BUCKEYEAMPS Hypex NCx500 Amplifier 2channel Review

[Sokel]

Am cross posting this from another thread as seems appropriate to repeat here. I purchased a 2 channel Buckeye NCx500 (just like the one tested by the OP).

Here is a look at THD vs Power (at 1 kHz and a 4 ohm load)...
View attachment 304258

The blue trace is with both channels driven and the purple one is a single channel. For the single channel case, it does meet the Hypex spec, doing just over 700 watts at 1% THD. Driving both channels, you can see it is about 600 watts. Not sure why the OP was not able to replicate but worked just fine for me.

p.s. and sounds great too!

Seems to me that he did replicate it,it's only 5KHz (and another that i can not see the color,I think it's 10Khz) didn't reach the 1% mark.
It even goes higher than 600 watts at 1Khz (stereo)

Edit:Finally identified the colors!

 

[Positivevibrations]

It's not blatently obvious. Hypex sell kits with 2 Nilay's with one smps500. Purify uses 2 modules with one smps1200. And these type of configurations are no problem because all Hypex smps have current protection build in. What is bloody obvious is that this smps was faulty from the start.

The Purifi amps are only 450w each. Read my post I Just made about triggering the overcurrent protection in the Purifi’s with a single supply. The reason why is the supply was rated 300w more than what the modules can draw. The Nilai‘s are a 13 year newer design. And the protection is likely implemented much differently.

This discussion in this thread is about the SMPS1200A700 and the NCx500. Why you should expect a 1200w supply to happily handle 1600w is beyond comprehension. I don’t think it’s fair to Hypex to expect this.

 

[DS23MAN]

The Purifi amps are only 450w each. Read my post I Just made about triggering the overcurrent protection in the Purifi’s with a single supply. The reason why is the supply was rated 300w more than what the modules can draw. The Nilai‘s are a 13 year newer design. And the protection is likely implemented much differently.

This discussion in this thread is about the SMPS1200A700 and the NCx500. Why you should expect a 1200w supply to happily handle 1600w is beyond comprehensio.

You don't still understand there is a overcurrent protection in the smps, please read the datsheet! The measurement from Rick shows it nicely!

 

[Rick Sykora]

Seems to me that he did replicate it,it's only 20Hz (and another that i can not see the color) didn't reach the 1% mark.
It even goes higher than 600 watts at 1Khz (stereo)


View attachment 304261

Good point although his comments seemingly contradict. As I have said previously, conditions matter. In the OP‘s case, he might have gotten to 700 watts by driving one channel. As he later pointed out, the output is limited to 600 watts per channel by the power supply.

 

[Positivevibrations]

You don't still understand there is a overcurrent protection in the smps, please read the datsheet! The measurement from Rick shows it nicely!

So you think the overcurrent protection in the supply is what should save the supply? No the supply shouldn’t even see more than its rated power being drawn. The amp protection should trigger first. The supply protection is a last resort measure. And only a poor design would even allow it to trigger. Not to mention the exponential decrease in cap life when running the supplies so hot. Among other components. Then @restorer-john wonders why he repairs so many Hypex supplies.

 

[Toni Mas]

Have ever heard a single clarinet playing loud live?
Can easily hit 110db SLP.So... not far for truth if it truly achieves the stated 129db peaks.

Yes i know that, but prefer to listen from the 20th file, beyond the critical distance, and deeply embeded into the reverberated soundfield!

Also these kind of monitors are not designed for nearfield monitoring...

 

[restorer-john]

So you think the overcurrent protection in the supply is what should save the supply? No the supply shouldn’t even see more than its rated power being drawn. The amp protection should trigger first. The supply protection is a last resort measure. And only a poor design would even allow it to trigger. Not to mention the exponential decrease in cap life when running the supplies so hot. Among other components.

OMG. You really have zero idea do you? Stop trolling, please. Please.

 

[Positivevibrations]

OMG. You really have zero idea do you? Stop trolling, please. Please.

Ok sorry I don’t want to ruin your Hypex supply repair business. I’ll leave you guys be.

 

[restorer-john]

Ok sorry I don’t want to ruin your Hypex supply repair business. I’ll leave you guys be.

Everyone here with a modicum of understanding knows I don't love Hypex stuff, or the widely varying system integrators out there screwing their chit into a box and claiming silly numbers. But I give credit where credit is due.

You ought to consider stepping back, listening, perhaps even thinking a little before you post. Behaving like a normal person instead of an anonymous keyboard warrior in his basement. You might even make a few friends here instead of burning everyone. Or not, whatever. Otherwise you're on a ticket to "outta-here" really fast.

 

[Rick Sykora]

In the thread where I had done my original NCx500 measurements, there were others that struggled with the supposedly undersized 1200 watt power supply. As the Hypex data sheet indicates, it was designed for supplying multiple higher power am modules at least 2 amplifier generations earlier than the NCx500 tested here. So, is not a design issue for this Buckeye amp or any other amp of comparable design.

Hypex’s new 2 channel Nilai amp follows the same approach. A 500 watt supply is used in the monoblock and stereo amplifiers. When implementing the stereo variant, the Nilai amp simply is rated for half the power per channel versus the monoblock‘s rating. One might argue that this seem wasteful of the amp modules potential, but the power supply works just fine and without much heat produced either.

 

[Sokel]

In the thread where I had done my original NCx500 measurements, there were others that struggled with the supposedly undersized 1200 watt power supply. As the Hypex data sheet indicates, it was designed for this scenario at least 2 amplifier generations earlier than the NCx500 tested here. So, is not a design issue for this Buckeye amp or any other amp of comparable design.

Hypex’s new 2 channel Nilai amp follows the same approach. A 500 watt supply is used in the monoblock and stereo amplifiers. When implementing the stereo variant, the Nilai amp simply is rated for half the power per channel versus the monoblock‘s rating. One might argue that this seem wasteful of the amp modules potential, but the power supply works just fine and without much heat produced either.

To me this debate goes only down to preference and needs.
You need a lot?Get the mono.
You have 100db sensitive horns or you listen from 1m?Get the stereo,etc.
Whatever.
Does the seller state it to a gazzilion watts?Ask ASR,he will soon rate it appropriately after the tar and feathers.

The main issue is for the advertised protections to kick in.Don't need much to short circuit the outputs of an amp for example,even with the probe of a DMM (if the whole pin left unprotected) as someone tries to match levels.And so on.
This failure can come very useful depending the diagnose.Let's wait.

 

[Rick Sykora]

To me this debate goes only down to preference and needs.
You need a lot?Get the mono.
You have 100db sensitive horns or you listen from 1m?Get the stereo,etc.
Whatever.
Does the seller state it to a gazzilion watts?Ask ASR,he will soon rate it appropriately after the tar and feathers.

There are several aspects being debated, but generally agree.

The main issue is for the advertised protections to kick in.Don't need much to short circuit the outputs of an amp for example,even with the probe of a DMM (if the whole pin left unprotected) as someone tries to match levels.And so on.
This failure can come very useful depending the diagnose.Let's wait.

No need to wait in my opinion…

If this amp gets an output shorted, it faults and takes a power cycle to recover (once the short is removed). Yes, a hobbyist builds this amp, but it is designed and tested by a reputable design engineer and then was independently tested by me (a somewhat less qualified engineer ). As Buckeye has been known to do, he also sends his new amps for Amir to review too.

 

[thin bLue]

On which test did it break?

Was it during high power HF or LF? Or other situation?

//

@ 4 Ohms
1. Med gain 20K -> 20 Each
2. Low gain 20K -> 20 Each
3. High gain 20k -> 20 Each -> after this, in a Min.
So After make the graphs we see, then rest in clicking.

BTW, Owner reported PSU have arrived, so soon we can see new results!

 

[Toni Mas]

Is It clear what components have broken, and what is the cause of the fault?

 

[thin bLue]

We have a myriad of "experts" to discuss a failure.
The failure as yet does not have a proven cause.
We are speculating.
So why dont we end this thread and do a Part 2 when the assembler/manufacturer has had time to analyse the problem, simulate the fault conditions, in conjunction with the component manufacturer and determine the issue that caused the fault.
Buckeye have proven they honour any problems raised in the past and have sent the owner a replacement part.
Lets give them time to identify the problem and report back.

Then with more scientific verified information we may find further discussion is not needed.
I fear our OP has performed a test in the spirit of the ASR culture and now has all sorts of innuendos and disparaging remarks.
We are all here as a world wide community of interested enthusiasts to support each other and help "newbs" enter this new information age of how products work and perform.
Some comments I believe dont meet the basic requirement of being civil and form a constructive discussion.
For ASR to excel, we all have a part to play as forum members to treat others as we would expect to be treated.

I should say, owner reported new PSU arrived!

New test with improved procedures will be soon possible.

Thank you for your comments!

 

[thin bLue]

Have ever heard a single clarinet playing loud live?
Can easily hit 110db SLP.So... not far for truth if it truly achieves the stated 129db peaks.

Few weeks ago.. xD

Replicating crazy dynamics of Real World always be challenging. I'm really sure.

 

[thin bLue]

Am cross posting this from another thread as seems appropriate to repeat here. I purchased a 2 channel Buckeye NCx500 (just like the one tested by the OP).

Here is a look at THD vs Power (at 1 kHz and a 4 ohm load)...
View attachment 304258

The blue trace is with both channels driven and the purple one is a single channel. For the single channel case, it does meet the Hypex spec, doing just over 700 watts at 1% THD. Driving both channels, you can see it is about 600 watts. Not sure why the OP was not able to replicate but worked just fine for me.

p.s. and sounds great too!

Thank you for providing additional information!

 

[thin bLue]

Good point although his comments seemingly contradict. As I have said previously, conditions matter. In the OP‘s case, he might have gotten to 700 watts by driving one channel. As he later pointed out, the output is limited to 600 watts per channel by the power supply.

In this case, It was all both ch driven.
To test 1ch each requires over x 2 time too!

 

[thin bLue]

Is It clear what components have broken, and what is the cause of the fault?

Not yet, owner will send me the new PSU, and I'll replace them. So please wait for next update!

 

[Toni Mas]

Not yet, owner will send me the new PSU, and I'll replace them. So please wait for next update!

Do you think the same fault can happen again?