Icon hdp is expected to compete with other dac and preamp costing up to several times its price and serve as the heart of a high performance audio system. Nuforce icon amplifier overview and full product specs on cnet. Nuforce icon hdp highend headphone amp, usb dac, preamp drop. Nuforce icon ido usb dac headphone amplifier innerfidelity. Aug 12, 2011 the nuforce dac9 isnt the only dac to include a headphone output, but it makes more of a point of it than most, and fair enough, adding as it does a dedicated volume control and both flavours of. The very small nuforce udac3 offers a lot of qualities given its 149 price point. My working assumption, however, is that most buyers of the icon hdp would use both the dac and the amp sections together.
The amp provides a digitally controlled analog volume control. May 05, 2010 the nuforce icon hdp incorporates a fullspeed usb dac and fullfunction spdif da converter, plus a headphoneamplifier circuit and preamp output. Nuforce icon amp 2 channel headphone amplifier for sale. It combines a 24192 da converter with 2496 usb input, a headphone amp and a preamplifier in a slim 6 x 4. Nuforce udac2 usb dacheadphone amp playback 40 the. While nuforce s website is somewhat obtuse, the series into which dac 80 fits, is not.
Nuforce icon ido usb dac headphone amplifier icon ido is a dedicated usb digitaltoanalog converter headphone amplifier for ipods, iphones, and ipads. Nuforce icon 2 black desktop stereo integrated amplifier. Nuforce air dac iwireless ipodiphone system youtube. View and download nuforce icon hdp user manual online. Thus my sonic comments above are based on plenty of listening with both amp and dac in circuit. As you may have guessed, being able to connect the icon directly to a computer means that it has an internal usb dac. Nuforce icon hdp highend headphone amp, usb dac, preamp. I have attributed the performance characteristics above to the icon hdp amplifier circuit because i heard these characteristics whether using the builtin dac of the hdp or the dac section of playbacks esoteric dv60 universal player.
Nuforce introduced dia, a 24bit192khz da converter dac and 24watt stereo amplifier for home audiovisual and streaming devices. Its a line that talks about potential and lost opportunities. Its also a headphone that will grow with you, meaning as your gear gets better, the headphone will get better. Improve the sound of your iphoneipod with the nuforce ido.
Nuforce audio products are designed for people that care about audio. It was a growing force and all over the hifi industry at one point. It should boost the power to drive headphones that require the extra juice. Nuforce made a splash with their original icon dac, which featured a usb dac, a couple analog inputs, a 12w amp for a stereo speaker setup, and a headphone output. The icon ido delivers audiophilegrade cd quality sound to digital music files. Details about nuforce iconido headphone amplifier and usb dac for iphone and ios wadapter. The nuforce icon hdp incorporates a fullspeed usb dac and fullfunction spdif da converter. Nuforce iconido headphone amplifier and usb dac for iphone and ios wadapter.
At home they were connected through either an audio gdcompass 2 headphone amp dac or a burson conductor virtuoso headphone amp dac using the supplied cables and. I again remind our readers of the standard caveat that value is a function of your budget and your needs, not my budget and my needs. Nuforce icon mobile is one of the latest solutions when talking about great audio coming from pretty much any small portable device such as. The idos coax digital output bypasses the nuforce s internal dac, so its a straight connection between the ipod and the ps audio dac. The nuforce icon hdp incorporates a fullspeed usb dac 24bit96khz and fullfunction spdif da converter 24bit192khz, plus a headphone amplifier circuit and preamp output. Nuforce iconido headphone amplifier and usb dac for. The little desktop component extracts digital audio data from those devices in usb host mode, which means it cannot be used as a usb dac with computers. Cornerstone, my direct experience with nuforce dacs is minimal. Optoma nuforce be2 wireless bluetooth earphones with patented spinfit eartips, 10h battery, microphone, aac support for iphone 3. All about the new nuforce dda 100 digital integrated amplifier at totally wired. In what i was able to find there was a lot of love for nuforce dda100 integrated amp in the audiophile community. The nuforce air dac system works on the new, skaa wireless standard and hpx compression codec said to deliver full bandwidth, 16bit48.
We delete comments that violate our policy, which we encourage you to read. The idos dac is much the same as the one used in nuforce s udac2, but the maximum sample rate is 48khz, with up to 24bit resolution. They are built from premium quality components to deliver sleek design and exceptional sound. Starting with the dac, the icon has a highprecision 32bit dac the manufacturer is not named. This is a little headphone amplifier that goes between an ipodiphoneandroid phone and. Best hard drives best av receivers best media streamers best iphone apps best coffee machines. Nuforce udac3 black optoma mobile usb dac and headphone amplifier black 3. In 2014, nuforce was aqquired by optoma, becoming the brand nuforce optoma. I loved the aesthetics of nuforce designs when i discovered the brand and started researching about their products last year. For the majority of my testing, i used the nuforce primo 8s along with my iphone 5s or through an emotiva big ego dac tethered to my microsoft surface pro 3 tablet when on the go. This combines the great dac technology found in products like the udac and hdp and gets rid. Fiio e7 portable headphone dac and amplifier duration.
