NuForce DDA120 Powerful Integrated Digital Amp with BTR1 Bluetooth Receiver Dongle Included (Black)

I've been bitten by the stereo bug since the 80's. Recently, there have been a lot of things going on in the house that kept me from spending anytime listening. I wanted to build a cheap but good secondary sound system for the bedroom. I bought the DDA 120 for that purpose and based on the reviews and the price drop. When I got it a month ago, I decided to use it to break it in and have a feel of the sound using my main system in the living room, listening late at nights. My main speakers are the Ambience Speakers Super Slim 1800 SE from down under augmented by Janis 12 inch subwoofer, driven by a Quicksilver GLA tube amp, with an Emotiva DAC 1 as my preamp/dac. Cables were either from XLO, Striaghtwire, Synergistic Research, Signal Cable and Tara Labs (some of these cables are more expensive than the DDA 120). Being that the DDA 120 is like a DAC amplifier, I have no use for my cables except the speakers cables and the power amplifier (Synergistic Research speaker cables and Signal Cable Digital Power Cable). Initially, I used the generic power cable provided with the DDA 120. After a week's break-in listening at low volumes late nights, I decided it was good, but not great, but good enough for the secondary system in the bedroom for the future. Then I remembered the Signal Cable Digital Power Cable and replaced the generic cable with it. Oh my.... I was floored. I am keeping this thing in the main system. I have decided to buy me the ELAC B6 for the bedroom and moving my tube amp, preamp/dac and sub to drive it. I am keeping this tiny little DDA 120 driving 6 feet tall Ambience speakers worth a little less than 10k. I didn't think it was going to be that good. But it is definitely that good. All the things you listen for are done with astonishing speed, clarity and musicality. Do yourself a favor and replace that generic power cable with a really good one and see if the transformation does not floor you as it did me. Order the Signal Cable Digital Power Cable, not cheap but not that expensive and see the difference.Try it, I know you'll love it. 5 stars because they limit it to only 5 stars...

Unit failed just out of warranty. Unable to get a response from customer support. Unit was gently used and not abused. Sound quality was good while it worked. Expensive for a unit with this short of a life. I have HIFI gear from the 70s that’s still going strong.

Not a super fan of NuForce any more. I have been a loyal customer of theirs for quite some time. At first glance this was exactly what I was looking for. Small discrete integrated amp that could drive some respectable power into a pair of 8-ohm speakers. I ordered this product new but it seemed to have been handled before me. Fingerprints all over the enclosure, and the plastic wrap was not professionally done. If this was a customer return that was resold as new that is not cool.I figured I had in unboxed so lets give it a go with my normal setup. I set everything up. I was pairing this with some Klipsch 8-ohm speakers and a Mac Mini with plain old iTunes content. I usually employ apps like Audirvana to interface directly with the DAC but I figured that can wait until later. Everything was setup exactly as I had setup my other NuForce products (uDACs and an Icon DAC). Audio would work over USB then after a few seconds it would cut out. iTunes thought content was playing but nothing was coming out of the AMP. I did as much diagnosing as I could (swapped USB cables, swapped USB ports, added USB hub) nothing worked. I finally dug out an old toslink cable and set it up. Finally, music was working! And to be honest it sound quite nice.I emailed Optoma support about the packaging issues and USB issues. Heard nothing back. Maybe it is because their website is horrid to navigate? Anyway after a few days of testing it out with toslink the lack of USB DAC support was a real deal breaker. I have a bunch of high bitrate content that you just cant drive over toslink.Other comments 1. The display is kinda ugly and really hard to read unless you are looking straight at it. 2. Remote is crap, but I wasn't going to use it anyway - I just need it to learn the iR codes. 3. While the amp was able to drive 8ohms, some of my quieter vinyl recordings were not as loud as I would have liked. And normal level recordings I had the volume set to mid 80s to low 90s and I do not like driving amps at that level for long durations.After no response from Optoma (sorry I only give you one chance for support) I returned the product in favor of an Adcom GIA 275 which I have yet to receive. Although I have high hopes.

but sounds poor I'm sorry for that.

Excellent product...!

Great Amp!