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Hypex Nilai500DIY Amplifier Review

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 4 1.1%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 13 3.5%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 74 19.9%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 281 75.5%

  • Total voters
    372

Buckeye Amps

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I did watch the video. But seeing how it wasn’t a properly setup test and I’m not there in person, definitely would not draw any conclusions.

But luckily we have Amir to do real objective testing and measurements for us to draw conclusions from that we can then use to weigh a decision to purchase a product and listen/judge for ourselves.
 

boXem

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I do hate repeating myself, I am aware that a compressed opus audio stream is not good enough for a true comparison. However, if you can be bothered to watch the video you will be able to tell a difference (if your system is as revealing as mine).

Read by comments on the post with the video.
Did you consider that hearing such a huge difference could have different causes than differences between the amps?
 

ryanosaur

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This is my mantra right now as I stare at at the PayPal button in my Cart...
A-F'n-men, Bruddah! ;)
The great irony imo is that the greatest amps for a reasonable price are made in the EU. The greatest passive speakers and subs in the US. You can choose one great deal, but not both.
Like all things Audio... it's a process of managing the tradeoffs. :D
 

buz

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Opus really is the least issue with that undertaking...
 

ryanosaur

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Little late to the party, but really glad to see this... and the other new reviews of the Hypex stuff. Thank you @amirm !

All things being equal, the new gear looks like a step up from the older NCore options... sometimes small, sometimes greater. Like everything else in a complex system it will be about picking and choosing what is best for each situation.

Definitely tempting to step up to these from NC400s... add Nilai up front and move the 400s to Surround duty... move the old Outlaw 2200s to Atmos... :D
 

RandomEar

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I do hate repeating myself, I am aware that a compressed opus audio stream is not good enough for a true comparison. However, if you can be bothered to watch the video you will be able to tell a difference (if your system is as revealing as mine).

Read by comments on the post with the video.
O come on man. Is this a troll attempt? Let me show you the signal chain here:

Unknown source (including unknown settings, which may not even be the same for all amps) -> DAC -> amp to be tested -> speakers in random room (level matched?) -> microphone (level matched?) -> audio capture, editing and potential lossy compression -> YouTube lossy compression -> your PC or streaming device (including all settings) -> your DAC (including all settings) -> your speakers in your room -> your ears

That are 9 elements in the signal chain between the original source and your ears. And they are all relevant, because the video creator might have knowingly or unknowingly changed settings on any element outside of your control. It is beyond ridiculous to claim that you can make out a difference between amps in such a test setup.
 

dtaylo1066

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Given past track record, one cannot even be surprised at Hypex's continued excellence. Their products are state of the art. Not surprising, but most admirable.
 

RandomEar

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That is superb performance with distortion at or below -140 dB! There is a bit of noise around 10 kHz which gets amplified when gain is boosted:

To be fair: The fact that we can even see the noise at that level is due to the extremely low FFT noise floor of -147 dB on the Nilai. For most amps - even the best ones from recent years - the noise floor touches between -140 dB and -135 dB at the upper end, which would make that little hump around 10 kHz invisible.
 

AndyBeckett

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O come on man. Is this a troll attempt? Let me show you the signal chain here:

Unknown source (including unknown settings, which may not even be the same for all amps) -> DAC -> amp to be tested -> speakers in random room (level matched?) -> microphone (level matched?) -> audio capture, editing and potential lossy compression -> YouTube lossy compression -> your PC or streaming device (including all settings) -> your DAC (including all settings) -> your speakers in your room -> your ears

That are 9 elements in the signal chain between the original source and your ears. And they are all relevant, because the video creator might have knowingly or unknowingly changed settings on any element outside of your control. It is beyond ridiculous to claim that you can make out a difference between amps in such a test setup.
I disagree. Whilst it would be quite impossible to ascertain subtle detail, tonal differences would come through. There was a noticeable difference in tone between the amps.
Denying that is like saying opus can't pass more than one frequency.
 

AndyBeckett

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I did watch the video. But seeing how it wasn’t a properly setup test and I’m not there in person, definitely would not draw any conclusions.

But luckily we have Amir to do real objective testing and measurements for us to draw conclusions from that we can then use to weigh a decision to purchase a product and listen/judge for ourselves.
I'd be interested in your opinion when the OEM version comes out, initial impression is that it's a step forward. We shall have to see.
 

Mnyb

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I disagree. Whilst it would be quite impossible to ascertain subtle detail, tonal differences would come through. There was a noticeable difference in tone between the amps.
Denying that is like saying opus can't pass more than one frequency.
You are trolling ( another one the ignore list ) this is blatant proof that something else is up ?
Tonal differences of the kind that they survive this process and are easily audible are several magnitudes bigger than the actual differences between these amplifiers .

If the test where properly conducted ( just for the sake of discussion) no one would be able to hear any differences in the video. The mere facts that you can hear something proves that something is wrong.

If the microphone moved an millimetre or a speaker is moved or one of the amps running into a limit or clipping would ruin this. Or custom buffer stage with weird properties ? Or ... just about anything.

Tonal differences always implies frequency response differences ? Which is curious with amps that are essentially flat ?
 

maty

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Would not it be better to ask Alpha-Audio to share the original audio so that nobody has the excuse of YouTube compression?

Or do it again (without streaming), but only with the piano track and those two amps?


Alpha-Audio-live-stream-maty.png
 

Buckeye Amps

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Would not it be better to ask Alpha-Audio to share the original audio so that nobody has the excuse of YouTube compression?

Or do it again (without streaming), but only with the piano track and those two amps?


View attachment 262266
The only real way to A/B test two amplifiers is completely blinded, in person, with the ability to switch between the two on the fly without.

Otherwise use objective data available to decide on one or the other and trial in your own setup.

And this isn’t me replying as a manufacturer. But as someone who has been in this hobby long enough to know what place online listening reviews should take in the hierarchy of making a decision.
 

AndyBeckett

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The only real way to A/B test two amplifiers is completely blinded, in person, with the ability to switch between the two on the fly without.

Otherwise use objective data available to decide on one or the other and trial in your own setup.

And this isn’t me replying as a manufacturer. But as someone who has been in this hobby long enough to know what place online listening reviews should take in the hierarchy of making a decision.
And I would agree. But as I said in my original post, I could tell the difference and despite watching with my eyes closed so I couldn't be influenced by the 3 guys in the room, every thought I had matched what they were saying. Every one.
 

Sokel

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And I would agree. But as I said in my original post, I could tell the difference and despite watching with my eyes closed so I couldn't be influenced by the 3 guys in the room, every thought I had matched what they were saying. Every one.
I hope you're joking about all this.
I really do.
It would made sense to do so,coupled with how much of a joke this video is.
 

maty

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And this isn’t me replying as a manufacturer. But as someone who has been in this hobby long enough to know what place online listening reviews should take in the hierarchy of making a decision.

The difference is so substantial (piano track) that it was unbelievable, at least in my second stereo system. It is true that my new amplifier is class AB and not class D. Perhaps many are unable to appreciate the difference for this reason, in addition to not having optimized the operating system to play multimedia.

Let's see if there is luck and share two audio files, in 24/48 FLAC (like those of the previous tests with other amplifiers, DACs, loudspeakers...).

Total-Commander-Alpha-Audio-tracks.png
 

Biagiod

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I disagree. Whilst it would be quite impossible to ascertain subtle detail, tonal differences would come through. There was a noticeable difference in tone between the amps.
Denying that is like saying opus can't pass more than one frequency.
Are you THAT naive? Are you POSITIVE you are willing to judge amps differences thru YOUTUBE not even knowing the setup?
.. tonal differences coming thru?..

Nilai vs Purifi vs ICE. If we hear TONAL differences thru youtube I just can't imagine what kind of HUGE differences could be heard live...

All problems solved then. Juts need Amir to upload a FLAC of a 15 sec piano track for every amp he tests and we will INSTANLY know which one is better. Why did not we think of it years ago? Damn !

I guess it is a difficult world out there.
 
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