I've become intrigued by the Hypex NCore amplifiers (particularly NC502MP) and this site is one of the few I've found with meaningful discussion and commentary about the various options available on the market. But it's also left me feeling a bit baffled and concerned about whether the whole thing is a bit of a crapshoot or not. I'll try to itemize and distill what I've gleaned from reading the threads so far, and I'm hoping you guys can help to correct/clarify/confirm/etc. where possible. It's entirely possible I've mis-remembered or misinterpreted some things. Hopefully this can offer some finality and clarity on some of these issues. I've numbered the issues below for quick reference in replies.
1) All NCore Modules MAY Have Audible Hum?
In one thread, a user returned an NCore amp to Audiophonics, who then supposedly confirmed that they tested all their NCore products and they all produced the same audible hum, so it was "totally normal", and "you wouldn't hear it more than 2 feet from the speaker". Meanwhile, other users chimed in that their NCore amps were "dead silent". What is the final verdict on this? Audiophonics doing something wrong (and therefore a vendor to avoid?), or what?
2) OEM NCore > End-User NCore?
Only manufacturers (including all those listed on this page) have access to the super-duper whiz-bang elite-level NCore boards that are desirable. End-users can only buy poopified lesser versions.
3) The Cheapest Pre-Assembled Amps Are Sketchy?
The 3 cheapest common options I could find for pre-assembled amps were from VTV, Buckeye, and Audiophonics.
a) VTV was said to have very sketchy build quality, with improperly-fitting connectors + duct tape, sloppy soldering, and potentially dangerous wiring mistakes. They claim to have addressed the "pin 1 problem", have they addressed the other issues?
b) Buckeye was said to be made by a college student in his spare time and potentially also have dangerous wiring and other quality control issues.
c) Audiophonics may have improper wiring and audible hum. They are based in France so return shipping and/or warranty claims would be extra annoying.
4) Proper RCA-to-XLR Cables Are Elusive?
I'm still unclear if the affordable Monoprice RCA-to-XLR cable (p/n 4777) is "good" or "bad" for this purpose. Some threads seem to allege that all commercially available options don't have the right wire-mapping and you have to make your own, which seems ridiculous if true.
5) RCA-to-XLR Cables Preferable to RCA Only?
Some amps have RCA and XLR inputs. Others have only one or the other. Some threads seem to allege that using RCA-to-XLR cables offers better sound quality compared to just using RCA cables and RCA inputs.
a) First of all, is this actually true, and if so why? Presumably an amp with RCA inputs has those inputs properly grounded, same as an RCA-to-XLR would be?
b) Secondly, does this mean that the very presence of RCA jacks on an amp means the sound quality will be degraded, even if only using the XLR inputs? For example, Audiophonics amps include both RCA and XLR inputs. Is that going to be worse than a similar amp with only XLR inputs?
6) Trigger Or No Trigger?
Some amps offer a 12V trigger. This seems like a good option but raises several potential issues:
a) Does the trigger add any noise or potential issues? I seem to recall some posts about users having to disable that feature as it was causing problems. These amps should have minimal power draw when not being used, yes? How important is the trigger?
b) Which manufacturers have soft-on/soft-off to avoid popping when powering their amps on or off? Is this a feature built-in to NCore boards or is it something manufacturers add?
7) March Audio FTW?
The March Audio offerings don't seem to offer RCA inputs or 12V triggers as options. And based on their sales rep's knowledgeable, coherent, and articulate responses in several posts, they seem to know what they are doing compared to other manufacturers (including some that are outside my price range like Nord--who also seems to have the "pin 1 problem"--and Apollon). Is March Audio basically the safest bet here all around? Their price is higher than Audiophonics but below Nord and Apollon; and they are in Australia which = expensive shipping to USA and also potentially annoying warranty scenarios. But they seem to be the only (?) truly safe option right now. Is this correct, or have there been any issues with their NCore amps reported?
Is there anything else I missed? I would love to identify a top pick or two among these offerings for myself and perhaps that will be helpful to others in the same situation as well. Thanks for your contributions!
My fault. It's Tron album. Yesterday I played bass albums on nCore and I confused it. RAM has DR9.
