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Buckeye Amps: New US based Hypex multichannel amplifier builder, line-up announcement!

AdamG

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Yes. There will also be new cases for 4ch and 6/8ch. But those are not ready yet.

8 channel 502’s ? If so, I may get in line for the 8. Will give me a total of 14 channels of Hypex goodness and I can put my Denon in preamp mode, sell off the Emo and fix the gain mismatch I currently have. I think….
 

mattf

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Yes. There will also be new cases for 4ch and 6/8ch. But those are not ready yet.

I may have missed it (though I've been following the thread)... what changes are you making to the existing cases? I knew you were swapping out the Ghent for your own, but didn't know that there were changes afoot for 4/6/8. (I'm planning on getting a 4, wondering if I should buy now or wait...)
 
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I may have missed it (though I've been following the thread)... what changes are you making to the existing cases? I knew you were swapping out the Ghent for your own, but didn't know that there were changes afoot for 4/6/8. (I'm planning on getting a 4, wondering if I should buy now or wait...)
Smaller footprints and case logo (and switching from aluminum to steel).

The new 4ch case will be 12x12, new 6/8ch case will be 17x13. So not drastic size difference for the larger case but small enough to fit on a rack mount shelf.

I have (2) of my original 17" cases left and (4) of the original 19" cases.
 

DWPress

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That's beyond NEC requirements right? Unless something has change since I last looked or did electrical with permits in our house, here we can do either for outlets.

Electrical code varies from state to state here in the US so as long as you are following local code you are legal. I would argue that having 20A to draw on #12 wire for your dedicated audio/video system is not a bad idea though for the marginal cost involved. No need for fancy receptacles.
 
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The "condo" I built/am living in during my schooling is half of an older room pre-2000 and half of a new room built in 2018. The new room (which is also where my theater setup is) is all 20A wiring/breakers. The old room is 15A. Will also state I know for a fact the old room was a DIY (based on good code/practice) of a carpenter/contractor. The new room is a fully licensed electrician/company.
 

rvsixer

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Somewhere at the base of the Rockies....
That's beyond NEC requirements right? Unless something has change since I last looked or did electrical with permits in our house, here we can do either for outlets.
I too was a bit surprised at 20A being a code requirement. I did a quick non-thorough MI code search (listed location), and only saw 20A receptacles being required in kitchen and laundry areas....
 

DWPress

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Well, here in N Michigan it is 20A. I've built or helped build quite a few homes in the last 20 years (my own 10 years ago) and that's how they've all been wired. Probably a moot point if all the amps connected to the receptacle are class D with significantly less power draw than monster power class AB but still not a bad idea.
 

DonH56

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Decades ago when I was doing electrician stuff (apprentice, passed the journeyman's test but not sure I ever filled out the paperwork) in MO code was 12 AWG and 15-A outlets. Fast forward a few decades and I discovered -- far, far too late -- that in CO then code was 14 AWG and 15-A outlets everywhere. Kitchen outlets same as others, but there was a special requirement that you had to have an outlet every 2'~3' or something like that. If I had known I would have specified 12 AWG wire everywhere but didn't think about it until walking through the house after the wires were run... :( When we finished our basement I added three 20-A outlets in the media room to get 12 AWG wire, and a fourth in our "exercise" room for a treadmill. Talking to the electrician, he said it was a mess around the area. We live in the northern part of our county, outside city limits, and there were slightly different requirements in the city a couple of miles away, another set for the county a mile north, and in the big city just (20 miles) south of us.

Bottom line is code varies by state and in some cases by county or municipality. If you are having work done, or building or remodeling a house, check with your electrician for the codes that apply and what you might want to change. In our case there would have been no problem running everything with 12 AWG (higher cost, natch) to 15-A outlets, providing margin for later if desired.

Ditto plumbing... The house was fully plumbed when a local friend said "I hope you went with 3/4" pipe to reduce loss since you're on a well." Nope, never even thought of it, so 1/2" everywhere. Too late to change. Impossible to be an expert on everything...
 
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To keep things on point (though I have NO ISSUES with discussions straying into still relevant areas), I will reiterate what was said: Class D is definitely not as important to have completely dedicated breakers/outlets. Sure, you could be using a 6ch NC502MP amp and sure the theoretical max wattage draw is 3000w....but unless you are trying to fill a giant room at continuous levels of 90dB+, you'll still not pull enough to trip a breaker. And the key word is continuous. I sometimes listen to movies at *Reference* but that just means the possibility of PEAK sounds being 105dB...and peak is a very quick draw of power.

