HansHolland
Active Member
is discussed already. It looks like that you can save a few 100 Dollar/Euro, not more.
And ready made will give you warranty.
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Audiophonics HPA-S400ET Review (Stereo Amplifier)
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
And ready made will give you warranty.
Let me know if somebody does this. Retail price for the module alone is 800€. Power supply is 230€ and then you still need metal or something else around it ...
EVAL1 - PURIFI
EVAL1 is a kit combining two 1ET400A amplifier modules and a stereo front-end board. Highly suited for DIY projects and convenient for quickly evaluating performance of 1ET400A. The kit includes the CAB1 cable set for easy connection to a power supply. (For more info see CAB1 product description)
purifi-audio.com
Hypex SMPS1200A400 Switch Mode Power Supply
The SMPS1200A400 is a 1200W high efficiency switch mode power supply specially designed to be used in combination with our UcD and NCORE® amplifier modules
www.diyclassd.com
Ahem... the "jewelry" you are paying for is actually the decades of his life that Bruno Putzeys sacrificed to advance the industry's state-of-the-art, and deliver record-breaking performance, which he now kindly makes available to us Hi-Fi fans, for a price that is unbeatable at that performance level.
As explained elsewhere, the cost of parts alone is well above $1000USD.
Now, if my budget was $900USD, I would buy a @boXem | audio Arthur 3409/N2, featuring: 2x150W at 8Ω, 2x280W at 2Ω, load-invariant FR, 1st quartile SINAD, and low noise. It will nicely drive a wide range of speakers and comes with top notch build quality, beautiful understated looks, and a priceless auto-on/off feature. What's not to like?!
Dangerzone
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Thanks for the great review!
I'm considering getting the 3ch version to power the LCR speakers in my home cinema setup. I use a Denon X4300H receiver which has a rated output of 2V according to the manual (although I suspect performance starts to degrade at 1.4V like the other Denon receivers measured here). I can use the front channel amp disconnect trick to get clean output up to 2V for the front channels, but I can't do that for the center channel.
Will the input gain of 25.3dB be "enough", or should I opt for a variant with higher input gain? The 3ch variant from Apollon audio has adjustable gain of up to 29dB but also costs a whooping additional 1000€ after taxes
. I'm mainly looking for European retailers since I'm from Sweden.
I'm considering getting the 3ch version to power the LCR speakers in my home cinema setup. I use a Denon X4300H receiver which has a rated output of 2V according to the manual (although I suspect performance starts to degrade at 1.4V like the other Denon receivers measured here). I can use the front channel amp disconnect trick to get clean output up to 2V for the front channels, but I can't do that for the center channel.
Will the input gain of 25.3dB be "enough", or should I opt for a variant with higher input gain? The 3ch variant from Apollon audio has adjustable gain of up to 29dB but also costs a whooping additional 1000€ after taxes
. I'm mainly looking for European retailers since I'm from Sweden.That's $1130 usd for everything and i can get a case with heatsinks for under $100 at Aliexpress. Most DIYer's aren't looking for warranties (as the purchased pieces may carry their own). I'm not saying that it's not worth it, in particular because you have labor then shipping cost...so $1500 to $1650 may be solid. However if you have the technical skill...someone may be able to do this for themselves cheaper. The only proprietary thing I see are the filters. Just like DAC's...implementation is key. The Deer Creek Audio Hypex UcD400 (stereo) is going for $699 for the unassembled kit, using the Hypex 400 power amp. Very respectable SINAD ... I'm just saying there are also options. I find this to be a good thing.....and the Benchmark is still....the benchmark.Let me know if somebody does this. Retail price for the module alone is 800€. Power supply is 230€ and then you still need metal or something else around it ...
EVAL1 - PURIFI
EVAL1 is a kit combining two 1ET400A amplifier modules and a stereo front-end board. Highly suited for DIY projects and convenient for quickly evaluating performance of 1ET400A. The kit includes the CAB1 cable set for easy connection to a power supply. (For more info see CAB1 product description)Hypex SMPS1200A400 Switch Mode Power Supply
The SMPS1200A400 is a 1200W high efficiency switch mode power supply specially designed to be used in combination with our UcD and NCORE® amplifier modules
If money is a concern, you could save even more by installing it as a parasite into another device, like a CD player or a tape deck. Connect the VU meters for extra points.
Switches and connectors are not at negligible cost also. It adds up if you are looking for quality components.
ok.....Yepper's that's a good one. Have you seen the Deer Creek? The main unit has been tested here (NC400). It matches the performance of Audiophonics (low). The units it's based off are reviewed here https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...and-measurements-of-hypex-nc400-diy-amp.5907/I can take a joke...really.....but competition is getting really stiff, and more and more people are becoming electronics savvy.
