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AUDIOPHONICS MPA-S250NC Amp Review

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 5 1.6%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 11 3.6%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 123 40.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 165 54.3%

  • Total voters
    304

Kimbrough Xu

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May 18, 2022
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So if I was to go wiim mini, minidsp flex, this amp, 2 subs and the best speakers I can afford, I’d be all set? usage: small / medium living room
What do you do with the minidsp flex? I supposed you may include a preamplifier.
 

dweeeeb2

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What do you do with the minidsp flex? I supposed you may include a preamplifier.
Haven’t got the flex yet, but its to manage crossover with sub, and PEQ.
EDIT: Yes also use as pre amp. I’ve found it very hard to find anything to use as a crossover. I only want to send 100hz and above to my mains (at this stage. That could change once I play with it)
 
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Kimbrough Xu

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Haven’t got the flex yet, but its to manage crossover with sub, and PEQ.
EDIT: Yes also use as pre amp. I’ve found it very hard to find anything to use as a crossover. I only want to send 100hz and above to my mains (at this stage. That could change once I play with it)
Do you have a link, it sounds interesting.
 

dweeeeb2

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Do you have a link, it sounds interesting.

I’ve actually decided to wait for the minidsp HT as it has hdmi in
 

Kimbrough Xu

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I’ve actually decided to wait for the minidsp HT as it has hdmi in
Isnt is a DAC?
 

yllanos

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Jun 19, 2020
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Haven’t got the flex yet, but its to manage crossover with sub, and PEQ.
EDIT: Yes also use as pre amp. I’ve found it very hard to find anything to use as a crossover. I only want to send 100hz and above to my mains (at this stage. That could change once I play with it)

You could do that with Parasound P6.

I believe Emotiva BasX PT2 also offers a high pass filter. But then no balanced out
 

chych7

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Aug 28, 2020
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Which fosi amp are you using?

Sorry it was a nobsound, not fosi. This one. Yep, I couldn't hear much difference with this rinky dinky amp vs. a Hypex unit. This is running my BMR monitors full range, no subwoofer, at ~75 dB listening level from 11 ft. After this test, I concluded that amps are way overrated. I did hear some difference when I turned on room correction though; the lesser amp would clip during some very specific passages in music. The room correction was calibrated with the Hypex though.
 
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balanced

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Aug 19, 2023
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Hi, I'm a newbie in the audiophile scenario.
I love hifi listening of any kind of music. I have a preference though for vocals, guitars and violins.

I'm in posses of an SMSL DO300 DAC and a pair of Elac Uni-fi Reference UBR62.

I have no amplifier and I have evaluated some Topping alternatives as the PA5 II and PA7.
Then I pointed myself this direction and I'm about to buy this Audiophonic power amplifier in the XLR version.
I don't need any preamp after the DO300, am I right?

Before doin' it, I would love to hear what's the opinion of you experts about the combination I'm about to compose.

Thank anyone for any hint you would give me
 

TheBatsEar

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Before doin' it, I would love to hear what's the opinion of you experts about the combination I'm about to compose.
Great speakers, great power amp.
I'm not familiar with your DAC however. As it has volume control you don't need a dedicated preamp. Just make sure your DAC remembers volume levels over power cycling.
 

OldManMatt

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Jul 30, 2022
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Location
Florida
I don't think they have any additional buffer other than what is on the module so I would say 47 kohm based on the data sheet, if you got the balanced version it would 94 kohm.

Michael
Thank you...that is what I read from the datasheet on this module. I just wasn't sure if Audiophonics did something (like a buffer) to alter those numbers.
 

cmarion

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Thank you to everyone who contributes to the site! If possible, could someone please explain how superior a pair of Revel M106s would sound powered by the S250 compared to the HPA-S400ET? Also would the 250 be able to power the pair properly with the added load of say a Rythmik subwoofer?
 

Tangband

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Input sensitivityMax Power at 1.66V RMS
Yes, and in my opinion its to sensitive. I have bought RCA attenuators to lower the input signal 10 dB.
 

Progger

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Sep 14, 2023
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Hello. Would you recommend this amplifier for the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20? price: second hand 420€. The person I was going to buy it from said that this amplifier is a power amplifier. He said that I should buy an additional pre-amp or a device that can control the volume. Amplifiers are not very common in my country. I ask for your help and suggestions.

