Buckeye NC252MP Stereo Amplifier Review

[Steve Dallas]

That’s one f.ugly amp. Could have spent just a few dollars on trying to give some kind of style, you’d think.

Not all buyers care about cosmetics. A lot of amps go into a cabinet or closet, never to be seen again.

 

[daniboun]

You have to distinguish which DIY look,cause taking a middle ground DIY case (not top of the top,not bottom too) looks like this:

I made my NC502MP and NC252MP with these enclosures : (I use it for most of my DIY amps, 10mm front / 4 mm rear)

And did my NC250MP dual MONO with a Vintage enclosure.... but found it ugly )))

 

[Ken1951]

Not all buyers care about cosmetics. A lot of amps go into a cabinet or closet, never to be seen again.

None of my electronics are visible as anything but shapes behind the perforated metal screens in the doors of our Salamander racks.

 

[Power Pop 23]

FWIW from the ugly camp (those who think the enclosures ugly, not those I’m calling ugly) the cases I use are manufactured in Canada. From day one I chose this company due to their closeness and ability to allow modifications (color, cutouts, etc) at low volume.

Recently I have looked at the idea of switching to a more pleasant looking case similar to what a lot of others offer, but this would impact the ability to offer a wide range of customization. And, just as important to me, take the location of case manufacturing to the other side of the globe.

As always, there are trade offs.

I am enjoying the sound and look of my Buckeye Amps 2-channel NC502MP with a Clear (Aluminum) anodized top panel and Bronze anodized bottom panel. Thank you for sourcing an enclosure manufacturer willing to create a 'one-off' for your customers.

 

[Ron Texas]

I'm surprised members are not giving this amp a top rating. A SINAD of 96 dB is transparent and this unit is priced right. It's slightly more expensive than similar items which can be purchased from overseas, but at least service is available. Thank you @amirm

 

[Deleted member 48726]

I made my NC502MP and NC252MP with these enclosures : (I use it for most of my DIY amps, 10mm front / 4 mm rear)

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And did my NC250MP dual MONO with a Vintage enclosure.... but found it ugly )))

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Much nicer. DIY doesn't have to look like scrap metal.

 

[Multicore]

None of my electronics are visible as anything but shapes behind the perforated metal screens in the doors of our Salamander racks.

Does that interfere with IR remote controls?

 

[Maginness]

Does that interfere with IR remote controls?

I've had equipment in Salamander cabinets with perforated metal screen doors and no issues with IR remotes.

 

[Ken1951]

Does that interfere with IR remote controls?

Nope. No issues whatsoever, and there's been several different pieces of equipment since we assembled it when we moved into this new house in 2004.

 

[VQR]

I've been running mine with a Freya S and Revel M16 speakers and the combo is killer. No issues and my digital and vinyl playback sound stellar. I did leave the amp on "auto" during the summer and the amp itself would make a pop noise when it turned itself on; no pop noise through the speakers though. I leave the amp on all the time now since I'm in the living room everyday with the cooler weather and I forget it's there.

Yes, it's simple in design but for the price/performance and shipping from a domestic company, I think it's a great starter amp for a HiFi under $1000. My next amp upgrade will probably be something that looks a little sexier but for my apartment now, this amp works perfectly.

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If I walked into your place and saw that, I definitely wouldn't think the rack was ugly. It's got a great flow and look to it! Industrial is a nice aesthetic.

I must compliment the cute little Charmander. I used to keep a Ho-Oh and Calumon on my phono stage!

 

[daniboun]

Much nicer. DIY doesn't have to look like scrap metal.

DIY allows you to save money.... my nc252mp cost me less than 400e

 

[only.shallow]

If I walked into your place and saw that, I definitely wouldn't think the rack was ugly. It's got a great flow and look to it! Industrial is a nice aesthetic.

I must compliment the cut little Charmander. I used to keep a Ho-Oh and Calumon on my phono stage!

Thanks, I did put a lot of time to assemble a HiFi with great measuring AND sounding equipement that visually made sense together. A bit brutatlist but I can always mix it up in the future when I build another system. Probably will go the silver route and add more natural wood elements with a plant or two. If I ever sell the Buckeye, a silver Benchmark amp would look great on this rack or even a McIntosh but that's way above my price range as long as I live in NYC. Ha, ha.

Charmander adds a bit of color and also matches the Schiit Heretic amps and 6" RCA cords they use. Ho-Oh would look cool too but I'm hoping to grab a Gengar for the other side. Cheers.

 

[DualTriode]

This amp is below "Shop Grade", it costs too much, the case has vents that will not keep the saw dust out.

Amps that require a brick wall filter for testing are not coming in the front door.

Perhaps if you gave me one I would bring it in through the shop for dissection.

I do not know if the switching frequent is audible or not. I do not plan on listening to it.

I have a AUX-0040 to use as a dissection tool.

 

[DualTriode]

a silver Benchmark amp would look great

Or a silver LA90.

 

[tmtomh]

FYI, $575 in 2023 is equivalent to $136 in 1979 and $245 in 1990.

 

[daniboun]

FYI, $575 in 2023 is equivalent to $136 in 1979 and $245 in 1990.

That doesn't help much... what is the median salary in the USA in 1979 and that in 2023? What is the difference in purchasing power between 1979 and 2023?

In France the minimum salary in 1979 was €1099.65/month vs. 1300/ month in 2023 taking into account monetary inflation

I might as well tell you that progress is fictitious...

 

[tmtomh]

That doesn't help much... what is the median salary in the USA in 1979 and that in 2023? What is the difference in purchasing power between 1979 and 2023?

The difference in purchasing power is precisely the difference in inflation. That's the point of adjusting for inflation. So it helps quite a bit, actually.

As for median salaries, the inflation-adjusted median salary in the US from 1979 to 2023 is about the same. That stagnation sucks, especially given the obscene increases in income and wealth inequality from 1979 to now. But for the purposes of this comparison, it is, again, precisely the point - $575 costs about the same, and reflects about the same typical salary and purchasing power, as $136 did in 1979 and $245 did in 1990.

 

[Tangband]

One poster above claims the 20Hz and switch-on 'pops' performance is sub standard... I'd like to respectfully remind them that thirty odd years ago, the worst case distortion performance here in this amp was common in the MIDRANGE of the best reviewed amps back then and so many 'enthusiast' and commercial less expoensive far eastern made amps back then often fell over at anything less than a four ohm load, leading to the rise and rise of huge amps able to drive almost a short circuit with massive power!

I'd say this is a great little power amp for normal usage domestically with plenty of power for most domestic concerns. I'd ask if any countersunk screws and holes were available for the side screws in an attempt to neaten appearance slightly, but that's it really for the price!

As you know, I have the audiophonics 250nc which is basically the same amplifier as this one, and I havent found any class A/B amps sounding nearly as good in this pricerange.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

As you know, I have the audiophonics 250nc which is basically the same amplifier as this one, and I havent found any class A/B amps sounding nearly as good in this pricerange.

Have you done some blind AxB testing of that? Sounds unlikely that amps within their performance envelope should have "a sound".

 

[Tangband]

Have you done some blind AxB testing of that? Sounds unlikely that amps within their performance envelope should have "a sound".

No I havent - I use long therm listening to avoid any blind testing nocebo* bias, and I can sometimes hear differences between amplifiers. Thats not strange at all if one amp has a SINAD of 65 and the other 95.

* https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocebo