Did you audition nc500 vs nc500mp or nc502"

[polmuaddib]

To be precise, could we use REW for some measure of amplifiers in our home?

 

[March Audio]

To be precise, could we use REW for some measure of amplifiers in our home?

You can use REW to measure amps electrically no problem. However when using a microphone in a room you wouldnt get very accurate data

 

[ehabheikal]

Here is the data. The THD + N does not rise with frequency.

NC500
View attachment 77721
View attachment 77724



NC502MP
View attachment 77722
View attachment 77723

"The rise in distortion above 1 kHz is too steep in my liking. In that regard, the 1 kHz measurements we usually perform are the best case scenario. "
these are not my words those are amir in this review
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-and-measurements-of-nord-one-nc500-amp.7704/

%And the graph on that page is attached again amirs graph showing at 10khz on .5v the distortion rises 10 times from .005 to .05


I am not trying to be hard, i just want to find the best thing to buy for me, the last amp lol

 

[March Audio]

"The rise in distortion above 1 kHz is too steep in my liking. In that regard, the 1 kHz measurements we usually perform are the best case scenario. "
these are not my words those are amir in this review
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-and-measurements-of-nord-one-nc500-amp.7704/

%And the graph on that page is attached again amirs graph showing at 10khz on .5v the distortion rises 10 times from .005 to .05


I am not trying to be hard, i just want to find the best thing to buy for me, the last amp lol

You need to be careful here. Amirs test is of one implementation of the nc500. I can assure you that's not representative of the modules performance. Go by the Hypex data, it is accurate. There is no big rise in distortion with increasing frequency.

For starters that implementation used the Hypex eval board, which as I have previously discussed elsewhere on this forum, is not suitable to be used in a final product. It has no input filtering and no bandwidth limiting. You can clearly see in the FFT mains pick up and other noise issues going on.

 

[John1959]

"The rise in distortion above 1 kHz is too steep in my liking. In that regard, the 1 kHz measurements we usually perform are the best case scenario. "
these are not my words those are amir in this review
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-and-measurements-of-nord-one-nc500-amp.7704/

%And the graph on that page is attached again amirs graph showing at 10khz on .5v the distortion rises 10 times from .005 to .05


I am not trying to be hard, i just want to find the best thing to buy for me, the last amp lol

Aha! There we have some data! Distortion indeed seems to be increasing with frequency, but only at higher input voltages (and thus power). But one sentence in the conclusion is important and may not be overlooked: "How much the input buffer board adds to this, is unknown until we test other variations." So, It could be implementation. In fact, I think this is quite possible.

The NCxxMP modules have there own input buffers, so test results are much less dependent on implementation. Having said this, if the amp is well designed that input buffer should not deteriorate the performance of the amp module that much.

If I am right NORD Acoustics offers several other newer amps based on NC500 with a variation of input buffers.

 

[March Audio]

Aha! There we have some data! Distortion indeed seems to be increasing with frequency, but only at higher input voltages (and thus power). But one sentence in the conclusion is important and may not be overlooked: "How much the input buffer board adds to this, is unknown until we test other variations." So, It could be implementation. In fact, I think this is quite possible.

The NCxxMP modules have there own input buffers, so test results are much less dependent on implementation. Having said this, if the amp is well designed that input buffer should not deteriorate the performance of the amp module that much.

If I am right NORD Acoustics offers several other newer amps based on NC500 with a variation of input buffers.

The Hypex data is accurate, any problems shown in Amirs test is implementation based.

We don't use the nc500 module in any of our amps however I do have one here. If I get time tomorrow I will hook it up and run some tests and post them here.

I can also post some data for the ncxxxmp modules.

 

[Matias]

Would doing a REW sweep show any difference when using different amps? Or would similar amps (same gain but slightly different power and sinad) just have a same REW sweep with speakers? Or any slight difference in amps would show some difference in REW (phase or FR)?

Amp and DAC distortions are usually way lower than speakers and room distortions, so they do not show in an REW speaker sweep measurement.

 

[Matias]

Aha! There we have some data! Distortion indeed seems to be increasing with frequency, but only at higher input voltages (and thus power).

It is still quite low level distortion even in high power and high frequencies. Less than 99% of what is out there.

 

[John1959]

It is still quite low level distortion even in high power and high frequencies. Less than 99% of what is out there.

Yes, not something to worry about but it could be better! I think Ehabheikal should find out how much power he need, given the size and acoustic properties of the listening room, efficiency of the speakers and sound level needed. Depending on that he needs a NC1200 based amp or can do with a much cheaper NC125MP based amp A few hundreds % of distortion more or less is not that relevant , certainly not if the values are really low . And that's the case with all Hypex modules including the less expensive ones.

