ICEpower® class D amps now available

Lkdog · « **Reply #20 on:** 5 Oct 2006, 02:58 pm »

I think a lot of folks have an interest in these amps Rick-but the lack of anyone coming forth to provide impressions and comparisions after a couple months now is odd.

Do you have any end user reviews to share, or professional reviews planned?

TAFKA Steve · « **Reply #21 on:** 5 Oct 2006, 04:42 pm »

LKdog,

I understand your concern about lack of reviews. First, delivery of the first product run was held up due to Ric's illness. Mine are from this first product run and Ric shipped them out on Sept. 25th. Second, although I could post early impressions, I would rather be sure that my opinions (positive or negative) have been tempered by time and longer experience. I have already changed my opinion of the amps once based on trying two other speaker cables (Harmonic Tech Pro-9 Plus and Acoustic Zen Double Barrel). What good is my opinion based on three days of listening if I have to retract and revise my opinion a month from now?

Steve

Lkdog · « **Reply #22 on:** 6 Oct 2006, 02:16 am »

Steve-

Thanks for the info and your careful approach. I was under the impression that amps were being sold and shipping to people in late August and that there might be a few people who could comment.

Hope to hear about these amps soon.

MWH · « **Reply #23 on:** 16 Oct 2006, 07:04 pm »

Hi Ric,

Do you still do amps built on the UcD materials as well as the now ICEPower products? Can you speak to differences and if you moved over to ICEPower in preference why? Thanks you in advance for your input.

ZMan · « **Reply #24 on:** 19 Oct 2006, 04:46 pm »

MWH,
I purchased a severely modded universal DVD/CD player from Ric-EVS in 2001. I have kept up with all his products over the years.

A little history, in the recent past Ric has offered several one of a kind class D amps using different module types. This included a specific mod for the Nu-Force amps. Each of these offerings were much, much better than the original. Through this experience he is now offering what he feels are the finest class D amps currently made.

My experience with Ric has been very positive. The price to performance value is amazing. His philosophy, stated on his website, is to create products which produce a live, pure audio experience in which dynamic range, transparency, speed, tone and ultimately, -- truth is the outcome. I enjoy Hard Bop Jazz, the Crooners, and female vocalists. His philosophy and execution are exactly what I was looking for. Consider his reputation in the industry as one of the very first modders who is able to produce completely engineered items using the finest components. He's the real deal!

I hope this is helpful.
ZMan

jacofman · « **Reply #25 on:** 27 Oct 2006, 06:00 am »

Steve,

Is Ric alright? I didn't realize that he was ill. I e-mailed him and he usually responds right away. He was supposed to send me one of his 100 watt stereo ICEpower amps for audition and I haven't heard from him in a while. Let me know if you know anything about his health.
I've been a loyal customer of Ric and EVS from the very beginning. I've bought his attenuators, had my Sony S-9000ES modified by him, bought a modified Samsung universal CD player, had him modify my Magus preamp, etc. He always does an excellent job and stands behind his products. I'm sure these new amps will be fantastic. All the best, Ric....

Jacob

thegage · « **Reply #26 on:** 27 Oct 2006, 01:14 pm »

Quote from: jacofman on 27 Oct 2006, 06:00 am

Steve,

Is Ric alright?

Jacob

I spoke with him just last week. Seemed OK at the time. Give him a call (if you're prepared to spend some time on the phone...)

John K.

JDUBS · « **Reply #27 on:** 3 Nov 2006, 04:47 am »

Has anyone heard the EVS500M monoblocks yet?

VERY curious

-Jim

Lkdog · « **Reply #28 on:** 3 Nov 2006, 05:51 am »

Quote

Has anyone heard the EVS500M monoblocks yet

Some apparently have shipped?
No user comments yet.

Lorne · « **Reply #29 on:** 5 Nov 2006, 03:49 am »

Hi all, I'm in the market for a new amp~$1000-$1500. I use an Onix XCD-99 followed by a Musical Fidelity X10D tube buffer. My speakers are Onix Strata Mini's and a custom sub. I have been spending an inordinate amount of time looking to upgrade my bi-amped Charlize(mid and higher) and Denon(midwoofer and lower) amplication. I thrive on clean,spacious, 3-dimensional sound. Would Ric's EVS-100S with his Ultimate Attenuaters be a wise choice? Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance, Lorne

TAFKA Steve · « **Reply #30 on:** 6 Nov 2006, 05:38 pm »

I've had the EVS 500M monoblocks for a bit over a month and these are my impressions.

I use a Krell FPB-600 and Bryston 4B-SST for reference comparisons in my system comprised of a Walker Proscenium Gold Signature turntable/tonearm, Dynavector XV-1 cartridge, Walker Reference Phono Second Edition for vinyl, Ayre C-5XE for digital playback, H-CAT P-12A line stage, VMPS RM/X speakers, Real Trap-treated room. Analog and digital front ends are powered by separate PS Audio Power Plant 300's. All interconnects are Acoustic Zen Silver Reference Mk II. Speaker wires were Harmonic Tech Pro-9, Acoustic Zen Double Barrel, and finally Polk Sound Cable (8 parallel 2.5 ft. sections)for mid-treble and NBS Signature (3 ft.) for bass. All connections are treated with Walker Extreme SST.

The 500M is very powerful and bass and midrange dynamics are exciting, very similar to the Krell. The bass and midrange are very smooth and continuous, like the Bryston. But there is more transparency and detail than the Bryston. Bass control is exceptional, like the Krell. Treble quality is unusual: there is no sense of strain and very little grain (unlike the Krell), but treble dynamics seem to be compressed. This is most readily heard on the bells in Walter Egan's "Magnetic and Steel" from the Boogie Nights soundtrack. It is also apparent on the leading edges of plucked instruments, as on Rick Ruskin's guitar on "Six String Conspiracy." This quality varies a lot with speaker cable used and I'd recommend a tweeter cable with very low inductance (Polk, Goertz, Coincident, Ven Haus' latest coax, etc.) to get the most life out of the treble. The soundstage is very wide, but depth is somewhat shallower than the Krell. The Krell also projects some sounds in front of the speaker plane, while the EVS keeps the front images at the plane of the speakers like the Bryston.

Operationally, there was no amplifier noise, but my FM reception quality (I use a Yamaha CT-1010 with a Winegard indoor amplified dipole in the next room) deteriorated slightly while the amps were powered up. The EVS amps did not create more noise through the phono circuit. I did not try different power cords; only the stock Volex. The amps were plugged into a separate 20 A circuit using a cryo'd Pass and Seymour outlet different from the one used for other system components. I tried plugging the amps into a Tice Power Block II/Titan II power conditioning combo, but the sound got worse (primarily, the treble sounded discontinuous and artificial). I did not use special supports for the amp; just the stock feet sitting on lead bricks next to the speakers. Changing the torque used to secure the speaker wire to the binding posts using Ric Schultz's special wire clamping method means that the sound varies with tension; I recommend using the posts just barely finger tight, rather than deadnuts tight.

I have not compared these to other class D amplifiers.

I ordered the EVS because I wanted an amp that I could use during summer listening that wouldn't generate the heat of the Krell and put me on Al Gore's hit list of major global warmers. Although my Bryston runs a lot cooler than the Krell, it's lack of "personality" makes it sound too boring to me. The EVS 500M is more transparent and exciting than the Bryston, much closer to the Krell in dynamics. The Krell is still preferable to me overall over the EVS, but the six-fold price difference doesn't make a very fair comparison. The comparison with the Bryston is more interesting. If you like a super-smooth, low tonal coloration sound, and admire the Bryston's build quality/reliability/warranty/service record, the Bryston may be just your ticket. OTOH, the EVS is at least one-third cheaper and though it is modest in finish appearance and bulk mass, it offers a significant increase in sonic performance.

I'll post other observations if I try different power cords or other speakers with these amps.

Steve

tianguis · « **Reply #31 on:** 6 Nov 2006, 06:24 pm »

Steve:

Thanks for the review. Your sentiments pretty much mirror mine regarding the strengths of ICEpower amps. I use a DIY dual-mono 250ASP to drive Mangers in an active set-up.
A few of your issues with the amp I also ran into when using less-than-stellar input and output wiring. Personal choices apply here, but I'm using Jena Labs input and Bolder Cable output. I also have Bybees installed on the inputs.

Regards,
Larry Welsh

Angaria · « **Reply #32 on:** 13 Dec 2006, 04:31 am »

Has anyone heard the 100 watt version - I'm pefectly willing to pull the trigger on these if someone can vouch they beat the channel islands or Rowlands 102. Thanks!

jacofman · « **Reply #33 on:** 15 Dec 2006, 08:46 am »

I just got the 100 watt stereo ICEpower class D amp from Ric yesterday. For context, I have the following system:

Art Audio VPS Dual Mono line stage
Sony S9000ES heavily modified by Ric Schulz
Sequerra Met7 & 8 MkII monitors and subwoofers
A mixture of cabling and power cords from Stealth Audio, Art Audio, and CPCC

I have played music through the amp for approximately 10 hours. Given that the amps need a minimum of 60+ hours and are not fully broken in, here are some initial impressions:

