Review and Measurements of Purifi 1ET400A Amplifier

[GrimSurfer]

+1. Maybe @Thomas savage could split out the chaff into some other thread to debate Bruno's moral and marketing principles? He has posted here; this kind of stuff is what drives people away.

+2. Self administered. Perhaps others could do same where appropriate.

 

[ti33er]

So are we expecting the ‘DIY’ versions to cost similar to nc400, which was just over £1K for a monoblock pair and the standard Nord nc500 was also around £1K?

I’d had the nc500 for some time, squired just as they were released; with colourless transparent Buffer Bruno designed (a kind soul on DIY Forums replaced many of the standard components, Resistors etc for high end variants and installed the Hypex Regulators to rule out any Input Buffer issues) which made subtle difference, a bit less harsh sounding I thought - my neighbour built a pair of nc400 last year and when we compared they sounded very similar indeed, so concluded that was the ‘sound’ of nCore and I didn’t have any build issues

I’d reiterate that nc1200 owners who had both nCore admitted there was an ‘organic’ sound quality to Bruno’s prize amplifier that the lesser did not have (‘dead-pan’ sound was a term used) ...if these new modules are nc1200 like in subjective sound terms, I may be interested....but £2400 for a pair (currently) is putting me off ...potentially paying more for the same, of which I just got rid of!

 

[ti33er]

I’m happy for Bruno to make money, he designed these things and deserves to reap his rewards ...I’m less happy for middle men to double or quadruple the cost selling them on (sorry) ;-)

 

[Thomas savage]

+1. Maybe @Thomas savage could split out the chaff into some other thread to debate Bruno's moral and marketing principles? He has posted here; this kind of stuff is what drives people away.

I think there is such a thread, please folks can you respect the OP.

I'm off to work ( busiest time of the year) if I remember later I will pull all the chaff out .

Thanks for pointing it out Mr Don .

 

[Julf]

I’d had the nc500 for some time, squired just as they were released; with colourless transparent Buffer Bruno designed (a kind soul on DIY Forums replaced many of the standard components, Resistors etc for high end variants and installed the Hypex Regulators to rule out any Input Buffer issues) which made subtle difference, a bit less harsh sounding I thought - my neighbour built a pair of nc400 last year and when we compared they sounded very similar indeed, so concluded that was the ‘sound’ of nCore and I didn’t have any build issues

What issues were you trying to address with the resistor change?

 

[ti33er]

What issues were you trying to address with the resistor change?

Changing all the parts in the Buffer for premium components was simply to rule out anything that could potentially degrade the signal into the amp module / Bruno’s Input Buffer was touted as an evaluation board and not a quality interface (true or not I didn’t want to take any risks)!

The biggest problem for me with nCore is around the treble area. No matter what I paired that nc500 with I could not enjoy the high frequencies which were too harsh...anyway the mod to the original Buffer was subtle at best

Believe me, I was really trying to like the nCore and hoping it would be the last amp I would buy

Maybe this new one is different; for my tastes

 

[Julf]

Maybe this new one is different; for my tastes

Maybe, maybe not - individual taste is hard to predict.

 

[Julf]

Changing all the parts in the Buffer for premium components was simply to rule out anything that could potentially degrade the signal into the amp module / Bruno’s Input Buffer was touted as an evaluation board and not a quality interface (true or not I didn’t want to take any risks)!

Did you compare the "before" and "after"?

 

[March Audio]

Changing all the parts in the Buffer for premium components was simply to rule out anything that could potentially degrade the signal into the amp module / Bruno’s Input Buffer was touted as an evaluation board and not a quality interface (true or not I didn’t want to take any risks)!

The biggest problem for me with nCore is around the treble area. No matter what I paired that nc500 with I could not enjoy the high frequencies which were too harsh...anyway the mod to the original Buffer was subtle at best

Believe me, I was really trying to like the nCore and hoping it would be the last amp I would buy

Maybe this new one is different; for my tastes

Just curious, what speakers are you using?

