDP is the new name for Icon DAC or DAC-1. We keep changing the name but HDP seems more appropriate for what it can do.

Yes, the new Icon Amp has a volume control preamp (but only 1 set of RCA inputs). This new amp has a much higher headroom with 30W peak and it can drive many bookshelf and floor standing speakers (high efficiency).

These are new products so we don't have photo yet. Here's the S-X speaker (it can be placed in many positions, vertical, horizontal or upside down high on the wall):

Singapore · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 06:07 am »

Hi Jason,

I am excited that a new amp will be out soon. However with the new range of products, I am a little confused how are they going to be complimenting each other.

Would the only difference between the original Icon vs Icon Amp-30 + Icon uDAC be the 30W per channel, the 5 Way binding post, 96kHz/24-bit & the headphone out?

And if I need a headphone out + Amp, I should go for a Icon HDP + Icon Amp-30 combo? For the Icon HDP, would it convert S/PDIF, Coaxial inputs to RCA output into the Icon Amp-30? Or is it just analog to analog?

Is bi-amping workable on the Icon Amp-30?

How is the form factor going to be like for the Icon uDAC, Amp-30 & HDP? Somewhere along the lines of the original Icon?

rustydoglim · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 10:55 am »

Quote

Would the only difference between the original Icon vs Icon Amp-30 + Icon uDAC be the 30W per channel, the 5 Way binding post, 96kHz/24-bit & the headphone out?

Don't confuse Icon uDAC with Icon HDP.
Icon HDP is very high-end.
uDAC shares many circuit as the Icon DAC and same spec too. That's why the price of Icon uDAC and Icon Amp is only slightly higher than Icon. Icon has the line out and preamp but not uDAC and Icon Amp combine.

Quote

And if I need a headphone out + Amp, I should go for a Icon HDP + Icon Amp-30 combo? For the Icon HDP, would it convert S/PDIF, Coaxial inputs to RCA output into the Icon Amp-30? Or is it just analog to analog?

Icon HDP will convert either SPDIF, coaxial and USB to RCA. Did I say it is high-end

Quote

Is bi-amping workable on the Icon Amp-30?

You can use it that way, sure, use one Icon Amp per speaker in bi-amp mode but you can't bridge it.

Quote

How is the form factor going to be like for the Icon uDAC, Amp-30 & HDP? Somewhere along the lines of the original Icon?

Share the same chassis as Icon, and available in all 4 colors.

Singapore · « **Reply #15 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 05:34 pm »

Thanks Jason for clearing things up.

Sounds very "shiok"

I am really hoping to see the Icon HDP can kick some GS & Meier's a$$.
In my book, the Icon already won hands down in the looks department. No competition.

The HDP & Amp-30 combo is definitely in my list.
So any discount for a fellow Singaporean?

Doublej · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 05:43 pm »

Are you sticking with the RJ45 speaker jacks on the Icon and Icon-Amp-30?

Singapore · « **Reply #17 on:** 13 Oct 2009, 05:54 pm »

I think they are using 5 way binding posts.. instead of that RJ45... which is a very good thing...

Oh yes, just a couple more questions. If I am looking at the HDP as a pre-amp to the AMP-30, I could imagine volume control would be a little tricky. Or have you guys already thought of a solution?

Would there also be like power unit upgrade available just like the original Icon?

rustydoglim · « **Reply #18 on:** 14 Oct 2009, 03:12 pm »

Both Icon HDP and Icon AMP have volume control. I would fix the Amp at the optimum level (we have to figure this out when we have both samples in the lab) and adjust HDP volume.

Icon HDP doesn't need that much power. Icon Amp will come with sufficient power supply.
We are considering a battery power supply since quite a lot of these components (including high-end products such as MSR-1, CDP-8, DAC-9) use 12V to 15V DC.

USAudio · « **Reply #19 on:** 28 Oct 2009, 06:10 pm »

Hi Jason,
The NuForce line is quite extensive now!
Can you tell us which products are made where?
Are the High-End products U.S.-made and the Desktop/Portable products made elsewhere (China)?
Thanks!