Nuforce REFERENCE 18

bernardl · « **Reply #40 on:** 27 Sep 2010, 06:06 am »

Quote from: worldcat on 26 Sep 2010, 10:33 pm

Well don't forget to save up some more money. Nuforce is working on a Ref 20 per Jason! Estimate price 10k

Yep, I have seen that. Good for them! I would have loved to feel like this somehow relates to me, but I don't.

Cheers,
Bernard

bernardl · « **Reply #41 on:** 5 Oct 2010, 04:16 am »

It looks like my nuforce days will have been real short.

As much as I like the sound of my V3SE, they are simply no match for the Devialet D-Premier.

I was just proposed an excellent deal on a D-Premier, and will be selling my nuforce V3SE in the coming weeks.

No hard feeling at all, but the fact of the matter is that I would not even have considered this had I been proposed a more interesting deal on the Ref9 to Ref18 trade-in. I would probably have bought a P18 and a Dac-9 shortly afterwards.

Hope this helps someone around here (and I don't mean it against Nuforce whose products I think are great).

Cheers,
Bernard

beachbum · « **Reply #42 on:** 10 Oct 2010, 12:57 am »

Received Ref 18 on Friday and wow that shipping crate is no joke but it needs to be strong to hold those 62 lb big boys. On opening the crate the first thing on top is a user manual thats easy to understand and read. Both amps are covered in a plastic bag along with the velvet sack like Ref 9. Upon unpacking the black colored amps looked sharp and the fit and finish is first rate. I had my system ready for Ref 18 doing all of the maintenance needed to my components, clean connections along with Walkers SST on them. I did the same to the AC plug and RCA connectors of Ref 18. Placed them on my Mapleshade platforms and hooked them up. The option of a on off switch with out turning off the power is a nice touch. That on off swipe switch is also a very cool item. It works flawlessly and the red Nuforce logo looks fine to. 75 hrs is what the manual recommends for breakin and i put 13 hrs on them yesterday. Brand new just like Ref 9 SE V3s the sound is very nice with good imaging and a nice wide deep stage. Sounds from top to bottom are solid fast and clear. Well its off to play some classic rock and roll and get more time on Ref 18.

David C · « **Reply #43 on:** 10 Oct 2010, 12:08 pm »

Beachbum
would value your opinion on the Ref 18. I have the 9VSEs and the P9 pre amp and have "followed" your Nuforce threads for sometime and keen for your thoughts. I have even thought about keeping the 9VSes and biamp with 2 Ref 18

beachbum · « **Reply #44 on:** 11 Oct 2010, 11:53 pm »

hello David C yes its early in the game but like ref 9 se v3 even without a lot of hrs on ref 18 the sound is very listenable and musical satisfaction is abound. will post more on the sound of ref 18 as the hrs add up. one thing i did not mention the wbt speaker terminals are a welcome addition to the nuforce line. mike

beachbum · « **Reply #45 on:** 17 Oct 2010, 10:09 pm »

I'm coming out of the tunnel now at 60+ hrs Ref 18 is opening up and really starting to have that Nuforce sound i'm use to. Nice solid bass and mid range with upper end sounds that dont stand out but have nice sparkle and presence. Details are coming around and timber of instrument and voice are very nice. Man i love music and this hobby will post further as time gets on these big boys.

beachbum · « **Reply #46 on:** 18 Oct 2010, 12:11 am »

One other thing i noted i think the red lights behind the on off switch seemed to dim at points in the Nuforce name and change from dim to bright during the first 60+ hours but now seem to be the same bright glow. Maybe a sign of i dont know what but if this happening means something maybe Cassy or Jason could chime in on that. Mike

worldcat · « **Reply #47 on:** 18 Oct 2010, 01:35 pm »

I should be getting mine in the next week can't wait!

beachbum · « **Reply #48 on:** 19 Oct 2010, 01:43 pm »

Good news World Cat I'm looking forward to your thoughts. Its a nice ride listening to the breakin changes instead of playing music/breakin cds and not hearing the changes. You will be in for a big difference in weight of the amps and shipping containers compared to ref 9 just for starters.

