Not Another NuForce thread......

The V2 versions provided me about 30% improvement over the Special Edition amps. Arbitrarily speaking of course.

But 9rw brings up a very good point. A truly revealing componenent absolutely must be indiscriminate about what it reveals, whether it's musical information, time smear from the ics and scs, grunge from improper or no line conditioners, or perhaps improper vibration management and/or a just a crappy cdp.

Sadly, as 9rw shared in his experience, most of us know least one or more just like him with systems that exemplify one or more of these deficiencies that often times lead the less informed to think the zingy highs or fatiguing sound must be due to the Nuforce amp or whatever other revealing and potentially musical component may be under scrutiny.

9rw, in your own words would you care to describe the zingy highs you heard? Also, please list the components in your system including line conditioners and whichever vibration methodology chosen, and associated products you are using.

Surely, amongst those here one or more of us should be help you get your system on right track. That's what I like about this forum.

-IMO

there are alot of amplifiers that sound incredible for $5000.
if you take into account the used market, that becomes "a whole lot of amplifiers". as for $20k and above, that usually (okay, they could be hand-built of course) buys you more watts and/or more current into often-times non-existent loads. a pass aleph-3 (30W/ch) will knock most people's socks off for $1000. for $2000 (please correct me if i'm a bit off here), so will a used VTL ST-150. talk about flavor of the month. i've owned some embarrassingly expensive amps, and they made ME (just me) very happy. i've also enjoyed listening to an $1800 Sonus Faber Musica which will more than do justice to SF-Guarneri speakers. i also trust jb8312's ears when he says he loves the sound coming from his present system. i just wish he hadn't used the expression "one of the top 5". stereophile once exclaimed on the COVER that HALCRO-58'S were the best amplifier in the world(?!) yeah, and Motor Trend contends that a model XYZ ferrari goes 5mph faster than a model ZYX porsche... who cares?...

Stehno: You're still a NuForce dealer, aren't you? I'd imagine that your Legacy speakers are less fatiguing in the high end than those Aerial 10Ts that you used to consider a reference. I'd say they're a whole lot more coherent, too. But perhaps that's your preference. No problem with that.

My system? It's a GNSC-modified Wadia 861se (Reference mod), an Audio Research VT100MKIII and Von Schweikert VR-4Srs. I also have a REL Stadium III and a pair of Dunlavy SC-IIs that I pull out of the closet now and then and am amazed at the brilliance of John Dunlavy . Hard to beat those speakers for the money. My cables are Cardas Neutral Reference (XLR interconnects) and Acoustic Zen Satori (shotgun bi-wire). I use a Kimber Palladian PK-10 on the Wadia with an Audio Magic power conditioner. The Wadia is on a spiked Target stand and sits on Black Diamond cones.

So how many versions of the NuForce amps are there by now? I've lost count. And, by the way, are you now a Legacy dealer, too?

9rw: My system consists of the an APL Denon 3910 with all the latest upgrades run directly to a pair of Nuforce Ref 9s (recently upgraded to V2) and Von Schweikert VR4jrs. I used to use the Audio Research VT100MkII until I auditioned the unassuming pair of Nuforce Ref 9s (V1). It was no contest!

A local Nuforce dealer (who is also a friend of mine), another friend who is a member of our local audio society and myself did an A/B comparison in my system between the Nuforce and the Audio Research that I had been so happy with for several years. The little Nuforce amps absolutely humiliated my beloved Audio Research VT100MKII. We were all was dumbfounded by what we heard. I purchased the pair right on the spot.

I have since listened to A/B comparisons of my little Nuforce amps with other much higher priced solid state amp and the Nuforce beat them hands down!

I would recommend at the very least, auditioning a pair of the Nuforce. In my experience they mate very well with Von Schweikert speakers. If my recollection is correct, Albert voiced the VR-4 speakers with Class-D amps, I believe they may have been Spectrons. This may account for why the Nuforce sounds so good mated with the VS speakers.

I will say, however, that I have heard my Nuforce paired with other electronics and speakers that resulted in less than stellar sound. System synergy plays a HUGE role, particularly with these amps.

Ggil: I may do that audition some day, but unless the NuForce is better than the Pass X350, I'll keep my ARC. Also -- and I'm sure you're aware of this -- the VT100MII and MKIII don't sound all that much alike. I've owned all three versions. Regardless, I'm glad you're enjoying your system with the 4-Jrs. They're incredible for the money.