 

[March Audio]

It is still quite low level distortion even in high power and high frequencies. Less than 99% of what is out there.

I think I counted 6 out of the top 12 amplifiers in Amirs tests are ncore based.

 

[March Audio]

Yes, not something to worry about but it could be better! I think Ehabheikal should find out how much power he need, given the size and acoustic properties of the listening room, efficiency of the speakers and sound level needed. Depending on that he needs a NC1200 based amp or can do with a much cheaper NC125MP based amp A few hundreds % of distortion more or less is not that relevant , certainly not if the values are really low . And that's the case with all Hypex modules including the less expensive ones.

If you want better then go Purifi or AHB2

 

[jtwrace]

I use (4) NC502MP and they're simply awesome. Hypex data is indeed correct too.

 

[John1959]

If you want better then go Purifi or AHB2

Yes, I know. I would go for Purifi if I was not already very happy with my Hypex 8 channel amp. I would not look for a specific other Hypex amp or implementation. I never heard the Purifi based amps but I have some confidence that they are a real improvement of the older generation nCore technology of Hypex based on several interviews with the designer Bruno Putzeys.. Measurements show this also and it is probably audible too (with the right system.and sensitive ears). So again to Ehabheikal: look also to these amps if you are looking for a really good amp at a reasonable price! But remember: if you need a lot of power the NC1200 will still be a better choice: much more powerful that the current Purifi.

 

[jtwrace]

If you want better then go Purifi or AHB2

Or just wait for the Hypex refresh. Whenever that will be.

 

[John1959]

Or just wait for the Hypex refresh. Whenever that will be.

But the genius doesn't work there anymore ...

 

[jtwrace]

But the genius doesn't work there anymore ...

No, I'm sure others do and that's what I'm waiting for as it's inevitable IMO.

 

[ehabheikal]

The Hypex data is accurate, any problems shown in Amirs test is implementation based.

We don't use the nc500 module in any of our amps however I do have one here. If I get time tomorrow I will hook it up and run some tests and post them here.

I can also post some data for the ncxxxmp modules.

I would actually appreciate this.
This forum is cool thanx

 

[ehabheikal]

Yes, not something to worry about but it could be better! I think Ehabheikal should find out how much power he need, given the size and acoustic properties of the listening room, efficiency of the speakers and sound level needed. Depending on that he needs a NC1200 based amp or can do with a much cheaper NC125MP based amp A few hundreds % of distortion more or less is not that relevant , certainly not if the values are really low . And that's the case with all Hypex modules including the less expensive ones.

My speakers are a bit old the paradigm signature s6 which says its max power is 200w or so
My current amp is an emotiva a-300 with 150w in 8 ohm, i tried it with also with a wyred 4 sound 400 or so Watts in 8ohm and the sound to me was exactly the same.
I am in a country where there is not much high end or even regular hifi gear, so most of my purchases are from abroad based on reviews etc.

So basically i am thinking of pulling something around 1000$ usd for an amp which by the time i get it it will be around 1500$ due to taxes etc to improve my sound quality and was thinking of this or the purifi or the nc252 but the nc252 or nc250 i think will be under powered a bit and the nc500 a bit overpowered but then i will have more flexibility to replace the speakers with a less efficient one. This same amp was driving maggies well too

So basically i do not need more than 150w in 8ohm but more is nice and what i want is better sound than the emotiva if people here think that my speaker is resolving enough to feel the difference between emotiva and nc or purifi

 

[samysound]

My speakers are a bit old the paradigm signature s6 which says its max power is 200w or so
My current amp is an emotiva a-300 with 150w in 8 ohm, i tried it with also with a wyred 4 sound 400 or so Watts in 8ohm and the sound to me was exactly the same.
I am in a country where there is not much high end or even regular hifi gear, so most of my purchases are from abroad based on reviews etc.

So basically i am thinking of pulling something around 1000$ usd for an amp which by the time i get it it will be around 1500$ due to taxes etc to improve my sound quality and was thinking of this or the purifi or the nc252 but the nc252 or nc250 i think will be under powered a bit and the nc500 a bit overpowered but then i will have more flexibility to replace the speakers with a less efficient one. This same amp was driving maggies well too

So basically i do not need more than 150w in 8ohm but more is nice and what i want is better sound than the emotiva if people here think that my speaker is resolving enough to feel the difference between emotiva and nc or purifi

I would go with a 502mp based amp.

 

[ehabheikal]

I would go with a 502mp based amp.

or nc500mp? the one with built in power? but mono