[Rclark]

There's a few people here, one even in this thread, but aren't commenting yet. Probably an amp to sell, my guess.

I dont believe it in my heart, lol, I just read a 300 page thread all user experiences. Mostly EE types. Doesn't really get any more credible.

[roscoeiii]

But is it a DIY or Pass built Aleph J?

[wilsynet]

I would love if it someone built a stereo integrated amplifier using the Hypex NCore modules.  Middle of the road cost mono blocks also okay of course. 

The Theta $12000 mono blocks aren't really an option for many and many are also not the DIY types.

Does anyone know if equipment makers other than Theta have started signing up?

[jtwrace]

I would love if it someone built a stereo integrated amplifier using the Hypex NCore modules. 

I believe that Hypex will have their own.

[maxwalrath]

I believe that Hypex will have their own.

I don't think so. The impression I have is they are reselling to manufactures and selling direct to diy folk. If they make their own fully built amp they will be competing against their own customers. That said, I'm sure someone will bring an integrated to market. The thing is with the 400's and PS's costing $1300, and the OEM version being higher spec'd and slightly pricier, these aren't going to find their way into amps costing less than $3-7k I'd imagine...with $3k on the very low end.

[jtwrace]

http://www.audiophilejournal.com/mola-mola-hypex-class-d-amplifier/

[Rclark]

But is it a DIY or Pass built Aleph J?

Not sure. I can dig it up later. The most impressive head to head was against a $20,000 Accuphase. To me at least, in dollar terms.

[maxwalrath]

...

[maxwalrath]

http://www.audiophilejournal.com/mola-mola-hypex-class-d-amplifier/

I stand corrected...except about the price, probably.

Do I want a brand new DAC, pretty functional pre-amp, and dual mono NCores? Yes I do.

[Rclark]

He is apparently also now working on a high performance dac.. And also a super transparent attenuator. 

[maxwalrath]

He is apparently also now working on a high performance dac.. And also a super transparent attenuator.

Here's what Bruno had to say about attenuators. I don't have a clue what he's talking about, others here will.

"A pot as the feedback network around in inverting op amp circuit is the cleanest analogue volume control you can make. One I made with a 9mm car audio pot sounds completely transparent and with a decent op amp distortion is unmeasurable at all useful gain settings. For high input impedance, add an input buffer. For balanced input, make that an instrumentation amp. Actually the input circuit is more difficult to get right (as in "inaudible and unmeasurable") than the volume control section." - post 2939, with discussion and Q & A following.

[jtwrace]

I stand corrected...except about the price, probably.

Do I want a brand new DAC, pretty functional pre-amp, and dual mono NCores? Yes I do.

and there's more coming too.

[mamba315]

If he's going to develop all those products, he might as well put them all together and make active speakers.  Seems likely given his penchant for ultimate solutions.

[jtwrace]

If he's going to develop all those products, he might as well put them all together and make active speakers. 

already has

[jtwrace]

See the Grimm audio LS1

http://www.grimmaudio.com/pro_loudspeakers_ls1.htm

[James Romeyn]

That Grimm speaker employs Hypex Ncore amps.  Guido (OO-doh) Tent is designer/principal at Grimm Audio.  He works closely with Bruno.

Guido is also principal at Tent Labs (Netherlands), maker of another well-received digital amp, power or integrated version, kit or assembled: tube input, transformer coupler, Hypex output (pretty sure pre-Ncore but don't quote me..I was surprised to see Ncore in this Grimm Speaker).  A friend just bought the Tent Labs amp and he plans to bring it here shortly to compare to the Aksa NAKSA 100.  Wish I had my Ncore to compare, which I ordered a few weeks ago (three for Trinaural). 

I'm definitely not dropping my Ncore in a metal chassis, preferring wood.  Bamboo ply is my current preference, being the choice of at least two premium speaker companies.

 

[guest1632]

Hopefully I'll still have the AKSA Naksa 100 after my little Ncore jewels arrive.

The last super high-quality amp I owned was 2011 Linn Chakra Majik 3100, 3x 57/100Wrms @ 8/4 Ohms...The only known upgrade to Chakra architecture since it arrived '99 (Klimax mono blocks) I know of is the switch from linear to SMPS.  I had the SMPS.  Chakra is unique.  It employs a pure analog monolithic chip.  Chips have better tolerance values compared to normal discrete circuits, but chips pass little current.  Linn increased current capacity by adding bipolar transistors at the output.  Chakra is like Quad's ancient "current dumping" but a chip replaces the discreet circuit. 

I loved the Majik, even more than Atma-Sphere OTL, but needed more power.  The 3x 114/200W 8/4 Ohm Linn Akurate is about $5500.

The Majik amp is gone now.  The Naksa 100 is in league with Chakra sound quality/pleasure best I can tell, but they have a different gestalt.  If I had to pick a winner I'd lean to Naksa 100, less noise (between and with the notes), and treble maybe best I've heard, cymbals and overall percussion effects pop in the stage very much like live, leading edge transients super quick yet completely natural.  Both amps fatigue free all day.  Naksa plays louder I think.  I think the Naksa has a slight fingerprint, something I never heard in the Majik...yet there be a more natural effect with the Naksa.  Kind of like a tube sound effect, but extremely faint, much less than any tube regardless of cost (I always hear tube noise with all-tube amps...not saying I can't adjust to it and like the amp, but it's there and most noticeable when you first hear it...well, maybe not the $150k Lamm monos with Wilson speakers at 2012 CES, but c'mon, what do you expect at that price?)   

Naksa 100 vs. Ncore a great rumble!  (both in stereo only because the Naksa 100 is stereo)   

Re. Bruno enjoying conversation, and not being afraid to call designers out for shoddy design: I've been around James Bongiorno quite a bit.  James, um, has strong opinions of most everything related to audio design in general, and power amp in particular.  If you don't know his history, check it.  He's one of the high end's original inventors.  In the early 2000s at CES when James won the High End Audio Technology Award (for Trinaural) he had a conversation with one of the head designers at Meridian (IIRC) and was just openly mocking their test equipment, which James considered to be from the stone age.

I would pay money to hear a conversation between James and Bruno.  It would be quite interesting because James is really into the hard science of test specifications, which it seems Bruno is also.  James one of analog's originals, Bruno with similar record (though shorter) in the digital realm.

ETA next batch Ncore is week 11, starts Monday 18 March!       

Hi James,

Well this brings up a few topics. For starters, I have a bit of familiarity with the "Son of Ampzilla" amp out of the mid to late .70's. I had at that time purchase a Mitsubishi amplifier, took it to a dealer and compared it to the ampzilla amp. As far as I could tell, the Mitsubishi was in the same league as the ampzilla, and much much more stable.

As far as James Bongiorno himself, i had yet to meet an amplifier designer that isn't opinionated.

Secondly, on the Naksa amp, I was debating getting that one. I was also debating on getting the ClassD amp, 440S, which was a refined 450 and 470S amp, more conseratively rated. Now this new Hypex is out, I'll wait to get more info and hopefully since you have the Naksa, I'll watch this thread for a comparison. Thanks for taking your valuable time to do this.

Ray Bronk

[OzarkTom]

it is possible to have tube gear extremely transparent - yust as transparent as solid state, w/o sounding at all like solid state.  good tubes has some soundstaging cues that i have never heard from solid state.  and detail in spades...  if you think tubes cannot be as transparent as solid state, or that making tubes sound "transparent" means making them lose what is nice about tubes - i.e.: making them sound like solid state - then you haven't heard what good tube equipment can do in a system...

regarding making pepsi taste like water, that would be a huge improvement, imo.  but, then again, i haven't drunk soft drinks in 30 years - i prefer water!   

doug s.

I went to St. Louis last weekend to a longtime audiophile friend. He has owned a bunch of Class A and tube amps over the years. His latest combo of the TBI Millenia Class D amp and Eximus DP1 Dac is the most transparent combo he has ever owned. The detail and transparency is out of sight, especially with the TBI on a battery. I took an AMR audiophile fuse with me and put that in the amp, there was even more tranparency and hall ambiance coming through. I never knew just a fuse would do that.

Nobody will ever complain that there is no tubes in the signal path of his system, that is how good his TBI-Eximus combo sounds. We tried his combo on Anthony Gallo Classico 4, Tonian TL-D1, and Rethm Trishna loudspeakers.

[OzarkTom]

See the Grimm audio LS1

http://www.grimmaudio.com/pro_loudspeakers_ls1.htm

Those Grimm LS1's looks very interesting, do you have any ideas of the US price?

[srb]

Those Grimm LS1's looks very interesting, do you have any ideas of the US price?

$15,495