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Preamplifier NuForce P-8There's a school of thought that the hi-fi industry is going the way of the dodo, heading down a path of impending doom. Its advocates cite the exit of major manufacturers such as Sony from the separates hi-fi scene, viewing it as 'the writing on the wall' for the way hi-fi is headed...
Not everyone is of this view, however, and if you pause to look at what's actually happening on the ground, it almost feels like the reverse is true. Over the past few years we've seen a number of 'start up' companies hit the market, marching into the specialist audio arena with an enthusiasm that none of those Japanese giants ever managed to muster - and NuForce is one such example.
The company is most famous for its small, compact Class D monoblock power amplifiers, which it has constantly developed and refined since their inception several years ago. Everyone agrees that they're superbly made, interestingly styled, small, light, modular and easily upgradeable - although the sonics are more controversial, because not everyone is a fan of Class D operation. Personally, I've found NuForce's Ref 9SE power amplifiers welcome partners to my own reference Yamaha NS-1000M loudspeakers, proving one of the few designs I've tried that aren't intimidated by these big boxes. The matching high end P-9 preamplifier also impressed me, and this spurred me to investigate the P-8 you see here - which is one third of the price at $865.
Designed by Demian Martin, previously the co-founder and Director of Engineering at respected US high end specialists Spectral Audio, the P-8 is essentially a more affordable version of the P-9, with all its components in a single box and the former's digital display deleted. It offers three pairs of RCA phono inputs, in addition to a 3.5mm minijack line input (for iPods and the like), plus a headphone socket, one pair of RCA phono outputs and a pair of balanced XLR outs. The latter are a favourite of NuForce, the company preferring to run balanced with all its products.
All this makes for a very tightly packed rear panel, because the P-8 follows the usual NuForce form factor (45x216x406mm). It's very light at 2.7kg, making it a pain with stiff interconnects, some of which can even suspend it in mid-air (although this is a criticism of such interconnects' stupid sheathing, and not the NuForce!).
Round the front, it's a model of clean design, with just an input selector and a digitally controlled analogue volume control (running +30dB to -70dB in 0.5 dB steps). Those with large fingers will find it a little fiddly to use thanks to the small controls, but it feels like a true precision instrument thanks to its high standards of build and finish. It wins special 'Brownie points' from yours truly for being so compact - whilst some might prefer vast nineteen seventies-style receiver front panels, I do not. It blends in neatly with its environment and looks clean in any of its finishes (silver, black, gold or rose copper), this writer being a particular fan of the latter.
For the purposes of this review, the NuForce P-8 faced rather a stern challenge, because I opted to put it up against my own reference Music First Audio Silver Passive Preamplifier at nearly four times the cost. It also faced up to its bigger brother, the redoubtable P-9, so you might imagine it didn't fare so well...
Actually, it rather surprised me. Preamplifiers, whilst being ostensibly simple devices (they are, after all, glorified switches), manage to lose rather more of the signal than perhaps they should, which is why many people try to bypass them altogether when possible. The P-8 proved a very clean and lively sounding machine, certainly not the usual woeful impairment to the sound that most rivals are at this price.
Kicking off with a slice of classic jazz-rock from Caf? Jacques in the shape of 'Meaningless', and the P-8 really caught the essence of this super clean, wideband late seventies recording. Made at the time when analogue recording was at its very best, it's a dizzyingly three dimensional production with striking dynamics. The NuForce certainly didn't detract from the proceedings, carrying the recording's explosive dynamics with aplomb. Snare drums were taut, hi hats impactful yet shimmering with atmosphere and bass full and controlled.
Moving to a nineties slice of electro pop, and Saint Etienne's 'He's On the Phone', proved unexpectedly engrossing for a preamp that's a fraction of the cost of my usual reference. Bass lines were very animated, while singer Sarah Cracknell's vocals were just right - an unusual mix of sugar and spice. The P-8 bounded along with the song, showing that it wasn't going to let the recording's mediocre production standards ruin the fun. It was relatively thin and two dimensional (the recording, not the preamp) but the NuForce didn't dissect it or preoccupy itself telling the listener how mediocre the source was.
The same could not be said of Carol Kidd's 'Better Days' on Linn Records - this is a blinding late eighties recording and the P-8 gave it all the colour and space it deserved, resulting in an utterly enjoyable rendition with none of the two dimensionality that most 'affordable' preamps provide. I was struck by its immediacy; the NuForce is musically communicative and a natural player of tunes.
In absolute terms of course, it's not perfect. There's a slight tendency to suck in the far left and right of the soundstage, as well as flatten the depth perspective somewhat. Compared to the, admittedly far more expensive, P-9 the '8 also makes this sound just a touch less organic in rhythmic terms, bringing a marginally more mechanical feel to the proceedings. Still, it's not in any way compromised at the price, and is easily good enough to partner truly good power amplifiers. I found it worked well with valve amps such as my reference World Audio K5881 power amp and NuForce's own Ref 9 SE power amplifiers alike. Indeed, its dry, crisp and detailed sound proved an ideal foil to the valve amplifier's tendency to warm things up somewhat; it proved a superbly synergistic match.
The NuForce P-8 preamplifier resides in a somewhat strange place in the great scheme of things; not everyone wants a mid-price preamp, thinking it best to stick with the preamp section of their integrated amp - or buy a cheap passive - while they save for a truly high end device. However, it offers real and tangible gains over both, bringing a focused and grippy sound that's smooth and subtle enough to aspirate some seriously expensive power amplifiers. It even proved a great partner to modern active loudspeakers.
As such it's an excellent first preamplifier, unlocking a world of power amplifiers to someone who'd previously been trapped with integrated, or opening the door to active loudspeaker operation. Compactness, elegance of finish and excellent connectivity are bonuses, but ultimately, most will enjoy its neutral, clean and self-effacing sound. |