[Kevin Haskins]

I understand that people want to do comparisons.   I'd prefer if responses for comparisons with the CI products to be kept off forum.  There are a lot of variables when people are doing listening evaluations and its impossible for a setup to be replicated for a fair comparison.  

If you have comparisons with other non-Hypex based Class D (or any other amplifier) solutions I'll be more than happy to have them in the forum.

[kfr01]

I'm giving Michael Buble CD a good listen all the way through on my Onkyo M-504 prior to installing it.

The build quality is excellent and Kevin even included a fancy looking power cord and RCA to XLR cables.  

It looks and feels very solid and heavy for not having much in the chassis.  Peering through the holes in the top, the transformer looks huge.  

Stay tuned for listening impressions...

[HumanMedia]

If it operates like other Hypex based amps, make sure to give it at least an hour warm up before each listening session.

Tell us more!

[kfr01]

Exodus Audio UCD 400 --- First Impressions

After listening to Michael Buble my Onkyo Integra M-504 straight through, just to seer the sound into my mind, I installed the Exodus Audio UCD 400 amplifier.  

I am familiar with the traditional sonic differences between Class A/B and Class D amplifiers.  A year or so ago I switched from large and expensive class a/b amplifiers in my car to a pair of little Xtant full range mono block class D amplifiers running my mains:  http://www.xtant.com/html/products/xtant1.1i.cfm.  I also switched from a smallish-bridged class a/b amplifier to this class D monoblock for my subwoofer: http://www.xtant.com/html/products/xtant6.1.cfm. The sonic difference was immediately audible.  The amplifiers were bright; maybe a little harsh in the upper frequencies, but had a nice pronounced midrange, tight bottom end, and separation was excellent.  The very high efficiency of the Xtants allows me to run a pretty clean, if a tad bright, sounding system without upgrading my alternator or prematurely draining my battery.  

Anyway, I expected to hear the same differences immediately after installing the Exodus UCD amplifier.  I didn’t.  In fact, there were very few immediately audible differences between the M-504 and the UCD.  After a more extended listening session, I determined that the positives of the class D Xtants above were still there: the midrange is clear, the bottom end is tight, and the separation is excellent.  However, the negatives are gone; the UCD is neither bright nor harsh.  The midrange is clear without being pronounced in an unnatural way.  

The fact that this technology sounds not much different than a well respected beast of a vintage amplifier is a good thing to me.  Big amplifiers are more expensive than they used to be.  It is now a challenge to find a clean and powerful 50lb class a/b dual mono design for under $2000.  When you do find one, it (a) weighs 50lbs, and (b) could heat a small home.  While giant, heavy and hot amplifiers are actually appealing in an impress-your-buddies sort of way, they are impractical for many HT setups in WAF friendly rooms.  After my initial listening, where I was going through a lot of music at relatively high volume levels, the top of the UCD was only a tad warm.  My preamplifier and computer were both throwing off more heat.  

The more I listen to the Exodus, the more the word “neutral” pops into my head and down onto my listening notes.  The Onkyo tends to smooth over some of the detail that the Exodus reveals.  The piano’s tonality is slightly more realistic coming from the Exodus.  Just to reinforce my point about the neutrality of the Exodus, I took more notes about the Onkyo than the Exodus after switching back and forth a few times.  Neutral, neutral, neutral.  There just aren’t that many more words to describe a non-additive component.  For example:  the Onkyo’s sound is warmer than the Exodus’s, but I wouldn’t call the Exodus cold, rather, I would call the Onkyo warm.  

To summarize, here are the great positives of the UCD:
1)   Neutrality
2)   Neutrality in a way that makes you say, “huh, this isn’t different than a good a/b amplifier”
3)   But, it -is- new technology that makes the amplifier inexpensive, efficient, and cool running.

Not bad, eh? It detracts nothing sonically and takes a step forward in other ways.  

In my opinion the Exodus should be on a shortlist of amplifiers for anyone looking for a new amplifier and appreciates components that don’t add anything extra to the music.  

These amplifiers would make all the sense in the world for Home Theater people.  They’ll push a lot of clean watts for a long time without getting hot.  A friend owns Yamaha’s top of the line receiver and has a very large media room with huge ceilings and a few rows of seating.  After a few hours of watching an explosive movie the receiver will sometimes slip into thermal protection mode.  I don’t think I’d worry about that with 200 watts of UCD power.

Congrats on a great amplifier, Kevin.  

