Hypex Announces New and Improved NCOREx Class-D Amplifier Technology

[Matias]

NCx252MP is almost identical to NC252MP as far as I can see. Same power, same output noise. Just a reduction of distortion at the knee for mids and lows, but interestingly almost the same for highs.

I can already hear the veils being lifted, the foot tapping, the childhood memories being remembered, etc etc.

old NC252MP

new NCx252MP

 

[esk]

Would 2 pcs of NCx252MP driven in bridged mode be stupid idea to have instead of for example NCx500 stereo amp? At least the footprint would be much smaller.

 

[perceptionist]

Don’t know whether the reliability can catch up with the modules without integrated power supplies as suggested in Post in thread 'Hypex NC252MP cautionary tale'

 

[esk]

Well yes of course that is one of the downsides. Smaller and more dense board = more heat.

Any news or rumors of the NCx500MP module?

 

[boXem]

Would 2 pcs of NCx252MP driven in bridged mode be stupid idea to have instead of for example NCx500 stereo amp? At least the footprint would be much smaller.

Yes (sorry).
Won't be able to drive anything below 4Ohm, so not a single modern passive speaker. Plus EMI issues. Plus heat issues.
Edit - and the footprint would be approximately the same.

 

[tineared]

I'm waiting for the NCx1000 to be released next year. It's more power than I need, but I haven't found many options in this class. It idles at less than 10 watts and should be end game for my 3.3s. I look forward to see how it behaves

NCx1000 OEM | NCX1000OEM

Note: The NCx1000 OEM is not for sale yet. However, we expect to ship it in Q3, 2026. Please contact [email protected] for more information on the NCx1000 OEM. Prepare to elevate your audio experience to unprecedented levels with the…

www.hypex.nl

 

[Ropeburn]

General note: (old) NC252MP is indeed 2 Ohm stable, just not until full nominal power (250Wpc). Manufacturer spec is 180W at 2 Ohm, indicating PSU current limiting.

Amir's test "failed" at 2 Ohm (protection), but that doesn't mean it's instable or unable, just that it runs out of steam before 200W. It'll still work fine if you don't push it that far. The 180W spec - no reason to doubt it. Hypex specs are usually quite accurate.

Of course that means it'll run out of current even earlier in bridge mode, enough to be a practical problem with any speaker dipping under 4 Ohm, as already noted.

 

[RandomEar]

NCx252MP is almost identical to NC252MP as far as I can see. Same power, same output noise. Just a reduction of distortion at the knee for mids and lows, but interestingly almost the same for highs.

I can already hear the veils being lifted, the foot tapping, the childhood memories being remembered, etc etc.

old NC252MP
View attachment 491605
View attachment 491607

new NCx252MP
View attachment 491606
View attachment 491608

Interestingly, the current datasheet for the NC252MP shows performance very close to the NCx, but the datasheet from 2020 does not:

Seems like there was a hardware revision in the last three and a half years which improved the performance of the NC252MP. The current datasheet is marked "04xx", while my data seems to be from revision "02xx" (see here). A comparison of the old version with the NCx looks like this:

As usual: Different sources were used for the plot and the amps might run at different gains. "For your entertainment only".

Sources:

• NC252MP
• NCx252MP
• PA5 II
• 1ET400A

 

[quattro98]

Yes (sorry).
Won't be able to drive anything below 4Ohm, so not a single modern passive speaker. Plus EMI issues. Plus heat issues.
Edit - and the footprint would be approximately the same.

As a non-expert, can you elaborate on the EMI issues in a multichannel amp?

For an amp with >= 4 channels, what are the considerations? Something specific to the NC252? What are the pluses/minuses of multiple integrated power supply modules vs other options like separate power supply and multiple amp modules?

 

[boXem]

As a non-expert, can you elaborate on the EMI issues in a multichannel amp?

For an amp with >= 4 channels, what are the considerations? Something specific to the NC252? What are the pluses/minuses of multiple integrated power supply modules vs other options like separate power supply and multiple amp modules?

The NCxxxMP series power supplies are borderline in conducted emissions when installed in class I devices. Once paralleled they do not pass standards anymore.
For more than 4 channels, DSA254 + single SMPS1200 or SMPS3k is a much better solution.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

NCx252MP....I think the Blue PCB really brings out a nice coolness to the overall sound (/s)

 

[ozlegend]

Before Christmas I bought 4 of the new NCx252MP modules from Hypex and spent the holiday period using 3 of them to build a rough prototype 6-channel amp to run a pair of 3-way Legend Tikandi loudspeakers through a new DEQX pre8 preamp/processor. The new amp replaced one using 6 of NCx500 modules fed by a pair of Hypex SMSP1200A700 to effectively give triple-mono configuration.

The new amp was fortunately much easier to build than its replacement that required 6 power supply leads to each of the 6 NCx500 modules as well as the usual signal inputs and outputs. Each NCx252MP module with its built-in SMPS requires only an AC supply in addition to the signal leads.

And as far as I could tell the sound quality of the new amp was just as good as the old one despite the halving of power - though still more than enough for the fairly benign load of the loudspeakers. As suggested by the very low distortion measurements of the modules the sound was excellent - startling micro and macro dynamics with superb low level resolution and great tonal balance) - being transparent to the amps and depended largely on the DEQX pre8 and its interaction with Tikandi loudspeakers (still work in progress).

There also appeared to be no emi issues between the 3 modules.

 

[boXem]

There also appeared to be no emi issues between the 3 modules.

How do you know this ?

 

[ozlegend]

Only from the fact that I could not hear any effects from it - which in the end is all I care about as a loudspeaker designer!

 

[boXem]

I expected a more technical approach from somebody labeled as "audio company", looks like I was mistaken, sorry.

 

[ozlegend]

I do have PhD (DPhil) in solid-state physics from Oxford University but don't have the equipment to do any measurements at RF, only for audio frequencies on loudspeakers.

I could hypothesise that the most likely sources of EM/RF coupling between the Hypex modules would be the inductors both in the SMPS and the output filter but as these fields decrease as the inverse cube of the distance (being effectively dipoles) I would guess they are unlikely to cause coupling. But I could be wrong!

As mentioned in my first post I could hear no evidence of any coupling/interference between the modules. In audio (but not theoretical electronics) and particularly listening to music - which is (hopefully) the end game - this is the ultimate test.

Hope this helps.

Rod

(Current manufacturer of some of the best loudspeaker systems in the known Universe, having worked as Senior Acoustic Engineer at Linn Products in Glasgow)!

 

[ryanosaur]

Ummm...

We cool?

 

[boXem]

cm or inches?

 

[Ropeburn]

cm or inches?

Cm. It's a bigger number