Nuforce MMP Quick Review

Nuforce MMP Quick Review

Brief:  A mini amp that sounds not so mini.

Price:  US$59 or £52 depending on your location

Specification:  Audio Input: 1 x 3.5 mm analogue 1 x micro USB for power charging, Headphone Output: 2 x 3.5 mm analogue, Gain: 3X or 5X, selectable by user, THD+N: 0.09% @ 1 mW 0.45% @ 32 mW, S/N Ratio: >100 dB, 20 – 20 kHz A-Weighted, Frequency Response: 20 – 20 kHz +/- 1.5 dB, Max Output: 94 mW @ 32 ohm, 1.74 V, 10% THD+N 49.2 mW @ 100 ohm, 2.2 V, 10% THD+N, Battery Life: >8 hours, Battery Capacity: 200 mAh, Charging time: 70 mins, Dimensions: 58.2 * 47.7 * 10 mm, Weight: 22 g

Accessories:  A micro USB cable and a 3.5mm male to male cable.

Build Quality:  Very nice, feels terribly light but solid.

Aesthetics:  The matte black looks very modern and visually appealing.

Power:  Lashings and lashings of it.  Practically everything felt effortlessly powered and as though there was plenty of power still there if needed.  The HD600 though was pushing things but it’s a 300 ohm beast.  Volume was pretty significantly boosted so turn the volume down before you plug things in.

Sound:  Very open, very transparent in nature.  Everything felt like it have been given endless room to breathe properly.  This meant things didn’t have the warmth and richness that some like to see in an amp.  It did also make it feel lighter and brighter but it’s really an illusion.  When things become clearer they can sound brighter as everything is more noticeable. Bass got tighter and punchier, the mids got more open and detailed. It did begin to show up the treble shortcomings of the source in use though.  This meant it’s something I’d try to pair of with a slightly warmer headphone if I were you.  The Senn’s I used were all superb pairings.  Even IEM’s though liked the additional power, but steer clear of things like the DBA-02, its aggressive up top and the amp just showed up how much you don’t really need to see every wrinkle and pore all the time.  Great scale and great dynamics to be found here.

Value:  Great if you’re in the US.  The price however leaps for the UK.  Still it’s a small and great sounding amp.  It just sticks in my craw a bit when something is so very much more here.

Pro’s:   Clean and very transparent sound.  Excellent clarity.

Con’s:  Availability and pricing for non US’ians, No bass boost, No volume control.