Apollon NCx500ST Stereo Amplifier Review

[CleanSound]

It is satisfying to see you satisfied for the price you paid. Some pay for pride, some just need an electronic device to play the music.

Different people have different priorities, some are looking for the cheapest, some are looking for the prettiest, some are utilitarians. And different people are at different stages in their life. But no matter what your priorities are, these Hypex amp got you cover.

This amp is the quietest amp Ive ever owned . a great bargain at the price its sold for.

100% agree.

 

[Xcaliber]

This amp is the quietest amp Ive ever owned . a great bargain at the price its sold for.

Personally, when i'm shopping for amp like this...the power output, features, build quality, cost, and aesthetic are on top of my list, as far as SINAD, SN, THD and other parameters...they're fun to look at but have very little practical purposes in my application, to be honest....as long as the noise level measured up to the $50 Aiyima A07 then I'll be completely satisfied and absolutely thrilled. lol

 

[CleanSound]

Personally, when i'm shopping for amp like this...the power output, features, build quality, cost, and aesthetic are on top of my list, as far as SINAD, SN, THD and other parameters...they're fun to look at but have very little practical purposes in my application, to be honest....as long as the noise level measured up to the $50 Aiyima A07 then I'll be completely satisfied and absolutely thrilled. lol

I know this is many times more expensive, but more power. . .for your consideration.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOHoiP8

 

[CleanSound]

Personally, when i'm shopping for amp like this...the power output, features, build quality, cost, and aesthetic are on top of my list, as far as SINAD, SN, THD and other parameters...they're fun to look at but have very little practical purposes in my application, to be honest....as long as the noise level measured up to the $50 Aiyima A07 then I'll be completely satisfied and absolutely thrilled. lol

And in the event you want to splurge:

One moment, please...

 

[Xcaliber]

I know this is many times more expensive, but more power. . .for your consideration.

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mOHoiP8

I had already went with the IOM i250 and it got shipped out this morning, they offers one of the most aesthetically pleasing NC252MP to me, the volume control would act like a gain and also serves as a safety switch to prevent accidentally going full bore on start up. I think the NC252MP is a better match to the Polk R200....specs wise.

In reality and in my application, NC252MP is way more than what I actually need to run these R200, even the cheap Aiyima A07 and Fosi TB10D have plenty of juice to drive them, since I don't listen to music at ear bleeding reference level, usually between 75~80dB in a relatively small office, these R200 is rated at 86dB ((2.83V/1m) so I'd imagine they probably used 10w or less on average. Heck, even the good ol' Denon E300 drive them just fine.

But I still got the itch to also get the NCx500, maybe 1ET400A, or Nilai to compare them subjectively, eventually I'll use them to power the R700 which can utilize and soak up more power in a much larger living room later. I would definitely go with Apollon next time, they seems to have superb build quality and workmanship, i love Apollon's amp layout and they look just as sleek and elegant as IOM IMO.

How do you like your Lux edition of the NCx500 thus far? did you get their Sparkos upgrade?

 

[CleanSound]

I had already went with the IOM i250 and it got shipped out this morning, they offers one of the most aesthetically pleasing NC252MP to me, the volume control would act like a gain and also serves as a safety switch to prevent accidentally going full bore on start up. I think the NC252MP is a better match to the Polk R200....specs wise.

In reality and in my application, NC252MP is way more than what I actually need to run these R200, even the cheap Aiyima A07 and Fosi TB10D have plenty of juice to drive them, since I don't listen to music at ear bleeding reference level, usually between 75~80dB in a relatively small office, these R200 is rated at 86dB ((2.83V/1m) so I'd imagine they probably used 10w or less on average. Heck, even the good ol' Denon E300 drive them just fine.

But I still got the itch to also get the NCx500, maybe 1ET400A, or Nilai to compare them subjectively, eventually I'll use them to power the R700 which can utilize and soak up more power in a much larger living room later. I would definitely go with Apollon next time, they seems to have superb build quality and workmanship, i love Apollon's amp layout and they look just as sleek and elegant as IOM IMO.

How do you like your Lux edition of the NCx500 thus far? did you get their Sparkos upgrade?

So far I love it. It's got plenty of power, my speakers are 4 ohms, so I think I got something like 500wpc of clean power on tab.

The built quality is insane, you can tell there was a lot of pride in one's work that went into the design and craftsmanship, which is very detailed and nuance.

For example the Apollon logo plate on the faceplate, looks like a million bucks, it's hard to describe, but it's a logo plate with a clear plate in front of it, when it lights up it looks so luxurious and high end. When you plug the trigger in, the amp is smart enough to automatically disregard the power switch, no switches to tell the amp you are using the trigger now. The case is millimeter CNC perfect and it's thick aluminum, I mean thick, the damn thing weighs 20+ lbs. The binding posts are custom made, very high quality, solid metal and what looks to be high purity copper with Apollon branding in it. The vent hole looks like some kind of Ferrari grill, very luxurious and high end.

