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Hypex UcD180HG HxR amplifier module analysis and review

EJ3 said:
I was unaware that they could pull 1 ohm. More & more I am starting to see a reason to switch. Perhaps when I (if) retire in 2 years...I may switch. Or get one for the subs & then, later one for each channel.
Click to expand...

You will find the info on minimum allowed load impedance in a datasheet of the product, if it is a trustworthy and reliable manufacturer, like Hypex is. Please find several examples below.

UcD180_min.png


UcD400_min.png


NC122_min.png

NC252_min.png

NC500_min.png


However, not every manufacturer is providing such info. That might be a hint, if you are seeking for a reliable product.

It may seem to be unimportant, but it is not. The EPDR (equivalent power dissipation resistance) of event the speakers that may seemingly appear as a light load often falls down to 2 ohm or lower. As an example, below is an impedance plot of my 3-way Quadral Ascent 90 speaker. Though the impedance magnitude is everywhere above 3.7 ohm, EPDR falls down to 2.4 ohm. People often forget or cannot read the influence of phase response, they just look to magnitude response only. Then surprised with some speakers and amplifier failure.

Quadral_Ascent90_impedance.png
 
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pma said:
You will find the info on minimum allowed load impedance in a datasheet of the product, if it is a trustworthy and reliable manufacturer, like Hypex is. Please find several examples below.

View attachment 170606

View attachment 170607

View attachment 170608
View attachment 170609
View attachment 170610

However, not every manufacturer is providing such info. That might be a hint, if you are seeking for a reliable product.

It may seem to be unimportant, but it is not. The EPDR (equivalent power dissipation resistance) of event the speakers that may seemingly appear as a light load often falls down to 2 ohm or lower. As an example, below is an impedance plot of my 3-way Quadral Ascent 90 speaker. Though the impedance magnitude is everywhere above 3.7 ohm, EPDR falls down to 2.4 ohm. People often forget or cannot read the influence of phase response, they just look to magnitude response only. Then surprised with some speakers and amplifier failure.

View attachment 170613
Click to expand...
Thank you! My pair of subs are a dual 4 ohm voice coil 12" Pioneer (automotive competition) speakers which I run the circuit as a 2 ohm circuit. The FR is only 20 Hz-80- Hz. I no longer remember the specs but my NAD 2200 has had no problem with the 2 ohm load. And I did check the ohm phase shift impedance way back when I set them up. And it was a good match. For several years now the amp seems to have no problem
with the load. BUT I only run 1 amp in stereo with the subs,. For the mains I run a NAD 2200 bridged mono 4 ohms each for the L & R mains.
 
I would like to debunk a myth of "constant or fixed switching frequency" of class D amplifiers. For self-oscillating PWM modulators, which is the case of both hysteresis switching (TPA like) and phase controlled switching (Hypex, Purifi) the switching frequency is a function of output amplitude. With higher amplifier output voltage (power) the switching frequency is decreasing, usually according to parabolic function. This is shown below in the measurement of wideband spectrum at UcD180 output. The signal is 955Hz, 24.55Vrms/6.8 ohm. Please note that the switching frequency is travelling from 400kHz down to some 90kHz. This is one of the reasons why wideband THD+N measurements accelerate rocket high at frequencies >10kHz and wide measuring bandwidth.

UcD180_1kHz_wideband_spectrum.png
 
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Personally I like the UCD-180hg-hxr. I think it's a sweet little thing, nicely made, devices properly attached to a block of aluminum and did I say compact?

Thanks @Pavel for your in depth analysis of this module. A pity your trafo used was only 100VA.
 
restorer-john said:
Personally I like the UCD-180hg-hxr. I think it's a sweet little thing, nicely made, devices properly attached to a block of aluminum and did I say compact?

Thanks @Pavel for your in depth analysis of this module. A pity your trafo used was only 100VA.
Click to expand...

Thank you John. I was/am thinking about buying the SMPS400A180 power supply, produced by Hypex especially for this amplifier module. However, it would make further €109, or €129 with cables and shipping, to get few W more. Maybe I will be so curious and will do it, not sure. The other option would be a PSU in my main 2x250W amplifier, but it gives about 2x57V and it is 1V above absolute maximum of UcD and the module would most probably not start, as it has overvoltage protection set to 2x56V.
 
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UcD180HG THD+N distortion vs. power at 1kHz into 4ohm, 6.8ohm and 10 ohm load. Measured with my new "classD" measuring RLC filter.

UcD180_thdn_@22kHz_4R-10R.png


classD_filter_FR.png
 
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Sine bursts 1kHz, sine power 190W/4ohm

UcD180HG_4ohm_sinebursts_Arta.png
 
pma said:
Measurements into 2.5 ohm load

View attachment 170320
Please note that maximum power is limited by the 100VA transformer in my power supply.


View attachment 170324

Please note that Hypex UcD180HG has almost no issues with increasing distortion with frequency and that even with demanding 2.5 ohm load. This measurement was made especially for @restorer-john , he will know why (90 kHz measuring bandwidth, 192kHz Fs) to show that properly designed class D has no violent rise of distortion with frequency. Yes that is Bruno and Hypex and proper class D topology.
Click to expand...
Hello. I will now build myself an amplifier with 2 pcs. hypex ucd180st. i will use 48v 800w LLC power suply.
The choice was between 500w and 800w the price difference was small so I chose 800w. How many watts do you think I can get out of the amplifier?

