Review:Nu Force Ref9V3 with TDSS Level 3 Mods


Just wanted  to give a shoutout to Bob Smith of TDSS audio. I  recently purchased some terrific sounding amps from him at a very reasonable price- the Nuforce Ref9V3 mono blocs with the the full Level 3 TDSS mods.  The reviews  on the Nuforce Ref9V3's stock amps were always terrific.  Really good value - really good sound.  If you never believed modding makes much difference - think again.  The amps now are an Incredible Value-Incredible sound.  Detailed, lively sound with no fatigue at all.  Midrange is surprisingly somewhat warm.  No not 300B tube warm- but clean and natural- very easy to listen to.  That's really important to me.
Now Bob just doesn't just mod the Nuforce/Nuprime products  for which he is an expert.  He does sell direct some of their older products like the Nuforce Ref9V3's if you don't have one to mod.
The other part of the equation is customer service.  I only met Bob Smith a few months ago.  What a knowledgeable and caring person. When I first purchased the amps there was a slight hum to them.  I called Bob not knowing what to do.  He reassured, no matter what, he would take care of the problem.  He called me every other day for over a week so concerned about the problem -giving me possible solutions. I didn't have to call him. He kept telling to send them back at no charge and he would make things right.  Well it turns out it was a loose connector on one my DIY interconnects that was the problem- not in any way the amps.  The point of the story is old school customer service.
Getting rare to find and very refreshing when it does happen.  And these were not $20,000 amps or even a fraction of that.
I am not a salesperson for TDSS.  I only just recently had the pleasure of meeting Bob Smith.  I'm just a very happy customer.  One thing I really like about this hobby(addiction) is that I met a lot of wonderful people like Bob Smith.
And that value is off the charts.


jackmonster
jackmonster, I just had Tdss mod my Bencmark AHB-2's. Money well spent! Some of my thoughts.

So I have the amps back from TDSS Bob. I have a good 6 hours on them. I truly can not believe how much better they are. I was very skeptical and actually Bob was also.

I played Pink there you go and the the sound of silence by Disturbed as before mods I would find myself turning the volume down do to there voices sounding bright. I always thought it was the recordings but with Bobs mods that brightness is totally gone. Cymbals and horns are also smoothed right out and sweetened up and warmer but with added resolution and transparency. Soundstage depth and width are also increased with the speakers disappearing even better.

I am also amazed how much my low bass is improved. Seems like Bobs mods have at least doubled my output power. Upper and mid bass is also way improved. Much more punch and snap. Incredible!

I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. I will be sending my dac next. First need to sell my subs and singledriver horns as my second system/room idea is not going to happen. I will update as I get more listening time in.

Update!


Getting more time in on my TDSS Bob modded amps. I make changes/improvements and can notice differences but couldn't tell blindfolded. I feel that if someone were to a/b stock versus modded I could pick the modded ones with ease.

The sense of realism is now through the roof. The sense of space and added transparency leave me in awe. I am discovering information in the music I know very well that I never heard before. Again the midbass punch and low bass slam are way improved! Its like the resolution in the midrange and cleaning of the highs has brought out the bass and midbass.

My best analogy is like when adding properly setup subs and it improves the highs, mid and soundstage.

Good stuff!

Thank you TDSS Bob! You have made me a believer.

Flat4,
I'm glad things worked out for you with the TDSS mods. And you started out with a very good amp to begin with! I don't know how Bob Smith does it .  He makes your system sound great at a very reasonable price.   I rarely post on Audiogon, but when I find something that works and can help other people- I try to share it. I hear he may be coming out with some of his own products.  I am really looking forward to that if it happens. I know they will be great.
Hi flat4 and jackmonster: I recently had Bob's TDSS Level 3 mods done to my Nuforce 9SE V3 amps as well. I agree with all of what's been said about these upgrades and Bob Smith's customer service. This is really one of the best kept secrets in high end audio. Jeff
jackmonster, I agree with you on all accounts. I follow a couple of forums regularly and when I find something that really works for me I like to share it on an open forum. That has helped me in the past to try different equipment when other folks that pay for the toys write a review. I wrote the above review on AC and was sent a PM form the powers that be to no longer post about Tdss and to find another forum. Well here I am and will no longer visit the other site.

Anyway I noticed the amps getting smoother and more open with added play time. Anyone else experience this?