sceptical1
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200W at 20hz is torture.
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Class D amp long term reliability
- Thread starter sophie smith
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mdunjic
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Same here
Interesting thread. My audiophonics nc252mp just started power cycling randomly, but plays music just fine. I'm assuming it's the power supply section of the board. Without schematics I have no idea where to start. Audiophonics will diagnose it, but I don't really want to spend 70euro to ship it, only to be told I need to buy a $400 amp module...
Not sure what I should do here.
Not sure what I should do here.
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The random power cycling you’re experiencing is typically the first symptom of a failing NC252MP module. In our experience, the next stage is that the unit may eventually stop powering on altogether. We’ve seen this exact failure pattern before, starting with the same power-cycling behavior.
Nothing what is within manufacturer’s specs is a torture! If it is limited, the manufacturer must clearly state it in technical conditions. Otherwise, we are in a toy business.
No. Continuous power is not rated, as it is dependent on the implementation in the final product.
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When measured unmounted on the bench as a standalone module, the NCx500 delivers 50 watts of continuous power. Once mounted to an aluminum baseplate with proper thermal management, its continuous power capability increases substantially.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
I don't know why so many people are, what appears to be politely attacking Tibor and/or doubting his reporting on the MP's reliability.
1) He specifically said on multiple occasions, that his customers' use cases are extremely demanding. Perhaps other manufacturers' customers don't have the same level of demanding use cases as Apollon does?
2). He provided anecdotal data, while may not be with exact precision, but it's sufficient ball park assessment. I'm sure if Tibor wanted to, he can get the exact precise data as all of this is recorded in his POS system, but he is not here to do a scientific study, he is only providing good will guidance. Don't forget, he too sells the the MP products too, he's just being transparent. Sure perhaps other manufacturers' may not have similar experience and perhaps there are multitudes of variables. . .but at the end of the day, with the latest MP revisions, Tibor observed 3 to 4 times of failure rate compared to higher model Hypex and Purifi, this is based on the use cases of his customer base. Don't shoot the messenger folks.
3) Tibor does give sound explanation on why he feels the failure rate is higher, these MP modules have the power supply integrated with the amp. It's optimized for cost, meaning many shared components and uses lower quality/cost savings components. Thermal issues, part reliability issues all play a part.
At the end of the day, you the consumer make your own assessment based on this reporting by a manufacturer. . .and other manufacturers' counter claim.
Thank you Tibor for your transparency and reporting.
Full transparency, I own a Lux NCx500 stereo amp myself. . .I have zero issues.
1) He specifically said on multiple occasions, that his customers' use cases are extremely demanding. Perhaps other manufacturers' customers don't have the same level of demanding use cases as Apollon does?
2). He provided anecdotal data, while may not be with exact precision, but it's sufficient ball park assessment. I'm sure if Tibor wanted to, he can get the exact precise data as all of this is recorded in his POS system, but he is not here to do a scientific study, he is only providing good will guidance. Don't forget, he too sells the the MP products too, he's just being transparent. Sure perhaps other manufacturers' may not have similar experience and perhaps there are multitudes of variables. . .but at the end of the day, with the latest MP revisions, Tibor observed 3 to 4 times of failure rate compared to higher model Hypex and Purifi, this is based on the use cases of his customer base. Don't shoot the messenger folks.
3) Tibor does give sound explanation on why he feels the failure rate is higher, these MP modules have the power supply integrated with the amp. It's optimized for cost, meaning many shared components and uses lower quality/cost savings components. Thermal issues, part reliability issues all play a part.
At the end of the day, you the consumer make your own assessment based on this reporting by a manufacturer. . .and other manufacturers' counter claim.
Thank you Tibor for your transparency and reporting.
Full transparency, I own a Lux NCx500 stereo amp myself. . .I have zero issues.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
@DanielF, if you have not done so, you need to invest in a surge protection system.
While may not help with minor transient spikes, it protects your valuable system from major spikes. And if the power in your house is that unreliable, this is the one time I would recommend a power conditioner.
Oh man, thanks for the reply. The unit is 5 years old, so it fits the timeline from your earlier posts. Do you know if there's any end user fixes? Like replacing specific mosfets, caps etc? Or do I send it for electronic recycling?
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There are quite a few different things that can fail on these modules, and it’s difficult to pinpoint the cause without proper diagnostics. Over time, we’ve seen various components fail, particularly on some of the later revisions. If you’re looking for a more robust, truly bulletproof solution, I’d recommend considering the higher-end Hypex platforms (NCx500, NC1200, NC2K) or Purifi modules, which have proven to be far more reliable over time.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
What sucks is that, these MP modules in multi-channel configuration aren't even that cheap to begin with, no where near the ballpark of expensive but they simply just aren't really that cheap in multi channel configurations.
I don't have a home theatre setup, but I've been planning for one for when the day I move to a bigger space. I actually have already made up my mind to not go with Hypex, Purifi or IcePower long before I saw this thread because there are other options, namely class AB amps.
Ever since these class D got popularized on ASR, so many "casuals" are so misled to somehow think that class D is the second coming of Jesus and that class AB is somehow your grandpa's technology.
Don't get me wrong I own a stereo NCx500 for my main listening system and will remain there for many years to come. But while these Hypex and Purifi offer an tremendous performance and value for 2-channel amplification, the "casuals" are misunderstanding the measurements because ASR stack ranks based on a fixed output, frequency and gain and they failed to understand that these class D's distortion profile are incredibly frequency dependent. And many times at it's worse performance it is worse than some of the best class AB.
As a consumer, I encourage other fellow consumers to look into Outlaw and Monolith for multi-channel setups.
I don't have a home theatre setup, but I've been planning for one for when the day I move to a bigger space. I actually have already made up my mind to not go with Hypex, Purifi or IcePower long before I saw this thread because there are other options, namely class AB amps.
Ever since these class D got popularized on ASR, so many "casuals" are so misled to somehow think that class D is the second coming of Jesus and that class AB is somehow your grandpa's technology.
Don't get me wrong I own a stereo NCx500 for my main listening system and will remain there for many years to come. But while these Hypex and Purifi offer an tremendous performance and value for 2-channel amplification, the "casuals" are misunderstanding the measurements because ASR stack ranks based on a fixed output, frequency and gain and they failed to understand that these class D's distortion profile are incredibly frequency dependent. And many times at it's worse performance it is worse than some of the best class AB.
As a consumer, I encourage other fellow consumers to look into Outlaw and Monolith for multi-channel setups.
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respice finem
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Speaking of robust gear - the comparably cheap and simple chip amps in active speakers seem to fail less often (or is it my cognitive bias?)
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