AudioCircle
Other Stuff => Archived Circles => Hypex Owners Circle => Topic started by: Rclark on 5 Nov 2014, 08:55 am
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Let's hear what the experience has been for long term users of these fabulous amps.
These amps never fail to astound me, and that really says something, these couple of years later, my jaw is... pretty much still on the floor where it was when I first heard them.
I remember first hearing about them, them reading about their incredible technology, and learning about the man Bruno Putzeys, their brilliant designer. I followed the enormous thread on DIYaudio. I remember being blown away by initial users over in Europe who were saying these were besting their own amps costing $20,000 and more.
I first put mine on my Maggies, during the Ncore tour by JTWrace, and it was an otherworldly experience. my heavily modded Virtue 2.0 on batteries was not even in the same universe, either on Maggies or my small bookshelves, at any volume level. Now, in a smaller room, I have them on a pair of Miller&Kreisels, ultra high end speakers from the '80's, and they are quite the pairing. Like sending in an 80's Porsche to RUF in 2014. I wish there were AC'er's I could share the sound with.
Their absolute precision, effortless, making it all look so easy, letting the music shine through and be its own coloration (glorious), the beauty of every frequency, the stunning separation and 3D depth, the godlike woofer control on the low end, just the sheer effortlessness of perfection, with headroom that will never run out.
I have never heard an amp that sounds amazing at low volume, to the point where you are getting the full sonic picture at low volume, and turn it up to ear bleeding maximum, and never hear the amp waver or lose quality, let alone distort.
These are ridiculously awesome amps. The icing on the cake, tiny form factor, hummingbird like power draw at idle. No, more like a bumblebee. Expands into a dragon that flaps thunder.
My system:
PS4 with Music Unlimited
Emotiva XDA-2
both fed by Emotiva CMX-2 power filter and DC blocker
Hypex Ncores
Miller& Kreisel's on sand filled Sanus UF-27 stands with spikes
8' by 4' by 11inch diffusion behind and four 4" deep, 2' by 2' 3D diffusers facing the speakers.
Amps are in fully differential mode with Emotiva X series XLR cables from Dac to amps, and Emotiva X series optical cable from PS4, Emotiva X series 12 Guage power cables for Ncores. System is a work in progress, but man, amps are solid. Wow are they good! They are the one component I feel I am not fully exploiting. Like the rest of my system is being held up by them almost.Very pleased with my result as it is said Ncores reveal your system, and sound even better with even more higher end components.
No bashing by the usual (suspect) suspects. Let's hear from owners, people who actually own these amps and didn't hear them at a party once. :thumb:
This thread is for owners only please. Questions may be fielded, yes.
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Yes. Happy owner here. My system is linked below my avatar, and pictures of my build are in my gallery. No need to embellish more than what you have already said well. Oh...I have never turned the amp off...only on standby when not in use.
Best,
Anand.
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I am still very happy with my Ncores. They made digital good enough that I listen to digital a lot now. Still, my vinyl sounds much better. Most of my records can cause my body to tingle when I play music at reference level. My system is geared more for excitement than relaxing background music.
Bob
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Still, my vinyl sounds much better.
Even the vinyl produced from digital masters?
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Yes! I have zero urge to change amps, that's for sure!
2 ch Setup:
Motorola Router sb6141> Emo Systems EN-70HD > Apple Airport Extreme > AURALiC ARIES > Synology 1813+ (DSM 5.0, Minimserver/Minimwatch, 4TB Seagate NAS Drives, 4GB RAM & Zero Surge & APC XS BX1000G/backup to Synology DX513) > JRiver MC 20.0.29 - Mac (XLD for ripping) > AURALiC Vega > Fully Balanced Autoformer Bent Audio TAP-X (BHL LPS) > ATSAH (NCore 1200) > GedLee Abbeys run full range. Behringer DCX > (2) Rythmik Servo Subs and (2) GedLee Bandpass powered by ATSAH (NCore 1200) blended into mains > DH Labs Cables & (2) PI Audio UberBuss. GIK Room Treatments all measured and setup using Calibrated mic and HOLMImpulse.
Headphone Setup:
AURALiC ARIES > AURALiC Vega or ODAC > AURALiC Taurus MKII > MrSpeakers Alpha Dog (Black)
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Even the vinyl produced from digital masters?
