Review and Measurements of Purifi 1ET400A Amplifier

[March Audio]

Presumably PURIFI do not sell the box in addition to the kit, so if we want a similar we have to make some estimates of the measures. The most important, for me, is the thickness of the sides. It is assumed that the DIY case is made of aluminum.

t.

Even though the most significant potential (note potential) RF problems are already in case caused by the SMPS and the amp itself and RF is potentially leaking in and out through the case holes and wiring/connectors?

 

[maxxevv]

Its an interesting problem. Unless the OEM offering is differentiated from the DIY offering (technically or by pricing or both) there is no doubt that it does damage the OEM manufacturers ability to sell product to a degree. BTW I dont have a problem with DIY, thoroughly encourage it in fact.

Having said this the DIY market is separate from the OEM market. The amount of people that have the ability and the desire to build their own amps is actually quite small in the scheme of things. Most people want to buy a fully built, tested and warranted product in a nice case.

That is right!

Its exactly the case with the DIY PC market. Peripherals over the last 30 years have evolved to the point of plug-and-play. Even though its so, its like 1 in 10 out there have any clue of how to do it or have the confidence to do it. Push things back 30 years, it was closer to 1 in 250, when you have to match components correctly with the compatible protocols and connectors.

The way I see it, this DIY amp modules thing is somewhere the PC components market was perhaps 25 years ago. People who can and are willing to try assembling themselves are few in between but its an evolving market. Integrators have perhaps another 10 years or so before it evolves into something like the PC market is today , very deep integration in terms of notebooks or desktops and software enhancements that's not available in DIY level. And ridiculously low margins.

 

[March Audio]

That is right!

Its exactly the case with the DIY PC market. Peripherals over the last 30 years have evolved to the point of plug-and-play. Even though its so, its like 1 in 10 out there have any clue of how to do it or have the confidence to do it. Push things back 30 years, it was closer to 1 in 250, when you have to match components correctly with the compatible protocols and connectors.

The way I see it, this DIY amp modules thing is somewhere the PC components market was perhaps 25 years ago. People who can and are willing to try assembling themselves are few in between but its an evolving market. Integrators have perhaps another 10 years or so before it evolves into something like the PC market is today , very deep integration in terms of notebooks or desktops and software enhancements that's not available in DIY level. And ridiculously low margins.

Its also interesting if we take PCs as an example, that they have become commodity. I used to build PCs but dont bother any more because there is no performance or cost advantage to do so. Off the shelf is just fine for 99% applications for 99% of people.

 

[maxxevv]

Maybe they'll just add weight. No joke, I think it has been proven somewhere that especially male customers associate higher weight with better equipment. I could honestly see that integrators may deem these modules too compact and light to appeal to some. They might proceed by adding huge transformers and linear power supplies with huge capacitors and linear voltage regulators so there is weight and heat, because an amp that is light and stays cool can't be state of the art obviously...

As a side note to my post reply to @March Audio , it will be about things that DIY hobbyists cannot replicate easily.

There was a thread about a DIY aftermarket cases for Hypex amp modules if you haven't seen that. Those were absolute jewels, even from someone like me who deals with CNC work on an almost weekly basis. So, it will have to be " deeper " than that.

PSU's have evolved in DIY PC too. It used to a disparage array of connectors and boards / transformaer when things first started out. After maybe 3~5 years, manufacturers came out with modules that can be swapped between systems.

If there is a market to support it, I would expect things to move in a similar way. The wide array of DIY DAC boards available on the market is probably a good indicator of how things are going to evolve in the years to come.

 

[kn0ppers]

@March Audio

I certainly think there is more of an overlap with your business model and the DIY market. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think similar to a vendor from the UK your concept is to offer a high quality enclosure (Maybe also custom input buffering? I don't know your products that well...) and good customer support while maintain a competitive price point. ICEPower also opened themselves to DIY a bit more, but like Hypex, their finest creations are still pretty much exclusive to their partners. I very much expect Purifi to proceed in a similar way.

Edit:

Regarding maty's concerns, I think he needs a custom case milled from a solid block of aluminium. Maybe he should get a CNC Mill.

 

[onslash]

Its also interesting if we take PCs as an example, that they have become commodity. I used to build PCs but dont bother any more because there is no performance or cost advantage to do so. Off the shelf is just fine for 99% applications for 99% of people.

