• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Purifi vs Hypex vs ICEPower

kovaga

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
10
Likes
14
Good morning list,

I am currently in the process of upgrading my setup and decided to go along the Class D route for the poweramp. The question is which one to choose, as without an ability to listen to each amp and not knowing the differences in sounding between purifi, hypex and icepower boards i am presented with a difficult decision. So have to ask for the common wisdom of the forum and current owners.

There is also an option to include sparkos or sonic imagery op amp, but does it really make such a big difference and justify the extra cost?

My current setup is:
B&W 702 s2
Cambridge Audio Azur840A
Denafrips Aries II DAC
RPI 4

The idea is to replace Azur840 with a class D poweramp and get something like Denafrips Hades as a preamp, as the 120w@8ohm of azur is pushing it to drive those speakers. The setup is used to watch TV and listen to the music. The music is played at the medium level. According to the power calculators I would need about 130w max.

I read multiple opinions on the forum claiming that Purifi is a bit better then HYPEX, is that the case? As the price between the amps built by Apollon is the same for Purifi 1ET400A and Hypex NC1200.

Thanks in advance.
 

Blumlein 88

Grand Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
20,521
Likes
37,050
Well Purifi is the very latest work of a team that include Bruno Putzeys who is the designer behind Hypex. If the price is the same and power the same I'd go with Purifi.

Despite the talk about the character of the different op-amps that sounds like a load of crap. With specs listed you'll hear no difference either way.

BTW, check out Nord's Purifi offerings too.

PS Noticed this is your first post. Welcome to ASR.
 
Last edited:

Holmz

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 3, 2021
Messages
2,018
Likes
1,241
Location
Australia
The main advantage of Purifi is that it's cooler than the others.
I have Icepower as1200 and it's quite hot to the touch, much more than the Nc400 I had before.

I would have thought IcePower would be cool?
and
Purifi would be pure?

WTF is happening with the truth these days?

These marketing departments look like they might need some English and Ethics courses.
 

boXem

Major Contributor
Audio Company
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
Messages
2,014
Likes
4,852
Location
Europe
Technically Purifi > Hypex >> Ice
In terms of power, NC1200 > AS1200 > 1ET400A.
I would have thought IcePower would be cool?
and
Purifi would be pure?

WTF is happening with the truth these days?

These marketing departments look like they might need some English and Ethics courses.
With harmonics below - 130 dB, Purifi happens to be pure
;)
 

Grotti

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
Messages
531
Likes
1,157
I decided to go with Hypex (Elac DPA-2) and I am very satisfied. I suppose specs like SINAD are overrated as long as they reach a certain threshold. IMHO it is more about clean power and in my case my amp delivers enough of it :)....
 

Valhalla

Active Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
110
Likes
170
I would suggest to go for Hypex nc1200. I yet have to hear NC2K but for now nc1200 is the amp for the money IMHO that sounds like real music.
 

Matias

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
5,029
Likes
10,794
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
Welcome to ASR. In your case I would choose a Purifi from a good company like Apollon or boXem.
 

Holmz

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 3, 2021
Messages
2,018
Likes
1,241
Location
Australia
Looks like somebody treated himself with some fresh clown at the dinner yesterday
:)

Being in Australia it is already tomorrow today.

In reality how hot are these things?
(They gotta be PD-cold compared to a Class-A)
 
OP
K

kovaga

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
10
Likes
14
Well Purifi is the very latest work of a team that include Bruno Putzeys who is the designer behind Hypex. If the price is the same and power the same I'd go with Purifi.

Despite the talk about the character of the different op-amps that sounds like a load of crap. With specs listed you'll hear no difference either way.

BTW, check out Nord's Purifi offerings too.

PS Noticed this is your first post. Welcome to ASR.

Thanks for the advice, but also Nord was one of the first manufacturers of hypex and purifi based amps that I came across, I would prefer to buy something within the EU, as I had recently a very bad delivery from UK to Germany, where I currently am. My diving dry suit that I sent at the end of July to UK for repairs, on the way back to Germany spent over two months in customs and after being finally released, it was lost by UPS. So it seems that it is real PITA post BREXIT to buy stuff from UK.

