Apollon Audio AS1200 Review (Stereo Power Amplifier)

[VintageFlanker]

i confirm that those white blobs are made of silicone for damping vibrations and noise from the unit itself, similar solutions are used on PC PSU for the same purpose.

Seems like it. I will correct that in the review.

@VintageFlanker maybe you have DC offset in your mains power? This could cause transformer hum.

I don't. I had many class D amps from ICEpower, Ncore, Nuprime, and traditional class AB. None had this kind of noise. For what it's worth, I use a Supra Mainblock with filter. The amp is connected properly with phase on hot pin (checked with electric-test screwdriver). Also, I already heard about this noise on forums so wasn't surprised. Still not a massive issue for me as I don't hear it 2 meters from the amp.
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/class-d/334801-icepower-1200as2-buzzing-issue.html

Also, I have no hum/buzz in my unit

Glad for you!

My 15year old son who has the best "golden ears" in the family claims bigger dynamic range and control than before (Plinius SA250 MKII), which is a testament to how good they work here

BTW, here is the THD+N vs Power of your past Plinius SA250 MKII:

1200AS2 seems to perform much better in my book.

 

[Matias]

By the way, Apollon and Nord use italian made Modushop cases. Here are the typical options with 1mm iron top cover:
https://modushop.biz/site/index.php?route=product/category&path=73

Maybe use the 3mm aluminum top cover instead?
https://modushop.biz/site/index.php?route=product/category&path=74

PS: 3mm covers are sold spare as well
https://modushop.biz/site/index.php?route=product/category&path=138

 

[VintageFlanker]

Maybe use the 3mm aluminum top cover instead?
https://modushop.biz/site/index.php?route=product/category&path=74

Thanks. I will measure if my top plate is 3mm or 1mm. I like this one, BTW: https://modushop.biz/site/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=504

Edit: Already 3mm thick! Pity.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Subjective listening added (for what it's worth). Also, some corrections. Hum noise recorded and uploaded!

 

[gwh]

The only "problem" I have after day one with the amp.... wouldn't it be interesting to buy another one and run them as monoblocks ....?
My wallet will kill me if I do, so it'll be interesting to see if I have enough willpower to say no

 

[VintageFlanker]

The only "problem" I have after day one with the amp....

What "problem"?

wouldn't it be interesting to buy another one and run them as monoblocks ....?

I don't think so. No audible improvements... unless to put the peak power to 1200W/8ohms? (not bridged, but one channel driven). Who on earth need that much power?

it'll be interesting to see if I have enough willpower to say no

They are powering a pair of MA PL300 mk1, fed from a cambridge cxn streamer.

First, you have to think your gear cannot put the AS1200 to its maximum level. Neither the CA CXN or the D70 are able to reach 5V output. Then, your PL300 are 90db sensitive and can handle 300W max under 4 ohms. More power than an AS1200 alone would be useless.

 

[daftcombo]

For now, the Ncores are sold and the AS1200 won't go anywhere. What I got is nothing but an exceptional listening experience. Translate exceptional by: the music sounds as it should. Nothing more, nothing less. Some say everything is about power? Fine, I have tons in stock! A future-proof purchase for sure. Now I've got SOTA DAC/preamp, paired with an insanely powerful, yet transparent enough, power block... The only direction I can look at for upgrades is: speakers. Perfect situation for me

My question is: was the experience any worse with another amp and another DAC on the same speakers?

 

[gwh]

What "problem"?


I don't think so. No audible improvements... unless to put the peak power to 1200W/8ohms? (not bridged, but one channel driven). Who on earth need that much power?



First, you have to think your gear cannot put the AS1200 to its maximum level. Neither the CA CXN or the D70 are able to reach 5V output. Then, your PL300 are 90db sensitive and can handle 300W max under 4 ohms. More power than an AS1200 alone would be useless.

And i really like voices of reason, thank you
Will have to read up a little on which dac's can reach 5v.