Yes, very much so. It is even worse than that! I run my tube phono preamp into my Tact 2.2X preamp and it digitizes the signal yet again! :lol:
Because of this, every vinyl record that I listen to is digitized. Still I get the tingles.
Bob
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Yes, very much so. It is even worse than that! I run my tube phono preamp into my Tact 2.2X preamp and it digitizes the signal yet again! :lol:
Because of this, every vinyl record that I listen to is digitized. Still I get the tingles.
Good to hear! All my sources are digital, and I am very happy with my ncores - they drive my infamously hard-to-drive speakers extremely well.
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Absolutely. 2 years in, and I think it'll be the last thing I change. The output cap upgrade (per Ric Schultz) took them to yet a higher level of refinement from the great stock sound. They seem as clear as water with killer power and dynamics to boot, and what more could you want from an amp? I've heard a few amps that outpointed them,
but they all have at least an extra 0 on the price tag, but even then they are not seriously bettered. Different flavors, in many ways, of course.
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YES,
My Ncore stereo amp build has replaced my Pass Labs X 150.5 (which will be for sale soon) in my system:
Custom Sonore Server with internal LiFePO4 battery supply-Custom Buffalo DAC with Sonore USB interface-NC-400 Amp-Focus Audio FS-888 Signature loudspeakers.
DIY parallel power conditioner-DIY AC cabling-Nordost Frey balanced interconnect and speaker cable-Nordost Blue Heaven USB cable.
I continue to make subtle tweaks to the amp and DAC, trying to eek out a little more warmth, body, and natural sound, and they keep getting a little better. The amp is dead neutral as far as I can tell, so it will reveal any other problems you have, ruthlessly. This has made the amp a perfect companion for perfecting my DAC build.
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My NC400 build is doing center channel duty as I bought a pair of NC1200-based Merrill Audio Veritas amps over 2 years ago for a great price. I have 81dB mbl speakers and the NC1200 amps are perfect.
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I've had my Ncore 400 mono blocks in Aluminati cases for almost a year now and am quite content. My system is posted here but will soon be updated to add the Vapor Joule Blacks that will be arriving soon. They are with Pilot freight as I am typing and praying for no shipping damage.
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I can't call myself a long-term owner, only having them since September when I finally finished the build, but I'm certainly happy. The only think I think I need to do is add the standby switch using the nAMPON, as I've been getting some transients from my pre on startup (it's a valve pre, so I leave it in standby until startup).
The nCores drive my ESL63s effortlessly, and mate well with my preamp (which my previous SS amp did not do as well).
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Extremely happy!
Funny timing seeing this thread tonight, as I hadn't listened critically for awhile and happened to sit down this afternoon for a session exploring the Tidal service. I have a temporary listening room setup and yet, the music coming through my speakers via the Atsah NC1200's was as terrific as ever. I intended just a few minutes of listening and had one of those "don't want to get up" experiences, pulling away 2 hours later. Great stuff, love them.
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Yup, they were made for critical listening, same thing happens to me. If I ever sit down to listen to an album, doesn't matter what it is, Ncores will suck you right in. Doesn't matter if you just enjoy the music or listen critically and focus on certain instruments, they pull you right in.
Anything recorded well? With vocals emphasized and a close mic'd guitar? Might as well be sitting on a stool in front of you.
Good stuff guys, looking forward to seeing who else stops in here along the way.
(NC1200's, awesome, did I miss your review?)
Forgot to mention, as my PS4 is my source (and it is quite nice, I can list the specs if you guys want, has state of the art audio processing, the latest firmware updates have been spectacular), I also use it for movies and games.
Sound quality is superb on any job. Movies are ridiculous with these amps.
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I'm happy with mine. Then again it's my first hi-fi system so I don't have much to compare it to. It sounds really good to me.
Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers w/RAAL tweeters
Stereo NC400
Dodd Audio variable gain tube preamp
Schiit Audio Bifrost DAC
Shuttle DS47 + Synology DS213j (2x4TB)
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I figure this might be the place to ask but why do people bash on the ncores so much? Don't cost enough? Excellent performance can be had for cheap while fancy expensive artsy chassis is optional? The power amp is supposed to amplify the signal with minimal alteration of the sound and that's what it does right? If you don't like the sound try a different preamp/dac. Plus they appear to be able to run almost any speaker while being fed with pretty much any preamp.
