[Kevin P]

Here is the big daddy with 7 channels of UCD400 in a single 2U chassis.   Dimensions 12.5" deep, 16.75" wide and 3.5" tall.  

With 1.6KVA of transformer and 82,000uF of capacitance the power supply has plenty of reserves.   We have dialed in the grounding scheme with a little help from Dan Wiggins.  

As a recommended option we have the Exodus DC & RFI filter.  This is the same filter network as we use on our Exodus JR Filters.   Heat sinking is provided via a 3/16" sheet of aluminum which mounts to the bottom of the steel chassis.    Total weight is around 45-50lbs so you have to use proper lifting technique.  

All connectors are our new Exodus Audio binding post and RCAs.    

Overall I've found these Hypex amplifiers to be bullet proof and they sound incredible.   It's just amazing how much better our speakers sound with these compared to some of my inexpensive options (Pioneer 1014).   The difference is night and day.   No hum... no smoke and no high frequency noise on the tweeter like some other digital amplifiers suffer from.

Prices have changed a little for the top of the line amplifier.   We had to do some additional modifications to our chassis to fit the UCD400s in this size chassis.   We mount them via a single aluminum heat spreader which helps with heat dissipation and gives us more headroom inside the chassis.   It also adds $100 to the labor/material cost of the amplifier.  

Here are the latest prices:

UCD180    2-channel    $750
UCD180    3-channel    $950
UCD180    4-channel    $1150
UCD180    5-channel    $1350
UCD180    6-channel    $1550
UCD180    7-channel    $1750

For the UCD180 AD8620 Option add $50 per channel.   You can add the Exodus RFI Fitler & DC Filter Option for $50.

UCD400   2-channel   $1050
UCD400   3-channel   $1325
UCD400   4-channel   $1600
UCD400   5-channel   $1875
UCD400   6-channel   $2150
UCD400   7-channel   $2425

You can upgrade to the UCD400 with AD8620 option for an additional $50/channel & the Exodus RFI filter + DC filter is $50.

I think that covers everything.   We build each of these custom so there is a lead time of 4-6 weeks.   It can be longer if you have us sourcing something unusual but we will be in careful communication about your delivery time.  

[klh]

That is one densely packed chassis! Looks great, too.

[trekker]

Looks nice     In regards to hum/noise, so if I put my ear next to my tweeter, I won't hear a hiss?    My current 7 ch amp has some hiss which can be heard from about 12-24 inches.    Does the high frequency start to roll off, as the spekear impedence drops?    I was surprise to see some amps rolloff the highs as the impedence drops.     I'm sure I'll never get all 7 channels going full power, but if all 7 channels of the UCD400 are power 4 ohm loads, that would be 2800 watts.     I know the digital amps are highly efficient, but would a larger transformer be needed for the 4 ohm rating into all 7 channels?

Thanks,

Arnold

[Kevin P]

Looks nice  In regards to hum/noise, so if I put my ear next to my tweeter, I won't hear a hiss? My current 7 ch amp has some hiss which can be heard from about 12-24 inches.

You won't hear a hiss caused by the amp.     Ground loops are always possible no matter how well you build an individual piece of equipment.   The amps though on a bare tweeter without a crossover network have zero noise.   You can be 1"-2" and hear nothing.

Does the high frequency start to roll off, as the spekear impedence drops? I was surprise to see some amps rolloff the highs as the impedence drops.

Nope... FR stays virtually the same irrespective of load.   Bruno Putzeys who designed the Hypex modules knows his stuff.  

See:  http://www.hypex.nl/docs/UcDBP.pdf

I'm sure I'll never get all 7 channels going full power, but if all 7 channels of the UCD400 are power 4 ohm loads, that would be 2800 watts. I know the digital amps are highly efficient, but would a larger transformer be needed for the 4 ohm rating into all 7 channels?

Not on a continuous basis (leave all four channels pumping at full power into a passive 4 Ohm load).   Part of the problem is that your typical 15A breaker cannot deliver that kind of output on a continuous basis and it's silly to try and design like that.   If you needed a welding machine maybe.  If you are trying to design for playing music into difficult speaker loads you can get by with much less.  Music is transient in nature and you typically shoot for about a 30% duty cycle at full rated power.   Our power supply is oversized more than enough to delivery full power to all seven channels under these circumstances.

[trekker]

The amp sounds very good.  And the price is much more affordable than the other digital amps     Seems like a winner.

Arnold

[bald]

Overall I've found these Hypex amplifiers to be bullet proof and they sound incredible. It's just amazing how much better our speakers sound with these compared to some of my inexpensive options (Pioneer 1014). The difference is night and day. No hum... no smoke and no high frequency noise on the tweeter like some other digital amplifiers suffer from.

Not to compare the 1014 to the hypex modules, but I felt the need to point out that the amplifier section in the 1014 is identical to the amp section on the Pioneer elite 52-tx which was reviewed here: http://hometheatermag.com/receivers/1204pioneer/ and found  "Five channels driven into 8-ohm loads: 0.1% distortion at 115.3 watts; 1% distortion at 129.7 watts"

Adding this only to point out that if the hypex is night and day better than the 1014, it is an impressive amp module indeed.

bald

[Kevin P]

Not to compare the 1014 to the hypex modules, but I felt the need to point out that the amplifier section in the 1014 is identical to the amp section on the Pioneer elite 52-tx which was reviewed here: http://hometheatermag.com/receivers/1204pioneer/ and found  "Five channels driven into 8-ohm loads: 0.1% distortion at 115.3 watts; 1% distortion at 129.7 watts"

Adding this only to point out that if the hypex is night and day better than the 1014, it is an impressive amp module indeed.

bald

I'm not sure why it's so much better.   I'm using the preamp of the Pioneer unit so it's in the amplifier section.     The difference though is as audible as going from an average speaker to an excellent one.    I bought the Pioneer to take to CES to demo an inexpensive HT system we are working on.    I'd never dream of using the Pioneer amp after hearing the A/B comparison now.   We are going to build a Hypex one and use the just the preamp section for shows.