With regards to the power, the Purifi gives our 227W@8Ohm, while NC1200 400W@8Ohm. While the recommended power for 702 S2 is 30-300W, I doubt I would ever need the 400W offered by NC1200. Or am I wrong at my calculations?
 

boXem

Major Contributor
Audio Company
Joined
Jun 19, 2019
Messages
2,014
Likes
4,852
Location
Europe
@boXem | audio do you have any interest in implementing IcePower modules in the future?
Their speaker dependant response is a no-go for me in the context of classical amplification. For active speakers it's a different story.
Being in Australia it is already tomorrow today.

In reality how hot are these things?
(They gotta be PD-cold compared to a Class-A)
What really makes a class D amplifier run more or less cool is idling losses.
2 * 1ET400A 5W + SMPS1200 7.5W = 12.5W
2 * NC1200 30W + 2 * SMPS1200 15W = 45W
1200AS2 35W
 

Gorgonzola

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 27, 2021
Messages
1,016
Likes
1,398
Location
Southern Ontario
Well Purifi is the very latest work of a team that include Bruno Putzeys who is the designer behind Hypex. If the price is the same and power the same I'd go with Purifi.

Despite the talk about the character of the different op-amps that sounds like a load of crap. With specs listed you'll hear no difference either way.

BTW, check out Nord's Purifi offerings too.

PS Noticed this is your first post. Welcome to ASR.
I think it's fair that people be allowed to post their impressions of the sound they hear. There is an ASR cadre of naysayers ready to shout down impressions because they aren't "proven" -- which they aren't, granted, but nevertheless ...

I have a Purifi amp that I have listened to with a two different buffers and a variety of different ops. My "unproven" impressions are the following.

The Hypex buffers were unlistenable with a harsh, unnatural high treble, especially a higher volumes.

I bought the VTV buffers with Sparkos SS3602 op amps. I swapped these for several different op amps including OPA1612, Burson V6 Vivid, and OPA627. I preferred the Sparkos for having the smoothest and most natural treble without loss of detail.

Op amps do differ in their distortion profiles. Check out measurements by Sparkos that show results for a few different op amps: some of very similar, some sufficiently different that sound difference could be audible.

... Sparkos comparative measurements

SS3602_THD.jpg

Muses_THD.jpg
 
Last edited:

Juhazi

Major Contributor
Joined
Sep 15, 2018
Messages
1,717
Likes
2,897
Location
Finland
Azur is rated 120/200W - have you been tempted to turn volume to 11?

B&W 702 is rated 90dB/2,86V at 1m, so rather sensitive, but impedance is difficult. Anyway someting like 50W gives hearing damage...

My choice would be Purifi from Audiophonics

 

Gorgonzola

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 27, 2021
Messages
1,016
Likes
1,398
Location
Southern Ontario
Thanks for the advice, but also Nord was one of the first manufacturers of hypex and purifi based amps that I came across, I would prefer to buy something within the EU, as I had recently a very bad delivery from UK to Germany, where I currently am. My diving dry suit that I sent at the end of July to UK for repairs, on the way back to Germany spent over two months in customs and after being finally released, it was lost by UPS. So it seems that it is real PITA post BREXIT to buy stuff from UK.

With regards to the power, the Purifi gives our 227W@8Ohm, while NC1200 400W@8Ohm. While the recommended power for 702 S2 is 30-300W, I doubt I would ever need the 400W offered by NC1200. Or am I wrong at my calculations?
I suspect people often overestimate the power they require -- of course it does depend on room and furnishing, speaker sensitivity, and listening habits.

See ... Crown Audio's Amplifier Power Required calculator. Note the calc is for a single speaker in an anechoic chamber; stereo speakers will reduce the power req't by 6 dB and typical room echos by another 3 dB.
 
OP
K

kovaga

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2022
Messages
10
Likes
14
I suspect people often overestimate the power they require -- of course it does depend on room and furnishing, speaker sensitivity, and listening habits.

See ... Crown Audio's Amplifier Power Required calculator. Note the calc is for a single speaker in an anechoic chamber; stereo speakers will reduce the power req't by 6 dB and typical room echos by another 3 dB.
I did use that calculator, having watched the video from this post

But indeed forgot to subtract 6db for the stereo speakers, 3db for the nonanechoic environment and 15 db more for the sensitive wife and crazy neighbours :)

Nevertheless, it seems that the general trend is that it is better to have more then enough power available.
 

mario_rouge

Active Member
Joined
May 29, 2021
Messages
199
Likes
95
I have often read on ASR that a powerful amplifier, with not very sensitive speakers (<86db) helps listening even at low volumes. This is true? Or is it an audiophile legend?
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom