Buckeye Nc502mp Review (6 Channel Amplifer)

[sarumbear]

It’s not a problem. I have no problems removing the plugs. You press underneath instead of above.

If you know them to be there. Not everyone is fully conversant with XLRs. I agree with @amirm.

 

[peng]

It's what I used to say about my pair of 10 cu ft subs: "Bass enhancement via room volume reduction."

Do you know how big his room is?

 

[Jdunk54nl]

If one is willing to buy used, you can get a used M27 for $2200-$2700. At at that price it is a great value for what you get. I have an M27 but also a Buckeye 8 channel NC252 as well.

Ya, for $2200 and 7 channels, that is competing against Buckeye Amps ($2300 for a 6 channel and a 2 channel 502mp). But that is the problem, it is just at the competition point and it is used gear. Used is hopefully not an issue but you better be sure as you are most likely not getting any warranty. Nicer looking case on the NAD though, so there is that.

 

[SIY]

I remember watching that episode as a kid!

My notorious wife quotes that one all the time as she determines which appliances we can't run simultaneously in our new home.

 

[JayGilb]

If you know them to be there. Not everyone is fully conversant with XLRs. I agree with @amirm.

It would seem possible to connect the wires to the xlr connectors and then rotate them 180 degrees before pop riveting in place.

 

[Labjr]

It would seem possible to connect the wires to the xlr connectors and then rotate them 180 degrees before pop riveting in place.

I don't think it matters.

 

[HammerSandwich]

Regarding power draw in a real world scenario...

Wow for the rest of your post. What speakers are you driving?

Has anybody measured idle draw on a Buckeye amp? Kill-a-watt or whatever is fine. Hypex datasheet shows 17W in only SMPS in 502MP, which surprised me. 252MP specs more reasonably at ~15W for everything.

 

[Jbrunwa]

If you know them to be there. Not everyone is fully conversant with XLRs. I agree with @amirm.

Also my amps have the Speakon option for speaker cables. If the XLR were not upside down it would not be possible to remove the XLR without first removing the Speakon. So I prefer the existing orientation.

 

[Rick Sykora]

It appears that my NAD M27, which Amir reviewed in September 2019, still out performs any multichannel amplifier so far, including this Buckeye, and it has a 420 Watt output at 4 Ohms when it drives only two speakers.

Review and Measurements of NAD M27 PWR Amp

This is a review and detailed measurements of the NAD M27 7-channel surround audio amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member. Seems like the M27 came out back in 2014 and costs US $4,400. The M27 has the same design language as the excellent M17 Home Theater Processor (looks only): The...

www.audiosciencereview.com

and how do you handle the disgrace of sideways xlr connectors?

 

[AdamG]

9 + 2 + 6 = 17

How do you fit in the room?

By removing all the other unnecessary furniture of course!

 

[sarumbear]

Also my amps have the Speakon option for speaker cables. If the XLR were not upside down it would not be possible to remove the XLR without first removing the Speakon.

That is another matter that needs to be solved separately, like offsetting the connectors. You can’t solve a problem by creating another one.

 

[JayGilb]

Also my amps have the Speakon option for speaker cables. If the XLR were not upside down it would not be possible to remove the XLR without first removing the Speakon. So I prefer the existing orientation.

Your Buckeye amps have Speakon connectors ? I didn't know he offered that option.

 

[Jdunk54nl]

Your Buckeye amps have Speakon connectors ? I didn't know he offered that option.

Everything he offers is listed here:

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

Hypex NC502MP specs: - 450w @ 2ohm (per channel, peak) - 500w @ 4ohm (per channel, peak) - 350w @ 8ohm (per channel, peak) Hypex NC252MP specs: - 180w @ 2ohm (per channel, peak) - 250w @ 4ohm (per channel, peak) - 150w @ 8ohm (per channel, peak) PRICING: XL 8ch Aluminum Case (17"x13"x6")...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Jbrunwa]

That is another matter that needs to be solved separately, like offsetting the connectors. You can’t solve a problem by creating another one.

It’s not a bug, it’s a feature as far as I’m concerned. The short cases fit perfectly in my rack.

 

[sarumbear]

It’s not a bug, it’s a feature as far as I’m concerned. The short cases fit perfectly in my rack.

Who said its a bug? We just didn’t like the feature. Meanwhile, what’s case depth got to do with this issue?

 

[dougi]

I will say that CLASS D finally has a bit more than cursory attention from me now.
To further things: if the specs get closer to the lower powered CLASS D MODUALS...
Also the availability of 'soft' clipping, clipping indicators & meters as options would be nice.
The price would likely be higher but for the first time I would become willing to spend on CLASS D.
Because it would then become worth it to me.

There is a facility for clipping indication in the modules. March Audio use it, the power LED flashes if clipping. There is also a current sensor that can be used to indicate power, with a bit of effort.

 

[Jbrunwa]

Who said its a bug? We just didn’t like the feature. Meanwhile, what’s case depth got to do with this issue?

To me a problem = bug. It’s case height when I said short. I never mentioned depth. If you want to orient both plugs with the button above, IMO you would need a higher case otherwise you wouldn’t be able to get your fingers in between to release a plug.

 

[dougi]

It looks like the hump/rise is shown in Hypex's own graphs. THD+N 0.0016% is almost -96 dB at 200 W, vs Amir's approx. -83.3 dB at 200 W.
March's P502's -94 dB (just eyeballing it) was much closer than Hypex. At low output such as at 5 W Buckeye Amp's is about 4 to 5 dB better than March Audio's. Very strange, may be the differences between all 3, Hypex, March Audio P502 and Buckeye Amp NC502MP are all due to noise, not distortions. So at higher output, the 6 channel Buckeye amp has much lower SINAD because of the increase in power supply noise? @amirm can you comment on this? The NC502MPs are total packages, hard to imagine performance between amps can vary in terms of distortions, but it may easier to understand if it is the N part of THD+N is causing the significant differences, I guess.

View attachment 161724

They have definitely changed the datasheet over time. an old one on my PC shows the below for 4 ohm (closer to March Audio test).
Earlier had slightly more noise, less distortion, a tad more power @1kHz?

 

[sarumbear]

To me a problem = bug. It’s case height when I said short. I never mentioned depth. If you want to orient both plugs with the button above, IMO you would need a higher case otherwise you wouldn’t be able to get your fingers in between to release a plug.

As you didn’t say height either I was confused.

Maybe you need a taller case, bigger height front panel?

 

[Jbrunwa]

As you didn’t say height either I was confused.

Maybe you need a taller case, bigger height front panel?

Taller case would mean that I couldn’t fit 2 of these amps in my rack space as shown in the photos I posted. Thus I am very happy with the existing jack orientation and placement on the amps. I hope that helps clarify.