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

[PlvsBob]

Long time lurker- first time posting. I think I was the reason 24 red bases were accidentally produced. Just got my amp today and running it through this evening. Dylan had great communication and even gave me the money off (same offer posted here) for the bulk order. Honestly it looks better in person than in photos. While I don’t listen super loud I felt the Magnepan .7 needed more power. To try avoiding debate 500 wpc is much nicer.Fairly large basement contributes to the need for power.

 

[Johaan77]

Hey All! (especially Buckey Amps),

I have a new system consisting of two JBL VTX F12 clones (active, two way, 2451SL and 2206H) and two JBL 18" 2241 subwoofers. 95% of the time for home use, 5% for party in private, but volume vise, waaaay louder than my normal listening levels. Considering two amplifiers, 6 channel, bridge two outputs for the subwoofers. What would be a good solution and is it even possible to expect "PA"-levels from these amplifiers? I want to avoid noisy Crown/LAB amplifiers...

Thanks,
Johan

 

[rvsixer]

I want to avoid noisy Crown/LAB amplifiers...

I haven't ordered my Buckeye amp yet, so I will let others more experienced answer to suitability of them for your purpose. But if they are not suitable, as a Crown Drivecore PA amp user they are very quiet. I've never noticed any fan noise (and this is the general consensus overall in the forums, and iirc even the review of them here as well).

 

[Rottmannash]

IMO it would be a waste of a Purifi amp to power a sub.

 

[Johaan77]

I haven't ordered my Buckeye amp yet, so I will let others more experienced answer to suitability of them for your purpose. But if they are not suitable, as a Crown Drivecore PA amp user they are very quiet. I've never noticed any fan noise (and this is the general consensus overall in the forums, and iirc even the review of them here as well).

I was mainly referring to the background hiss in the mid/high horn from such amplifiers (PA, Crown, etc). Can't stand it for normal listening around 65-75 dB

 

[Johaan77]

IMO it would be a waste of a Purifi amp to power a sub.

Maybe, but quality of a sub amplifier is crucial IMO. But perhaps there are even better options out there?

 

[Buckeye Amps]

Maybe, but quality of a sub amplifier is crucial IMO. But perhaps there are even better options out there?

An NC502MP would be a better fit for a subwoofer instead of a Purifi (still phenomenal performance but money saved). And still has a very low/quiet noise floor, even if bridged

 

[DonH56]

Maybe, but quality of a sub amplifier is crucial IMO. But perhaps there are even better options out there?

Define "quality". Most any amp of the requisite power output will serve quite well as a subwoofer amplifier. It is a high-power but limited-bandwidth application, and IIRC we are less sensitive to distortion in the sub frequency range. Comparing Hypex to Purifi is something like comparing 9.999 to 9.9999 out of 10 while the sub's driver itself is more like a 5.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

Update:

I am no longer going to advocate/endorse using the Monoprice RCA to XLR cables. Please note, anyone currently using one, there is no issue/distortion/sound degredation.
It is more so that as of late there have been more cases of those specific cables introducing ground loop issues that are resolved by using different RCA to XLR cable brands.

So if you are not hearing an issue, do not worry about it at all.

Not sure if there was a quality issue with production of these cables recently, etc.

 

[Too Many Notes]

Update:

I am no longer going to advocate/endorse using the Monoprice RCA to XLR cables. Please note, anyone currently using one, there is no issue/distortion/sound degredation.
It is more so that as of late there have been more cases of those specific cables introducing ground loop issues that are resolved by using different RCA to XLR cable brands.

So if you are not hearing an issue, do not worry about it at all.

Not sure if there was a quality issue with production of these cables recently, etc.

Already have the cables; I guess I'll know next week when the amp arrives if they introduce group loop issues. Can anyone suggest an alternative should the Monoprice prove problematic? Not a believer in fancy cables sprinkled with unicorn dust, just want something that works.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

Already have the cables; I guess I'll know next week when the amp arrives if they introduce group loop issues. Can anyone suggest an alternative should the Monoprice prove problematic? Not a believer in fancy cables sprinkled with unicorn dust, just want something that works.

The most recent customer who had an issue with the Monoprice swapped them out for some generic ones they got on eBay and no issues.

If wanting a good quality cable, I will always suggest Blue Jeans (they will make the RCA to XLR properly wired on request).

 

[AdamG]

Already have the cables; I guess I'll know next week when the amp arrives if they introduce group loop issues. Can anyone suggest an alternative should the Monoprice prove problematic? Not a believer in fancy cables sprinkled with unicorn dust, just want something that works.