However here at Audio Science Review, it has been proven time and time again you may not need to pay a premium price for those items. If anyone can guess...I'm being the devil's advocate here to really look into what we have previously determined to be well above average.
DonR
Major Contributor
We live in a disposable society where a $1000 cell phone is expected to last 5 years at the most. It's small wonder people have stopped caring about component quality.
You took the words out of my mouth! I started to use that in my post. However my view is more like this....quality components are readily available and at a decreased price. The Gustard X16 is just $499, compared to over $10k + for some dacs. TV's are basically disposable, so are printers. It's easier now to find quality at cheaper prices (just look at the reviews on this site) than paying the mega bucks. I have a McIntosh amp for basically one reason...I've always wanted to own one. To me, it's no better than my B&K 200.7 Reference...sonically...but it's prettier and it holds its value. The Audiophonic amp test to be a superb power amp, I'd purchase it over the Benchmark (even though that's the benchmark) on price alone. As for cellphones, they're marketed for designed obsolescence...just like computers.
Vacceo
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I wonder if manufacturers like Audiophonics, Boxem or Apollon would, when some years have passed, refurbish old amps with newer and better modules once they come out.
It makes sense to invest in a nice box if said box can be "upgraded" in the future just like some companies like NAD give users a path to upgrade dac´s.
It makes sense to invest in a nice box if said box can be "upgraded" in the future just like some companies like NAD give users a path to upgrade dac´s.
Define "premium price". Is this different from "audiofool jewellery"? You may not get performance but you still none the less get what you pay for. Buy connectors on ali express and your experience may be similar to mine: Poor mating, loose connectors, material with substandard thermal properties which bend when soldered, locking nuts which don't lock or better still, strip.
Here we have proven that there's no audible benefit to getting some decent connectors (e.g. genuine neutrik XLRs), but then no one here tests plugging and unplugging 100s of times, or throwing them and fishing them from a tangled cable box.
These things very much do become quite the cost when you add them up.
Of course. However if you're going to do it then do it for the love of building something. If you're calculate the time value of money for you to go get the components, modify the case, and then assemble it all you're not cheaper anymore. Beyond just getting a warranty there are plenty of people who couldn't be arsed attempting to "save" a few hundred dollars for a project that ends up blowing their entire weekend.
Case in point, I bought Audiophonics amps (NC400s). Why? Because it would otherwise take time away from another of my electronics projects ;-)
OK yes but secure mechanical connections are important. Just an exemple of the type of switch you have on this product. Of course it can be anything but it still have to be rated for the current. I like mine to look nice too but it's just me. 35.90... One switch...
PV4F2Y0SS-311 E-Switch | Switches | DigiKey
Order today, ships today. PV4F2Y0SS-311 – Pushbutton Switch DPST-NO/NC Anti-Vandal, Illuminated Panel Mount, Front from E-Switch. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.
NC252 2 x 250 @ 4 ohms and Purifi one module 425 W @ 4 ohms. I'd hardly call those figures "similar".
Davide
Senior Member
Audiophonics' product page mentions:
Both modules are driven in opposite phase, to cancel out the «Power-Supply Pumping» effect. This allows greater stability in the power supply by alternately distributing current draws on each rail, thus increasing its overall capacities.
It is a technique that I have seen discussed in other forums as well. In practice, you invert the phase on the input signal of a single channel (by modifying the pinout) and then invert it again on the terminals of the speaker.
This is apparently to better load the power supply.
I seem to have read something like that also in the NAD advertising material.
Can anyone confirm that this technique is valid? If the rails are separated where is the benefit sorry?
Both modules are driven in opposite phase, to cancel out the «Power-Supply Pumping» effect. This allows greater stability in the power supply by alternately distributing current draws on each rail, thus increasing its overall capacities.
It is a technique that I have seen discussed in other forums as well. In practice, you invert the phase on the input signal of a single channel (by modifying the pinout) and then invert it again on the terminals of the speaker.
This is apparently to better load the power supply.
I seem to have read something like that also in the NAD advertising material.
Can anyone confirm that this technique is valid? If the rails are separated where is the benefit sorry?
While one channel is drawing (+) current from the (+) power supply voltage rail the other channel draws (-) current from the (-) voltage rail. That way they don't each draw from the same voltage rail simultaneously. It works very well to increase the available power from the power supply for peak transients.
Davide
Senior Member
Ok I understand. What I don't understand is why modules and SMPS aren't already designed to be paired like this.
The question of the decade. I have no idea why they don't do it with all the gear. It makes sense to run them out of phase. The one drawback is that the speaker terminals are backwards. Like the 2 negatives/speaker-grounds are not common because they are out of phase. It's not uncommon for car audio amp users/installers to tie the amp grounds together and fry the amp. I've seen it many times. Other than that I don't see any reason to not to run them 180 degrees out of phase.
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