Will I replace the Onkyo?  I’m unsure.  I believe that I’ve become somewhat accustomed to the slight smoothing and warm sound of the Onkyo; and there’s something about those giant green glowing wattmeters that mesmerizes me.   On the other hand, I do feel like the Exodus would be a step up the audiophile ladder and a notch closer to the nirvana of accurate source reproduction.  I'll take the rest of the work week to evaluate and we’ll see if upgradeitis gets the best of me.  

[speedcenter]

the only reason the 504s are "well respected" are those cool wattmeters  

I had one 3 years ago - kept it for 3 months, and mostly only because of the show the meters were providing. In terms of sound quality, I don't think it goes anywhere beyond mid-fi. It gets great resale these days (again, because of the cool meters and all the "monster amp" myths used to pitch these things on ebay), so you can actually let it go without taking a financial hit. These Onkyos may perform better on speakers that don't need a lot of current, but the 504 was simply out of breath before I even started turning up the volume.

[kfr01]

These Onkyos may perform better on speakers that don't need a lot of current....

I think you're right about that.  In my moderately sized room, running the well-behaved 8-ohm Exodus 2641s, I don't experience any running out of breath.  It was probably a different story when driving your maggies.  The 504 simply wasn't built, nor was it sold as, an amplifier able to drive difficult loads.  The manual clearly states that impedence should stay above 4 ohms.   I think you probably gave it a bit of an unfair evaluation given the difficult load you were throwing at it...

Perhaps I'd notice more of a difference between the 504 and the UCD if I turned the volume knob up more, but the first 15 watts or so really do sound pretty darn similar.  Like I said, the neutrality and tighter bass of the UCD are a clear step up the hi-fi ladder... but the difference during those first 15 watts I normally listen in really isn't huge.

[Kevin Haskins]

From my "seat of the pants" observations there is a correlation between the difficulty of the load and subjective preferences with the Hypex amplifiers.    Class D amps really excell at difficult loads and it gives them a real advantage with those types of loudspeakers.    Guys who use Maggies are some of my most popular customers.  

Of course there are a lot of system variables and why it is always best to try an amplifier with your loudspeakers, room & supporting equipment.    Use the amp for the rest of the week and then pop your old amp back in the system.    After it is gone you will either miss it or not.  

[speedcenter]

 Class D amps really excell at difficult loads and it gives them a real advantage with those types of loudspeakers.    Guys who use Maggies are some of my most popular customers.  

   raises hand!

My 3.5Rs were running the 504 Onkyo with the meter pegged to the right, constant clipping that I had a stash of tweeter fuses on hand.  

I learned only after buying these speakers how important a good amp is. I moved in pretty small steps in the beginning before I realized how much current these speakers like.

Can't wait to finish my first pair of UCD700s to see if I can move it up another notch - but I'm also looking forward to amps I can power down when done listening, etc - all that isn't such a common thing with big SS amps.


Peter

[darwin]

Guys who use Maggies are some of my most popular customers.  

   Even those of us like me who call you six times a day and pelt you with an endless litany of inane questions?

Warning: I'll be calling you again this evening to place my order finally, so don't hang up when you hear my voice.  

[kfr01]

 raises hand!
My 3.5Rs were running the 504 Onkyo with the meter pegged to the right, constant clipping that I had a stash of tweeter fuses on hand.  

Wow! Hah, o.k., you were pushing the poor thing to its limits!  The needle on mine rarely touches the halfway point.  I think our applications were/are quite different.

I've never heard a pair of maggies.  In a few months I'll be moving to Milwaukee.  Perhaps we could have a beer and take a listen to your UCD700 + maggie system someday.

[speedcenter]

 raises hand!
My 3.5Rs were running the 504 Onkyo with the meter pegged to the right, constant clipping that I had a stash of tweeter fuses on hand.  

Wow! Hah, o.k., you were pushing the poor thing to its limits!  The needle on mine rarely touches the halfway point.  I think our applications were/are quite different.

I've never heard a pair of maggies.  In a few months I'll be moving to Milwaukee.  Perhaps we could have a beer and take a listen to your UCD700 + maggie system someday.

pushing limits? not at all. I don't think I was even close to 90db at that point. Put some bass heavy music on these speakers and see the current flow, something that tiny transformer in the 504s simply can't do. The dinky 2-prong power cord on that thing would get warm...

FYI - after the 504s I went to a pair of Odyssey Stratos monoblocks and even those were not really enough to avoid clipping at elevated levels; the amps got seriously hot and the sound was still quite "stressed" -- after that, I upgraded the amps to Klaus' "Xtreme Edition" and have been quite happy for the last 2 years. Actually, a friend of mine thinks I am nuts to consider any other amp.  However, I am moving to active biamping, and I simply can't afford a second pair of those amps, so I'm building UCDs and plan on selling the Odysseys if the UCD700s deliver.  The comparison between these amps will be quite interesting. I can also bring them to a friend who has some $15k Krell monoblocks on Martin Logans - that'll be a very interesting shootout

pm me when you get into the region - the UCD700s should be ready for listening by then. Bring the Onkyo if you want to see the meters dance

Peter

[kfr01]

I shipped the first demo amp to the next person on the list today.  

My final impressions?

Strengths:
+ Neutrality
+ Clean, detailed bass with plenty of control
+ Very spacious crisp highs
+ Great separation between instruments
+ Cost
+ Size
+ Low power requirements
+ Versatility
+ Price
+ Power
+ Really excelled playing fairly loud

Negatives:
- Doesn't quite look like other commercial offerings in the same price range.  (Probably unfair to judge, since I seem to remember Kevin saying that the CES units don't have the latest front panel.)
- There are a lot of other nice powerful amplifier options in the price range nearing $2000.  

Conclusion:
To my ears, this amplifier did little to nothing wrong.  I was able to demo a Musical Fidelity A3.5 integrated near in time to my last listen of the UCD.  It wasn't a true "shootout" (i.e., no double blind a/b testing), but I think I was able to glean the overall impression of the sound compared to the UCD.  The Musical Fidelity had a little more "magic" in the midrange at low volume levels.  Magic is a bad word, I'll try to explain it this way: the tone of instruments, such as a piano, in the midrange seemed a little smoother and realistic at low volume levels.  The difference seemed very slight and may be due to nothing more than nice synergy between the preamp and amp sections of the integrated.  The UCD sounded at least as good in all ways at higher volume levels.

Do I miss it?
Yes.  I miss the grip in the bass region and separation of the highs.

Will I buy one?
Probably not complete, DIY is more my style lately.  Anything $1000+ish is a hard sell to the wife for a difference she was unable to hear.  Note that her inability to hear a difference and my inability to sell her on the upgrade isn't a knock on the Exodus (she'd be happy with a clock radio).  She did, however, really like the small form factor of the Exodus.

[mbolek]

Kevin,

Can you give the folks on the list an update on the demo units.  Did you add a second unit?

thx.

marty

[Kevin Haskins]

Yes... the second amp is in circulation.   I'll update the list tomorrow.

[AB]

I just shipped the second amp off today. Norman in Oklahoma should have it in hand by the weekend.

I tend to agree with everything kfr01 has already said and I was able to compare the amp to the DNA500 where he was comparing it to the MF A3.5.

But I will say this, for its $1800 price point there is nothing negative to be said about the Exodus.  It sounds like my $2k 1090 and it's smaller, runs cooler, I can pick it up and it is quieter than the Rotels.

The Modwright has a bit of tube rush that any amp will make audible into 102db speakers but the Exodus added nothing else. I did notice a very high pitched whine as it powered up but I was trying very hard to hear this and actually had to have my ear inside the tweeter horn to hear it.

Pairing it with the Modwright was absolutely brilliant. There really is a synergy there that produced some sweet music.
I also ran the Exodus from a Denon 3805 prepro's preouts to my 5.1 system's fronts. The remaining 3 channels were powered by the Rotel RMB1095. The Exodus channels blended nicely with the 1095 and there wasn't much, if any, timbre differences between the channels. When used as a 2ch amp the 1095 didn't hold up against the Exodus. The Exodus did everything better.

I wouldn't hesitate to add an Exodus to the pile either to replace the 1090 or to start a new system for some planer speakers I want.

But I still like big caps and serious looking cooling fins - maybe Kevin can build a UCD based amp with a bunch of useless fins added and load some lead into the chassis. The way it's built now it was dwarfed by the powercable I had on it.

[Kevin Haskins]

But I still like big caps and serious looking cooling fins - maybe Kevin can build a UCD based amp with a bunch of useless fins added and load some lead into the chassis. The way it's built now it was dwarfed by the powercable I had on it.

We can glue some on there but that is an extra charge.  

We have a production version coming soon that uses five channels of UCD400 in that same footprint.   So... that is 2000W in a single 2U chassis space.   That is with the linear supply, with a SMPS it could obviously be even smaller.    Our chassis is positively beefy compared to some of the other Class D solutions on the market, especially those with the SMPS.  

The EX-700MB's will be larger, about a 3U rack space for a pair of them.   Weight wise they are more like what you would expect from a high power solution.   They should tip the scales about about 25-30lbs each and deliver 400W into 8 Ohms and a true 700W into 4 Ohms.  