 

[daftcombo]

Hi,
Wouldn't this one be as powerful and even cleaner than Apollon at the end of the day?
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/powe...s-d-amplifier-2x500w-4-ohm-ncore-p-13344.html

 

[Matias]

Hi,
Wouldn't this one be as powerful and even cleaner than Apollon at the end of the day?
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/powe...s-d-amplifier-2x500w-4-ohm-ncore-p-13344.html

ICEpower 1200AS does 700W at 4 ohms both channels driven, while nCore NC500MP does 500W at 4 ohms each module, so not as powerful. In practice both are powerful enough.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Hi,
Wouldn't this one be as powerful and even cleaner than Apollon at the end of the day?
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/powe...s-d-amplifier-2x500w-4-ohm-ncore-p-13344.html

Cleaner in measurements for sure. But far less powerful under 8ohms (270W at 1%THD, and clipps even before that.. vs ≈500W before clipping for 1200AS2).

My question is: was the experience any worse with another amp and another DAC on the same speakers?

Impossible to say it accurately. As I said, no proper AB test, so most is related to psychoacoustics. I would say both NC250MP and 1200AS2 seem cleaner regarding distortion than my previous PMA-2500NE. NC250MP is audibly on par with THE 1200AS2, but the power of the Apollon gives it an audible (perceived) advantage.
The ADI-2 DAC is the heart of my system(s) for more than one year now. So I forgot about how others performed!

 

[daftcombo]

Cleaner in measurements for sure. But far less powerful under 8ohms (270W at 1%THD, and clipps even before that.. vs ≈500W before clipping for 1200AS2).

Impossible to say it accurately. As I said, no proper AB test, so most is related to psychoactic. I would say both NC250MP and 1200AS2 seem cleaner regarding distortion than my previous PMA-2500NE. NC250MP is audibly on par with THE 1200AS2, but the power of the Apollon gives it an audible (perceived) advantage.
The ADI-2 DAC is the heart of my system(s) for more than one year now. So I forgot about how others performed!

On the Focal website, I can read that they recommend 25W - 120W for the amplifier.
The two NC250MP should be more than enough then (2x130W) so if you perceived a difference, it might have been outside of their comfort zone?

EDIT: I just saw that the 130W were for THD 1%, so yeah perhaps it can sound cleaner at loud volume with the Apollon?

 

[VintageFlanker]

The two NC250MP should be more than enough then (2x130W) so if you perceived a difference, it might have been outside of their comfort zone?

Nope. As I said, I pushed the Arias to their supposed maximum (as the Silver 10s). Outside of their confort zone, I would have destroyed them. No idea about the real power, but it would have been around 100W or so (cannot know)...

EDIT: I just saw that the 130W were for THD 1%, so yeah perhaps it can sound cleaner at loud volume with the Apollon?

Exactly !

Compare the behaviour of the NC250MP:

VS 1200AS2:

Note the scale is way larger for the 1200AS2. The NC250MP starts to clipp around 100W. That's less than 1/4 of the 1200AS2 abilities. Anyway, what I said about audibility is more related to the feeling of power (due to higher sensitivity) rather than the real power itself.

 

[mocenigo]

Hi. Nice to read that you are happy with your amp.

It is VERY easy to give a feeling of much better stability to the case, you only need some car audio alubutyl (like the STP BLACK GOLD) and some neoprene or cell caoutchouc/natural rubber tape (1 cm wide, 1mm deep). Just stick the alubutyl on the inside of the top and bottom lids and the natural rubber tape on the side and rear borders of the lids, with openings for the screws. Maybe you need longer screws then, I know I did.

The result is very good. It will still bend a bit but it will not rattle at all. I have two Ncore 500 mono blocks from Apollon and they "feel" completely different with this little case mod.

Apollon has improved the situation in more recent builds, if you look on the web site, the deeper cases have now 3 screws per side. If they only have added another central screw in the front and one at the back into those "L" shaped connecting elements they have elsewhere in the enclosure, then it would be absolutely solid.

Or one could order amps with the new premium enclosures ;-) They really look slick (and they look much nicer than some of their competition).

Roberto

View attachment 35962

Disclaimer: What goes next comes with: a) My not so great English b) Unprofessional pictures shot with my phone c) Not that much of technical knowledge!

Hi folks,

I just received my new power amp and thought there was a lot to say about it. The aforementioned is the Apollon AS1200.

[...]

Well, that seems all good... but in fact I really do have something to complain here: External build quality does NOT feel good in hands.