[BradJudy]

Kevin,

Will you be selling UcD kits or just the custom completed amps?

[Kevin P]

No plans for a kit at this time.   I don't have the margin to really offer them at enough of a discount to make them an attractive kit.    Most of our margin in the assembled ones is in the labor.

[BradJudy]

Kevin,

Thanks for the quick response.  That makes sense.

[wildfire99]

As much as I hate to say "...but what about," I am looking for a new 7ch. amp right now.

My first choice was to go used, then I figured, I may as well kick up my price point a notch to get something that I will live with for a while, as I don't think I've ever thrown an amp out yet (can't say that for receivers/processors, though).

So right now I was looking at the Blue Diamond by Gemstone Audio. It's also built by hand by people who care about the best value you can get. It does 80 watts pure class A, then class A/B up to 200 watts. Obviously, rating either the UcD400's or the Blue Diamond at all channels simultaneous is a futile effort, due to power at the (15A) wall socket, so let's talk sound quality. The Gemstone is $2500 right now for a blem/used model. The UCD400 baseline 7ch is just a hair under that. What advantages would the UCD400 have over the Gemstone, aside from the basic Class D power conversion efficiency advantages? Will the UCD's outclass a good Class A/AB design in terms of quality?

[Kevin P]

So right now I was looking at the Blue Diamond by Gemstone Audio. It's also built by hand by people who care about the best value you can get. It does 80 watts pure class A, then class A/B up to 200 watts. Obviously, rating either the UcD400's or the Blue Diamond at all channels simultaneous is a futile effort, due to power at the (15A) wall socket, so let's talk sound quality. The Gemstone is $2500 right now for a blem/used model. The UCD400 baseline 7ch is just a hair under that. What advantages would the UCD400 have over the Gemstone, aside from the basic Class D power conversion efficiency advantages? Will the UCD's outclass a good Class A/AB design in terms of quality?

You know it's impossible for me to say as I've not tried EVERY amplifier and I've not tried the Blue Diamond.    I know that they outclass any I've tried them against and I have several customers who have replaced very well respected amps with them.   I would also suspect that people would have different preferences based upon speaker loads and system dynamics.    

You will get more power out of the Class D amps though if you are considering the limitations of a 15A breaker.   If you where going to go by pure power output given a limitation of a 15A outlet the Class D amps would be able to deliver more power due to their efficiency.    Less power lost as heat means more converted into usable energy.  

[brj]

How efficient are the UcD400 modules under load?  I couldn't find a number in the PDF spec sheet...

How much power do they draw at idle?

Thanks!

[trekker]

How efficient are the UcD400 modules under load?  I couldn't find a number in the PDF spec sheet...

Efficiency >90% according to the PDF http://www.hypex.nl/docs/UcD400_manual.pdf[/url]

[Kevin P]

How efficient are the UcD400 modules under load?  I couldn't find a number in the PDF spec sheet...

How much power do they draw at idle?

Thanks!

As trekker states the efficiency stays high at any power level.  

The modules have a stand-by mode which we can used.   How much they draw depends on the module (UCD180 or UCD400) and whether the standby feature is put in use.    

The UCD180s use less than 3W under standby and the UCD400s less than 6W.    If you don't use the standby it's not much more.    The 2-channel amplifier I use for speaker testing doesn't even get warm after days of use.

[Brian Bunge]

Kevin,

I just thought of a very important question concerning these amps.  Do you offer them with a silver chassis and one of those cool blue LED's that make everything sound better?

[Kevin P]

Kevin,

I just thought of a very important question concerning these amps.  Do you offer them with a silver chassis and one of those cool blue LED's that make everything sound better?

We have any color you want so long as its black.  

We just did a natural aluminum faceplate but its on our standard black chassis.   We have the ability to build them any way people want but if we get into custom chassis work the price skyrockets quick.

[Brian Bunge]

We have any color you want so long as its black.  

You and the Model T, huh?

We just did a natural aluminum faceplate but its on our standard black chassis.   We have the ability to build them any way people want but if we get into custom chassis work the price skyrockets quick.

So can we see some pics showing the faceplate?

[Kevin P]

We have any color you want so long as its black.  

You and the Model T, huh?

We just did a natural aluminum faceplate but its on our standard black chassis.   We have the ability to build them any way people want but if we get into custom chassis work the price skyrockets quick.

So can we see some pics showing the faceplate?

Soon.... Dail is putting it on a chassis later today.   I've got a full plate though so pictures will have to wait until Saturday.

[guest1632]

We have any color you want so long as its black.   :)

You and the Model T, huh?:)

We just did a natural aluminum faceplate but its on our standard black chassis.   We have the ability to build them any way people want but if we get into custom chassis work the price skyrockets quick.

So can we see some pics showing the faceplate?

Soon.... Dail is putting it on a chassis later today.   I've got a full plate though so pictures will have to wait until Saturday.

Hi Kevin,
Just curious, what preamps are you running with these amps? I might have asked this before, don't remember for sure, uh, has anyone given any info off the record about the sound versus the CI or Nuforce stuff? Obviously, these sound good, but just trying to get a handle on what they sound closest to? I haven't seen any reviews on your amps yet. I was thinking of the AVA amps or these. If anyone can chime in on the sound quality, let me know. Thanks.

Ray