Marantz AV10 Class D vs NC502MP/Purifi 1ET400A based amps

[ruzun]

Does anyone know how a high end class D amp like the new Marantz AV10 16 channel amp would compare to something like the Buckeye 8 channel NC502MP amp along with a 3 channel Purifi 1ET400A amp for 11 channel amplification? I don't really have the budget for something like that Marantz but the Buckeye amps are in my price range. What would I be giving up compared to a more expensive, new Class D design such as those from Marantz/Trinnov or NAD etc?

 

[GXAlan]

Marantz AMP 10 200 Watt x 16CH Amplifier Bench Test Results

The Marantz AMP 10 is a 200 watt x 16CH amplifier utilizing the ICE Edge Class D topology with a custom built SMPS power supply. I put the AMP 10 through exhaustive bench tests to gauge its performance.

www.audioholics.com

Bench tests here. Will follow up with opinions.

 

[GXAlan]

These numbers come from Marantz directly.

5W SINAD of 95 dB and plenty of power supply.

The NC502MP actually is a bit better, not just at the 5W SINAD, but across the board too.

The challenge is that the AMP10 only has a single IEC port so it is current limited from the wall. By going with two boxes, you have the potential to pull more power.

Where the AMP10 is great is the following:
1) 5 vs 1 year warranty

Doesn’t matter for end users. These are pretty reliable setups but if you were a reseller and were deploying a lot of these, the added warranty may make a difference.

2) Bridged support for increased power if you have giant rooms with inefficient speakers.

Most people don’t need as much power as they think. You also really don’t need all channels driven in most home theater environments.

3) Single box. Putting 16 channels in one box is really nice and convenient.

I went with a Yamaha MX-A5000 personally since it is very convenient to have one box (over a Monoprice 8125X + something else).

This gets to 12V triggers, cabling, visual “mass”, etc.

4) A cool VU meter in front

—-
In short, there is very little reason to get the AMP10 over a Buckeye DIY when it comes to measured performance.

In practice, both will be audibly transparent. For equal pricing, the AMP10 has a lot of nice features. At true pricing (which isn’t equal), the AMP10 is an emotional decision if you like the looks.

 

[ruzun]

These numbers come from Marantz directly.

5W SINAD of 95 dB and plenty of power supply.

The NC502MP actually is a bit better, not just at the 5W SINAD, but across the board too.

The challenge is that the AMP10 only has a single IEC port so it is current limited from the wall. By going with two boxes, you have the potential to pull more power.

Where the AMP10 is great is the following:
1) 5 vs 1 year warranty

Doesn’t matter for end users. These are pretty reliable setups but if you were a reseller and were deploying a lot of these, the added warranty may make a difference.

2) Bridged support for increased power if you have giant rooms with inefficient speakers.

Most people don’t need as much power as they think. You also really don’t need all channels driven in most home theater environments.

3) Single box. Putting 16 channels in one box is really nice and convenient.

I went with a Yamaha MX-A5000 personally since it is very convenient to have one box (over a Monoprice 8125X + something else).

This gets to 12V triggers, cabling, visual “mass”, etc.

4) A cool VU meter in front

—-
In short, there is very little reason to get the AMP10 over a Buckeye DIY when it comes to measured performance.

In practice, both will be audibly transparent. For equal pricing, the AMP10 has a lot of nice features. At true pricing (which isn’t equal), the AMP10 is an emotional decision if you like the looks.

thanks that clears things up. The Marantz has some advantages but as for performance they should all be on a similar level, and the purifi 3 channel would technically be a bit better than either the Marantz or the NC502MP sound wise. its More a matter of form factor and warranty, sound wise they would all be great.

 

[ChrisB1224]

These numbers come from Marantz directly.

5W SINAD of 95 dB and plenty of power supply.

The NC502MP actually is a bit better, not just at the 5W SINAD, but across the board too.

The challenge is that the AMP10 only has a single IEC port so it is current limited from the wall. By going with two boxes, you have the potential to pull more power.

Where the AMP10 is great is the following:
1) 5 vs 1 year warranty

Doesn’t matter for end users. These are pretty reliable setups but if you were a reseller and were deploying a lot of these, the added warranty may make a difference.

2) Bridged support for increased power if you have giant rooms with inefficient speakers.

Most people don’t need as much power as they think. You also really don’t need all channels driven in most home theater environments.

3) Single box. Putting 16 channels in one box is really nice and convenient.

I went with a Yamaha MX-A5000 personally since it is very convenient to have one box (over a Monoprice 8125X + something else).

This gets to 12V triggers, cabling, visual “mass”, etc.

4) A cool VU meter in front

—-
In short, there is very little reason to get the AMP10 over a Buckeye DIY when it comes to measured performance.

In practice, both will be audibly transparent. For equal pricing, the AMP10 has a lot of nice features. At true pricing (which isn’t equal), the AMP10 is an emotional decision if you like the looks.

Late to the game here, but I appreciate your effort on this.
I ended up going with 16 channels from buckeye instead, and I'm very happy that I did.
I had the boxes anodized in bronze and put some aesthetically pleasing, fairly cheap anti vibration feet on them.
Box 1: 3x 502 and 1x252
Box 2: 4x 252

I really appreciate the auto-on feature that buckeye has in his amps now. I've had previous amps from him and other hypex dealers, and these amps are the best I've had for a few quality of life reasons. They do not pop or hiss on turn on, which I've had happen before. I've heard others mention this as well. I don't know if it's a newer revision 502, but there is nothing abnormal at all on power on and power off.

The only thing with buckeye multichannel and the auto on feature is that it uses the signal from the first module, so you have to be considerate for what speaker goes there so the speakers actually power on.

Anyway I think the bronze matches the marantz av10 logo very closely. It looks really nice. Obviously everything sounds great

I thought I would add my experience as someone who has also faced that decision. In the end I have 1 extra power chord and some extra power if I need it. I didn't go over the sound because I think it's well documented at this point. I have perlisten speakers that are very clean, and I have not listened to many different amps over the last few years. These were a huge improvement over my previous amps(before discovering hypex), and now with the QOL improvements, I can't see why I would need anything else