Chris Montgomery
Clackamas, Oregon

Consider this my first official review. WOW !  My system has never sounded so good.  I cannot believe how much better each disc I have played has sounded.

I am constantly changing equipment; bypassing speaker crossovers; building my own power cords and speaker cables, etc.  However, nothing I have done to my system has improved the overall presentation of each disc as much as using the NuForce Reference 8 amps.  Bad recordings sound good, good recordings sound great, and great recordings are almost unbelievable.

What I think has surprised me the most is that no matter what volume level I have played music at there is absolutely no listener fatigue.  In the past - even with good (and quite expensive) amps - when played loud you reach a point when you have to turn the volume down; highs become shrill, bass booms, your ears ring and you just tire.  With the NuForce amps, the music (and movie soundtracks) now seems to flow from the speakers and embrace you.  It is very pleasurable.

On a lark I pulled out an old disc I have not listened to in a long time wondering how it would sound; the CD was Little Creatures by The Talking Heads.  I could not believe how well this disc sounded using the NuForce Reference 8 amps.  The music on this disc has a lot of cymbal crashes, some decent bass lines, and as brought out by the NuForce amps a lot of harmony.  In the past this disc was very difficult to listen to - especially loud.  The cymbal crashes in particular never really sounded real.  With the NuForce amps, cymbals sounded like real cymbals - never shrill, and very pure sounding.  Each instrument was clearly defined, especially the bass player, and you could distinguish each singer as they harmonized.  I have never heard that kind of detail ever with my system.

All-in-all, I am so glad I took the gamble and purchased the NuForce Reference 8 amps.  I knew I was missing something in my listening experience and now I know what it was.  These amps are fantastic, and a screaming value in the world of over-priced and over-hyped audiophile equipment.

For people who realized they are missing something from their system, but just don't quite know what it is, I highly recommend trying these amps out.  Even if you have to buy the amps without an audition, you will not be disappointed.  NuForce has hit a home-run and the wise consumer is going to benefit.

Thanks,
Chris Montgomery

Associated equipment:

Mod-Wright modified Sony 999ES DVD/CD/SACD player
Mapletree Audio custom made 5-channel Tube Pre-Amp
Bryston 9B SST amp (3-channel version)
Rotel 5-channel amp
Outlaw ICBM
Dbx crossovers
Berringer Feeback destroyer (for sub)
Velodyne SPL100 sub
Magnepan MGMC1 (passive cross-over removed)
Magnepan CC3 (center channel speaker; cross-over removed)
NHT 1.5i (rear channel speakers)
Monster Cable power line conditioner
Homemade custom power cords
Homemade silver speaker wire Treble
Homemade magnet-wire speaker cable Bass
Homemade Bass and Corner Traps
Audioquest interconnect cables