Nuforces icon ido amp improves ipod sound, costs more than a. Note, too, that the volume control also sets output levels for the. The cube is a very solid built portable speaker that is designed to ingratiate with any portable device. Nuforce icon hdp headphone amp usb dac stereo preamp black.
The nuforce icon dac isnt just a standalone dac, it isnt just a preamp for your computer or android phone, and it isnt just a headphone amplifier. I mostly listening from my cd player and pc flacs, hdtracks 24bit96 and 192khz files with my sennheiser hd650, so i decided to buy this nuforce icon hdp as a dac and headphone amp combo. I was in the market for an integrated amp as i stated initially. This should be kept in mind when comparing its price to another classd amp without the usb facility built in. Nuforce icon ido black audiophilegrade dac and headphone. Icon ido is a dedicated usb digitaltoanalog converterheadphone amplifier for ipods, iphones, and ipads. The udac2 is a hybrid mix of a digital analog converter dac and headphone amplifier. Up for sale new wo ac adapter, accessories nuforce icon hdp high performance digital to analog converter, headphone amp and pre amplifier. The nuforce icon hdp incorporates a fullspeed usb dac 24bit96khz and fullfunction spdif da converter 24bit192khz, plus a headphoneamplifier circuit and preamp output. The nuforce dia is an allinone solution for consumers looking to access highquality audio from their favorite av components tvs, dvd, bluray, and more. Digital audio conversion and headphone amp for ipad, iphone and ipod touch.
Actually, that statement is unkind, even unfair unlike the myriads of products designed to capitalize on the apple ipods current sexiness, the nuforce icon isnt designed to be portable although nuforce does offer an icon mobile. Nuforce nficonhdpblack icon hdp full speed dac black. Jun 15, 2012 the nuforce air dac system works on the new, skaa wireless standard and hpx compression codec said to deliver full bandwidth, 16bit48 khz quality sound with minimal latency and interference. A dedicated speaker amp, headphone amp with preamp capabilities, a dac, and the digital integrated dda100. This lets you bypass your computers soundcard to enjoy much higher resolution audio.
However, using them solely as dacs feeding another amp i used wa6 for my particular test. Enhance your listening experience with this compact unit. The air dac by nuforce allows you to stream music wirelessly from your apple device to your favorite places in the house. Sound quality was great with using the hd 650 straight with my iphone, but boy did this step ti up a notch. Nuforce icon hdp headphone ampdacpreamp playback 36 the. The hdp is a wallpower desktop solution small enough to accompany traveler baggage for lone hotel nights on business trips or vacations. Sep 08, 2011 nuforces icon ido amp improves ipod sound, costs more than a classic.
Nuforce iconudac2black headphone amplifier and usb dac. No mention of ios so we are fairly certain that nonandroid devices are. Mar 04, 2015 the very small nuforce udac3 offers a lot of qualities given its 149 price point. The dac 80 accepts up to four digital input sources and features a precision digital volume control, a highresolution analog rca output stage, and a convenient wireless remote. Jan 25, 2009 in a world of metoo products, nuforce distinguishes itself from all those other components whose names begin with i by actually using a capital i. Review in progress nuforce hdp 2496 usboptical 24192 coax dac preamp and headphone amp home. This item is new still has plastic cover, but wo ac adapters, accessories, manuals. The dac 100 is a digitaltoanalog converter that also functions as a headphone amplifier and features some nice. Any comparisons to dac magic or benchmark with the nuforce hdp. Audiophile nuforce icon hdp dac amp just to add to this discussion a bit sorry if it is off topic. I too share ld100s view of the perception of nuforce brand after the optoma acquisition. Nuforce icon ido applecompatible dacheadphone amp playback.
The nuforce icon hdp incorporates a fullspeed usb dac and fullfunction spdif da converter, plus a headphone amplifier circuit and preamp output. Nuforce calls the hdp the crown jewel of their icon range. Nuforce has been pumping out high end audio gear for the digitally inclined for years, and its latest effort is the icon dac and amp for android. That said, it is hard to imagine someone who objectively would find the udac2 anything less than a good value, assuming you need both a headphone amp and dac, but dont need a batterypowered unit that provides an analog input. When i say portable i mean its tiny enough to be portable but you cannot use it with your ipod on the go because the udac2 does.
Nuforce ido applecompatible dac headphone amplifier resolutionsample rate. The optoma nuforce dac is an outstanding product for the moneyit smoothly bridges the amazing sound quality of your computer with headphones easy installation and truly a product you will get your money from with the endless hours of listeningit also converts digital to audio nicely with vintage receivers turning it into pure pleasure. The nuforce udac2 is a portable highperformance usb dac meaning digital analog converter as well as a headphone amp all together in a tiny package. The nuforce dda100 has been on our radar from the moment it was launched and in our own little way weve helped to get them here to new zealand. Designed to be used not only with your computer but your portable device, the nuforce icon dac is a standalone dac, a headphone amp, and a headphone preamp. It connects to the 30pin dock connector on the bottom of the.