Get this, when I first got it, I put it on my AV shelves and the legs were uneven, I thought it was poor QC, turns out it was my shelve that was uneven.

I think it's safe for me to say, Apollon is the must luxurious and high end Hypex and Purifi integrator on the market (period) Sure, you pay a premium, but that is their target clientele, those who want the good looks, the quality attention to detail as well as the high performance; this targeted clientele feel that it's worth that extra premium in costs. Also, their non lux version aren't all that much more expensive and the attention to detail and built quality is still better than the lower and equal cost integrators.

I got it with the Sonic Imagery buffer, before I placed my order, I asked Tibor for the measurement of each op-amp and the Sonic Imagery is the best performing one.

Also, I mentioned this last time, different people are at different stages in their lives. Some folks are looking for that basement bargain, some are utilitarians, some are looking for their end game and are ready to splurge. You will have some folks who will comment on the cost and frankly comment on your decision to not go with the lower cost Hypex, but again, different people are at different stages in their lives, you can't compare me when I was a fresh college grad to now when I am in my mid-career and with probably another 10 years of good hearing left.

 

[Xcaliber]

So far I love it. It's got plenty of power, my speakers are 4 ohms, so I think I got something like 500wpc of clean power on tab.

The built quality is insane, you can tell there was a lot of pride in one's work that went into the design and craftsmanship, which is very detailed and nuance.

For example the Apollon logo plate on the faceplate, looks like a million bucks, it's hard to describe, but it's a logo plate with a clear plate in front of it, when it lights up it looks so luxurious and high end. When you plug the trigger in, the amp is smart enough to automatically disregard the power switch, no switches to tell the amp you are using the trigger now. The case is millimeter CNC perfect and it's thick aluminum, I mean thick, the damn thing weighs 20+ lbs. The binding posts are custom made, very high quality, solid metal and what looks to be high purity copper with Apollon branding in it. The vent hole looks like some kind of Ferrari grill, very luxurious and high end.

Get this, when I first got it, I put it on my AV shelves and the legs were uneven, I thought it was poor QC, turns out it was my shelve that was uneven.

I think it's safe for me to say, Apollon is the must luxurious and high end Hypex and Purifi integrator on the market (period) Sure, you pay a premium, but that is their target clientele, those who want the good looks, the quality attention to detail as well as the high performance; this targeted clientele feel that it's worth that extra premium in costs. Also, their non lux version aren't all that much more expensive and the attention to detail and built quality is still better than the lower cost integrators.

I got it with the Sonic Imagery buffer, before I placed my order, I asked Tibor for the measurement of each op-amp and the Sonic Imagery is the best performing one.

Also, I mentioned this last time, different people are at different stages in their lives. Some folks are looking for that basement bargain, some are utilitarians, some are looking for their end game and are ready to splurge. You will have some folks who will comment on the cost and frankly comment on your decision to not go with the lower cost Hypex, but again, different people are at different stages in their lives, you can't compare me when I was a fresh college grad to now when I am in my mid-career and with probably another 10 years of good hearing left.

Awesome, what's the compelling reason to get the NCx500 over the Nilai? For the extra power headroom? I saw Apollon offers both in dual mono Lux version as well, the price between the two are close.

 

[CleanSound]

Awesome, what's the compelling reason to get the NCx500 over the Nilai? For the extra power headroom? I saw Apollon offers both in dual mono Lux version as well, the price between the two are close.

Well, when I ordered it, the Nilai wasn't offered, but even if it were, I would still have chose the NCx500, because of that headroom and the fact that you have a switchable gain, which is a nice feature. And the performance is pretty close.

 

[Julf]

And the performance is pretty close.

I doubt anyone can hear the difference.

 

[CleanSound]

I doubt anyone can hear the difference.

Indeed, at this low of distortion and noise, additional 1 or 2 SINAD, is just a spec on paper.

I will however say, at 15kHz and higher, these class D, while still good, aren't SOTA. But I think at this point, it's just bragging rights.

These Hypex and Purifi have vanishingly low distortions and are true end game amps in all measures.

For all those in the fence, I can tell you, you won't find an amp better than the Hypex and Purifi, unless you buy two Benchmark and bridge them. And you won't get any integrator more high end than Apollon at this moment.

 

[Julf]

I will however say, at 15kHz and higher, these class D, while still good, aren't SOTA. But I think at this point, it's just bragging rights.

At 15 kHz the sensitivity of our ears is already pretty low, so noise is not much of an issue - and distortion is no issue, as the first harmonic is at 30 kHz, beyond the hearing range of humans.

 

[Matias]

I will however say, at 15kHz and higher, these class D, while still good, aren't SOTA.

I beg to disagree.
See here:

Effect of measuring bandwidth on class D amplifier measured THD and THD+N parameters

Effect of measuring bandwidth on class D amplifier measured THD and THD+N parameters It has been quite long lasting discussion here on measuring bandwidth for THD+N plots vs. amplifier power, measured at various frequencies. Especially for class D amplifiers, THD+N results get rapidly worse, at...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And here:

Review and Measurements of Purifi 1ET400A Amplifier

So what I'm wondering is how this will sound compared to the nc400. When is performance so good that it doesn't matter anymore?

