Buckeye Amps vs Apollon vs VTV for Multichannel – Which One for My 7.2.4 KEF Setup?

[chezterarm]

Hi everyone,


I'm currently looking for a high-quality multichannel power amplifier to match my 7.2.4 home theater setup. My system is dedicated solely for movies, and I'm trying to decide between Buckeye Amps, Apollon Audio, and VTV Amplifier. Here's a quick overview of my setup:

• Front Left/Right: KEF Q11 Meta
• Center: KEF Q6 Meta
• Surround + Rear Surround: KEF Q4 Meta
• Atmos (4 speakers): KEF Ci200RR-THX
• AVPRE: Marantz AV20,30
• Subwoofers: Dual KEF Kube 15 MIE

I'm based in Thailand, so international shipping is a big consideration. Do any of these companies reliably ship to Asia/Thailand with reasonable cost and support?


I’m quite interested in Buckeye due to their affordable pricing and use of Hypex NCx500 or Purifi modules, but I’m also open to Apollon and VTV if they offer better long-term value or performance for my use case.


Any advice on:

• Which brand offers the best build and sound quality for movie-focused setups?
• Module suggestions for KEF Q Series (NCx500 vs Purifi vs NC502MP)?
• Shipping experience to Thailand?
• Noise floor, gain matching with Marantz, etc.?

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[IngMishael]

get the Buckeye if that is the cost effective one

 

[Buckeye Amps]

The two things I'm going to comment on:

1) Whichever route you go for company, the audio quality (what you hear) will be identical.
2) I would absolutely NOT spend extra money using Purifi or NCx500 on the surrounds or Atmos speakers. Use Purifi/NCx500 on the LCR and then the MP series Hypex on the remaining. Zero audible reason to spend more on the Purifi/NCx for surrounds or atmos duty. That is my honest opinion.

 

[kiwifi]

Happy with the pair of four channel Purifi amps that I purchased from VTV. Shipping cost to New Zealand was very reasonable and they were well packed.

 

[chezterarm]

The two things I'm going to comment on:

1) Whichever route you go for company, the audio quality (what you hear) will be identical.
2) I would absolutely NOT spend extra money using Purifi or NCx500 on the surrounds or Atmos speakers. Use Purifi/NCx500 on the LCR and then the MP series Hypex on the remaining. Zero audible reason to spend more on the Purifi/NCx for surrounds or atmos duty. That is my honest opinion.

thank you sir

 

[chezterarm]

Can you estimate the shipping cost to Thailand and any other promotions or discounts you can recommend to me?

 

[ThatSoundsGood]

I own 3 Buckeye amplifiers. Two are Ncore and one is Purifi based. They are flawless and I recommend them to everyone.

 

[chezterarm]

can i upgrate OPAMP to Sparkos Labs SS2590 Pro

 

[IngMishael]

can i upgrate OPAMP to Sparkos Labs SS2590 Pro

It's needless

 

[Buckeye Amps]

can i upgrate OPAMP to Sparkos Labs SS2590 Pro

No reason to at all

 

[Billy Budapest]

VTV’s QC and assembly quality doesn’t seem to be as good as Buckeye’s. I’ve seen pictures of the insides of both manufacturers’ products. VTV might be a smidge less expensive than Buckeye. For Apollon, the QC and assembly seems to be top notch, but you are paying extra for fancy cases.

 

[chezterarm]

i want to replace OPAMP to SS2590 for Warm sound but buckeye can't go it It is very unfortunate.

 

[Billy Budapest]

i want to replace OPAMP to SS2590 for Warm sound but buckeye can't go it It is very unfortunate.

Changing the opamp is not going to change the sound. You would be paying more money for no benefit.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

i want to replace OPAMP to SS2590 for Warm sound but buckeye can't go it It is very unfortunate.

It won't change the sound. So there is no point in offering it

 

[Oddball]

Don't worry - in Thailand the sound will always be worm - as air is .

 

[ThatSoundsGood]

i want to replace OPAMP to SS2590 for Warm sound but buckeye can't go it It is very unfortunate.

What do you mean by "Warm sound"? Are you looking for harmonic distortion? Are you looking for more magnitude in the low mid range (100-300Hz) frequencies?

 

[Billy Budapest]

What do you mean by "Warm sound"? Are you looking for harmonic distortion? Are you looking for more magnitude in the low mid range (100-300Hz) frequencies?

There is nothing “wrong” with wanting to tailor your sound—perhaps the listener's room makes everything sound bright, or his/her speakers do—but it is better to do so by using parametric EQ or digital room correction than by doing so in hardware. EQ and/or room correction will make a whole lot more sonic difference than swapping opamps, wherein any perceived differences in sound are likely due to the placebo effect and/or confirmation bias.