class d

08-08-08: Dcstep
Despite what one may read, Onkyo and PS-A are not in the elite class of ICEPower or Class D. They're good value for the money, but not really top contenders. PS and Onkyo have significant marketing budgets that garner them many reviews vs. the boutique makers with little or no budget.

Neither PS Audio nor Onkyo use the ICE module, but rather have engineered and patented their own approaches. I do find it interesting that both Abso!ute Sound and Stereophile both reviewed a well-built but mid-fi priced audio product from Onkyo. There's an awful lot of Onkyo and Denon gear that these two mags *don't* review, or only obliquely rather than formally.

I just got a p9 and a pair of v2se's from nuforce to listen to for a couple of weeks. The are demo samples and according to the company are plenty worn in. I was told to let them run for 20 hrs or so and they should be ready.
I snuck a quick listen to make sure that everything was working and didnt like what I heard. I wont bother to describe till I do what the rep suggested and give them a day.
Will post my 2cents once I have spent a little time with them. Very helpful company to deal with so far. I called the number on the web site, talked to someone for a while and they sent everything out. Pretty simple.

Yeap, Nuforce amps sure do not like travelling, may take a week of real playing time before they forget how much they disliked the airplane's cargo hold. . . until such time, they'll keep reminding you about how unhappy you have made them! [smiles!]

I just purchased a Spectron Musician III (not the SE mk ii version), and should receive it in about a week. Am looking forward to trying it with my inefficient MBL 121 monitors. I've already dabbled with Class D - a pair of the older Nuforce 9.02 . I didn't like what I heard with those amps but based on what I've ready about the Spectron, I have high hopes that it will win me around. I will likely upgrade it to the SE mk ii later on, as funds allow, assuming I enjoy what I hear with the basic version. I'll update folks on my findings.

I have posted a review of the Gilmore Raven, the stereo version of the Raptor, in comparison to the Nuforce, in the reviews section of this website. This amp still amazes me months later.