Features
With just enough options to meet your music needs, this device supports three inputs via RCA cables at the back, along with a set of speaker binding posts to feed your transducer. The posts have a good build, and so does the amp overall. It delivers 80 W per channel into 8 ohm speakers, and a little above 100 W for 4 ohms.
The engine doing all the gaining is a MOSFET, a type of amplifying device that's different from the transistors found in previous models. It remains to be seen how the sound quality benefits.
The distortion rating is quite low at 0.04 % max, which is good thing. (Distortion, otherwise known as THD in audio parlance, is a measure of the small non-linearity in the output signal that is not present in the input.)
There are other technical terms that can be expounded upon while I'm on the topic, but rather than digress on an electronics tangent, let me connect my CD player and just play it! It’s the sound that matters in the end, after all.
Performance
The CD player, and simultaneously an MP3 player, was plugged into the aux input (you need a ‘Y’ cable for that). Music was turned on, our first CD being by Shakti.
First off, the frequency response was near neutral though not absolutely so. The lows were a bit enhanced, and could be tighter in the transients. The mids and highs had no unwanted spikes or dips – at least, not that we could hear. The highs had more of a 'rolled off' quality, which is preferable subjectively.
On listening to techno music, I felt the thing lacked that kickass foot-tapping tightness at high levels. Maybe it's because the speaker drivers were not absolutely in control – though one really can’t expect this at the price; it’s a feature of more expensive power amps.
The sound, even at high levels, was very transparent and clean, with no real audible distortion. The noise floor was well within tolerable limits.
Conclusion
Overall a goodish piece of gear, the Reference 2000 works better with bookshelf speakers. Moreover, 8 ohm loads are driven better than 4 ohm loads as far as volume and transparency of sound are concerned. An audition is strongly recommended.
I read reviews of Norge claiming Norge can be compared with imported ones like NAD etc. Even AVMAX ratings are good. If Norge amps are so good with half the price, are those exported to western countries? I really would like to know. 
