Member Reviews: NuForce Icon HD Silver (High Performance Headphone Amp and USB DAC)

This is exactly like the $100 more expensive Icon HDP. I'll quote the description on Nuforce's website: "The Icon HD is designed for users who want the Icon HDP's world-class USB DAC and headphone-amp performance without having a need for the Icon HDP's flexibilities"    It is an HDP stripped down to a usb input, a DAC, the RCA output, the volume control, and the 6.3mm headphone output. For a person desiring only a DAC/amp for their headphones and nothing more, this is a much better deal than the HDP which might have unnecessary (depending on user) inputs and outputs and features.      This is my first "real" amplifier. So, I cannot...

I didn't know things could be this good. Considering the criticism of NuForce, particularly around their uDac2, I doubted if they could make something good. I plugged my AKG's into this unit and the sound was wide and brilliantly detailed. The bass was alive and fantastic. The clarity was amazing. Nothing drowned out anything else (i.e. no bass wiping its snot all over the lower mids). I couldn't believe what I was hearing.   I played all kinds of stuff through this. I think I actually like piano music now because of this thing. I can feal the pianist play the music, instead of just hearing the resonant timbre like I usually perceive it. Also, did you catch how the violins in...