Hypex NCx500 Class D Amplifier Review

[alitomr1979]

Got my AUDIOPHONICS LPA-S600NCX a few days ago and for less than 1100,00 € it is a steal. There is no reason to choose ny other amp in my opinion anymore. I was eyeing the small topping PA7 because they were cheaper, but what sold me was that Hypex is EU made, Audiophonics parts can be replaced by myself and the gain is adjustable in a wide and precise range (5 options!)

Finally I don't need to worry about my amp having less oomph than my speakers self-resetting fuses at about 450 Watt. The speaker will give out before the amp will.

Maybe now, after going through UCD, NC400, Purifi, LA90D I will finally stick to this "final" amp.

You liked the Hypex more than the Purifi? Notice a difference?

 

[ClaudeJ1]

Maybe now, after going through UCD, NC400, Purifi, LA90D I will finally stick to this "final" amp.

No such thing, unless you die.

 

[CleanSound]

Audiophonics parts can be replaced by myself

Agreed. I like the ability to repair by replace since these are off the selve modules. But I think by the time anyone of these modules dies out, it's probably many years from now and the modules may be out of production anyway. But regardless, still a good option to have.

 

[ClaudeJ1]

Agreed. I like the ability to repair by replace since these are off the selve modules. But I think by the time anyone of these modules dies out, it's probably many years from now and the modules may be out of production anyway. But regardless, still a good option to have.

Agreed. I like the ability to repair by replace since these are off the selve modules. But I think by the time anyone of these modules dies out, it's probably many years from now and the modules may be out of production anyway. But regardless, still a good option to have.

I got NC-400 monobloc kits, sound unheard, about 7 years ago after reading Bruno Putzey's White Paper. I get how good these are.

 

[DrCWO]

I like to tell you about a listening session I had with a friend

He owns the Lumin Amp and also the Lumin X1 streamer, both very expensive gear.
I brought my NCx500 Amp ($1500) with me and asked him to compare this against the Lumin Amp.

He did, and not only could we both hear a clear difference, but we also noticed that the NCx500 did it significantly better in two ways:
* Everything was airier and you could hear a lot more detail.
* The bass was tighter and much better controlled.

He chose the Nilai500DIY Monos (to buy here) because they have almost the same specifications as the NCx500. He said they were easy to assemble. After installation and now four weeks of daily use, he told me that they showed the same characteristics as the NCx500 and that he would now try to sell the Lumin AMP.

I think this is a really good recommendation for Nilai500DIY as he is a very critical listener who can also afford expensive equipment! Nevertheless, he now prefers a transparent and inexpensive DIY amp and that's quite a statement

Best DrCWO

 

[Julf]

I like to tell you about a listening session I had with a friend

He owns the Lumin Amp and also the Lumin X1 streamer, both very expensive gear.
I brought my NCx500 Amp ($1500) with me and asked him to compare this against the Lumin Amp.

He did, and not only could we both hear a clear difference, but we also noticed that the NCx500 did it significantly better in two ways:
* Everything was airier and you could hear a lot more detail.
* The bass was tighter and much better controlled.

He chose the Nilai500DIY Monos because they have almost the same specifications as the NCx500. He said they were easy to assemble. After installation and now four weeks of daily use, he told me that they showed the same characteristics as the NCx500 and that he would now try to sell the Lumin AMP.

I think this is a really good recommendation for Nilai500DIY as he is a very critical listener who can also afford expensive equipment! Nevertheless, he now prefers a transparent and inexpensive DIY amp and that's quite a statement

Best DrCWO

Sighted listening? How did you match level/gain?

 

[DrCWO]

We used an app to measure volume with an iPad. Not 100%, but close. Only the difference was so clear, with and without the same volume.

There was one more point I would like to mention. In the building where he lives, the mains supply apparently has a DC component sometimes more and sometimes less. With the Lumin Amp this causes the transformer to hum slightly. Of course, this problem does not exist with the Nilai500DIY.

 

[lordhumungous]

I like class D. I have 3 stereo amps in my elec. X overed 3 way system.

Class D is a lot better now then it was in its infancy.

 

[Head_Unit]

make it cost less than $1k

yeah! These new amps are cool, but as far as I've seen, there's still a gap between small inexpensive chip amps and then high powered stuff. No miracle of significantly more power than an AVR for oh $600 or something. And mostly stereo.

 

[ClaudeJ1]

Class D is a lot better now then it was in its infancy.

As expected for any progressive technology in the electronics world. Digital Everything.

 

[Julf]

As expected for any progressive technology in the electronics world. Digital Everything.

Except that class D mostly isn't digital...

 

[ClaudeJ1]

Except that class D mostly isn't digital...

Duh. It's what demands proportional Signal to Noise ratio, which is wasted via idiot producers in the Loudness Wars. A systems approach that lets us do our own Dynamic Compression is what Audiophiles need.

 

[soerenssen]

The cheapest mono block version available is around the same price as the stereo version. Same SMPS in both.
Will it make any difference if I buy two stereo amps and bi-amp each speaker, instead of driving them with mono blocks?

 

[DrCWO]

The cheapest mono block version available is around the same price as the stereo version. Same SMPS in both.
Will it make any difference if I buy two stereo amps and bi-amp each speaker, instead of driving them with mono blocks?

With two stereo amps you have the chance to implement a digital XO in future.

 

[soerenssen]

With two stereo amps you have the chance to implement a digital XO in future.

I cannot modify the crossover frequencies in my current speakers but they can be bi-amped (KEF Reference 3). I was just wondering if it makes any sense to drive them with two stereo amps or alternatively with a 4 channel amp.

 

[Julf]

I cannot modify the crossover frequencies in my current speakers but they can be bi-amped (KEF Reference 3). I was just wondering if it makes any sense to drive them with two stereo amps or alternatively with a 4 channel amp.

Bi-amping doesn't really give any benefits (unlike a digital crossover).

 

[ClaudeJ1]

Bi-amping doesn't really give any benefits (unlike a digital crossover).

It depends on more things than your response conveys.

 

[Julf]

It depends on more things than your response conveys.

Feel free to elaborate.

 

[ClaudeJ1]

Feel free to elaborate.

Physics and too many opinions without data.

 

[fpitas]

Here we go again