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Comments on: $249 baby amplifier wows audiophiles

The NuForce Icon breaks just about every audiophile stereotype--it's cheap, tiny, and digital--but sounds swell!

Add a Comment (Log in or register) (8 Comments)


by coprock July 2, 2009 9:37 AM PDT: Very cool. I have been running a Super T-amp as a desktop computer system for a few years now with ADS L300s and an M&K 8" sub and have been enjoying fantastic sound only limited by the output of the simgatel chip on my computer. Throw in extra inputs and a DAC... I will seriously consider this at $224 on Amazon.; Like this Reply to this comment


by alegr July 2, 2009 10:28 AM PDT: I bet if absolutely the same amp were selling for some $70, Steve would not get that excited. I wonder what's the real BOM for that (excluding the fancy case).; Like this Reply to this comment


by July 2, 2009 10:14 PM PDT: Can you suggest a "best sound for the money" desktop/bedroom system? If we start with the Icon amplifier, which is a good pair of speakers to go with it? The S1 from the same company, the Paradigm Atom v.5 (as mentioned in Stereophile), or Audioengine 2 (reviewed by you a few months earlier)? Do we need a subwoofer? Appreciate your help or whoever wants to recommend a good combination.; Like this Reply to this comment


by one_flat_monkey July 3, 2009 6:34 PM PDT: whether you "need" a subwoofer is totally a matter of personal taste. me, i don't think bass is such a big deal. i've got a Monsoon mh 500 speaker system for my computer, and it has a small subwoofer, but i don't crank it up. it's on carpet, which absorbs a lot. here's a link to a review. i don't know whether these are still available, but they are amazing for the price. they are a powered system, so you don't need a separate amp.

http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Hardware/Reviews/mh500/; Like this Reply to this comment


by borispmchan July 3, 2009 10:36 PM PDT: I've heard complaints on the S1 speakers, though. It's absolutely bass light and sometimes harsh sounding. Some suggests matching the Icon with Scandyna Minipod, while I would like to give Klipsch RSX 3/ Synergy Sub-10 a try.; Like this Reply to this comment


by coprock July 6, 2009 9:59 AM PDT: Audioengine speakers require no amp, however would make fine bedroom system.; Like this Reply to this comment


by textorama July 9, 2009 5:10 AM PDT: First I was a bit baffled looking at the name nuforce, because in my region where I live (south of Germany) there is a manufacture of loudspeakers called Nubert. The different speakers were named Nu-Vero, Nu-Box and so on. The Stuff is sold directly without distributor so the they are quite affordable. The qualitiy is much more worth than you actualy pay for. Great sounding Speakers.; Like this Reply to this comment


by xuxusung July 19, 2009 12:49 PM PDT: I bought it $200 during an online promotion. Connected to Pinnacle bookshelf speakers, they are very nice. I also tried Grado SR325s on the headphone jack and it wasn't bad, not ideal (due to impedance) but listenable. They probably wouldn't do so well connected to my Maggies, tho; Like this Reply to this comment

(8 Comments)

About The Audiophiliac

Ex movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has more or less successfully hitched his future to home theater, but he still pines for the clickity-clack of 35 MM projectors and all the stale popcorn he could eat. Between projectionist gigs he worked as a high-end audio salesman for sixteen years, and produced records for an audiophile label. Oh, and one more thing, nothing annoys Steve more than being confused with the other Steve Guttenberg, the washed-up Police Academy actor. The wordsmith Guttenberg is a frequent contributor to a number of magazines and websites including Home Entertainment, Playback, and Ultimate AV. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.