Hypex Nilai500DIY Amplifier Review

[Buckeye Amps]

I’m not going to continue beating the dead horse of a subject regarding online audio listening/testing reviews and how little they should factor into a decision. The only sad thing is how many people will watch such a review who have little to no knowledge/do not participate in objective forums such as these and make their decision based solely on such a video and possibly spend more money then they need too for their specific setup or requirements.

On the actual objective topic of the Nilai: fantastic measurements. And if you have the coin would make a great LCR or two channel setup, just like the NC400 for many years.

 

[GXAlan]

Would not it be better to ask Alpha-Audio to share the original audio so that nobody has the excuse of YouTube compression?

@Alpha Audio is on here. Just tagging them. They should do some DeltaWave comparisons from the recordings.

For YouTube audio comparisons, everyone is generally right here. It’s a really poor way to compare speakers but when you CAN hear differences it means that the magnitude of difference is large.

What has been suggested and we can more easily tell with the original audio is that the volume is not well matched. Still, this suggests that if you did simply swap your amplifiers that you might find the amps with slightly higher gain to sound slightly better.

 

[Rewind]

Good for subwoofer duty?

 

[Sokel]

I’m not going to continue beating the dead horse of a subject regarding online audio listening/testing reviews and how little they should factor into a decision. The only sad thing is how many people will watch such a review who have little to no knowledge/do not participate in objective forums such as these and make their decision based solely on such a video and possibly spend more money then they need too for their specific setup or requirements.

On the actual objective topic of the Nilai: fantastic measurements. And if you have the coin would make a great LCR or two channel setup, just like the NC400 for many years.

I still laugh remembering this old TV commercials where they show you a TV throught you OWN TV.
What else can be said?
Was that a critical listening?People siting all over the room,one of them even texting about the differences to the excited audience.

The recording?People that have study the matter for ages are still debating each other for the optimal ways to capture an event.
Did these @Alpha Audio guys know something more that we mortals don't?

It was a good laugh that they seemed to be serious about it.

 

[goryu]

Thanks for the review. Would like this amp even more if the modules and power supplies were actually available for purchase....

 

[RandomEar]

I disagree. Whilst it would be quite impossible to ascertain subtle detail, tonal differences would come through. There was a noticeable difference in tone between the amps.
Denying that is like saying opus can't pass more than one frequency.

Read my statement again - there's variables outside of your control, of which you don't know if the youtube creator changed them. It s is literally impossible to tell anything from such a video comparison.

 

[sam_adams]

And as for zero "poor" votes so far, we haven't yet seen @restorer-john in the thread, so...

He's probably too busy running away from a giant lizard-eating spider or a baby-eating dingo . . . or a Drop Bear.

 

[AdamG247]

Thread Notice!!!

This is an Official Review Thread. Therefore, keep the conversation on topic. Please start a new thread to further discuss this questionable video. Please and thank you for your understanding and support.

Any further off topic posts will be deleted and the poster will be banned from the thread. Not playing games today.

 

[anchan]

Hi @amirm , could you take a measurement of the switching noise level and frequency?

 

[Killingbeans]

Good for subwoofer duty?

It would probably do a fine job, but it would be a waste of potential, IMO.

The FusionAmp family would make more sense.

 

[xaxxon]

And, to have a better musical performance -> low gain + preamp with high gain and not just a passive attenuator / preamp.

What's going on that makes this better?

Also, better than what?

 

[xaxxon]

The great irony imo is that the greatest amps for a reasonable price are made in the EU. The greatest passive speakers and subs in the US. You can choose one great deal, but not both.

AHB2 made right here in the U.S.A.

I find them reasonably enough priced to have 5.

 

[Killingbeans]

What's going on that makes this better?

Higher SNR. But I have no idea why @maty equates that to "better musical performance"...

 

[Rewind]

It would probably do a fine job, but it would be a waste of potential, IMO.

The FusionAmp family would make more sense.

But what else is it good for if it is mediocre above 10kHz, and need to use more watts to sound good? Really heavy driven speakers?

 

[xaxxon]

Higher SNR. But I have no idea why @maty equates that to "better musical performance"...

Higher SNR than if the source just put out higher voltage?

I would think that a "perfect" preamp could only aspire to do as well as what it saw from the source.

 

[ROOSKIE]

Thanks for the review. Would like this amp even more if the modules and power supplies were actually available for purchase....

DIYclassd.com

Hypex Electronics develops and manufactures amplifiers, supplies and DSP's with the highest possible quality in mind. Hence we are involved in some of the most High-End audio applications found today. UcD and Ncore modules are well known to be one of the best amplifier modules available today.

www.diyclassd.com

Kit form only for now.
Reasonable prices though.

 

[goryu]

DIYclassd.com

Hypex Electronics develops and manufactures amplifiers, supplies and DSP's with the highest possible quality in mind. Hence we are involved in some of the most High-End audio applications found today. UcD and Ncore modules are well known to be one of the best amplifier modules available today.

www.diyclassd.com

Kit form only for now.
Reasonable prices though.

yeah, been waiting and waiting and waiting for the individual modules and power supplies. I need 6 of each for two 3 channel amps.

 

[amirm]

Hi @amirm , could you take a measurement of the switching noise level and frequency?

Sure. And will do on off testing as well. Out at our audiophile society meeting so will do later tonight.

 

[Killingbeans]

But what else is it good for if it is mediocre above 10kHz, and need to use more watts to sound good? Really heavy driven speakers?

Not really sure what you mean by "mediocre above 10kHz"?

Higher SNR than if the source just put out higher voltage?

Higher SNR if the source is responsible for the pregain instead of the buffer and has lower noise.

 

[mslim]

Just out of interest, Nilai means "value" in Malaysia (Also the name of a City but not where the factory is located). Hypex's factory is in Malaysia..... (But all are exported and it is impossible to source Hypex products locally....).

Sorry. Totally off topic...