No doubt my pair have the signature clean, clear, powerful, wide open sound that we all have come to love and enjoy with our Nuforce amps. Until the full breakin I'm tuning in close for further upgrades in sound from Ref 18. On thing is for sure my time listening to music with my system is the thing enjoyment and happiness is made of.

worldcat · « **Reply #49 on:** 19 Oct 2010, 01:57 pm »

You can't tell much difference in the sound quality then?

beachbum · « **Reply #50 on:** 20 Oct 2010, 12:43 am »

at this point in the process i dont want to get into comparisons it would not be a true statement until full breakin of ref 18 is complete.

worldcat · « **Reply #51 on:** 20 Oct 2010, 01:11 am »

Maybe not worth the extra$$$$

beachbum · « **Reply #52 on:** 20 Oct 2010, 07:07 pm »

Well worldcat i guess time will tell if Ref 18 is worth the cash. What we have in ref 18 is a new amp that uses many of the same components that Ref 9 SE v3 has. The biggest change is the cap network and a lot of r&d it seems that went into it. Along with the larger case, i have not opened Ref 18 up yet but the extra wight has to be more than caps and a bigger case. When i did Nuforces first upgrade from V1 to SE back in 06 i think that was the most expensive of the upgrades to Ref 9 around a grand i believe. V2 and V3 came in costing less with V3 being the best value in terms of improvement to what i am hearing. The other upgrades did improve but not to the extent of V3 IMO. So its off to put more time on Ref 18 and it seems they are taking more hrs to open up than other upgrades. Taking into account this is a brand new piece of gear i would say thats about right. Mike Silverton had a already broke in pair of Ref 18s so his take on breakin was null a fine review of Ref 18 though.

worldcat · « **Reply #53 on:** 20 Oct 2010, 09:12 pm »

From my experience with these amps it take many hours to break-in. I believe to as i have stated before that leaving them on for a long period of time they get better and better.

David C · « **Reply #54 on:** 21 Oct 2010, 05:32 pm »

Beachbum
keep the updates coming. The real question is if you over look the new caps and size etc .....do you hear a difference, an improvement that is worth the extra cash? Or is it more a slight difference. I am torn to do the trade in and spend the extra money vs find a used pair of V3's and bi amp with my V3SEs

beachbum · « **Reply #55 on:** 22 Oct 2010, 04:52 pm »

world cat I'm also a believer in leaving my Nuforce amps on all of the time but in the case of breakin i believe that letting the caps charge and discharge with power is a better way of working those little magic devices in for better sound during breakin, MOYRMV. Ref 18s instruction manual states to turn off the amps but after contact with Jason his reply was you can leave them on all the time like Ref 9.

beachbum · « **Reply #56 on:** 22 Oct 2010, 06:10 pm »

David C it may be a hard question to answer if the cost to upgrade to Ref 18 is going to be worth the money and in the end my rest with each individual user. From what i am hearing now at about the 125 hr point like Nuforces description at there web site for Ref 18 a solid lower end with bass you can hear and feel, mid range where most of the sound is that we are hearing from our favorite music has a true live sound to, its better than Ref 9s IMO and the upper end sounds are very present but not overbearing and has again a true live sound to it. As far as stage and all else for that matter it gets hard to compare when you go on memory and not side by side A B ing it seems that individual sounds have more space and air about them with Ref 18. I still believe until 200+ hrs sound will continue to improve. At this point i really like what i am hearing and totally enjoying my music sessions with Ref 18 in my system. One change I made with Ref 18 is going balanced from my linestage instead of single ended. Mike

worldcat · « **Reply #57 on:** 25 Oct 2010, 01:26 pm »

Received my Ref 18 last night. Right out of the box they sounded really nice not fully opened up but i could tell how good these amps are and are going to be. My speakers are very very revealing when i put something new i can tell right away. Are they worth the upgrade so far YES YES YES, the amps are so smooth, detailed, and dead quiet. Did i say there where quiet wow dead quiet and smooth. The sound is big coming out the speakers bigger than with the 9v3's. They just are much more refined amp (a lot more). I can't wait for the coming days to see how good they really get. Will keep you posted. Did i say the amps where quiet?

worldcat · « **Reply #58 on:** 25 Oct 2010, 01:47 pm »

One other thing that is very noticeable already is how live they sound even more so than the 9's. Nuforce is on the right track in my opinion on the sound they choose to make their amps. They sound like music as other equipment i have heard doesn't do that more hollywood hi-fi!

daipat · « **Reply #59 on:** 25 Oct 2010, 03:51 pm »

Hey guys,
Anyone having the problem that the brightness of the LED in each Ref 18 unit is different?