[Rclark]

 That sounds like a pain, two volume controls, right? Who makes those grounded grids? Anyway, did you give the amps time to warm up, apparently six hours is the common sweet spot.

[Ric Schultz]

Transcendent audio makes the Grounded Grid preamp.....If you have a stepped attenuator in each then they will be totally matched in volume with each step.....you could stack them and see the volume controls are pointing the same.

Yes, I had the NC400 on for 24 hours straight.....why turn them off?  They certainly sounded better after 24 hours.....way better, in fact.

[OzarkTom]

I just listened to the NC400s (furutech fuses, hardwired AC, hardwired outputs, OFC input RCA jacks and 10lbs. of lead weight isolated on top, two resistors hardwired on input for volume.....running directly from highly modded Oppo 95).  Very good but lacks some midrange involvment and lower midrange power.  Since some feel the NC400 sounds best balanced then I vote for using two modded Grounded Grid preamps (one for each channel and using therefore using them balanced).  The modded grounded grid is a phenomenal preamp and using them dual mono and balanced into a balanced run NC400 (or maybe better balanced bridged NC400) would surely give some great sound.  Two modded Grounded grids running balanced would cost around $1600 ($1000 for two preamp kits and another $600 in parts).   

I used the balanced out AMR DP-777 Dac/pre. The Ncoes sound much better balanced than through RCA's. I could not believe the difference. This was the fist time that I had ever used balanced cables. Now I wish more amps were balanced.

[playntheblues]

Well I guess this is premature but I have in the mail a Lampizator balanced with tube output, tube rectifier and a tung sol in the power supply.  This will be used with my bridged Ncore monos which are also in the mail.  LMAO  The hold up will be the DAC/Pre from Poland with customs and all it probably won't be here for another 10 days.

[passingthrough]

Anyway, did you give the amps time to warm up, apparently six hours is the common sweet spot.

They certainly sounded better after 24 hours.....way better, in fact.

I think this is an interesting discovery that after getting warmed up (reaching thermal and electrical equilibrium in a short time), the NCore's sound continues to change for up to 6 or even 24 hours. 

Is it a progressive change in the sound?  In other words, could you listen to a reference track and say "that NCore has been on for about 4 hours" or "sounds like that one has been on for about 15 hours"?  Or is it more binary, where the sound changes all of a sudden at some time marker such as either 6 hours or 24 hours?

In any case, someone should let Hypex know about this phenomenon.  Determining the cause could lead to new research papers by Bruno and possibly even new findings in physics or material science I would think.

[mjock3]

Thanks for the feedback Ric, much appreciated. Didn't think of that angle. So you think that highly of the Grounded Grid?