I have the amps and the cables and use them every day on 12 separate channels. Not a hint of hum. Dead silent. Do you have ground loop hum now? If not and you plan to use the same wall receptacle I think you will most likely be fine. Unless Monoprice is having a quality control problem with current cable production.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

I have the amps and the cables and use them every day on 12 separate channels. Not a hint of hum. Dead silent. Do you have ground loop hum now? If not and you plan to use the same wall receptacle I think you will most likely be fine. Unless Monoprice is having a quality control problem with current cable production.

I am not sure and did not mean to openly speculate so direct about a quality issue.
If the cables are already working or do work for you, you are fine.

It is more of a "there have been a few people who were only able to fix a groun loop issue by using a different cable after troubleshooting normal ground loop fixes"

 

[AdamG]

I am not sure and did not mean to openly speculate so direct about a quality issue.
If the cables are already working or do work for you, you are fine.

It is more of a "there have been a few people who were only able to fix a groun loop issue by using a different cable after troubleshooting normal ground loop fixes"

It’s a reasonable question since in the past these cables worked without problems and now all of a sudden they are not. I stand corrected about what I thought you said. However, I am directly speculating that they may be having quality issues.

P.S. I have edited my previous post and your quote of it. To reflect that I am calling into question a possible quality problem.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

It’s a reasonable question since in the past these cables worked without problems and now all of a sudden they are not. I stand corrected about what I thought you said. However, I am directly speculating that they may be having quality issues.

P.S. I have edited my previous post and your quote of it. To reflect that I am calling into question a possible quality problem.

The other piece of anecdotal evidence I have is I used to order my bulk 14awg power cords from Monoprice and noticed the last couple of times I received orders they were a different brand/manufacturer and the overall cable was thinner, like an 18awg cable (despite the packaging and markings indicating 14awg).

I do not use them anymore (so no worries for any customers using the power cables that came with their amp)

 

[thegeton]

The other piece of anecdotal evidence I have is I used to order my bulk 14awg power cords from Monoprice and noticed the last couple of times I received orders they were a different brand/manufacturer and the overall cable was thinner, like an 18awg cable (despite the packaging and markings indicating 14awg).

I do not use them anymore (so no worries for any customers using the power cables that came with their amp)

This often happens when a distributor uses a single SKU for a part type, but behind the SKU is an AVL (authroized vendor list) of 3-4 eligible vendors. Any of the eligible vendors' parts could end up in the same box together depending upon their price and availability. This is standard practice for most distributors, especially for OEM parts. Unfortunately, it means that one bad apple can indeed spoil the whole bunch.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

This often happens when a distributor uses a single SKU for a part type, but behind the SKU is an AVL (authroized vendor list) of 3-4 eligible vendors. Any of the eligible vendors' parts could end up in the same box together depending upon their price and availability. This is standard practice for most distributors, especially for OEM parts. Unfortunately, it means that one bad apple can indeed spoil the whole bunch.

Agreed. Was going to say as much (that is is probably a secondary source if their primary is short stocked). It makes sense to have approved vendors for secondary/tertiary sources (I have a few for some small connectors that can routinely be hard to find). But the downside is that if you do not use/rely on these secondary vendors often, there is a greater chance a bad apple or even a small change can creep in that spoils the batch.

 

[ryanosaur]

The other piece of anecdotal evidence I have is I used to order my bulk 14awg power cords from Monoprice and noticed the last couple of times I received orders they were a different brand/manufacturer and the overall cable was thinner, like an 18awg cable (despite the packaging and markings indicating 14awg).

I do not use them anymore (so no worries for any customers using the power cables that came with their amp)

Useful info... this kind of situation is good to know. My 2018 audio setup was done exclusively with Monoprice cables. Everything has worked well, though I have seen evidence of discoloration/oxidation in the Choice 12awg Speaker cables.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

Useful info... this kind of situation is good to know. My 2018 audio setup was done exclusively with Monoprice cables. Everything has worked well, though I have seen evidence of discoloration/oxidation in the Choice 12awg Speaker cables.

Besides my mains LCR speaker wire (which is Belden), almost all of my other wiring is some form of Monoprice. Their speaker wire seems to be tried and true over the years (never had an issue).

I did splurge for Blue Jeans for my XLR cables since they use Neutrik connectors. They just fit better compared to other XLR connectors out there (like Monoprice, Amazon brands, etc). Doesn't impact sound of course. Just a small detail.

 

[ryanosaur]

Already have the cables; I guess I'll know next week when the amp arrives if they introduce group loop issues. Can anyone suggest an alternative should the Monoprice prove problematic? Not a believer in fancy cables sprinkled with unicorn dust, just want something that works.

The other option is to very simply make your own. It doesn't always work out to be less expensive, but you have the option then of selecting your cable, terminations, and making certain any wiring is done properly... sometime different pins need to be connected in the XLR specifically for a certain use case: they are not always one-size-fits-all.