Since its founding in 2014 by Jason Lim, co-founder of the original NuForce, NuPrime Audio has established itself as a serious technical contender in the world of high-performance audio. Rather than build on legacy aesthetics or vintage appeal, the company focuses on refining Class-D amplification through proprietary design and component-level innovation.

At the core of NuPrime’s amplifier design is a hybrid approach: a Class-A input stage, called the Ultra Linear Class A Module (ULCAM), coupled to a high-frequency Class-D output. This architecture appears across multiple models and has become a defining feature of the brand. The recently released IDA-9 integrated amplifier brings together these elements in a compact, full-featured unit that reflects the company’s latest thinking in power delivery, digital integration, and analog refinement.

A High-Speed Hybrid Amplifier Architecture

The IDA-9 replaces NuPrime’s long-running IDA-8, maintaining the same physical footprint (235 × 55 × 281 mm) but updating nearly every subsystem. The ULCAM front-end handles voltage gain in a Class-A configuration, with high input impedance and low distortion characteristics. This feeds a proprietary Class-D output stage operating at 600 kHz, which is significantly faster than the 300–400 kHz switching frequency used in typical Class-D designs.

GaN Power Supply Design

A major advancement in the IDA-9 is its internally developed GaN-based switch-mode power supply. The design starts with a dual-phase interleaved PFC stage that incorporates active noise cancellation, a technique essential to achieving the PSU’s low-noise performance. From there, power is processed through two GaN switching modules that generate the symmetrical positive and negative supply rails required by the differential output stage. This architecture provides the stability and responsiveness needed to maintain consistent performance under dynamic load conditions.

NuPrime rates the supply at approximately 500–600 W total, with peak current delivery of up to 20 A, allowing the IDA-9 to deliver its full rated output into both 8-ohm and 4-ohm speakers. The official specifications list 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 250 watts into 4 ohms.

The use of Gallium Nitride (GaN) components in the switching stage results in significantly lower switching losses compared to traditional silicon MOSFETs. GaN devices store less charge, switch faster, and produce less heat. As a result, the IDA-9 offers improved efficiency and thermal stability while remaining passively cooled. Compared to the IDA-8, it delivers higher output at a significantly lower operating temperature—by as much as 30%, according to manufacturer claims and dealer documentation.

Digital and Analog Integration

In addition to its amplification stage, the IDA-9 features a refined digital front end derived from the IDA-8. It continues to use the ESS9018 DAC, a deliberate choice to preserve the sonic character that earned the IDA-8 its reputation among enthusiasts. While the DAC architecture remains fundamentally the same, the surrounding circuitry has been further tuned in the IDA-9 to improve overall refinement without altering the established tonal balance.

• USB-B for asynchronous audio
• USB-A for NuPrime’s wireless dongles
• Coaxial and optical S/PDIF (up to 24-bit / 192 kHz, with DoP64)
• Stereo RCA analog input

The DAC signal feeds directly into the amplifier’s internal modulation path without unnecessary intermediate conversion. The analog input is digitized upon entry and processed identically to digital sources. This design ensures that the volume control and signal processing stages behave consistently, regardless of source type.

Mechanical and Physical Design

True to NuPrime’s design language, the IDA-9 features a machined aluminum chassis with non-magnetic properties and vibration-damping characteristics. Internal component layout is optimized for short signal paths and clean separation between digital, analog, and power sections.

At under 5 kg, the amplifier remains compact and manageable for desktop use or rack installation, but the build quality conveys solidity and precision. Isolation feet and solid-mount connectors reinforce a sense of durability and long-term reliability, in line with NuPrime’s broader engineering priorities.

Place Within the NuPrime Lineup

The IDA-9 occupies a specific tier within NuPrime’s portfolio. It is the most advanced integrated amplifier in the company’s compact form factor lineup, following and improving upon the IDA-8. Above it, NuPrime offers separate high-end components such as the Evolution One monoblocks and Evolution STA, which feature more elaborate distortion-cancellation architecture, higher power output, and modular configurations.

Despite this distinction, the IDA-9 is built from the same design foundation as those reference-level models. The use of fast-switching Class-D stages, high-impedance analog front ends, symmetrical power rails, and GaN-based power conversion reflects NuPrime’s integrated approach to circuit development across the product range.

Conclusion

The IDA-9 represents a fully developed implementation of NuPrime’s amplifier technology in a compact, integrated format. Its combination of hybrid Class-A/Class-D architecture, 600 kHz switching frequency, GaN-based symmetrical power supply, and high-resolution DAC results in a product that balances efficiency, signal integrity, and versatility.

For users who need a high-performance amplifier and digital front end in a small footprint, the IDA-9 offers a technically ambitious and clearly executed solution. It reflects NuPrime’s broader philosophy—designing around electrical precision, system consistency, and meaningful innovation rather than aesthetic nostalgia or inherited conventions.