I'd have to disagree , there is a lot of cost and performance gain. Besides when you have better quality components (like better motherboard) which most diy are better that oem , you can overclock for even more performance , something you can't do with most oem units. There are companies like digital storm or pudget who offers service that uses the exact best components you can get from the diy market but they charge like twice more , not exactly a small difference.

 

[maxxevv]

I'd have to disagree , there is a lot of cost and performance gain. Besides when you have better quality components (like better motherboard) which most diy are better that oem , you can overclock for even more performance , something you can't do with most oem units. There are companies like digital storm or pudget who offers service that uses the exact best components you can get from the diy market but they charge like twice more , not exactly a small difference.

That's possibly in the US or European markets ??

In the Asian market, the DIY scene is so competitive that many shops basically sell components for almost break even and rely on distributor sales volume target rebates to make the bulk of their margins. Most of these shops earn from helping people assemble their choice parts, and most of they time, or at least the ones I have seen charge really modest sums for the service. Usually in the range of US$100/- or less for a complete TOTL setup that costs close to US$1500/-. And the incredible thing about these shops is that they can turn around and assembly in an hour while the customer goes to the nearest cafe or a meal or coffee. And you can actually bring the units back with a 1~3 month shop warranty and they will troubleshoot any hardware issues if any for free, swap out components if they have warranty claims.

Its that competitive in Asia. And its been so for a while now.
(I have seen it in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, its probably similar in places like China, Vietnam and Indonesia. )

 

[onslash]

That's possibly in the US or European markets ??

In the Asian market, the DIY scene is so competitive that many shops basically sell components for almost break even and rely on distributor sales volume target rebates to make the bulk of their margins. Most of these shops earn from helping people assemble their choice parts, and most of they time, or at least the ones I have seen charge really modest sums for the service. Usually in the range of US$100/- or less for a complete TOTL setup that costs close to US$1500/-. And the incredible thing about these shops is that they can turn around and assembly in an hour while the customer goes to the nearest cafe or a meal or coffee. And you can actually bring the units back with a 1~3 month shop warranty and they will troubleshoot any hardware issues if any for free, swap out components if they have warranty claims.

Its that competitive in Asia. And its been so for a while now.
(I have seen it in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, its probably similar in places like China, Vietnam and Indonesia. )

Yes , i am aware. I would consider these shops as " diy " , different from off the shelf which means those big brands like asus , acer , etc. As I said , there is alot to be gain from going diy instead of "off the shelf"

 

[March Audio]

@March Audio

I certainly think there is more of an overlap with your business model and the DIY market. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think similar to a vendor from the UK your concept is to offer a high quality enclosure (Maybe also custom input buffering? I don't know your products that well...) and good customer support while maintain a competitive price point. ICEPower also opened themselves to DIY a bit more, but like Hypex, their finest creations are still pretty much exclusive to their partners. I very much expect Purifi to proceed in a similar way.

Edit:

Regarding maty's concerns, I think he needs a custom case milled from a solid block of aluminium. Maybe he should get a CNC Mill.

There really isnt . There are several companies doing similar things to me. You might want to read another thread regarding input buffers.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...x-nc1200-quality-of-the-implementations.7918/

The vast majority of people wouldnt contemplate DIYing, or have the skills and confidence. Its a relatively small market.

 

[March Audio]

I'd have to disagree , there is a lot of cost and performance gain. Besides when you have better quality components (like better motherboard) which most diy are better that oem , you can overclock for even more performance , something you can't do with most oem units. There are companies like digital storm or pudget who offers service that uses the exact best components you can get from the diy market but they charge like twice more , not exactly a small difference.

You are making my point. These are all things enthusiasts do, not your average consumer.

I have a 32 core dual xeon server for video rendering etc, but 99% of my computing, including things like 3D cad and circuit board design is done on a relatively inexpensive i7 NUC or even lower spec laptop. Higher performance or customisation is just not required.

 

[pirad]

There definitely are lots of valid arguments for selling to the DIY market and also for not doing so. I think Hypex found quite a reasonable balance, offering many products for DIY but keeping some exclusive to their partners.

Hypex had reserved their top models to chosen OEM partners, not all OEM customers had acces to them, let alone DIYs. Recently NC1200 and NC2000 became available to all OEMs, no questions asked.That might be a reaction to Purify. It would be interesting to compare NC1200 to Purify, given until recently the former appeared in amps costing 10k and more.