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[CleanSound]

I beg to disagree.
See here:

Effect of measuring bandwidth on class D amplifier measured THD and THD+N parameters

Effect of measuring bandwidth on class D amplifier measured THD and THD+N parameters It has been quite long lasting discussion here on measuring bandwidth for THD+N plots vs. amplifier power, measured at various frequencies. Especially for class D amplifiers, THD+N results get rapidly worse, at...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And here:

Review and Measurements of Purifi 1ET400A Amplifier

So what I'm wondering is how this will sound compared to the nc400. When is performance so good that it doesn't matter anymore?

www.audiosciencereview.com

Very dense, will try to read later. My comment was referring to this graph, but I'm sure your links goes into more nuance, presumably giving a different story than what this graph is showing.

 

[sarieri]

Very dense, will try to read later. My comment was referring to this graph, but I'm sure your links goes into more nuance, presumably giving a different story than what this graph is showing.View attachment 356418

Bruno simply argued that this graph is what he meant to deliver. Although the debate on whether frequencies higher than 20kHz matters for audio never stops, it is more acceptable to people that frequencies higher than 20kHz is less important than 20Hz-20kHz. That’s why he designed the feedback circuit so that the distortion of later is more focused on.

 

[CleanSound]

Bruno simply argued that this graph is what he meant to deliver. Although the debate on whether frequencies higher than 20kHz matters for audio never stops, it is more acceptable to people that frequencies higher than 20kHz is less important than 20Hz-20kHz. That’s why he designed the feedback circuit so that the distortion of later is more focused on.

I beg to disagree.
See here:

Effect of measuring bandwidth on class D amplifier measured THD and THD+N parameters

Effect of measuring bandwidth on class D amplifier measured THD and THD+N parameters It has been quite long lasting discussion here on measuring bandwidth for THD+N plots vs. amplifier power, measured at various frequencies. Especially for class D amplifiers, THD+N results get rapidly worse, at...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And here:

Review and Measurements of Purifi 1ET400A Amplifier

So what I'm wondering is how this will sound compared to the nc400. When is performance so good that it doesn't matter anymore?

www.audiosciencereview.com

I still haven't got a chance to read those two links, so I am not following, but sounds like we are talking about audible frequency band?

I know this graph from Amir inspects the frequency band up till 45kHz, so any distortion and noise that occurs below and including 45kHz are captured. I also understand that if noise and distortion occurs above 20kHz, it's not audible to most (if any) people, so why bother capturing/measuring said data?

I don't disagree with that, I'm just pointing out factual data, that's all. From a practical point of view, I honestly don't believe it makes any difference, just like the comment I made by putting your ear next to the tweeter, what idiot does that except for me? (Still very satisfying to hear pure silence though.)

On a separate note, I continue to drool over my Apollon.

 

[Xcaliber]

On a separate note, I continue to drool over my Apollon.

Best way to enjoy your new toy is to stimulate all your senses at once, Your beautiful Apollon got the audio and visual down already, add the next sense to the mix....taste, smell, and touch. Which can be achieved at once with a glass of fine wine or whiskey while you listening to your favorite tune and admire the elegant workmanship from Apollon.

Might i suggest you try Spencer Elliott's Some Forgotten Color from 2015, it's an awesome acoustic guitar album available on Spotify. His Folding Space album from 2019 is just as stunning to showcase your audio system.

 

[Gyosa1]

Best way to enjoy your new toy is to stimulate all your senses at once, Your beautiful Apollon got the audio and visual down already, add the next sense to the mix....taste, smell, and touch. Which can be achieved at once with a glass of fine wine or whiskey while you listening to your favorite tune and admire the elegant workmanship from Apollon.

Might i suggest you try Spencer Elliott's Some Forgotten Color from 2015, it's an awesome acoustic guitar album available on Spotify. His Folding Space album from 2019 is just as stunning to showcase your audio system.

I’d suggest “the trip“ by Still Corners … a mid range lovers delight

 

[Julf]

Although the debate on whether frequencies higher than 20kHz matters for audio never stops.

Then you have all the audiophiles that swear by SACD/DSD that has a SNR of only 6 dB, but shifts the noise to inaudible frequencies (and filters it away - or not, depending on DAC).

 

[paradoxical3]

I see that the multichannel lux amp is available with a rackmount faceplate; is this one (the standard one) available with a rackmount style as well? If I am putting it in a rack there is no point in paying for the upgraded casework of the lux one since it won't be visible. I am interested in a 5 channel version.

One moment, please...

 

[Ecaroh]

The only way to shift from the XLR to the RCA inputs is with a small switch located on the back panel, correct? It would be handy if the switch were more accessible, or if a remote were supplied. You could then switch between, say, a balanced DAC and an unbalanced preamp connecting to multiple other sources.