DZ3C0189 by
drjlo2, on Flickr
PLUG AND PLAY?NCore NC400 Monoblocks are rated at 200 watts into 8 Ohms and 400 watts into 4 Ohms, but the diminutive size and svelt weight of these monoblocks hardly hint at the power within. Compared to many 200 watt/8 Ohm class A monoblocks, the NCores simply do not appear menacing or impressive upon first view, so much so that I sympathize somewhat with those future NCore commercial builders who will likely deposit the modules into large and heavy chassis with impressive appearance in order to attract the buyers and charge $10K.
At any rate, these are very simple designs with one XLR input, one power input, and one pair of binding posts. These being class D and cool-running, many folks may assume these can be simply inserted into any old system, plug-and-play, so to speak. However, while these monoblocks sounded good without much adjustments or tweaks, they really came into their own only after some careful tweaking and system matching. One of the most important factors to the end sound quality was the use of a top-notch tubed preamp, for example.
When used without a good tube preamp, the whole system sounded very clean with low-distortion and blistering speed. There was nothing overtly missing or wrong with the sound, and in fact, so many things were technically superb especially resolution and imaging. But alas, I was becoming more and more aware I was listening to great "sound," not necessarily to great musicians. However, I do not intend this to imply the NCores were cold, harsh, or amusical; in fact they were superbly smooth while presenting tons of information in very finely-grained pixels. These were some of the best solid state sounds I have laid my ears on over the ears, but you must understand, I usually run 3 watt 2A3 SET's.
In case some would like to blame the ancillary, the Weiss DAC 202U DAC straight into NCores is not too shabby, not to mention being a nice match visually.
DZ3C0197 by
drjlo2, on Flickr
NEXT CHAPTERSensing that I am in need of that special something called toobs, I inserted my extreme-tweaked, teflon-capped, Siemens 5814A-dropped Transcendent Grounded Grid preamp. I would say this version sounds at least an order of magnitude better than the already-great stock version and leave it at that. Now, the MUSIC coming into the room had verve, emotion, texture, girth, density, richness, and foundation, but mostly importantly, crazy involvement.
It's this last element that makes you keep wanting to play album after album, playing music into the wee hours. This is the so-called "magic" we are all seeking, and I am here to tell you that a good tubed preamp mated to NCores brought it home in a big way. Sure, it's possible a tiny fraction of literal transparency to the recording was lost, but the transparency to the original musical event was certainly enhanced tremendously, to the point one no longer cared about these technicalities.
THE GOODSWith the tube goodness seemingly unlocking the key, the NCores strutted what "IT" does best, namely, endless resolution without any grain or peakiness, effortless dynamics, bass power and extension, low distortion, and a sense of velvety sophistication often difficult to find with solid-state amplification.
It was also gratifying to see how turning up the volume did not result in sound breaking apart into a mess. The overall smoothness and clarity remained intact at higher volumes while increased decibels enhanced apparent detail and dynamic punch as expected. It would be interesting to see how the higher-powered OEM NCore modules will turn out in terms of sound quality vs. power output. As we all know, higher power does not necessarily mean better sound; in fact, often the opposite is true. Of note, I have not thrown the NCores truly difficult-to-drive speakers, as the worst I tried was 86 dB/8 Ohm speakers and my main speakers are true 96 dB/7 Ohms to accomodate my 3 watt SET. I have seen some reports that NCores truly shine brighter with higher impedance speakers, so those with "4 Ohm" speakers that dip into 1 Ohm in places may not necessarily share my enthusiasm with the NCores.
THE COMPETITIONOver the years, I have gone through a bevy of amplifiers including other class D amsp such as Spectron Musician, but one of the few solid state amps I still keep around is Marsh Sound Design A200S. Marsh amps are highly respected in the industry, and they utilize low-noise FETs in balanced, complimentary differential input circuit, matched to high current, paralleled, bi-polar power transistors. A200S is rated at 120 watts into 8 Ohms and is one of the nicest class-AB amps out there, especially at the modest price.
Directly comparing Marsh to NCore, it was interesting to hear how they do not differ a huge amount. Yes, they sound different, but they sounded similar enough that no major change in cables, preamps, etc were needed in order to balance out the sound. Both are excellent amps, with both excelling in detail resolution especially. After going through my music collection, the difference between them reminded me of the difference between simple oversampling DAC vs. upsampling DAC. Marsh was like an oversampling DAC at straight 44.1 kHz, with bolder but coarser grain structure that is a bit more forward and involving. Musical energy was seemingly centered more in mid to lower-midrange with not the Nth degree of extension into the extremes.
NCore was like an upsampling DAC with 44.1 kHz upsampled to 96 kHz. The said musical energy in mid/low-midrange spread upward and downward to give more air and silkiness up top while the bass region became more pronounced and powerful. Grain structure became finer and smoother, with overall a more sophisticated mien. The downside was a bit of diminished presence and forwardness in the mids, which some systems may not synergize well with, especially if there is no tubes anywhere in the system. But overall, the degree of resolution and smoothness that seemingly co-existed was quite impressive and ear-opening.
When using my 97dB sensitive speakers to compare NCores to my highly-modified 2A3 SET, despite the seemingly Herculean resolution and clarity of NCores, I am again reminded why some love the top-notch flea-power SET's. When female singers whisper a phrase, the SET is able to convey a few more smacks of saliva and more of the microdynamic ebb and flow. There is a little more life, light, and emotion that comes across, making it a bit easier to forget you are listening to a stereo system. Now, even on 97dB speakers, 3 watts is not going to give you massive dynamics of NCores, and there is no way the SET can come anywhere close to the bass prowess, which is why I usually actively bi-amp with solid state on bass.
For the vast majority who have no access to true high-efficiency speakers, do not want to mess with active bi- or tri-amplification, and don't "need" what great SET tube amps bring to the table, then the NCores should definitely be on the proverbial extremely short list. Before the OEM's blow the price bracket of NCores wide open, DIY'ers should make as much out of NC400 modules as possible, but a high-quality tube preamp should be part of the equation I believe.
That's some GOOD stuff, Hypex