 

[ti33er]

Monitor Audio PL200 currently....neighbour has KEF Reference 5 (I think) ...tried them on TAG McLaren F1 and some other huge exotic USA speakers made out of solid marble (think he said they cost £30K)!

For me, treble always had this hardness and mids slightly recessed ...Im enjoying my ARCAM AVR450 more now for music; ashamedly :-(

 

[March Audio]

The PL200 is definitely a little hot in the high frequencies. Personally I find that excess in the 6 to 8khz range does cause harshness.

Your description is sort of what I might expect looking at the speaker plot.

basically flat, though the ribbon tweeter looks as if it is a couple of dB too high in level,

But the KEF isn't, look nicely balanced.

 

[Willem]

To be honest, given the flat response and low distortion of these and other good amplifiers, it is unlikely the harsness originates in the amplifier. I would think it is the speakers, or possibly the room.

 

[ti33er]

Thanks for the graphs, I do appreciate scientific/measured input...good to see the nature of the beasts - regarding room, I’ve tried near field listening and making make-shift forts out of big cushions and couches (like a crazy kid said my Wife)!

My issue was with all equipment I had tried, seemed to exhibit the same treble brashness (signature) ...the old TAG McLaren 60P amps I have and the ARCAM AVR are just easier to listen to and more enjoyable musically for me, but not perfect either in other ways - the bass from nCore is tremendous; but that is where I stopped enjoying them - I’m not alone with my sentiments ...I contacted couple of people selling their nCore on eBay past few years, just asking why they were selling, and once got chatting they echoed similar feelings I had :-(

I am not anti Class D and definitely not anti Bruno’s work and admire him...like I said, hoping these amps might sound a bit different ...it’s all progression

 

[maty]

It is assumed that the speakers are not facing the listener, located at the third vertex of the triangle, so that the frequency response will have a negative slope at that listening point.

Arcam AVR 550 has SNR-A at 1 watt (does not indicate it but it is usual ) of only 80 dB.

[Polish] https://audio.com.pl/testy/kino-domowe/amplitunery-av/2671-arcam-avr550


Monitor Audio PL200 II

 

[maty]

..I contacted couple of people selling their nCore on eBay past few years, just asking why they were selling, and once got chatting they echoed similar feelings I had :-(

I did the same for years ago, when the Hypex NC400 came out. The last one told me that he was returning to his valve SET -> H2 dominant, emotion.

My issue was with all equipment I had tried, seemed to exhibit the same treble brashness (signature) ...the old TAG McLaren 60P amps I have and the ARCAM AVR are just easier to listen to and more enjoyable musically for me, but not perfect either in other ways

I suspect you have a problem with your mains, a lot of RF/EMI.

 

[ti33er]

Thanks, I’d not rule that out - I’ve got an ISOTEK GII Vision (owned two) but I did not connect the nCore through this as Bruno said once it acts as a choke and his SMPS was very good at rejecting noise.

Appreciate the Loudspeaker measurements...TBH I wanted B&W Diamond, but having a young one in the house, the Monitor Audios have a nice metal grid to protect them (she has never assaulted my AV kit to date so I might change these one day) ;-)

 

[maty]

I think you need to try the ARCAM with a very good discrete RF/EMI filter, with very good measurements, like:

And cheap!

 

[maty]

To finish,

[Hungarian] https://www.av-online.hu/hazimozi/arcam-avr450-hazimozi-erosito-teszt_1398

I can see two cheap black ferrites (usually works only > 1 Mhz)

[IMG, link] https://www.av-online.hu/pictures/gallery/arcam-avr450_2015-05-08/big/Arcam_AVR450_inside_3_big.jpg

[IMG, link] https://www.av-online.hu/pictures/gallery/arcam-avr450_2015-05-08/big/Arcam_AVR450_inside_4_big.jpg

 

[ti33er]

Not wanting to go too offtopic here ...do you mean changing out the IEC input on the AVR for an EMI Filter variant? Thanks

 

[boXem]

Yes, that's what he wants. Please don't.
If you have time to loose, search 'IEC' on the forum, you may find the results enlightening, or sad, pending your mood.