Hypex Nilai500DIY Amplifier Review

[CorD]

I have a good sound but I am trying for still a better sound. What I already did:

A new power supply for the amplifier,

Cables of the amplifier power supply renewed,

A new switch with power supply,

New internet cable installed,

New speaker cables installed,

Banana plugs renewed.

 

[Julf]

I have a good sound but I am trying for still a better sound. What I already did:

A new power supply for the amplifier,

Cables of the amplifier power supply renewed,

A new switch with power supply,

New internet cable installed,

New speaker cables installed,

Banana plugs renewed.

Apart from the power supply, none of those probably made any audible difference - and the power supply only if the new one is more powerful.
Is there any reason you aren't happy with your current sound quality? The most improvement comes from speaker placement and possible room treatment (or equalization).

 

[voodooless]

I have a good sound but I am trying for still a better sound. What I already did:

A new power supply for the amplifier,

Cables of the amplifier power supply renewed,

A new switch with power supply,

New internet cable installed,

New speaker cables installed,

Banana plugs renewed.

I'm sorry to say, but this is so much wasted money and time on things that don't do anything .

Better sound you get from better speakers and improving your room by treatment, placement, or DSP correction, not with audio homeopathy.

 

[CorD]

The power supply and the new switch gived me a much better sound.

And I have Dirac live.

Room Treatment is not possible, then my wife will be angry.

 

[Julf]

The power supply and the new switch gived me a much better sound.

Did you verify that objectively? It is our experience that buying new, shiny gear makes the perceived sound much better - even if there is no difference in the actual sound wave.

 

[JSmith]

The power supply and the new switch gived me a much better sound.

C'mon... remember the S in ASR is science. It's not audio subjective review.


JSmith

 

[Julf]

C'mon... remember the S in ASR is science. It's not audio subjective review.

@CorD, I am aware that you wrote "I am one of these people who have just a little knowledge about audio" so hopefully you are not scared away by our reactions. As @JSmith wrote, this forum/site is about science. We know that there are thousands of "audiophile" sites, forums, youtube channels and magazines pushing audio voodoo - because that is what advertisers pay them to do (ans some of the people actually believe the voodoo). If you hang around here you will realize that there are some extremely knowledgeable people here (but also a fair bit of voodoo believers - but they tend to leave after a while).

 

[Chagall]

The power supply and the new switch gived me a much better sound.

And I have Dirac live.

Room Treatment is not possible, then my wife will be angry.

Why stop there?

 

[Julf]

Why stop there?

Ouch!

 

[CorD]

Dank je wel, ja dat weet ik.

ik weet dat je schreef: "Ik ben een van die mensen die een beetje verstand van audio heeft", dus hopelijk schrik je niet af door onze reacties. Zoals @@JSmith schreef, gaat dit forum/deze site over wetenschap. We weten dat er duizenden "audiofiele" sites, forums, YouTube-kanalen en tijdschriften zijn die audiovoodoo kwaliteiten - omdat adverteerders hen daarvoor betalen (en sommige mensen geloven de voodoo echt). Als je hier rondhangt, zul je merken dat er hier een aantal extreem deskundige mensen zijn (maar ook een behoorlijk aantal voodoo-gelovigen - maar die meestal na een tijdje).

Thanks, Yes I know!

 

[JSmith]

but also a fair bit of voodoo believers - but they tend to leave after a while

That's why our good member @voodooless is here.


JSmith

 

[anphex]

The power supply and the new switch gived me a much better sound.

And I have Dirac live.

Room Treatment is not possible, then my wife will be angry.

If you like to tinker like that, just get a UMIK 1 and fire up REW and measure your speakers system.
I bet you 100 € that you'd rather find a resonating piece of decoration cause a spike distortion instead of measuring any benefits from new cables.

This is a thing I learned at first. Whenever I change something and find it "nicer", I measure it and try to see why. If the measurements (phase, frequency response, disortion) don't correlate with the subjective "niceness" I know my mind is selling me "different" for "nice."

 

[CorD]

This is a Great Tip! Thanks.

 

[deercreekaudio]

Good morning, I am one of these persons

Good morning, I am a little bit late with mine reaction. I am one of these people who have just a little knowledge about audio! My question: Can I use the Hypex Nilai500DIY amplifier for an power amplifier on the NAD M33 to Bi-amping? Or is the NAD M 23 better?

There are pros and cons to bi-amplifying the passive crossovers in your speakers:

One benefit of bi-application is that it increases the overall deliverable power to your speakers. It also allows you to choose / optimize the characteristics of your amplifiers to the high or low frequency range of your speakers.

A point of caution would be that you need to be able to trim the gains of the two stereo amplifiers to get the optimal balance at your speakers output.
The Nilai 500 is, in our opinion, the cutting edge design having received many positive subjective reviews.

Deer Creek Audio is an authorized Hypex dealer and OEM

 

[SIY]

It also allows you to choose / optimize the characteristics of your amplifiers to the high or low frequency range of your speakers.

What kind of amplifier would need that? Surely not any audio amp that has been engineered.

 

[Julf]

One benefit of bi-application is that it increases the overall deliverable power to your speakers.

Usually not much. You will have to match gains/levels of the amps, and that means that when one of them will be current or voltage limited, the other is still far from full power. You only get the power benefit if both amps drive similar drivers in the same frequency range (and even then only if they are current limited rather than voltage limited).

It also allows you to choose / optimize the characteristics of your amplifiers to the high or low frequency range of your speakers.

What makes an amp optimized for a specific frequency range?

 

[deercreekaudio]

What kind of amplifier would need that? Surely not any audio amp that has been engineered.

For example some people mignt prefer a warmer sounding (tube like) for the high range and a very tight (high damping factor) amp for the low range.

 

[Julf]

For example some people mignt prefer a warmer sounding (tube like) for the high range and a very tight (high damping factor) amp for the low range.

Ah, so "it might be useful if you want to use badly designed amps" (or amps with coloration and/or distortion). Otherwise you just use any modern properly engineered solid state
amp.

 

[deercreekaudio]

Usually not much. You will have to match gains/levels of the amps, and that means that when one of them will be current or voltage limited, the other is still far from full power. You only get the power benefit if both amps drive similar drivers in the same frequency range (and even then only if they are current limited rather than voltage limited).

What makes an amp optimized for a specific frequency range?

1. You may want to consider the concept of power bandwidth. The out of band crossover range presents a high impedance to the amplifier where little power (current) is dissipated. Simply put, each amplifier delivers power only in its applied range. As most modern solid state amplifiers are constant voltage designs the ultimate limitation of deliverable power occurs in the current delivery capability of the power supply. Ya verily more deliverable power is available when two amplifiers are driving adjacent impedance bands.
2. Some audio aficionados may wish a warmer sounding (tube like) for the high range and a very tight (high damping factor) amp for the low range.
3. Yes gain matching is essential to achieve proper system frequency response
   

 

[Julf]

1. You may want to consider the concept of power bandwidth. The out of band crossover range presents a high impedance to the amplifier where little power (current) is dissipated. Simply put, each amplifier delivers power only in its applied range. As most modern solid state amplifiers are constant voltage designs the ultimate limitation of deliverable power occurs in the current delivery capability of the power supply. Ya verily more deliverable power is available when two amplifiers are driving adjacent impedance bands.

Please read again what I wrote. When one amp (usually the one driving the bass driver) hits the current limit, the other one is usually rather far from being current-limited, so not contributing much.

1. Some audio aficionados may wish a warmer sounding (tube like) for the high range and a very tight (high damping factor) amp for the low range.

"Warm sounding" means coloration/distortion. Pretty much all decently designed solid state amps have a high enough damping factor for it not to matter.