Turkish advertisement: https://www.sahibinden.com/ilan/iki...stereo-amplifier-ncore-2x250-1070675581/detay
 

TheBatsEar

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Hello. Would you recommend this amplifier for the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES20?
Sure, just don't turn your volume to 3oclock or your speakers might get grilled.
You would also have some room to grow in the future, in terms of speakers. It's a very capable power amplifier, quite strong and low noise/distortion. Also effective, not much wasted power.

price: second hand 420€
For the Polks? That is a bit much, given that you can get a pair in Germany for 300€ new and shipping to Türkiye would be 30€ or so.

For the power amp? Maybe, depends on what it costs to import. It's sold for 420€ without tax in France:
You would probably have to pay some form of VAT and add shipping to Türkiye. Maybe you would also have cost for paying in €.

The person I was going to buy it from said that this amplifier is a power amplifier. He said that I should buy an additional pre-amp or a device that can control the volume. Amplifiers are not very common in my country. I ask for your help and suggestions.
It's true, you need a way to attenuate, that is, turn down, the volume. Would you just hook up a streamer or CD player, it would blast the maximum energy into your speakers. ;-)
So what can you buy?
  • a preamp, these are rare and pricey these days, 200€ or more used
  • a passive attenuator that has RCA input/output and a volume knob, 100€ at Aliexpress?
  • a integrated amplifier or receiver that has pre-out. The Yamaha R-S700 has it, you can either use the builtin power amplifier, or this external one, around 200€ used.
  • a digital preamp like the MiniDSP Flex, rarely do you get this used, but it's worth it new. I imported mine from China and paid 600 or 700€
  • a DAC that has volume control, like the Topping E30 line, they also have a remote, but you can only connect digital sources
  • a streamer or player that has volume control
What sources do you have? What sources do you plan to get?

It asks for a login, which i wont have/do. Just do a screenshot if it's relevant.

Welcome to ASR :cool:
 

Progger

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Sure, just don't turn your volume to 3oclock or your speakers might get grilled.
You would also have some room to grow in the future, in terms of speakers. It's a very capable power amplifier, quite strong and low noise/distortion. Also effective, not much wasted power.


For the Polks? That is a bit much, given that you can get a pair in Germany for 300€ new and shipping to Türkiye would be 30€ or so.

For the power amp? Maybe, depends on what it costs to import. It's sold for 420€ without tax in France:
You would probably have to pay some form of VAT and add shipping to Türkiye. Maybe you would also have cost for paying in €.


It's true, you need a way to attenuate, that is, turn down, the volume. Would you just hook up a streamer or CD player, it would blast the maximum energy into your speakers. ;-)
So what can you buy?
  • a preamp, these are rare and pricey these days, 200€ or more used
  • a passive attenuator that has RCA input/output and a volume knob, 100€ at Aliexpress?
  • a integrated amplifier or receiver that has pre-out. The Yamaha R-S700 has it, you can either use the builtin power amplifier, or this external one, around 200€ used.
  • a digital preamp like the MiniDSP Flex, rarely do you get this used, but it's worth it new. I imported mine from China and paid 600 or 700€
  • a DAC that has volume control, like the Topping E30 line, they also have a remote, but you can only connect digital sources
  • a streamer or player that has volume control
What sources do you have? What sources do you plan to get?


It asks for a login, which i wont have/do. Just do a screenshot if it's relevant.

Welcome to ASR :cool:
Thank you very much for the detailed information Audiophonic will be very costly and difficult to install and use for me then. I only have speakers right now. I didn't buy anything else. I'm thinking of using it by connecting to a TV or phone. If you have any other advice, I can take it. Yamaha AS-301 or Denon PMA-600NE or Yamaha R-S202D do you recommend?
 
Last edited:

TheBatsEar

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Thank you very much for the detailed information Audiophonic will be very costly and difficult to install and use for me then. I only have speakers right now. I didn't buy anything else. I'm thinking of using it by connecting to a TV or phone. If you have any other advice, I can take it. Yamaha AS-301 or Denon PMA-600NE or Yamaha R-S202D do you recommend?
I would pick the Yamaha A-S301, it has a digital input for TV, variable loudness, is very nice in silver and well done.

The R-S202D is an unknown as far as sound quality goes, Amir has one for measurements, but it will take month to come to the front of the queue. I know it's the "worst" in terms of build quality. The front plate looks like metal, but is plastic, and the silver is not the same silver as the A-S301 and the other Yamahas.

Also consider the Yamaha R-N803D, it has room correction, a measurement microphone, builtin streamer. A very high value device.

If you only care about sound quality and price, look at the R-S700, it has the same power supply and power amp as the A-S701/R-N803D and can be had for little money used.

You find all of the Yamaha amps with detailed pictures in this thread:
 
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