I went with ncores because I wanted to buy one amp and be done with it. I wanted the amp to power my RAAL towers to their max with some power to spare. I wanted a high enough SNR that the background is pitch 'black'. They appear to do this very well.
As for my system as a whole this is hands down the best I've ever heard and I believe the cost was relatively inexpensive for what it does. The treble from the RAAL tweeters is as smooth and sweet as I can imagine possible. Acoustic instruments and vocals sound like the artist is in the room performing for you. Little details like applause in the background of live shows really comes to life.
For some people it is unimportant but I also managed to build the whole system(save the computers) with nothing assembled in china. Speakers and DAC from California, Preamp from Texas, and the Hypex from the Netherlands. All good companies that offer great customer service, take pride in their work, and don't spend an arm and a leg on advertising or paid reviews. All components were the dream of small groups or individuals who wanted to provide excellent performance at very competitive prices.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=108135)
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I figure this might be the place to ask but why do people bash on the ncores so much? Don't cost enough?
I am sure that is one reason. The other is that the fact that hypex sells modules to hobbyists at a reasonable price gives the people who know how to solder an advantage over people who only know how to read high-end magazines :)
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I'm still running my NC400 monoblocks from a few years ago. I leave mine on 24/7 using the standby switch when not playing music. As others have said, they just seem to do everything right, including sounding good at low levels. I put a balanced tube preamp in from of them, and I now have a great mix of warmth and speed. I'm sure there are better amps, but I haven't come across any for the price I paid. At this point the only upgrades I'm curious about are a better case (using silicon rays cheapy) and the cap upgrade from Rick Schultz.
System- Macbook Pro>Auralic Vega>Audio Note balanced tube preamp>NCores>Chapman updated T-7's (also great at low levels).
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Look at some of the amps using UCD/NCore technology such as MBL, Rogue, NAD, Audience, Bel Canto. Some are very expensive and this would seem to show a great appreciation for Bruno's work.
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I figure this might be the place to ask but why do people bash on the ncores so much? Don't cost enough? Excellent performance can be had for cheap while fancy expensive artsy chassis is optional? The power amp is supposed to amplify the signal with minimal alteration of the sound and that's what it does right? If you don't like the sound try a different preamp/dac. Plus they appear to be able to run almost any speaker while being fed with pretty much any preamp.
I went with ncores because I wanted to buy one amp and be done with it. I wanted the amp to power my RAAL towers to their max with some power to spare. I wanted a high enough SNR that the background is pitch 'black'. They appear to do this very well.
As for my system as a whole this is hands down the best I've ever heard and I believe the cost was relatively inexpensive for what it does. The treble from the RAAL tweeters is as smooth and sweet as I can imagine possible. Acoustic instruments and vocals sound like the artist is in the room performing for you. Little details like applause in the background of live shows really comes to life.
For some people it is unimportant but I also managed to build the whole system(save the computers) with nothing assembled in china. Speakers and DAC from California, Preamp from Texas, and the Hypex from the Netherlands. All good companies that offer great customer service, take pride in their work, and don't spend an arm and a leg on advertising or paid reviews. All components were the dream of small groups or individuals who wanted to provide excellent performance at very competitive prices.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=108135)
Oh they cost plenty at retail. It's just that Bruno was kind enough (seriously!) to provide a DIY version that mere mortals like myself could afford, and is not some crappy watered down version, but is a serious amp with next generation features. Now, granted, $1800-$2000 is still a respectable chunk of change, especially considering it's DIY, but the very fact that people are paying that much, for DIY, and the fact that there is even a cottage industry built around making very high end cases for a DIY.. amp tells you enough about what kind of amps these are.
But yeah, retail Ncores are far from cheap.
As far as the bashing? People with agendas, industry shills, people who don't like other posters and will say anything to be opposite them. This thread should be clear of such nonsense. :D
Nice system :thumb:
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Nice system :thumb:
Thanks man! I admit I got a little carried away. :icon_twisted: I initially decided I wanted a Peachtree Nova 125 with their D5 bookshelf speakers. I really knew pretty much nothing it just looked cool and my friend had some cool tube headphone amps so I kinda wanted something like that. I still wound up with class d and a tube in front so its pretty much the same right? :green:
The downside of my recent move is that this place has horrible room acoustics. I planned to build some acoustic panels anyway but I really didn't realize how bad the echo-iness would be having wood floors and a pretty much wide open room.
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Yes absolutely ! The NC400's drive my B&W 805 D so well, I have no urge to upgrade my speakers. With the previous ICE module amp I was troubled by the lack of dynamics.
A dealer friend has his DIY NC 400 mono blocks powering his KEF Blades, they are that good
My chase for better sound had me thinking about getting custom caps, a isolated SMPS housing, RF damping over the SMPS, but then in April this year I heard on the fly 16/44 to DSD 256 conversion. Since then, I have been listening to a lot of DAC's and a lot of playback software, but the constant is the NCores.
If you have NCores then you have a high resolution playback system that can reveal the glories of PCM to DSD conversion and DSD 64 to DSD 256 upsampling.
JRMC 20 does it well, Foobar + SACD plugin does it better, but HQ Player does it best and is simply stunning in its realism.
One big benefit of the NCores when fooling around with computer audio is the very low noise floor of the amps. Computers playing music are electrically noisy and complicated to tweak to get them electrically quieter. The NCore's low noise floor gives you more head room for computer noise coming over the USB connection before the total noise level becomes audibly problematic
I am also a happy UCD owner with a NAD D 3020 performing amazingly driving KEF LS 50's
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HQ-Player from SourceForge has a malware package associated with it and Webroot Secure Anywhere blocks access to the website, marked as suspicious. The malware is identified by Malwarebytes as PUP.OPTIONAL.SUMOTO.A
Scotty
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If you have NCores then you have a high resolution playback system that can reveal the glories of PCM to DSD conversion and DSD 64 to DSD 256 upsampling.
Sure, for people who find that kind of "enhancement" pleasing.
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Yes I own a lovely pair of NC 400 monos created for me by Mike Galusha. And I'm happy - give or take occasional mood swings and an innate tendency toward curmudgeonly observations. The NCores do not appear to have any effect either way on my happiness. I'm so glad I haven't caught whatever has infected RClark.
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Yes I own a lovely pair of NC 400 monos created for me by Mike Galusha.
Just curious - how many people here built their systems themselves, and how many had them built for them (or pre-built to a standard spec)? I am just interested to see how well the hypex idea of reasonably priced (by high-end standards) modules for real hobbyists/DIY turned out...
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Mine work impeccably and sound as good as the tour units Jason sent me. Mike said they sound identical to and measure the same as his. So what are you asking? Price?
My investment was around $1900 for all parts, transportation, tariffs and labor. A DIYer might have done the same for a couple of hundred less, not having to pay labor or shipping to and from the builder.
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Just curious - how many people here built their systems themselves, and how many had them built for them (or pre-built to a standard spec)? I am just interested to see how well the hypex idea of reasonably priced (by high-end standards) modules for real hobbyists/DIY turned out...
Start a new thread with a poll. ;)
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Start a new thread with a poll. ;)
Just did. :)
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HQ-Player from SourceForge has a malware package associated with it and Webroot Secure Anywhere blocks access to the website, marked as suspicious. The malware is identified by Malwarebytes as PUP.OPTIONAL.SUMOTO.A
Scotty
Scotty, that is the wrong HQ Player. Here is the link:
http://www.signalyst.com/index.html
To find out more about it there are two threads at Computer Audiophile under software.
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Well I might as well add my 2 cents ($20.00 in todays $).
I still have my Merrill Audio NC1200 Veritas monos and love how they let ALL the instruments sound like they should. It is the one constant in my system that never sounds colored, bright etc. Whenever I try a new piece of equipment or cable etc, it lets you easily hear the change and if the change has any colorization , brightness etc.
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Yes. I intend to get two more and replace the ice amps on the woofers for my speakers. The NCores take care of the midrange and tweeters. They are simply amazing.
Swelfelo
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Yes. I intend to get two more and replace the ice amps on the woofers for my speakers. The NCores take care of the midrange and tweeters. They are simply amazing.
Swelfelo
Sweet! Yes, they are. :thumb:
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I'm happy now. It took awhile to get that way with them for me... trying various power conditioning and finally happy with the PS Audio P10, the long break-in, replacing the input cables, direct-wiring the outputs, Ric S-inspired replacement of the output filter caps.
In parallel I did a number of upgrades to my home-brew cMP/cPlay computer music server. Those changes also contributed to my current satisfaction with the amps.
They are driving the very power-hungry Eminent Technology LFT-IV's. They bring ample power to the table and I love the low-level clarity and overall bass impact, control, and reach. I did not know these small (for planar) speakers could reproduce such low frequency sounds.
Greg in Mississippi
P.S. Yep, I built AND modified them myself along with every other piece of gear in my setups.
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Listening to some Alice in Chains right now. Have a free day off and have the system cranked up loud for the first time in a while, and I must say, Hypex has a customer for life, they have absolutely nailed it with this amp.
No coloration (you can keep it, all you!), no added "tone", no distortion, ever, at any level, just absolute purity, power, and control. And the most alluring and supple bass.
As long as Bruno is there designing amps, I will want to own his product. Honestly though, the only thing I can see me doing is adding more Ncores. A full theater would, to quote Cable Guy, "make George Lucas cream in his pants". I got your THX right here buddy.
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Hi,
I've been using a pair of NC400s each with its own SMPS600 supply for a couple of years now. System is laptop USB feeding Benchmark DAC1 USB, feeding PMC FB1+ speakers. Often also fed SPDIF from TV to the Benchmark. Mostly plays 320Kbps mp3s, sometimes uncompressed wavs. The amp is in an old PC chassis and is a bit of a lash up. It replaced a Musical Fidelity A3 integrated. Switched on pretty much all day every day.
Sounds great. Doesn't need to be turned up to sound clear and lively. Wonderfully pure, detailed and punchy sound. Is capable of reproducing a wide range of sounds well - can kick hard when required, sound harsh if a dance track is mixed to sound that way (the Musical Fidelity couldn't seem to manage that), sound wonderfully natural for a well recorded TV programme or music track played on acoustic instruments. Sound draws attention to itself even when on in the background, and for all the right reasons - there's an awful lot of information to listen to.
I do live sound mixing for a few bands, often with earplugs in for much of the evening (occasional night at a gig is fine, more often and I want to be careful)! Home system still sounds punchy and lively, even having got used to running bigger systems with very much bigger SPL output. So, thumbs up from me.
Thanks,
Mark.
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YES,
My Ncore stereo amp build has replaced my Pass Labs X 150.5 (which will be for sale soon) in my system:
Custom Sonore Server with internal LiFePO4 battery supply-Custom Buffalo DAC with Sonore USB interface-NC-400 Amp-Focus Audio FS-888 Signature loudspeakers.
DIY parallel power conditioner-DIY AC cabling-Nordost Frey balanced interconnect and speaker cable-Nordost Blue Heaven USB cable.
I continue to make subtle tweaks to the amp and DAC, trying to eek out a little more warmth, body, and natural sound, and they keep getting a little better. The amp is dead neutral as far as I can tell, so it will reveal any other problems you have, ruthlessly. This has made the amp a perfect companion for perfecting my DAC build.
I am quite surprised that your NCores sound better than the Pass X150.5. I have a Pass X250 (which is a different animal compared to the 150 series according to the guy at Pass Labs that I spoke with when I bought my amp) and a friend of mine brought over his NCore Mono Blocks to try in my system and they were just OK sounding, They were a little flat with limited dynamics compared to my Pass and the sound stage was smaller. After hearing this, he went out an bought a new AVA 400R amp which took his system to another level.
My system at the time consisted of a Pass X1 preamp (since replaced by a BAT VK-51se) and Magnepan 1.6 speakers
It proves that system matching is important and all Ncores do not sound the same.
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I am quite surprised that your NCores sound better than the Pass X150.5. I have a Pass X250 (which is a different animal compared to the 150 series according to the guy at Pass Labs that I spoke with when I bought my amp) and a friend of mine brought over his NCore Mono Blocks to try in my system and they were just OK sounding, They were a little flat with limited dynamics compared to my Pass and the sound stage was smaller. After hearing this, he went out an bought a new AVA 400R amp which took his system to another level.
My system at the time consisted of a Pass X1 preamp (since replaced by a BAT VK-51se) and Magnepan 1.6 speakers
It proves that system matching is important and all Ncores do not sound the same.
My experience is closer to yours. Just did not sound all that involving.
System matching is very important. The Pass Labs gear sounds excellent. With my speakers, the Electrocompaniet preamp/amp setup actually sounds a bit better overall to the Pass Labs gear I had, but it could be personal preference.