 

[kn0ppers]

Apart from the fact that I think we

There really isnt . There are several companies doing similar things to me. You might want to read another thread regarding input buffers.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...x-nc1200-quality-of-the-implementations.7918/

The vast majority of people wouldnt contemplate DIYing, or have the skills and confidence. Its a relatively small market.

What I meant to say was more that while the majority of your customers probably would not contemplate DIYing, your products might still appeal to those who could, due to the competitive price point. This is not as true for the more mainstream brands with a potentially higher markup.

And @pirad : See, I didn't know that for sure but also kind of expected that not all of their OEM partners have the same privileges.

Edit: See, you say 10k and more, March sells his P701 for about 1,5k (on sale) I think. That's what I meant. And I know there are tons of implementations, but I don't really care. If I remember 3 out of 10 or more, it's enough

 

[March Audio]

Apart from the fact that I think we


What I meant to say was more that while the majority of your customers probably would not contemplate DIYing, your products might still appeal to those who could, due to the competitive price point. This is not as true for the more mainstream brands with a potentially higher markup.

And @pirad : See, I didn't know that for sure but also kind of expected that not all of their OEM partners have the same privileges.

aahh sorry I see Yes a possibility

 

[maty]

Even though the most significant potential (note potential) RF problems are already in case caused by the SMPS and the amp itself and RF is potentially leaking in and out through the case holes and wiring/connectors?

Hypex SMPS presumes to radiate very little. Then we have two options:

* Use the aluminum heatsink as shield.

* Save a certain distance from the modules. Distance from the SMPS coils. Election choice here.

The breathing grid is on one side, away from the audio circuitry. It would have been better if they were small rounded holes so that they would not act like antennas like the narrow, elongated holes.

The XLR and speaker connectors are already installed in the connector board, so it is assumed that care has been taken to prevent radiations < 150 kHz from entering the wiring. Higher than 150 kHz are those that we have to protect with a good box (also the f < 150 kHz of course) with thick aluminum walls.

So if we choose the star-quad geometry for the external wiring and metal connectors we will continue betting on excellence. The same could be done with the intern or, at least, add meshes. The one that will radiate the most is the power cable, which in this case does have a mesh.

What was said, they knew very well what they were doing.

Presumably the inlet incorporates a fuse. Someone can do "business" about it.

 

[maty]

If once built we want to make sure that we have done well, in addition to the usual multimeter, oscilloscope..., it would not hurt:

Howto - Distortion Measurements with REW by xrk971

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/338511-howto-distortion-measurements-rew.html

 

[March Audio]

Hypex SMPS presumes to radiate very little. Then we have two options:

* Use the aluminum heatsink as shield.

* Save a certain distance from the modules. Distance from the SMPS coils. Election choice here.

The breathing grid is on one side, away from the audio circuitry. It would have been better if they were small rounded holes so that they would not act like antennas like the narrow, elongated holes.

The XLR and speaker connectors are already installed in the connector board, so it is assumed that care has been taken to prevent radiations < 150 kHz from entering the wiring. Higher than 150 kHz are those that we have to protect with a good box (also the f < 150 kHz of course) with thick aluminum walls.

So if we choose the star-quad geometry for the external wiring and metal connectors we will continue betting on excellence. The same could be done with the intern or, at least, add meshes. The one that will radiate the most is the power cable, which in this case does have a mesh.

What was said, they knew very well what they were doing.

Presumably the inlet incorporates a fuse. Someone can do "business" about it.

So many assumptions, so little information.

 

[March Audio]

If once built we want to make sure that we have done well, in addition to the usual multimeter, oscilloscope..., it would not hurt:

Howto - Distortion Measurements with REW by xrk971

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/338511-howto-distortion-measurements-rew.html

View attachment 29081

View attachment 29076

I would enjoy watching 400w rms being fed into that.

 

[maty]

If you had read the thread you would know that different cheap BIG resistors were mentioned to measure the amplifiers at maximum power and where to buy.

 

[March Audio]

If you had read the thread you would know that different cheap BIG resistors were mentioned to measure the amplifiers at maximum power and where to buy.

The resistors should also really be non inductive. BTW Class D may cause problems for an audio ADC input. A filter is required.

 

[restorer-john]

I would enjoy watching 400w rms being fed into that.

It would last precisely.....that long.