[saisunil]

I love tube sound ... a lot of tube amps exhibit high distortion when pushed hard ... now that does not mean they can't be linear, sound more real, are implemented in better ways ...

[Barry_NJ]

Well I'm not a flat-earther, I don't believe/feel that just because a system measures well, it sounds good. More than anything, I want my system to sound good, to me. I really do like the neutrality of the NCore amplifiers, not because I want a totally neutral system, but because I could more easily tune my system around it. Many times I've heard a discussion something along the lines of, "well amp XYZ is a bit strident, but the mellowness of speakers ABC work well with it." We all have different hearing, and different preferences for what we want to hear in our systems. I think that these NCore amplifiers are so neutral that they can remove a variable and make system tuning easier, by not having to compensate for their "Sound Signature" with an excessive amount of something opposite from another component. YMMV...

[cab]

Here is a very interesting comment from the DIY Audio site by Jan Didden, a well known designer:

"Just went to an AES presentation yesterday by Bruno on the ncore technology. I thought I knew a thing or two about analog design, but suffice it to say that I learned another couple of tricks.

When reviewing the measurements on the 1200 I can confirm the fantastic specs like the mentioned 0.003% at all powers and all frequencies. Can you believe an output impedance of around 1milliohms, and that from DC to above 20kHz??
What jumps out immediately is that this amp doesn't have the rise in THD, rise in Zout and fall in PSRR that a 'regular' amp would show above a few kHz at best. In this amp, all these specs are flat to above 20kHz, which is a result from having an open loop gain that also extends above 20kHz.

There are more paradigm shifts: the 5kHz THD is LOWER than the 1kHz THD, for instance. Which is great as it does lower the higher harmonics even further.

Bruno confidently maintains that this kind of performance is not offered by ANY amp on the market today, not even class A.

But, the proof is in the eating of course so the 2nd part of the presentation was a listening test with Bruno's LS1 active speakers driven by ncore modules. Not a scientifically controlled listening test, but most of those present make their living by listening and judging music and they were impressed, as was I. Some people said they recognised the acoustics of the studio where some of the tracks were produced..."

[James Romeyn]

...At some point, a finished product will be reviewed by the professionals for TAS, Stereophile and the other usual suspects and maybe that will flesh out the facts from the myths... 

Don't hold your breath.  For obvious reasons the two glossy magazines don't "review" DIY, and NC400 is DIY only.  They can't collect $6k/issue for the inside cover ad selling a $10k power amp found to be no better than $1500 DIY.  That's called: the end of the magazine. 

Stereophile's Art Dudley rebuilding/refurbishing a 40 year old classic or installing an aftermarket upgrade to Linn's 40 year old TT is a completely different bag of worms. 

Hypex do not encourage nor prohibit OEM NC400, meaning OEM can buy NC400 all day.  They wait in line like I did and they pay what I did.  No volume discount.  Hypex sell OEM the NC1200 amp.   

OEM are not in the business of paying retail and waiting in line, again, for obvious reason.

I'd not be surprised if by now, both major US glossies blocked "Ncore" from their servers.

 

[Steidl Guitars]

I'd not be surprised if by now, both major US glossies blocked "Ncore" from their servers.

Did you happen to notice John Atkinson acknowledge correspondence with Bruno in the DIYAudio thread?  People beat up Stereophile, but I like Atkinson's style. 

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/vendors-bazaar/190434-hypex-ncore-78.html#post3012928

[acousticimagery]

  Hypex do not encourage nor prohibit OEM NC400, meaning OEM can buy NC400 all day.  They wait in line like I did and they pay what I did.  No volume discount.  Hypex sell OEM the NC1200 amp.   

James
We had a meeting with Jan-Peter at the Munich Show and I asked if we (Acousticimagery) could develop a NC400 based product and his answer was a flat NO!....." OEM sales are not solicited."
As I've posted before elsewhere in the AC, Hypex are not so naive as to allow a 'maverick' OEM to buy quantities of NC400 even one at a time for retail 'in line' with the DIYers! His main concern is the inevitable mark up which would have to be applied would take the NC400 into a price territory where JP doesn't want it to be.
We settled for NC1200 and join the market alongside Mola-Mola and Theta.
Cheers

John

[James Romeyn]

Did you happen to notice John Atkinson acknowledge correspondence with Bruno in the DIYAudio thread?  People beat up Stereophile, but I like Atkinson's style. 

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/vendors-bazaar/190434-hypex-ncore-78.html#post3012928

Here http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/vendors-bazaar/190434-hypex-ncore-388.html#post3012928 Bruno wrote:

...Regardless of market, the mark-up between the BOM and the end-user price is around a factor 5. Most of that goes to the retailer. Then the distributor. The remaining pittance goes to the manufacturer...

Previously we had big USA/Canada distributor for our primeVibe guitar/violin seasoning device.  At that time street price was $99.  The Distributor/Dealer margin was about 8x our own.  It's not fun doing accounts receivable with such ratios so we dropped wholesale accounts, lowered the price, and sell direct only now.  It was interesting watching Zu Speakers go back and forth with their distribution channels, direct, dealers, direct, I don't know what they're doing now.     

[jtwrace]

I saw this on diyaudio and thought I'd relay the message.

Guys,

Currently all NC400 and SMPS600 are on stock, however we have had some unforeseen delay due to missing SMPS and audio cables....

The cables are now in transit and will arrive next week on Monday.

All open orders (and new orders...) will be shipped next week, starting on Tuesday.

My appologize for this unforeseen delay.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/vendors-bazaar/190434-hypex-ncore-403.html#post3026420

[Nick77]

Wow thats big news, finally caught up. Now the pressure is even greater, must wait for audition. 

Thanks Jason....

[jtwrace]

Now the pressure is even greater, must wait for audition. 

It's coming....soon, but not soon enough, I know.

[James Romeyn]

I'll be among the first to hear the world's best arch top guitars, bass guitars, and double bass through a world class MI preamp, then Ncore, then our own Duke LeJeune's AudioKinesis Thunderchild...hoping Duke can loan us a new 15" TC with improved compression tweeter in fiberglass enclosure...yippee! 

[firedog]

Thinking of building a dual mono Ncore amp; in other words 2 boards and 2 PS
in one chassis.

What are the smallest internal dimensions you guys would recommend in order to make a build that wouldn't suffer from excessive heat build up, interference, etc.?

Thanks

[James Romeyn]

Thinking of building a dual mono Ncore amp; in other words 2 boards and 2 PS
in one chassis.

What are the smallest internal dimensions you guys would recommend in order to make a build that wouldn't suffer from excessive heat build up, interference, etc.?

Thanks

H x W x D: 60 x 400 x 200mm is my best guess, but I think you're not likely to find those chassis dimensions.  Member HT CoZ plans a dual mono chassis right now.  I'd look into it. 

[Rclark]

Damn, they're in stock and ready to ship.. Well, shoot, I guess they're not going anywhere. Preorder discount on my preamp has priority. At least I'll have my chassis' ready.

[worldcat]

Don't hold your breath.  For obvious reasons the two glossy magazines don't "review" DIY, and NC400 is DIY only.  They can't collect $6k/issue for the inside cover ad selling a $10k power amp found to be no better than $1500 DIY.  That's called: the end of the magazine. 

Stereophile's Art Dudley rebuilding/refurbishing a 40 year old classic or installing an aftermarket upgrade to Linn's 40 year old TT is a completely different bag of worms. 

Hypex do not encourage nor prohibit OEM NC400, meaning OEM can buy NC400 all day.  They wait in line like I did and they pay what I did.  No volume discount.  Hypex sell OEM the NC1200 amp.   

OEM are not in the business of paying retail and waiting in line, again, for obvious reason.

I'd not be surprised if by now, both major US glossies blocked "Ncore" from their servers.

AMEN Brother!  at least someone gets it!!  Class D amps will get better once the prices go up on them!

[Barry_NJ]

AMEN Brother!  at least someone gets it!!  Class D amps will get better once the prices go up on them!

Really? There are already a number of Class-D amps out there costing thousands of dollars, how much more expensive do they have to get? Heck the Mola-Mola has already been announced at $12k. You just sound ill-informed with that statement

[worldcat]

Well yeah thats  why they are starting to get some better reviews.  Not that class D hasn't come a long way.  But don't think for a minute it doesn't threaten the establishment!  Were talking about a 2k amp thats sounds really, really, good.

[emailtim]

There are plenty of High Priced Digital amps out there.

There are 2 pairs of $50,000 Mark Levinson #53's on A'gon for the mid to upper $20K's. 

The Theta Dreadnaughts are $12K/pair based on the NC1200 modules.

Rowland 501's are $14K/pair based on the ICEPower ASP1000 modules.

[jtwrace]

I've added some pictures in Post #5 for checking / setting DC offset.

[genjamon]

Thanks!