Of course with a SMPS they could be nice and small also.... hint hint.

[EvilYoda]

Are you still accepting people to demo the amp?  Funny thing...I tried registing on AC and it said that this username was already taken...so i thought "it's possible I registered years ago"...and I did.  :p  I've been eyeing the Hypex amps for quite some time now and I was actually going to ask about a demo...how convinient.

Anyway, I'm in Michigan and would be demoing on a pair of Dynaudio Contour S1.4's and the pre/pro will be changing in the near future.  If all goes well, this amplifier will be heaven-sent as this hobby/addiction is dangerous for a 23-year old.

I don't suppose you have any of those chassis left over or could source one?  I've been looking for quite some time now and all the decent chassis retailers are either in Italy or China which incurs an additional cost ontop of the language requirement.

Thanks, sorry about the verbose post.  

[Kevin Haskins]

Yes... the demo list will be open for the foreseeable future.  

I've been working hard on the newest production models.  

Just as a teaser here is the footprint of our new 5-channel power supply.   We used the HG power supply as a starting point and expanded it for up to 5 channels.   It has DC protection, soft power on/off cycles, supplementary regulated 12-0-12V supply for the buffer stages, high speed bypassed rectifiers etc.    





There are also some mechanical/cosmetic differences between our demo unit and the new chassis.  They include:

*New Chassis is 0.75" wider (17.25") and 2" deeper (14") but still has standard 2U height.

*New Chassis has much better brushed aluminum design element.   The logo has been moved to the aluminum.  The entire body is still powder coated satin black.

*New Chassis is much cleaner on the base where we used mainly blind pem-nuts for all mounting PCBs.   We increased ventilation across the new larger heat sink assembly and under UCD modules for unrestricted airflow.   The cooling solution is basically overkill, which keeps operating temps nice and low.  

*We have standard rear panels so we can build any configuration 2-5 channel UCD-180 or UCD-400 with 48-hour turnaround times.

*We changed front & rear panels from aluminum to steel to improve shielding and complete chassis electrical grounding.   Also this marginally increased strength.   We also increased strength around transformer mounting location to handle up to 20lb. transformers.

*We have an available rack mount front panels for those looking to mount them in equipment racks.

These are all cosmetic, chassis and cooling changes.    We are still working on electrical changes.   At this point it is looking like we will offer two variations of the amplifiers.   One configuration will be completely stock Hypex modules, like the demo unit that is going around.   The one change we will have is that we will have a 1KVA transformer as standard (the demo unit is 500VA) and the cost on that unit will likely be in the $1400-$1500 neighborhood.     Power should be a stern 200W@ 8 Ohms and 400W@ 4 Ohms.   The power supply is so overbuilt and the cooling solutions also that it shouldn't have any problems pushing that kind of power.

Standard Electrical changes we are planning:

*12V Remote turn-on standard that can take the amplifier in/out of standby mode.
*Thermal protection on the heat sink that will shut the amplifier down if you reach abnormal operating levels.
*All power transformers will have goss shielding to limit magnetic field and copper shielding between primary & secondaries.  

We are also planning an upgraded module version.   This is still under evaluation.   We will consult carefully with Hypex & Bruno Putzeys the amplifier designer on all changes.   We are not going to make modifications that tradeoff one area of performance for another and we will not do anything to the modules that sacrifices protection circuitry, RFI emissions or DC blocking.   All modifications will be soundly backed by engineering and careful evaluation for the benefits vs. cost.   We are not going to change something simply for the sake of marketing.

[klh]

Looks great... and it should make a lot of people happy. Is the $1400-$1500 price tag for the 2-channel version or the 5-channel version?

[Kevin Haskins]

Looks great... and it should make a lot of people happy. Is the $1400-$1500 price tag for the 2-channel version or the 5-channel version?

The $1450 would be a base price for an EX-400-2 two channel amplifier.   Our pricing will solidify in the next 2-4 weeks as we get a better idea of our cost.  

There will be an EX-180-2 though that will start at around $850 assembled for a 2-ch solution with 90W @ 8 Ohms and 180W into 4 Ohms.  It will have all the same features as the other amps (DC protection, soft power on/off, overvoltage prot., overcurrent prot., short circuit prot. etc...)

Tentative pricing on a five channel EX-400-5 build would be around $2400 as a base price.   There will be options for AD or ST modules, and the modified versions of the modules so that price could stretch upward to just north of $3000 if you wanted to go crazy with options.

We are looking for dealers both online & brick/mortor shops if you know anyone who would be interested.