Hypex NC252 failed (twice) -- suggestions for replacement?

[YouCanCallMeGeorge]

You are free to believe whatever you want, but the causal link between fossil fuel consumption and global warming is not controversial but accepted science.

There are many subjects that are said to be "uncontroversial" and "accepted science", but have considerably less acceptance and science than advertised. Please don't bring the subject up in my posts. There is no reason for it, and I don't come here to be lectured on it. Thank you.

 

[Rottmannash]

There are many subjects that are said to be "uncontroversial" and "accepted science", but have considerably less acceptance and science than advertised. Please don't bring the subject up in my posts. There is no reason for it, and I don't come here to be lectured on it. Thank you.

Your thread, your rules?

 

[diyhobby]

I also wondering why the Hypex 502MP heats so much when not in use. Hypex says 5W consumption when on standby . whats the meaning of standby if the amp heats up

While listing to music I sometimes fall asleep and its on all night if there is no track playing doesnt the amp go in standby

regards
anand

 

[DSJR]

I have to add that I personally witnessed the fallout over a pair of well made and cool running mono amps being left on all weekend when their owner was home from work. No issue for months until a supply rectifier component failed in one of them overnight (could be natural failure or a mains 'spike' down the line that we were suffering from back then and the one issue was that to prevent random fuse blowing, the maker had upped the fuse rating). The failure caused an internal meltdown and we had to fight like hell to get this one amp replaced.

From that moment on, I made sure all my gear was off 'at the wall' when I was out and not using it. Of course, the OP can do whatever they like, but honestly these days, there's no real need to keep audio on overnight unless it's needed - or is a Naim or something, which apparently needs weeks to 'warm up...'

 

[Rick Sykora]

I also wondering why the Hypex 502MP heats so much when not in use. Hypex says 5W consumption when on standby . whats the meaning of standby if the amp heats up

While listing to music I sometimes fall asleep and its on all night if there is no track playing doesnt the amp go in standby

regards
anand

Unless the OEM adds capability (like auto-off), the Hypex modules would still be idling in your use case. Standby is the state where power is reduced but not completely off. Typically, standby is achieved when auto-off occurs or a trigger off event occurs.

 

[YouCanCallMeGeorge]

Updates:
1: The warmth while idling overnight was due to the loose connector that feeds the pre-amp signal into the Hypex. While the connector is loose and making intermittent contact (indicated by "static" in one speaker), the noisy input signal results in a warm output section.

2: To avoid that warmth, and for reasons of safety as suggested by comments above, I do turn the amplifier off at the AC power switch at night.

3: The hot glue that I had put on the plug failed after a month or two, accompanied by a return of the loose connector problem.

4: I took the sledge hammer approach and attached a bolt to the amplifier case, adjusted to put five or ten pounds of downward pressure on the plug. That ought to do it.

5: Hypex would do well to spend ten cents per board and use the version of the connector that comes with retaining clips. The amplifier puts out the most gorgeous sound--why be cheap and lose customer good will over a few pennies?

[I also drilled 42 holes, 3/8" diameter, in the top of the case to improve ventilation, as seen in the photo.]

 

[Rick Sykora]

Lol, well brute force it is!

Agree on the locking clip, but also have to remember that Hypex expects ribbon cable on that connector not Mogami wire. Mogami wire was used to appeal to audiophiles and puts more stress on the connector than it was designed to handle. Buckeye and I are both no longer using it and use ribbon cable.

 

[YouCanCallMeGeorge]

Lol, well brute force it is!

Agree on the locking clip, but also have to remember that Hypex expects ribbon cable on that connector not Mogami wire. Mogami wire was used to appeal to audiophiles and puts more stress on the connector than it was designed to handle. Buckeye and I are both no longer using it and use ribbon cable.

Working with industrial machinery, I've seen plenty of ribbon cable connectors with retaining clips to hold the plug in place. Or at least I did back in the day. These days most multi-conductor signal wires have been replaced by high-speed serial links of one stripe or another, with threaded connectors. In the box that Buckeye built for me, I have no complaints about the workmanship. There is near-zero stress on the cable attached to the plug. My suspicion is that the plug works loose when the Hypex board flexes due to heat. Regardless, a high quality system should be protected against loose connectors, whether the stress is from cable strain, vibration, or any other cause. One of my favorite old man engineer sayings is, "A fifth grader could do this job if nothing ever went wrong." The engineer's job is to design a system that does the job while preventing things from going wrong.

 

[Rick Sykora]

Working with industrial machinery, I've seen plenty of ribbon cable connectors with retaining clips to hold the plug in place. Or at least I did back in the day. These days most multi-conductor signal wires have been replaced by high-speed serial links of one stripe or another, with threaded connectors. In the box that Buckeye built for me, I have no complaints about the workmanship. There is near-zero stress on the cable attached to the plug. My suspicion is that the plug works loose when the Hypex board flexes due to heat. Regardless, a high quality system should be protected against loose connectors, whether the stress is from cable strain, vibration, or any other cause. One of my favorite old man engineer sayings is, "A fifth grader could do this job if nothing ever went wrong." The engineer's job is to design a system that does the job while preventing things from going wrong.

…at the targeted cost (which you pay extra for with industrial electronics). Note Hypex used a locking connector on the NC1200.

From experience building that cable with Mogami (and other single strand) wire, it is not only the connector stress but the wire jacket. It makes it difficult to get the crimps to stay seated consistently. Good engineering also means deploying parts within the tolerances they were designed to be applied.

If your amp has even one loose pin may want to consider replacing the cable. If you have a crimp that is not locked in to the connector properly, putting stress on the outer wire may pull it away from the mating pin. If you continue to have problems, suggest you check for an unseated or loose crimps.

p.s.

Should clarify that the connector terminating the ribbon cable and the one used for individual wiring are different. With the right connector and crimps, the Hypex board can accept Mogami or other individual wires. Getting consistent crimps and proper seating is more problematic than using ribbon cable and the corresponding connector.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

One of the beauties of a free country is that we do not have to justify ourselves to others in matters not governed by law.

Back somewhere before 1920 Eddie Cantor recorded a tune called, "When They're Old Enough to Know Better, It's Better to Leave Them Alone."

 

[YouCanCallMeGeorge]

…at the targeted cost (which you pay extra for with industrial electronics). Note Hypex used a locking connector on the NC1200.

From experience building that cable with Mogami (and other single strand) wire, it is not only the connector stress but the wire jacket. It makes it difficult to get the crimps to stay seated consistently. Good engineering also means deploying parts within the tolerances they were designed to be applied.

If your amp has even one loose pin may want to consider replacing the cable. If you have a crimp that is not locked in to the connector properly, putting stress on the outer wire may pull it away from the mating pin. If you continue to have problems, suggest you check for an unseated or loose crimp.

Yes, it may be that one or more pins is not firmly crimped to the wire, or a pin is not properly locked into the connector. At the moment the sound is wonderful. If the problem surfaces again, I'll have to look at the connections.