Trends TA10 is winner at digital amp shootout (BD-Design)

by PeterSt. , Netherlands, Wednesday, April 11, 2007, 03:27 (6236 days ago) @ Bert
edited by unknown, Wednesday, April 11, 2007, 03:34

Hi,

I can add that we were very seriously listening for two full days at least, indeed in two different places, and the NuForce definitly miserably failed for technical reasons. Note that all together (also at other sessions) we tried 3 differenc NuForce sets, and they all behave the same for their own radiating stupidities.

For me the NuForce has something that I didn't hear from other amps so far, which comes down to increadible speed. We expect, though, that it gets it from the switching power, with a technique which just fails.
The bass is more fuzzy, and although you can listen to this amp like a rather "normal" amp, for me it doesn't have it ... This might be personal, because I was alone on this (out of three seriously listening people).
Also, to be it is clear that this amp behaves differently in the different frequency ranges, which already can be derived from the fact that it wouldn't be the best in a setup other amps consistently are (this is about the GC version (of which I have many by now) and the filter setup of the speakers). Also, where the whole net agrees about the bass being good and the highs being strange, I judge it the other way around. Note the sibilance though, which for me is so anoying that I can't stand it as a "feature".

The PS Audio is very much like a solid state amp. But better. It sounds kind of technical, and I could like it.
There is not much wrong with it, apart from the fact that it doesn't show some "instruments" very well. This is nothing like some frequencies not being pronounced, but merely "too technical" to pronounce the instruments as they really are. I wasn't really disturbed by it, being a more technical listener (I know, you can explain this as a contradiction).
The reason why I will not choose this amp today, is that the NuForce shows things which IMO can exist in other normally operating amps. For that matter, the PS Audio is not so speedy (at all), where I think beautiful things emerge from.

I learned that it is possible to hear (and "see") the individual vibrations of a cymbal like the hi-hat, which is one step further than hearing the proper color of a cymbal. For me this is a new dimension the NuForce could show, which I personally would hunt for.
If it is so, that these real life vibrations are created with the help of the sibilance (hence can't exist withhout it for mucic playback), I'd go for it. My current SS amps have sibilance too, and the only drawback of it, is that it reminds you of "digital". The PS Audio does not show sibilance at all.

Peter

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