I owned a pair of the NuForce 9.02, and I just listened to a pair of the new SE versions of those amps at the HES show in LA a few days ago.
I sold the NuForce 9.02s after comparing them to the KR Audio monoblocks which I still have. I found the Nuforce to be a bit dry sounding compared to my KRs, and there was also a mid-base hump or emphasis which I found unwelcome. A fellow audiophile also confirmed this effect, and also noted that the KRs had better decay of notes. Overall, I found the KR amps gave me a shiver-down-my-spine thrill which elluded the Nuforce amps.
That said, I only tried the stock power cords and FIM gold power cords (and others have said power cord choice is important), and I did not have the Nuforce amps turned on for extended periods, and the previous poster suggests that this is very important. Still, I compared the amps under identical circumstances, and the Nuforce 9.02 didn't quite do it for me. The SE amps I listened to at HES did sound very good though, but then it's hard to really isolat what I heard, given the other electronics in the chain and different listening environment.
Best advice I can give is to listen for yourself, and trust your ears. I bought the Nuforce based on all the hype I heard, and the hype didn't quite match my own personal impressions.
Happy listening!
I sold the NuForce 9.02s after comparing them to the KR Audio monoblocks which I still have. I found the Nuforce to be a bit dry sounding compared to my KRs, and there was also a mid-base hump or emphasis which I found unwelcome. A fellow audiophile also confirmed this effect, and also noted that the KRs had better decay of notes. Overall, I found the KR amps gave me a shiver-down-my-spine thrill which elluded the Nuforce amps.
That said, I only tried the stock power cords and FIM gold power cords (and others have said power cord choice is important), and I did not have the Nuforce amps turned on for extended periods, and the previous poster suggests that this is very important. Still, I compared the amps under identical circumstances, and the Nuforce 9.02 didn't quite do it for me. The SE amps I listened to at HES did sound very good though, but then it's hard to really isolat what I heard, given the other electronics in the chain and different listening environment.
Best advice I can give is to listen for yourself, and trust your ears. I bought the Nuforce based on all the hype I heard, and the hype didn't quite match my own personal impressions.
Happy listening!