Have just ordered cash and power supply from alieexpress.

Has compared the ucd180st to many other 80's 90's mid-range amplifiers and it beats many in sound quality. ucd180st beats all cheap class-d amplifiers from ebay on sound quality. hypex ucd180st is a very good amplifier in mini size.
 
Hello. I will now build myself an amplifier with 2 pcs. hypex ucd180st. i will use 48v 800w LLC power suply.
The choice was between 500w and 800w the price difference was small so I chose 800w. How many watts do you think I can get out of the amplifier?

Have just ordered cash and power supply from alieexpress.

Has compared the ucd180st to many other 80's 90's mid-range amplifiers and it beats many in sound quality. ucd180st beats all cheap class-d amplifiers from ebay on sound quality. hypex ucd180st is a very good amplifier in mini size.
 
Why is no one mentioning how much volt power supply they use? Volt in has a lot to say about how many watts you get out.
 
opel said:
Why is no one mentioning how much volt power supply they use? Volt in has a lot to say about how many watts you get out.
Click to expand...
OP mentioned that the transformer he used was 2x32V 100 VA, and was undersized for the UcD180. The PS is unregulated and therefore its no load DC output is about ±45 V (= 32 * sqrt(2)).

The matching PS from Hypex for the UcD180 is SMPS400A180 (link) and its nominal output is ±46 V. The max power supply voltage per UcD180 datasheet is ±50 V.
 
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NTK said:
OP mentioned that the transformer he used was 2x32V 100 VA, and was undersized for the UcD180. The PS is unregulated and therefore its no load DC output is about ±45 V (= 32 * sqrt(2)).

The matching PS from Hypex for the UcD180 is SMPS400A180 (link) and its nominal output is ±46 V. The max power supply voltage per UcD180 datasheet is ±50 V.
Click to expand...
Hello. I will now build myself an amplifier with 2 pcs. hypex ucd180st. i will use DC
48 +- 800w LLC switching power suply.
The choice was between 500w and 800w the price difference was small so I chose 800w. How many watts do you think I can get out of the amplifier?
 
NTK said:
OP mentioned that the transformer he used was 2x32V 100 VA, and was undersized for the UcD180. The PS is unregulated and therefore its no load DC output is about ±45 V (= 32 * sqrt(2)).

The matching PS from Hypex for the UcD180 is SMPS400A180 (link) and its nominal output is ±46 V. The max power supply voltage per UcD180 datasheet is ±50 V.
Click to expand...
Absolutely correct.


The SMPS to be paired with is
www.hypex.nl

Hypex SMPS400A180 Switch Mode Power Supply

The SMPS400A180 is a 400W high efficiency switch mode power supply specially designed to be used in combination with our range of UcD amplifier modules
www.hypex.nl www.hypex.nl

in stock here
www.audiophonics.fr

HYPEX SMPS400A180 Switching Power Supply Module 400W / 2x46V - Audiophonics

The SMPS400 switching power supply is a very high efficiency model capable of developing a nominal power of 400 Watts in an extremely small footprint.
www.audiophonics.fr www.audiophonics.fr
 
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opel said:
Hello. I will now build myself an amplifier with 2 pcs. hypex ucd180st. i will use DC
48 +- 800w LLC switching power suply.
The choice was between 500w and 800w the price difference was small so I chose 800w. How many watts do you think I can get out of the amplifier?
Click to expand...
The UcD180 datasheet performance is, with ±45 V power supply, max output is 180 @ 4Ω and 120 W @ 2Ω, both THD=1%. I'd expect you will get the datasheet numbers.
 
NTK said:
The UcD180 datasheet performance is, with ±45 V power supply, max output is 180 @ 4Ω and 120 W @ 2Ω, both THD=1%. I'd expect you will get the datasheet numbers.
Click to expand...
Even more. The UcD180HG HxR datasheet R5 allows up to 2x56V supply voltage, then it shuts down. The T-shaped heat spreader works well and I recommend to screw it to the good heatsink as I did.
 
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Did you measure the self noise / hiss of the amp when idle? How about DC offset? I am curious as these seem like they would be good for a DIY active self powered speaker. Regarding the Neurochrome Mod 86 amps, I use them in a tri-amp set up and they are dead quiet even wired directly to a tweeter and have virtually no DC offset.
 
levimax said:
Did you measure the self noise / hiss of the amp when idle? How about DC offset? I am curious as these seem like they would be good for a DIY active self powered speaker. Regarding the Neurochrome Mod 86 amps, I use them in a tri-amp set up and they are dead quiet even wired directly to a tweeter and have virtually no DC offset.
Click to expand...
Output noise voltage is 72uV/BW20Hz-22kHz unweighted (twice the noise I measured from NC252MP). DC offset is 6mV. But it is just one module, I cannot guarantee it would be same with other modules. You may ask at Hypex tech. support, they are very responsive.
 
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