The amp creates a big sound that belies its small size. It has great detail and articulation of that detail. The dynamics are impressive. It can go from forte to pianissimo on a dime (and vice versa) and has not yet sounded congested. It has a fantastic sense of air--if the recording was done in a hall, you will definitely hear it. It has bass galore for such a small amp. On acoustic bass, arco notes are played with bite and growl if the recording calls for it. More on the bass later. It images like crazy. Each instrument has its own distinct place with clear boundaries, and it creates a huge soundstage. If you listen to any well recorded electronic music, it creates the illusion of an electronic vapor that fills the entire room. It recreates depth and height amazingly well, and maintains distinct and clear layering as you reach further back into the stage. Image density is fantastic. You get a real and accurate sense of the dimensions of each instrument, and they all have great body and definition. It has a great sense of continuousness---seamless from top to bottom with no range of sound (treble, midrange, bass) being exaggerated or underscored. And most importantly for any piece of gear, it is extremely musical.

Nitpicks: There is a tiny bit of grain and hardness at the upper end of the treble region. I suspect that most of that will disappear after it fully breaks in. But what's audible is certainly within the acceptable range. It's not glaringly obvious---you really have to listen carefully in order to hear it. The biggest area of caution for now is the bass. At the lower depths, it "sounds" like the amp is straining and sounds a bit grainy, congested, and it even sounds like its overloading on music with deep electronic bass. Again, this comment may have to be retracted once it fully breaks in. However, I suspect it also has to do with the fact that I am playing it LOUD and hard, and if it were played at mere mortal levels, it would sound just fine. So, the bass is not as tight and defined in the 20-60 hz region as I'd like it to be yet, but I will be fair and not pass judgement until it is fully broken in. Those are the only areas of concern so far.

Being a tube lover, and having only tube preamps and amps before, I was a bit skeptical of buying a digital amp. But I've bought many things from Ric over the years (attenuators, Sony S9000ES, modified Samsung universal player, and more), and they have all had killer sound. I figured it would be a no-brainer to at least try this amp out since you can return it if you're not satisfied. I can sum up my overall impressions in a few words: THIS AMP IS FUCKING AMAZING (pardon my French), and at any price it would be a great amp, but for $800 it's one of the audio's "steals of the century". You owe it to yourself to audition this amp and see for yourself. Don't take my word for it! If I'm wrong, then all you've waisted is the shipping and some time. But if I'm right, pull out all your old favorites cause you're gonna want to hear them all over again. Tell your friends about this one......it's that good!

Jacob Ofman (The Witchdoctor)

jacofman · « **Reply #34 on:** 15 Dec 2006, 08:59 am »

I almost forgot---I'll post a fuller review once the amp breaks in fully. Stay tuned.

Jacob Ofman (The Witchdoctor)

P.S. I am not an employee of Ric's, I am not his best friend, I am not his financial backer, I am not his relative, I am not his PR person, and I have not been paid for my comments. I'm just a loyal customer of Ric's who thinks he consistenly makes great-sounding, musical, affordable gear that have brought me a tremendous amount of musical pleasure over the years.

jacofman · « **Reply #35 on:** 15 Dec 2006, 09:04 am »

One last thing I forgot to mention in my mini-review---the amp is impressively transparent. Instruments and voices appear to be "in the room" and have that "reach out and touch" quality, especially on percussion. It really makes my speakers come alive.

Stay tuned for more.

Jacob Ofman (The Witchdoctor)

audiojerry · « **Reply #36 on:** 15 Dec 2006, 04:04 pm »

Waiting to hear more

jacofman · « **Reply #37 on:** 19 Dec 2006, 04:02 am »

A little update. The "bass" problem I was having was actually my fault, not the fault of the amp. I also introduced a different preamp into my system at the same time that I put the EVS 100S. I accidently had it set to the "high gain" setting rather than the "low gain" setting for my medium efficiency speakers. When I used the preamp before it was with the Third Rethms, a highly efficient Lowther single driver speaker. As soon as I switched it over the "high gain" setting the bass stopped overloading, distorting, and sounding a bit fuzzy at high volumes with complex music. It sounds great now. Will continue to update as the amp breaks in.

Jacob

Angaria · « **Reply #38 on:** 24 Dec 2006, 10:20 pm »

has anyone heard both one of the new Red Wine amps and these for a comparo?

serengetiplains · « **Reply #39 on:** 25 Dec 2006, 12:37 am »

Jacob, how does the amp's rendering of high frequencies strike you? I find that class D amps do all those things you mention very well, and they do something identifiably off in the HF realm, almost as if decay decays nicely, then falls off a cliff, vanishes, *poof.* I have no idea what this characteristic is, in electrical or signal terms, but I've heard it on every class D amp I've heard (Tripath, Ice, PS Audio, Panasonic, UcD). I've also noticed, having recently reverted from Tripath back to a SS variety, that the class D HF thing, for lack of a decent description, affects such things as attack and transients, changing, in a sense, how the ear hears a given piece of music.