The top and rear plates are to blame. I have no idea about the metal used, but it is clearly not rigid/solid enough. Put a pressure with your finger on the center of either the rear or the top and the plates will bend (temporally, of course). Then, you will hear the top plate scraping against the front one. Good news here is you won't hear some rattle noise while massive bass music is playing (...hopefully). Also, it doesn't feel "fragile" either: I don't think it is going to break anytime soon . Nothing to complain about the front and the sides, both feel really thick and solid.

[..]

Bottom line: Do I recommend the Apollon AS1200?... YES! For the price, sure, you could find better measuring or better built amps, but nothing close to the monsterhorsepower this AS1200 is able to deliver! Highly recommended if you can deal with its downsides.

 

[mocenigo]

I would say though, that Rouge Audio could be the exception. Their Alauda range looks really premium with massive machined aluminium... at least on pictures. About internal build tho, I'm still thinking Apollon does the better job.

Those cases are from TAKACHI. Beautiful, a bit on the expensive side, but if you like them, worth the price. They usually do not have the double bottom as the Apollons - the components there are mounted on an additional place which is affixed to the sides, giving additional mechanic isolation and a clear amplifier bottom (not 100% sure about Rouge, they might have added a second bottom of their own, but when Rivera was using them, there were screws viewable on the under side of the amplifiers).

Roberto

 

[daftcombo]

Hi,

Do you feel the bass of the Aria 906 is tighter with the Apollon than with your former amps?
That's what the Soundstage reviewer subjectively noticed when he swapped amps:
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/768-focal-aria-906-loudspeakers

The only real weakness of the Aria 906 could be in the quality of its bass. I say “could be” because, with both the Anthem MRX 510 and the combo of Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 and Integra DTA-70.1, I found the bass a bit warm and a touch resonant. However, late in my listening, I tried the Aria 906 with the Nuprime IDA-16 integrated amplifier ($2350; review in the works), which considerably tightened the bass response. Your experience may vary, depending on the quality of amplification you drive the Focals with.

The amplifiers he used seem to have about the same power though.
The Nuprime is class A+D, I didn't know it existed.

 

[VintageFlanker]

The Nuprime is class A+D, I didn't know it existed.

I have their amps (STA-9s bridged) back in 2016. Good offering for the price and decently powerful.

Do you feel the bass of the Aria 906 is tighter with the Apollon than with your former amps?

Honestly: not really.

As I said in my subjective impressions, most of this kind of feelings is related to the amount (or bigger sensitivity) of power. Most probably, if level matched, I wouldn't be able to pick the AS1200 over the NCores or my previous Denon 2500NE.

The only real weakness of the Aria 906 could be in the quality of its bass. I say “could be” because, with both the Anthem MRX 510 and the combo of Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 and Integra DTA-70.1, I found the bass a bit warm and a touch resonant. However, late in my listening, I tried the Aria 906 with the Nuprime IDA-16 integrated amplifier ($2350; review in the works), which considerably tightened the bass response.

Highly typical of subjective reviewers: Class D = tighter bass. Glad he didn't test a Class A amp to discover how much more natural the midrange was...

 

[PierreV]

Highly typical of subjective reviewers: Class D = tighter bass. Glad he didn't test a Class A amp to discover how much more natural the midrange was...

I won't jump and drown into the pool of subjectivity (or at least will try not to ), but I did find that the NC400 monoblocks improved the bass of my Focal Scala Utopia very significantly compared to other amps I had in store. I bought them as a small project, to test the hype surrounding them and I thought they would end up being relegated to secondary/back up duty. I never thought I'd keep those fugly small black boxes with an inconvenient power switch in my main setups. Yet, one year later, they still are. My work hypothesis is that the Utopia's impedance fall a bit too low in bass and is hard to drive for some amps. I don't hear any differences switching amps on the Giyas, yet only the NC400 drive the Utopia's to my satisfaction. I don't think (but hey, you never know) it is ownership bias because I can freely mix and match different components in the same room and this is definitely not a listening level issue.

But, on smaller boxes with relatively over-capable amplifiers, I guess this isn't an issue.

(Note: I tried to google quickly an impedance plot for the 906 but could not find any)

 

[daftcombo]

(Note: I tried to google quickly an impedance plot for the 906 but could not find any)

Here you go:

source: https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/i...&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153

 

[VintageFlanker]

, yet only the NC400 drive the Utopia's to my satisfaction.

Driving 32K€ speakers with 700€ power amps... Hardcore audiophiles should get sick reading this.