AudioCircle
Industry Circles => NuPrime Audio => Topic started by: rustydoglim on 14 Jan 2023, 09:18 pm
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This guide has been updated: https://nuprimeaudio.com/guides/amp-comparison/ (https://nuprimeaudio.com/guides/amp-comparison/)
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I see reference to the IA-9 in the table, but not the IA-9X. I can't find reference to the IA-9 anywhere. Do they refer to the same amp?
Thanks!
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Interesting. I never picked up on it. I’m not the expert but suspect IA-9 is a typo on the comparison page. The product listing page shows it as IA-9X for https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/ia-9x/ (https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/ia-9x/)
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John said that the "x" indicates a later iteration and small improvement over the "non-x". But I don't know if an IA-9 ever existed! I've not seen another reference to it anywhere, so far.
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It should be IA-9X, I will update the table. There is no IA-9.
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Ahh! Just call me sleuth :icon_lol:
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Is it possible to publish a DAC comparison guide on the site? Thanks.
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There is not much to compare.
Ranked by performance:
Evolution DAC-2
AMG DAC
DAC-9X and DAC-10 are about the same.
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Would you say the NuPrime AMG ONE's are better than the older ST-10M monos? Thanks.
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And also compare to the AMG STA
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Would you say the NuPrime AMG ONE's are better than the older ST-10M monos? Thanks.
Definitely.
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And also compare to the AMG STA
In many ways, yes. But AMG STA has its unique sound characteristic that is smooth, relaxed, and warm.
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Thank you @rustydoglim, I have PS Audio M1200 mono amps and with the BHK preamp, the tube hiss is noticeable, I
am looking at getting away from that and having to change tubes in the amp sections.
They use ICE modules but with the tube input stage so they do have a little more warmth then an amp with out it. I would
like to stay with mono amps for the power reserve. Have you listened to ICE amps in comparison to the One's? I do like the
idea of blacker backgrounds on the amp side.
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IcePower amp is low-fi compared to Nuprime :).
Hypex on the other hand, is pretty good.
I would say Hypex is like a high-end restaurant central kitchen, they make it as clean as possible for all the high-end restaurants to buy from them and each restaurant serves with their own side dishes :lol:
Nuprime is like a high-end "chef owned" restaurant. :thumb:
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:lol:
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Why is Evo STA ranked higher then Evo Two on 'Warmth'?
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*Additionally, why are the MCX amps listed as the highest in 'Power', but way down the list in 'Bass Extension'??
So why are the most powerful amps one of the weaker ones in bass performance??
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Why is Evo STA ranked higher then Evo Two on 'Warmth'?
That's a funny question. Because it sounded warmer. Ranked higher in some characteristic doesn't mean it is better. Any amp should be judged by the sum of all the parts.
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*Additionally, why are the MCX amps listed as the highest in 'Power', but way down the list in 'Bass Extension'??
So why are the most powerful amps one of the weaker ones in bass performance??
Power and Bass extension are two different concepts. Power is just simply the Watts it can deliver. But be careful of misleading claims of power.
Bass is extension the sound characteristic, meaning how low in frequency. In reality, our ear can't hear below 20hz.
Another thing to take note is that some sound characteristics are easier for our ear to notice than others.
Can our ear tell the difference between 20hz and 25hz ? Most people can't
Furthermore, how much music content are there below 30hz.
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Nuprime is like a high-end "chef owned" restaurant. :thumb:
If Nuforce had been a restaurant, I would've eaten there every week -- I still love my DDA-120, which has been sounding fine for the last five years.
How would you compare Nuprime to Nuforce, restaurant-wise?
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How would you compare Nuprime to Nuforce, restaurant-wise?
Very good question. Nuforce was a high end restaurant that served mainly 2 items on the menu: Ref 9 series and entry level products like DDA amps.
Nuprime is a creative high end restaurant where the chef come up new menu every year. The Ref 9 series have evolved into IDA-16, ST-10.
New amps such as AMG, STA-9X, Evo STA, Evo One/Two, MCX series all have different designs.
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Hopefully this will help:
I have owned both the ST-10 and IDA-16. The ST-10 wasn’t powerful enough for my 82.5dB speakers, so I sold it. I no longer recall its sound. I had the IDA-16 in my bedroom for a couple years and quite liked it in that room. I bought an EVO STA (dual mono) about a year and a half ago, and the other two amps simply don’t compare to it. I love how it sounds (and looks). I’ve paired it with a tube preamp as well as a Dac-9x, and powered 96.5dB and 87dB speakers. It is an excellent amplifier.
Michael
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I have owned both the ST-10 and IDA-16. The ST-10 wasn’t powerful enough for my 82.5dB speakers, so I sold it.
Whoa! Really?
I had my dealer demoing ATC speakers with both STA-9 and ST-10 amps, with series 9 and 10 DACs/Preamps, and I've had a chance to hear it on a few occasions, I never felt lack of power.
And ATCs are really low sensitivity (and, apparently, current-demanding), 85dB by the spec, while some reviewers reported measuring them down to around 82dB.
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Whoa! Really?
I had my dealer demoing ATC speakers with both STA-9 and ST-10 amps, with series 9 and 10 DACs/Preamps, and I've had a chance to hear it on a few occasions, I never felt lack of power.
And ATCs are really low sensitivity (and, apparently, current-demanding), 85dB by the spec, while some reviewers reported measuring them down to around 82dB.
With the same speakers and even in the same room, one person could tell you that a 100 watt amp doesn’t give them enough power while another will say that their 25 watt amp is just fine. People have different listening habits.
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With the same speakers and even in the same room, one person could tell you that a 100 watt amp doesn’t give them enough power while another will say that their 25 watt amp is just fine. People have different listening habits.
Good point, seikosha!
Whoa! Really?
I had my dealer demoing ATC speakers with both STA-9 and ST-10 amps, with series 9 and 10 DACs/Preamps, and I've had a chance to hear it on a few occasions, I never felt lack of power.
And ATCs are really low sensitivity (and, apparently, current-demanding), 85dB by the spec, while some reviewers reported measuring them down to around 82dB.
Yes. Really. I still own that pair of 82.5dB speakers (Fritz Loudspeakers LS 5/R) because I like how they sound, and I have powered them with several different amplifiers over the years. I don't listen loudly because of aging ears and less than ideal acoustics in that room. Oh, sure. I could stick them in a small bedroom, and even a 100w amp would get them screaming, but they're in our living room. The dimensions are approximately 30' L x 12' W x 8' H. The floor, walls and ceiling are all concrete - though my wife permitted me to place a rug on the floor. Someday, I would like to power them with my EVO STA amp....I suspect they would sound wonderful together.
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Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to say it wasn't the case, I was just quite surprised.
30' is quite a long room, that's for sure.
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I don't listen loudly because of aging ears and less than ideal acoustics in that room.
If you don’t mind me asking, what do you consider not loud and what amp / pre pairing are you referring to that perform well?
Soon as I finish getting the room sorted I’ll likely replace the amp and pre. One of my main goals is relatively low SPL listening SQ, which for me is mid 60’s dB average at 7 ft w/ 90 dB speakers. I’m a bit obsessed with the EVO DAC / STA but a 9X or AMG stack is probably more realistic.