I think I have actually talked a few customers down from the 502's to the 252's when explaining this (always like to help people learn, I started off in this hobby at a baseline just like everyone else). If someone insists on the 502's just to have them and not doubt their choice, sure. But for those who come to me with exact needs in mind, 9/10 the 252's are more than enough. And so is their AC power setup.

For example: on a single 15A outlet I have 4 channels of 502, 6 channels of 252, and a Funk 21.0L rated for 2000W continuous, 4000w peak. Never tripped the breaker, even at reference levels.
 

catalogguy

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Great news on the new small case for the 2-channel! I have hoped to get one of your amps for some time. I would use a DAC to connect a Raspberry Pi for Roon and an optical to the TV. I have been searching high and low for a DAC with a trigger out. There are a few... like the Okto, but the trigger outputs only 5V. I have been reading about creative people using USB power from their DACs to control amplifiers, but that would be 5V as well.

Is there a chance of getting a trigger that accepts a 5V input? I don't think I can justify the price of the Okto just for the trigger, but it is actually low priced for a DAC with a trigger. I am hoping to go the USB route. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/usb-to-12v-trigger-input.19971/
 
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Great news on the new small case for the 2-channel! I have hoped to get one of your amps for some time. I would use a DAC to connect a Raspberry Pi for Roon and an optical to the TV. I have been searching high and low for a DAC with a trigger out. There are a few... like the Okto, but the trigger outputs only 5V. I have been reading about creative people using USB power from their DACs to control amplifiers, but that would be 5V as well.

Is there a chance of getting a trigger that accepts a 5V input? I don't think I can justify the price of the Okto just for the trigger, but it is actually low priced for a DAC with a trigger. I am hoping to go the USB route. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/usb-to-12v-trigger-input.19971/
There is a 5v trigger I can order that would fit in place of the one I use, but it would add to the overall price (as I would have to order it as a one off and it is a little more expensive then the one I use already)
 
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A hopefully final price increase: the Rackmount case upgrade price has gone up. The cost of the logo on these cases was more than I could eat. Apologies. But everything should be constant going forward now.
 

amper42

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I have two questions:
1. What is the Voltage gain for the Buckeye 2 channel NC502MP and 2 channel NC252MP?
2. What is the Input Sensitivity for Full Rated Power in volts for these amps?
Thank you!
 
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I have two questions:
1. What is the Voltage gain for the Buckeye 2 channel NC502MP and 2 channel NC252MP?
2. What is the Input Sensitivity for Full Rated Power in volts for these amps?
Thank you!

1) 25.5dB for both
2) 2.35V @ 4ohms for the NC502, 1.66V @ 4ohms for the NC252
 

Lancastrian

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I appreciate everyone's input on dedicated circuits for amps. In Idaho two 20A circuits are required for kitchen countertops. The rest can be 15A. I went ahead and purchased two hospital grade receptacles. I think I will do 20A circuits. Overkill, no doubt, but future proof. You never know, one day I might win the lottery and blow a wad on a behemoth secondary heat source.
 

geekpryde

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When I see the photos of the 2 channel 252 with new case with the Logo, I think that will seal the deal for me. Looking forward to using some older speakers sitting in my attic for a 2-channel setup at work that will melt by boss's face off.

Planning on pairing it with a TOPPING DX7 Pro DAC /PreAmp, unless there is some reason this won't work:

PC -> USB -> DX7 -> XLR ->Buckeye -> Paradigm Floor Standers.

Is this an acceptable setup?
 

HiFidFan

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When I see the photos of the 2 channel 252 with new case with the Logo, I think that will seal the deal for me. Looking forward to using some older speakers sitting in my attic for a 2-channel setup at work that will melt by boss's face off.

Planning on pairing it with a TOPPING DX7 Pro DAC /PreAmp, unless there is some reason this won't work:

PC -> USB -> DX7 -> XLR ->Buckeye -> Paradigm Floor Standers.

Is this an acceptable setup?

Seems like an excellent plan :cool:
 

thepiecesfit

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1) 25.5dB for both
2) 2.35V @ 4ohms for the NC502, 1.66V @ 4ohms for the NC252

Seems like if you go balanced to unbalanced those requirements may change. Just comparing based on previous amplifiers that had an unbalanced input. Not sure if this is factored into those calculations anywhere.
 

Colonel7

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I appreciate everyone's input on dedicated circuits for amps. In Idaho two 20A circuits are required for kitchen countertops. The rest can be 15A. I went ahead and purchased two hospital grade receptacles. I think I will do 20A circuits. Overkill, no doubt, but future proof. You never know, one day I might win the lottery and blow a wad on a behemoth secondary heat source.
Or have to charge a car. My 2017 Volt charges at 12 Amps so I dont have to install anything exotic
 
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