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boXem ARTHUR 2408/N2 Review (Stereo Amplifier)

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 1 0.4%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 9 3.8%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 141 59.2%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 87 36.6%

  • Total voters
    238

gsp1971

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Boxem's amplifiers are indeed not the cheapest hypex based offering.
They are not the most pricey either. Pricing is competitive with other similar offerings from Italy & Poland (for those of us in Europe).

Offerings from France are indeed a bit cheaper, but the quality of the case alone is enough to justify the extra cost.

Not to mention that the guy is available here if you need him (I think his name is Frederic if I am not mistaken).

Just my opinion.
 

MCH

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In my opinion, having the device right here in front of me as i write (the 3409/N2), I see is a very fair priced amp. Of course if you want (or need) to save the last possible euro there are other options, and you can go used too, but if you are looking for something that you want to last, professionally made, good quality, with certifications (something that i value more and more after reading these forums), good looks, extra features that make a big difference (to me) in functionality... come on, we are below enough of the 1000 euros to still buy a dac and invite someone for a drink to celebrat it!
 

pma

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@boXem | audio Any reason why such measurements are not available on the company’s website for all products?
AP?

I think @boXem | audio might use Hypex datasheet measurements (they are trustworthy) and to state which OEM module is used inside the box.

BTW, his wiring is close to perfect, as we can see in
 

JSmith

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@boXem | audio Any reason why such measurements are not available on the company’s website for all products?
Not everyone has an expensive AP analyser... now that Amir has measured it I'd imagine @boXem | audio may include same on the website, or a link to this review.


JSmith
 

boXem

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@boXem | audio Any reason why such measurements are not available on the company’s website for all products?
For the Hypex based amps, I made a few measurements with a sound card to verify that I was not screwing up the implementation. For the Purifi based amp, the sound card is not good enough to show proper synthesized results. I am now building a measurement system with much better resolution that will allow nice pictures.
 

vicenzo_del_paris

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They are not the most pricey either. Pricing is competitive with other similar offerings from Italy & Poland (for those of us in Europe).

Offerings from France are indeed a bit cheaper, but the quality of the case alone is enough to justify the extra cost.

Not to mention that the guy is available here if you need him (I think his name is Frederic if I am not mistaken).

Just my opinion.
Yes!
I'm French and live in France. I had access to cheaper offerings but for the reasons I gave here and also other ones in the Arthur dedicated thread, I preferred to go with Boxem and got a 3409/N2.
And I can confirm also that Fred offers very good support ;)
 

Doodski

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@boXem | audio does the intermediary PCB have a function other than a circuit path to the amp PCB?
PXL_20201207_200226699 (1).jpg
 

Koeitje

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It's a shame such a well performing amp that landed in the "excellent" category has not been awarded a golfing panther... I voted "great" myself as there appears to be no glaring issues at all and SINAD over 95dB.


JSmith
Great would put it up against the Benchmark, Purifi, NC400 and the likes. Which is not where it sits. I also think its power output is just a bit on the low side (especially considering the 252 is not that much more expensive and is probably the best bang for buck for NCore).
 

Doodski

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Yes, it's nicer looking than 2x20 cm of ribbon cable :).
It adds additional dimension to the overall package size of the amp. Is this done to minimize the inventory of different sized cases for your amps? Why not use a small case and have the input PCB connect directly to the amp PCB? Are the machining tolerances required to mount everything tightly together difficult to have manufactured? Does the extended distance from the amp PCB to the input PCB preserve signal integrity at all?
 

boXem

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It adds additional dimension to the overall package size of the amp. Is this done to minimize the inventory of different sized cases for your amps? Why not use a small case and have the input PCB connect directly to the amp PCB? Are the machining tolerances required to mount everything tightly together difficult to have manufactured? Does the extended distance from the amp PCB to the input PCB preserve signal integrity at all?
The case is dimension-ed for a stereo Purifi and some mono-blocks to come. In these cases applications it is very well filled. Luxembourg rental rates are among the highest in Europe, we can't afford thousand sq meters of stocks. So for the moment one case fits all with variants on the front and the back panels.
Concerning signal integrity, I believe the measurements answer your question (channel separation notably).
 

pma

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Great would put it up against the Benchmark, Purifi, NC400 and the likes. Which is not where it sits. I also think its power output is just a bit on the low side (especially considering the 252 is not that much more expensive and is probably the best bang for buck for NCore).

It is the module used that defines parameters and affects the price, together with casework. Yes, NC252MP OEM is not much more expensive than the NC122MP OEM, however it puts the amp one class higher concerning twice the usable power improvement.


The price increase seems reasonable, to me.
 

olivier salad

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I've heard that sometimes NC122MP modules exhibit some kind of constant hum or buzz coming from the power supply. Is it the case with this amp?
 
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