What's your setup/configuration look like?
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AlanB
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CptKaos
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EddNog
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He was lickin’ his ass when I took the picWhat on earth happened to that poor cats head and tail?
Today, I put the Nuforce STA200 in the office system. This sucker is insane, it has a gain of 34db... by comparison the Parasound Z that I drive for the woofers is at max 30 db and you can hear the mistmatch. I might have to put in the Dayton Audio DSP for low end gain.
One issue with so much gain, is that noise up front gets amplified. The system is very quiet, but I get thumps when I switch the gain in the Nitsch. This is an amp that MUST be turned on after the front end and and off before anything else.
As usual, the main speakers are running wideband.
The sound of the STA200 is excellent. This is a very high bandwidth solid state amp.... brother of the late Job225, son of Goldmund.
Driving the little Foxtex, it really "fixes" the shoutiness when they play loud. The soundstage is not as good as the Pass Sony VFET though. The upper midrange is more "palpable" and the treble is extended. Bass is very good, very controlled. The Fostex go a lot lower. I've never heard this Fostex with such shimmering treble. There is a bit of harshness to the voices, but that could be that the amp has not yet warmed.
My experience with "fast" amps, like the old Sansui G7500, is that they present a very light sound. The follow the signal very well and their midrange and bass are very clean, with no overhang. This amp definitely is like that.
My daughter's reaction was "crisp". She's very correct. The piano with the class A VFET, SIT, FET and with the good old class AB Svetlana 6550s, is richer.. the additional negative 2nd harmonic add a touch of "sugar" that makes it very realistic and pleasant sounding. The STA200 is low distortion - must be German-Swiss - and very clear ... "crisp".
( Ignore Amir at ISF ).
Example, Supertramp, Even In The Quietest Moments, 10:53, there is a sequence of cymbal strikes... Also, Babaji, 4:00.. in the Sony VFET they are set further back into the soundstage, more into the background of the music. With the Nuforce, they are up and front, metallic and clear as a bell (pun).
Which is right? Which is correct? Who cares? It's fun. I think the Sony VFET has a sound to die for, but it is a little dark but the STA200 has real good articulation of the music signal.
If the Nuforce is a Porsche 911, the Sony is the back seat of a Maybach 61.
BTW, you can see the Whammy headphone amp in there. I needed a place to put it.
Now, I wonder if I can find another STA200 or... a Job 225. I saw some on eBay a while back... no way... way overpriced...
One issue with so much gain, is that noise up front gets amplified. The system is very quiet, but I get thumps when I switch the gain in the Nitsch. This is an amp that MUST be turned on after the front end and and off before anything else.
As usual, the main speakers are running wideband.
The sound of the STA200 is excellent. This is a very high bandwidth solid state amp.... brother of the late Job225, son of Goldmund.
Driving the little Foxtex, it really "fixes" the shoutiness when they play loud. The soundstage is not as good as the Pass Sony VFET though. The upper midrange is more "palpable" and the treble is extended. Bass is very good, very controlled. The Fostex go a lot lower. I've never heard this Fostex with such shimmering treble. There is a bit of harshness to the voices, but that could be that the amp has not yet warmed.
My experience with "fast" amps, like the old Sansui G7500, is that they present a very light sound. The follow the signal very well and their midrange and bass are very clean, with no overhang. This amp definitely is like that.
My daughter's reaction was "crisp". She's very correct. The piano with the class A VFET, SIT, FET and with the good old class AB Svetlana 6550s, is richer.. the additional negative 2nd harmonic add a touch of "sugar" that makes it very realistic and pleasant sounding. The STA200 is low distortion - must be German-Swiss - and very clear ... "crisp".
( Ignore Amir at ISF ).
Example, Supertramp, Even In The Quietest Moments, 10:53, there is a sequence of cymbal strikes... Also, Babaji, 4:00.. in the Sony VFET they are set further back into the soundstage, more into the background of the music. With the Nuforce, they are up and front, metallic and clear as a bell (pun).
Which is right? Which is correct? Who cares? It's fun. I think the Sony VFET has a sound to die for, but it is a little dark but the STA200 has real good articulation of the music signal.
If the Nuforce is a Porsche 911, the Sony is the back seat of a Maybach 61.
BTW, you can see the Whammy headphone amp in there. I needed a place to put it.
Now, I wonder if I can find another STA200 or... a Job 225. I saw some on eBay a while back... no way... way overpriced...
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