Dec 03, 2008 the nuforce icon mobile headphone amp and usb dac. Although the classa headphone amp is seen as something of a bonus here, its a. Nuforce mobile portable digital to analog converter headphone amp silver. Nuforce announced the udac2se special edition digital to analog converter and headphone amplifier for usb audio which offers enhanced performance utilizing asynchronous usb mode with upsampling. They have come back and improved upon that by releasing the new hdp model. For specific compatibilities, see the features section, above. Aug 10, 2017 nuforce is a company specialized in hifi audio products such as headsets, dacs and amps, that was founded in 2005, with its headquarters in milpitas, california. Being in my 60s im pretty old school listening to jazz, rock and classical. Nuforce icon ido brings audiophile quality to ios devices. Nuforce icon ido usb dac headphone amplifier page 2. The icon hdp, which has been designed to serve as the heart of a highperformance audio system, competes headon with dacs and preamps costing several times its price.
Nuforce icon dac and headphone amp arrives for android, mac and. Optoma nuforce be2 wireless bluetooth earphones with patented spinfit eartips, 10h battery, microphone, aac support for iphone 2. The dac amp board and even the usb board inside the udh100 looks quite different from the dac 80100. Not the inputoutput options but the hardware used inside. Nuforce usb audio devices are designed to work with x86 architecture. May 05, 2010 i mostly listening from my cd player and pc flacs, hdtracks 24bit96 and 192khz files with my sennheiser hd650, so i decided to buy this nuforce icon hdp as a dac and headphone amp combo. The optoma nuforce dac is an outstanding product for the moneyit smoothly bridges the amazing sound quality of your computer with headphoneseasy installation and truly a product you will get your money from with the endless hours of listeningit also converts digital to audio nicely with vintage receivers turning it into pure pleasure. With 18 w per channel, it ensures a powerful sound quality. The nuforce icon hdp incorporates a fullspeed usb dac and fullfunction s pdif da converter, plus a headphoneamplifier circuit and.
Each component shares the same footprint, general aesthetic, and chassis. It is not made to use with an ipod or iphone nuforce makes the icon mobile amp for that. Graphene drivers, compatible with android and iphone. I also played with one at ces2011, and talked at length with nuforce marketers whilst still in canada.
The optoma nuforce dac 80 is a classleading digitalto analog converter offering one usb and three spdif inputs. Audiophilegrade dac and headphone amp for ipad, iphone and ipod touch. I started with the hd650 same sound as hd6xx years ago using an allinone dac amp combo a nuforce icon dac which sounded quite good, i then went with a tube amp little dot mk ii and they sounded even better. The nuforce icon dac is a device that seeks to upgrade this conversion process.
Miles horn was so pure and so timbrally correct that it sounded much closer to some highend amp n dac. If you need a power amp, or a headphone amp, to go with the dac 80, nuforce have you covered. Nuforce icon ido black audiophilegrade dac and headphone amp for ipad, iphone and ipod touch. The nuforce icon hdp incorporates a fullspeed usb dac and fullfunction spdif da converter, plus a headphoneamplifier circuit and. Listen to high quality music from your ipod with ease. Nuforce dac 80, digital to analog converter with one usb and three spdif inputs black. Sep 20, 2010 in short, the icon hdp exhibits much lower than average levels of digital grunge. There is also a headphone output socket on the front of the icon, as it can also be used as a headphone amplifier. Improve the sound of your iphoneipod with the nuforce ido cnet.
Linkfor 192khz digital to analog converter bluetooth 5. It gives a more balanced, clean and transparent sound to my senn 650. Nuforce introduces dac100, a digital to analog converter and. Nuforce nficon hdp black icon hdp full speed dac black. Furthermore, nuforce claims it leads the field in all three disciplines. Fill your home with crisp, crystal clear sound without breaking the bank. Sitting on a discrete daughter board below, the hdp converter uses a directcoupled digital input with an i. Nuforce icon ido black audiophilegrade dac and headphone amp.
Nuforce iconudac2red headphone amplifier and usb dac discontinued by manufacturer 3. Nuforce iconhdp high performance digital to analog. Jul 07, 2012 nuforce plans to bring high performance to the mass market with the dac 100. You can connect multiple music sources to it, when you use it with the icon hdp preamp or usb dac. Nuforce icon hdp high performance digital to analog converter, headphone amp. Although the class a headphone amp is seen as something of a bonus here, its a. Nuforce iconhdpsilver high performance digital to analog converter, headphone amp and pre amplifier silver discontinued by manufacturer. By headphone out i was comparing their amp section headphone out when theyre both being used as a standalone dac amp combo. The ido can also be used as a preamp and its rca outputs can feed a power amp or powered speakers, like my little audioengine a2s. The nuforce icon amp amplifier enhances the sound performance from any music source, such as a laptop or desktop.
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