Nuforce

Holy smokes, Frank, a NuForce 9SE?! You've just reaffirmed my point.

Seriously, can a NuForce owner who has just taken delivery of the latest 9.xx iteration EVER be certain a newer improved model or version won't be available the very next day, thereby requiring the owner to box up his beloved amps to send off to the factory for updating?

Wouldn't it be nice to have the NuForce amps in the system for nine months to a year without feeling the need to have them upgraded to a better version?

I cannot be the only one who sees this as a problem...

I'm unable to edit my previous post, so I'm adding this addendum...

NuForce owners always talk of value in respect to the high-performance/low-cost ratio of the Ref9.xx amps compared to the high-peformance/high-cost ratio of more expensive amps.

I’d argue that there is intrinsic value in having an amp remain installed in one’s system, and conversely there is value lost during the time a NuForce amp is spent out of the system being upgraded. If I calculate this correctly, had I purchased Ref9 monos a year ago, and if I had sent them back to the factory for the three (or is it four) ensuing upgrades, I’d have experienced nine weeks of downtime once round trip shipping and actual time at the factory is calculated. Nine weeks of downtime is considerable value lost, IMO.

Something for everyone........a comedy tonight.

Maybe you guys have not read the latest offering from the NuForce gang on Audio Circle. Comedy this good, you can't get just any ol' place.

My contribution to the farce:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?p=233843&highlight=#233843

The intrigue of their, uh.......uh......shall we say latest approach to marketing........ is more interesting reading.

At least to me. You decide for yourselves.

I'm not a fan of digital amps, and they shure must evolve in order to obtain the same level of sound quality of a classic design. So, wait for the next iteraction, it will sound better.
But this is no excuse for lousy engeneering, bad design, weak parts or experimentations.
Customers like to have a definitive design. This policy only leeds to insatisfacton.

I think the sound quality for the money is unmatched by conventional designs. But that no doubt depends on what you want your amps to do. I prefer the analogue switching amps and find conventional amps sound broken by comparison - unacceptable levels of grain, coloration and an unnatural sound stage. I am talking dollar for dollar here. But I think you will find Nuforce will gradually introduce new 'models' to get their retail price up amongst the big guys over the next few years - now that they have done the hard yards of gaining a brand position.

While I have criticised Nuforce, I believe that with their particular amp modules they have made a real breakthrough. It is not a surprise that a newcomer to the audiophile world is finding the commercial design part of the task difficult to come to grips with. As I said earlier it is rare in the electronic world to find an organisation that can lead in fundamental design and be competent in commercial design of a new product. Intel can't manage it, or more accurately, don't even try.

Most of our admired audiophile brands are only capable of commercial design and perhaps we should be criticising them for failing to deliver any fundamental design breakthroughs - endlessly refining circuit ideas generated decades ago is limiting the whole art.

It is frustrating as a customer for sure. So wait a couple of years if that bothers you. But the bang for the buck is unmatched right now, and the rate at which Nuforce is improving its commercial designs is pretty impressive. Sure they have a bit to learn - and it is laudable that they are doing that in forums such as Audiocircle, and obviously learning some things the hard way.