Nuforce step up from Sunfire for B&W 803N?

...or buy a used pair of Ref9V2SE and try them. Keep them if you like them, or resell them if you don't.

There's no universally correct answer for which component will be best for every system and every listener. There are better choices based on electrical specs, but even these can be tossed out the window based on a listener's personal preference.

At some point, you have to dive in and do the listening in your system with components that interest you.

Tvad, you are absolutely right about the diving in part. I've been researching preamps for some time and have been waffling between Dodd, Modwright 9 or 36.5 and now the new Isabella from Red Wine (although no HT passthru, as well as VTL and BAT. Man, it's hard to make that decision, and it may just come down to what's available at a good price on the gon. No used 36.5's or Dodd's or Isabella's right now, so I'm kinda holding tight. As for the Nuforce, yeah, I did try to reach out to one seller but he never replied. However, starting to think the Spectron may be the way to go, but it's a lot of cash. For goodness sake, all I want is some bass slam, tight but visceral bass, crystal clear highs, shimmer and sparkle, and all those great "tube-like" qualities I've been hearing so much about like presence, you-are-thereness, air, musicality, like you are in the middle of the stage. And all for around 4-5k. Why can't this be easier, LOL?!?!?

Good luck.

Ha. I assume that was facetious?

Not really.

It takes some luck to buy-and-try, mix-and-match used gear on Audiogon if you're going to buy gear based primarily on what's available at a good price, rather than on what is known to have proper synergy.

Sometimes the saying, "buy cheap...buy again" is brutally true.

Believe me. I've been there.