Hypex Nilai500DIY Amplifier Review

[SIY]

Then you think that the sound they get in the recording studio at the time was just as fast and precise as want we get now? Or you don't believe in artist intend? You maybe know that tube in an amp catch the sound waves and create reverb in the sound output to the speakers. If they were using tube amp in thew studio then suddenly those tube were not affected by that? Just answering with a "witty" is not an argument. What about I twist yours?: "Opinions without basic knowledge lead to all sorts of errors of judgement."

Non-sequiturs and ill-defined terms ("slow"?) are not a substitute for basic controls in sonic evaluation. The Nilai is an excellent amp, but doesn't sound different than any other engineered amp from the past 40+ years. More power than most, though.

If you don't like the way some recordings sound, a bit of EQ can be helpful.

 

[Dunlavyphile]

Someone should come up with a SINAD scale for forum posts. It would be interesting to learn whether these threads decay more as a function of time or the number of posts or some other variable. I seem to recall that somewhere, at the beginning of all this, Amir measured a new kind of amplifier? Oh, right! I bought one. Three, actually. Thanks, Amir!

 

[AdamG]

Someone should come up with a SINAD scale for forum posts. It would be interesting to learn whether these threads decay more as a function of time or the number of posts or some other variable. I seem to recall that somewhere, at the beginning of all this, Amir measured a new kind of amplifier? Oh, right! I bought one. Three, actually. Thanks, Amir!

The secret answer to your inquiry is 20 pages….That is the general point where distortion and noise begin rising to dominate the signal.

 

[Julf]

The secret answer to your inquiry is 20 pages….That is the general point where distortion and noise begin rising to dominate the signal.

There has also been a more general slower, longer term decay, with more subjective (feel rather than know) audiophiles and less science.

 

[AndreaT]

After a few day with the Nilai500, I can say that it sound amazing with newer recording, and not so good with older ones. Older recordings sounds often too lean. Which made me things that in the older recording studio, they were probably using class A, AB or even tube amps, and with slow speakers. Thus the sound they heard / wanted was heavily coloured by their equipment. To have a somewhat faithful reproduction of the sound they were seeking, you probably need equipment that's a match with what they had at the time. Thus slow and coloured. Is this making any sense?

Well, I had a similar experience. The dynamic extension of the master recording is very important and the digital mastering as well. Some well made recordings, like the two-cd edition of La La Land, or the best edition of The Wall, achieve a special extra quality with the Nilai as the sound has great variation between ppp and fff impeccably reproduced by the Nilai to the advantage of the emotional impact of Music.

 

[Matias]

The secret answer to your inquiry is 20 pages….That is the general point where distortion and noise begin rising to dominate the signal.

Yes, there is a magical threshold when the DUT is not new and interesting or controversial anymore, all there was to discuss is already discussed, and a thread is left wide open to noise. Like my post here.

 

[BDWoody]

"Opinions without basic knowledge lead to all sorts of errors of judgement."

You got that right. One of the more common examples we see here nearly every day is a serious lack of any basic knowledge about the importance of controlling for bias when doing subjective testing.

Uncontrolled subjective testing is where these unsupported claims come from. With controls, it becomes evidence. Without controls, it's just another baseless claim.

 

[AdamG]

There has also been a more general slower, longer term decay, with more subjective (feel rather than know) audiophiles and less science.

We have 37,800 Threads here and 2 Mods. We most certainly rely on the community to self police the threads and report off topic drift. My opinion, if you are after the facts and science. Read the first 20 pages and call it a day. There are exceptions to this rule. Far and few.

Yes, there is a magical threshold when the DUT is not new and interesting or controversial anymore, all there was to discuss is already discussed, and a thread is left wide open to noise. Like my post here.

Exactly. You obviously helped write the rule book.

 

[leManu]

Well, I had a similar experience. The dynamic extension of the master recording is very important and the digital mastering as well. Some well made recordings, like the two-cd edition of La La Land, or the best edition of The Wall, achieve a special extra quality with the Nilai as the sound has great variation between ppp and fff impeccably reproduced by the Nilai to the advantage of the emotional impact of Music.

I'm listening to this interview with one of my favorite producer: Daniel Lanois (

). And listening to his intend though my old Linn Klout and my new Nilai500, I do feel more in touch of with his intend with the Linn. Sad but true. The feeling, the location of the recording, the emotional goal he has in mind when recording just pass more with me with my old amp. I still think I need a new amp to give me more power and dynamic, but the tone and mood of the Nilai just ain't right. And the soundstage is just plain bad. I guess it's not the giant killer I want it to be.
Next week one of my friend who produced a lot of albums is coming here, I'm really curious about his thought. I'll let you know.

 

[Julf]

the tone and mood of the Nilai just ain't right. And the soundstage is just plain bad. I guess it's not the giant killer I want it to be.

The key here is the "I". Neutral, transparent and accurate amps (like the Nilai) don't have a mood or tone. They just reproduce the original signal. Accurately. Neutrally. If you want your amp to add artificial coloring, there are a lot of amps with distortion and coloration out there...

 

[HarmonicTHD]

I'm listening to this interview with one of my favorite producer: Daniel Lanois (

). And listening to his intend though my old Linn Klout and my new Nilai500, I do feel more in touch of with his intend with the Linn. Sad but true. The feeling, the location of the recording, the emotional goal he has in mind when recording just pass more with me with my old amp. I still think I need a new amp to give me more power and dynamic, but the tone and mood of the Nilai just ain't right. And the soundstage is just plain bad. I guess it's not the giant killer I want it to be.
Next week one of my friend who produced a lot of albums is coming here, I'm really curious about his thought. I'll let you know.

You didn’t get the hint from the few posts before, didn’t you?

Or don’t you understand?

Or maybe you ignore them?

(I vote for closing the thread)

 

[Rob Fens]

I'm listening to this interview with one of my favorite producer: Daniel Lanois (

). And listening to his intend though my old Linn Klout and my new Nilai500, I do feel more in touch of with his intend with the Linn. Sad but true. The feeling, the location of the recording, the emotional goal he has in mind when recording just pass more with me with my old amp. I still think I need a new amp to give me more power and dynamic, but the tone and mood of the Nilai just ain't right. And the soundstage is just plain bad. I guess it's not the giant killer I want it to be.
Next week one of my friend who produced a lot of albums is coming here, I'm really curious about his thought. I'll let you know.

Since i have a complete opposite experience than you (and not with the recording you mentioned), i can only say probably the Nilai does not suit your combination.
Everything shows it is a top quality product, but once and a while a component does not "fit". Like some body else tried to use a powerful/ high damping class D with a horn speaker. Cases like this mean you have to find a way to adapt something or swap components. But giving something the label "bad" is even for a supposed "subjectivist" as i consider you are (like me) way out of reality. This does not serve you, this forum or our hobby well.

 

[SIY]

I'm listening to this interview with one of my favorite producer: Daniel Lanois. And listening to his intend though my old Linn Klout and my new Nilai500, I do feel more in touch of with his intend with the Linn.

But that "feel" is unlikely to have anything to do with the sound and everything to do with you knowing which amp is being used.

 

[Dunlavyphile]

Bummer, I just learned that the faceplates offered on Deer Creek Audio do not fit the new Nilai kits. Sorry about the misinformation. I imagine compatible faceplates will become available at some point.

Fyi, Deer Creek just announced custom faceplates for the Nilai kits. This being a follow-up to an earlier series of posts regarding the scientific measurement of faceplate aesthetics...

 

[leManu]

Excerpt of the answers I received on Audiophile Style forums about the Nilai:

"Bruno Putzey has said that the input stage of his amp (Mola Mola Kaluga) has an outsized influence on the sound."

"The class D Ncore and Purify approaches provide an output current stage which is close to absolutely neutral and without any distortion, the implementation of the input stage is what we are mostly listening to."

I suggest to those who are tired of the hive mind that roams on this forum to visit Audiophile Style forums to have answers and suggestions instead of insults.

On this I'll show myself the door of this thread.

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
- Charles Bukowski

 

[Julf]

Excerpt of the answers I received on Audiophile Style forums about the Nilai:

"Bruno Putzey has said that the input stage of his amp (Mola Mola Kaluga) has an outsized influence on the sound."

"The class D Ncore and Purify approaches provide an output current stage which is close to absolutely neutral and without any distortion, the implementation of the input stage is what we are mostly listening to."

I suggest to those who are tired of the hive mind that roams on this forum to visit Audiophile Style forums to have answers and suggestions instead of insults.

On this I'll show myself the door of this thread.

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
- Charles Bukowski

I think you have found the right forum for you - if you prefer style over science.

 

[SIY]

Excerpt of the answers I received on Audiophile Style forums about the Nilai:

Well, there you go! Some people on some forum said this. That's better than evidence.

 

[BDWoody]

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
- Charles Bukowski

Like when people are confident they are hearing differences, when they haven't done anything to control for bias. Very common, and completely understandable for those who don't know better. We see it all the time.

I suggest to those who are tired of the hive mind that roams on this forum to visit Audiophile Style forums to have answers and suggestions instead of insults.

Funny...

I'll stick with the hive that gives answers and suggestions based on reality.

 

[maty]

Highly recommended 7 minute interview

High End Munich 2023 - Hypex - NcoreX or Nilai? What's the difference?

 

[Matias]

I wish they offered Nilai as OEM as well, same Pinot as NC(x)500OEM, of course higher priced, and let end customers and manufacturers choose what is the best value.

Looking forward to NCoreX on the popular NCore MP series. The extra efficiency (less heat) is very useful when stuffing several modules in a chassis inside a cabinet on home theater applications.