Nuforce V3 mod

I am in the NuForce upgrade queue, so likewise am very interested in your impressions. Anyone know anything about the Reference 18?

Mark

Jason,

Does the volume -- high or low -- make a difference in terms of the length of the burn in?

Mark

Well, I received the 9V3SEs today, and out of the box, they sound terrible. I hope the burn in transforms them into the amps everyone else is describing.

Mark

Here is Nuforce's response on burn-in:

"Hi, A moderate volume is OK to burn in the unit, not necessary very loud. Regards, Casey Nuforce"

I know burn in is critical, so I am not snapping to a judgment until I hit 150 hours +.

Mark

We may be listening to the same thing -- shrill midrandge and attenuated high end. I am calling it terrible and you, expecting necessary burn in, are saying not bad out of the box. Thank you for the hope.

Mark

Edgar,

I read your review on 6moons the day it was published. Well done. BTW, I purchased some Cerious Technologies speaker cables to try them simply because you were using them as a reference cable.

I, however, am on a different roller coaster; I just hope the ride ends at the same place. This upgrade should come with a warning label: Do not listen to these amps until burned in for 150 hours.

Mark

After 130 hours of burn-in, my amps sound fantastic. What a difference from their out-of-the-box performance, where my initial, gut-retching reaction was that I had blown a voice coil. I did not chart the course of the burn in, but am thrilled with the 9V3SE’s performance now. I moved from V1 to V3, so this is a little off the point of the thread: the 9V3SE’s midrange is liquid, and the top end smooth and grain free. I, however, am not crazy about the impedance change. If you have not taken advantage of this upgrade, do it at your earliest convenience.

Mark

The 9V3SE does not sound lean or thin. In addition to more detail, the soundstage is much improved. It is far deeper and wider, extending beyond the edges of the speakers, both left and right.

Mark

At 140 or so hours, I noted the same problem Edgar Kramer observed at 100 hours. Everything fell apart. It was not as bad as out-of-the-box, but really muddled. Now, at 250+ hours of burn in, what a wonderful set of amps. Fabulous in all levels of performance, but most importantly they are musical. I love them. I predict you will not find many, if any, on the used market. Maybe if the Reference 18s hit it out of the park?

NuForce changed the faceplate on the upgraded amps from the new ones, but so what? I will not be selling mine in the foreseeable future.

Mark

Gammajo, likewise, sorry to hear about your broken leg.

I have to agree with Sultrains's obervations on the sound of the V3s. He is dead on accurate, except for the vinyl comments. Best front end is all digital: USB DAC with no preamp, combined with power regenerators.

Good luck with your recovery.

Mark

I am using Zu Mother Mk II behind Audience AR1-P line conditioners, each directly from the wall. I also have a PS Audio Power Plant Premier for the front end. This combination works well for me.

Mark