[BrandonB]

Jaytor brought up the amplifiers that he has used with his NX-otica's and ranked them from best to worst another post.  I thought that would be a great thread to start since allot of you like to rotate your equipment.  So if you would please list the amplifiers preamps etc. that you have had in your system and rank them from first to last.  I think this will be interesting and it might help some people along the way.

[Tyson]

I used an iCon 4 zen passive preamp in my setup for a few reasons.  First, it helps eliminate hum in my setup.  Second, it uses slagle auto-formers which are pretty much the very best volume control you can get (yes, its even better than ladder resistor type volume controls or even LED based volume controls).  Finally, since my source is high gain, my amp is medium-high gain and the NX-Oticas are fairly high efficiency, I don't actually need signal boost in my setup.  The level of transparency with this type of ultra high performance minimalist approach is stunning. 

Amps, I have a bunch.  Since this is my HT setup I use my Pass designed First Watt BA3 which does about 30 watts.  Pass gear in general mates really well with GR Research speakers.  I do like the First Watt offerings because it's in-keeping with the DIY approach.

[mkrawcz]

Now this is just my tastes and this is on sound quality alone with the NX-Oticas specifically and excluding things like diy vs production vs reliability. Adding a couple preamp/amp combos as I feel the combo has some special synergy that sets them apart from the rest. A few are tied and some of these in the middle and back tend to switch around depending on music type so this is in general as best I can. I'm not including amps I feel are not worth it at all.

PSAudio BHKPre/300monos, Hypex preamp/Nilai500, Folsom7293/GR Research GK10, VTV Purifi Eval1/VTV Purifi Monos w/Neurochrome buffer, Elekit TU8600s, Neurochrome Mod86/286/686, Akitika GT104, First Watt AlephJ, Benchmark AHB2, Akitika GT102/AiyimaA08Pro, Emotiva XPA2 gen2.

[BrandonB]

Now this is just my tastes and this is on sound quality alone with the NX-Oticas specifically and excluding things like diy vs production vs reliability. Adding a couple preamp/amp combos as I feel the combo has some special synergy that sets them apart from the rest. A few are tied and some of these in the middle and back tend to switch around depending on music type so this is in general as best I can. I'm not including amps I feel are not worth it at all.

PSAudio BHKPre/300monos, Hypex preamp/Nilai500, Folsom7293/GR Research GK10, VTV Purifi Eval1/VTV Purifi Monos w/Neurochrome buffer, Elekit TU8600s, Neurochrome Mod86/286/686, Akitika GT104, First Watt AlephJ, Benchmark AHB2, Akitika GT102/AiyimaA08Pro, Emotiva XPA2 gen2.

Just curious have you had all this equipment in you system?   I have noticed some a few people including Mike Lundy having the PSAudio equipment in their system.  Seems like this is where the synergy happens with the preamp and amp built for each other.  How close is the Hypex preamp/Nilai500.  How do they sound different?

[BrandonB]

I used an iCon 4 zen passive preamp in my setup for a few reasons.  First, it helps eliminate hum in my setup.  Second, it uses slagle auto-formers which are pretty much the very best volume control you can get (yes, its even better than ladder resistor type volume controls or even LED based volume controls).  Finally, since my source is high gain, my amp is medium-high gain and the NX-Oticas are fairly high efficiency, I don't actually need signal boost in my setup.  The level of transparency with this type of ultra high performance minimalist approach is stunning. 

Amps, I have a bunch.  Since this is my HT setup I use my Pass designed First Watt BA3 which does about 30 watts.  Pass gear in general mates really well with GR Research speakers.  I do like the First Watt offerings because it's in-keeping with the DIY approach.

Tyson I was reading about the Pass Lab amp and some of it was over my head but that's OK I'm learning.  Do you just have the Otica's for your home theatre and open baffle subs?  Do you have surrounds also?  I read somewhere in another post that you upgraded the amp in your subs.  What exactly did you do?

[Tyson]

Tyson I was reading about the Pass Lab amp and some of it was over my head but that's OK I'm learning.  Do you just have the Otica's for your home theatre and open baffle subs?  Do you have surrounds also?  I read somewhere in another post that you upgraded the amp in your subs.  What exactly did you do?

For the HT setup with the NX-Otica I did not upgrade the subs.  I did upgrade the passive crossovers for the main towers.  I only run 2 channel for my HT.  I used to run multichannel but I found that with main speakers as good as the NX-Oticas, I don't really need surround sound.  Plus my DAC/Preamp/Amp combo is way better quality than any HT receiver than I would put there. 

If I were buying a First Watt amp, I'd just buy an already built Aleph amp.  They are very close to the best sounding Pass ever built, and you can pick them up for a bargain price pretty easily.  Like this one (no affiliation with the seller) - https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649962751-first-watt-aleph-j-diy-great-build-and-condition/

[mkrawcz]

Just curious have you had all this equipment in you system?   I have noticed some a few people including Mike Lundy having the PSAudio equipment in their system.  Seems like this is where the synergy happens with the preamp and amp built for each other.  How close is the Hypex preamp/Nilai500.  How do they sound different?

Every amp I listed I currently own and I swap them in and out all the time. The PS Audio has a deeper soundstage while a touch rolled of in the highs compared to the Nilai. But the Nilai is the most detailed amp I’ve heard while staying very natural sounding. I never get a sense that the music is artificial sounding through the Nilai. I guess I slightly prefer the soundstage of the PS Audio which is likely the result of the tubes. Considering the price difference, I could live without the PS Audio with the Nilai if I hadn’t bought the PS Audio. The Nilai produces vocals with haunting realism.