OTOH, The custom DIY tube gear I have is at a whole different level (higher) sonically compared to any of the above mentioned solid state gear. Music sounds much closer to the illusion of live performances.
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Freo-1, I agree, need to have tubes in your system. Thats why I sold the Pass Preamp and bought my BAT.
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I am quite surprised that your NCores sound better than the Pass X150.5. I have a Pass X250 (which is a different animal compared to the 150 series according to the guy at Pass Labs that I spoke with when I bought my amp) and a friend of mine brought over his NCore Mono Blocks to try in my system and they were just OK sounding, They were a little flat with limited dynamics compared to my Pass and the sound stage was smaller. After hearing this, he went out an bought a new AVA 400R amp which took his system to another level.
My system at the time consisted of a Pass X1 preamp (since replaced by a BAT VK-51se) and Magnepan 1.6 speakers
It proves that system matching is important and all Ncores do not sound the same.
Only difference between my X150.5 and your X250.5 is the output power. The input modules are exactly the same, I have the newest version of the X150.5. Unless you do not have the .5 series, which is very different. The .5 versions of the Pass amps have JFET input devices, and twice the number of output MOSFETs, and by most reports sound considerably better than the previous versions.
If you are listening to Ncore, you need to make sure the are powered up at least overnight before listening, they take a long time to stabilize and sound their best. The Ncore has lower noise floor, and reveals more detail than my Pass, without any drawbacks-but if just plug one in cold it sounds pretty flat and bland. I keep mine powered up at all times and just use the Nampon option to mute the output.
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+ 1 on the long warm up time
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Ditto on the warm-up time... with most other equipment I've used recently, 1-2 hours is sufficient. The NC400's take about 5 hours to come on song for me... although one thing I noticed with the modified caps is that they are sweeter and more listenable during the warmup time than they were beforehand.
I found the break-in time to be much longer than what I've experienced with other equipment, over 2 months as I remember.
Greg in Mississippi
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Also concur, amp does take some time to warm up, makes a noticeable difference.
And not surprised that the Ncore bests older tech. That's been a recurring theme since they were first introduced. a lot of expensive amps waylayed and set aside for Ncores. More often than not. And those in the "not" category, you could see those guys opinions coming a mile away, so no surprises there either.
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Mine are up to song straight away, and don't seem to change with warm-up.
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Mine are up to song straight away, and don't seem to change with warm-up.
I haven't noticed the overly long times described above, always seems to be about 30 mins or so for me, whether whole system cold or not. It's not like some ENORMOUS change though, they are always good no matter what. Warmup could be imagined, but is something ive noticed over a few years and several on/off/ons.
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Class "D"amps IMO should be on 24/7. After two days on they will sound better. The power supplies like being on and coming to operating temperature.
Try it before burning me at the stake.
charles
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Class "D"amps IMO should be on 24/7. After two days on they will sound better. The power supplies like being on and coming to operating temperature.
Try it before burning me at the stake.
charles
+1
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Class "D"amps IMO should be on 24/7.
That's quite a generalization considering the very different class D architectures and implementations out there. Any rational analysis as to why that might be?
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That's quite a generalization considering the very different class D architectures and implementations out there. Any rational analysis as to why that might be?
Because it sounds better. IMO, all SS amps should be left on 24/7 to get the best sound.
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Because it sounds better.
No, it doesn't. :)
IMO, all SS amps should be left on 24/7 to get the best sound.
IMO that is not very good advice, because not only is it wasteful, but many components, such as electrolytic capacitors, have a limited lifetime in terms of operating hours. A typical design lifetime might be 20000 hours - 11 years of 5h/day use, but only a bit above 2 years at 24/7.
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No, it doesn't. :)
Maybe if you buy some reference speakers to go with your reference amp, you will hear the difference. :D
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Maybe if you buy some reference speakers to go with your reference amp, you will hear the difference. :D
Ah, so my system isn't resolving enough? :)
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Hi Julf,
You posted this in the NAD M22 thread, but I'm putting it here as it is more relevant:
That runs counter to my experiences. I have a very noisy and unstable mains (some of the graphs introduce nausea), but my ncores (fed by smps600's) don't seem to mind. The fast and efficient feedback architecture of the nc400 seems to be able to correct out anything that makes it through the smps...
If you have time could you talk a bit more about this subject? I myself have horrible power fluctuations including wide fluctuations and long multi-hour power cuts, which I mentioned in another thread. I note you say your experience is that the NC400 can handle large voltage fluctuations.
I run mine using a surge-protector that also employs an under/over 180v/250v disconnect, which should at least keep them within the Hypex specs even if the mains voltage goes outside those parameters. However when the power is off my house runs from a modified sine wave (not pure sine wave) inverter.
So I was just wondering if:
a) You think it is still a good idea to use these surge protectors with the over/under cutoff?
b) Whether feeding the ncores a modified sine wave could cause any damage?
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I myself have horrible power fluctuations including wide fluctuations and long multi-hour power cuts, which I mentioned in another thread.
Ouch! Not fun!
I run mine using a surge-protector that also employs an under/over 180v/250v disconnect, which should at least keep them within the Hypex specs even if the mains voltage goes outside those parameters.
Yes - the absolute maximum voltage is 270 V. There is no "absolute minimum" voltage, as undervoltage won't hurt the smps/amp, it just won't work as well.
a) You think it is still a good idea to use these surge protectors with the over/under cutoff?
Probably a good idea.
b) Whether feeding the ncores a modified sine wave could cause any damage?
I don't think there is much danger of real damage. The smps input filter will absorb a lot of the harmonics generated by the non-sine-ness of the inverter, so it might a bit warmer than normal, but as you would only be running on the inverter for a few hours at a time, it shouldn't be an issue.
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Ouch! Not fun!
Yes it's annoying. So far, touch wood, the whole-house surge protector has protected all my devices well and I've had no actual damage. Other people who don't use often do get blown devices.
The only device that had problems was my Audiolab MDAC, which freaked out (display flashing, wouldn't boot) when served voltage of around 200v. It was either the low voltage or the modified sine wave I'm not sure, but it sure didn't like it. I bought a voltage regulator and that fixed the problems with the MDAC:
http://www.tripplite.com/line-conditioner-1000w-avr-system-automatic-voltage-regulator-power-conditioner-ac-surge-protector~LR1000/
It employs similar cutoffs but anywhere within the "acceptable" range it stabilizes at 240v. I was wondering if I ought to plug the nCores into this as well but reading your comments and some others it seems that might not be the thing to do.
There is no "absolute minimum" voltage, as undervoltage won't hurt the smps/amp, it just won't work as well.
Really? Here everyone has to use protection against brownouts (extended low voltage) as it kills the motors in fridges, although I guess that's completely different. Wouldn't a lower voltage lead to a higher current than normal being drawn? So you think low voltage even over extended time won't cause any damage to the ncores? Low voltage is by far a bigger problem here than high voltage....
Thanks again, as usual your continued advice on this and other forums is very much apppreciated....
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Yes it's annoying. So far, touch wood, the whole-house surge protector has protected all my devices well and I've had no actual damage. Other people who don't use often do get blown devices.
Fortunately for me the only real hassle is having to swap light bulbs pretty often.
The only device that had problems was my Audiolab MDAC, which freaked out (display flashing, wouldn't boot) when served voltage of around 200v. It was either the low voltage or the modified sine wave I'm not sure, but it sure didn't like it.
Probably the low voltage. Logic circuits can be pretty sensitive.
It employs similar cutoffs but anywhere within the "acceptable" range it stabilizes at 240v. I was wondering if I ought to plug the nCores into this as well but reading your comments and some others it seems that might not be the thing to do.
The line conditioner will limit surge current, and that might possibly restrict the peak current capability of the nCores.
Here everyone has to use protection against brownouts (extended low voltage) as it kills the motors in fridges, although I guess that's completely different.
Yes, motors stall if the voltage drops too much, and a stalled motor overheats.
Wouldn't a lower voltage lead to a higher current than normal being drawn?
Yes, but both the nCore and the SMPS has current limiting, so there won't be any damage, just slightly reduced performance.
So you think low voltage even over extended time won't cause any damage to the ncores?
I am pretty sure you will be OK as long as you don't operate permanently below 180 V.
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Sound, sensible advice as usual. Thanks again.
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Just a short note to add to this topic: have had my Merrill Audio Veritas amps for almost 6 months now. Absolutely the best I've heard, really a great amp! Leave it powered up permanently and music is ready to sound like never before. Or, well, just as magnificent as yesterday and the day before... :D