[maty]

Hypex Nilai500DIY vs Purifi Eigentakt Eval1 vs ICEpower 700AS2

Live Test - 3 Times Next Gen Class D - Hypex - Purifi - ICEpower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdZFAWe1Nxo



I like more Nilai than Purifi, more musical. ICEpower is the worst.

Maybe Purifi with electronic music is better but with jazz, acoustic, orchestra... Nilai.

[zlib]

PSAudio BHKPre/300monos, Hypex preamp/Nilai500, Folsom7293/GR Research GK10, VTV Purifi Eval1/VTV Purifi Monos w/Neurochrome buffer, Elekit TU8600s, Neurochrome Mod86/286/686, Akitika GT104, First Watt AlephJ, Benchmark AHB2, Akitika GT102/AiyimaA08Pro, Emotiva XPA2 gen2.

Is this your rating in order from best to… not best? How would you compare Folsom EC7293 with Nilai and BHK 300 now? Some time ago you were saying that EC7293 is on par with BHK300 (if not better).

[mkrawcz]

Is this your rating in order from best to… not best? How would you compare Folsom EC7293 with Nilai and BHK 300 now? Some time ago you were saying that EC7293 is on par with BHK300 (if not better).

Starting with the best. Like I stated, with the matched preamps, they are better than everything else. I think the Nilai is better than the Folsom. They sound similar, but the Nilai is more detailed.

[BrandonB]

Now this is just my tastes and this is on sound quality alone with the NX-Oticas specifically and excluding things like diy vs production vs reliability. Adding a couple preamp/amp combos as I feel the combo has some special synergy that sets them apart from the rest. A few are tied and some of these in the middle and back tend to switch around depending on music type so this is in general as best I can. I'm not including amps I feel are not worth it at all.

PSAudio BHKPre/300monos, Hypex preamp/Nilai500, Folsom7293/GR Research GK10, VTV Purifi Eval1/VTV Purifi Monos w/Neurochrome buffer, Elekit TU8600s, Neurochrome Mod86/286/686, Akitika GT104, First Watt AlephJ, Benchmark AHB2, Akitika GT102/AiyimaA08Pro, Emotiva XPA2 gen2.

Have you paired the Hypex Nilai500 with the PSAudio preamp?  How does it sound?

[mkrawcz]

Have you paired the Hypex Nilai500 with the PSAudio preamp?  How does it sound?

I have not. I will give it a try this weekend. It’s usually the same case with the preamp where it sounds best with the BHK amps. They are the same design.

[BrandonB]

I have not. I will give it a try this weekend. It’s usually the same case with the preamp where it sounds best with the BHK amps. They are the same design.

I have heard other people on here talk about the ps audio combo is pretty awesome.  I just couldn't swing both preamp and amp at the same time.

[mkrawcz]

I have heard other people on here talk about the ps audio combo is pretty awesome.  I just couldn't swing both preamp and amp at the same time.

I do need to throw this out there. My BHK preamp has been sent back to PS Audio 3 times for repair. The second time was a complete replacement of the internals and it still broke again. The design sounds great but at the same time, it’s the most unreliable piece of audio equipment I’ve ever owned.

[BrandonB]

I do need to throw this out there. My BHK preamp has been sent back to PS Audio 3 times for repair. The second time was a complete replacement of the internals and it still broke again. The design sounds great but at the same time, it’s the most unreliable piece of audio equipment I’ve ever owned.

I have heard people say that on here.  They have also said they love the synergy of the amp and preamp.

[mkrawcz]

I ended up building a new set of Aleph J boards using different caps and actually different matched output devices than my first boards. Not sure if it’s the caps or the different MOSFETS that diy audio is using with the current batch they have in stock, but this amp sounds MUCH better now. Going a lot higher in my list. I guess the take away is parts matter.

[BrandonB]

I ended up building a new set of Aleph J boards using different caps and actually different matched output devices than my first boards. Not sure if it’s the caps or the different MOSFETS that diy audio is using with the current batch they have in stock, but this amp sounds MUCH better now. Going a lot higher in my list. I guess the take away is parts matter.

Do you think it may be number 1 or 2 on your list.  Tyson recommends the Aleph J. with the nx-otica's but I have also noticed people liking amps with a bunch of power.  Are you able to build them with more than 30 Watts?

[BrandonB]

Does anyone have a recent SMc Audio amp and or Preamp that they have use with the NX-otica.  I really like that they Rebuild the old McCormack DNA from the bottom up from scratch.  They use the Chassis and heat sinks and a couple of boards that they totally strip down.  Everything else is new. They are constantly upgrading changing and modifying the design.  Patrick said that a stereo amp today is better than a pair of mono blocks three years ago.

[NoahH]

Does anyone have a recent SMc Audio amp and or Preamp that they have use with the NX-otica.  I really like that they Rebuild the old McCormack DNA from the bottom up from scratch.  They use the Chassis and heat sinks and a couple of boards that they totally strip down.  Everything else is new. They are constantly upgrading changing and modifying the design.  Patrick said that a stereo amp today is better than a pair of mono blocks three years ago.

Maybe this is where you are getting it from, but Audiophile Junkie on YouTube uses McCormicks with NX-Tremes.

[BrandonB]

Maybe this is where you are getting it from, but Audiophile Junkie on YouTube uses McCormicks with NX-Tremes.

Yes I have seen it.  I was just wanting to know if anyone on the forum has the upgraded amp with the nx-otica that is not a YouTuber.