Review and Measurements of Hypex NC400 DIY Amp

[Julf]

I think this is what I was getting hung up on and having difficulty searching out the answer.
Is this standby automatic in the SMPS600N400? Or is there something I need to do...
To Trigger it?
That's the part I'm missing, please.

You need to trigger it - there is an input for that.

 

[ryanosaur]

You need to trigger it - there is an input for that.

That's the hang up... 12 v trigger from AVR?
I haven't found how to get that into the Power Supply. Perhaps i'm having weak google-fu when I search on this. Maybe I'm just being daft and I need to install a 3.5mm socket like this:

Amazon.com: CESS 1/8" 3.5mm Mono TS Female Jack Socket with Switch Panel Mount (LW) (10 Pack) : Electronics

Amazon.com: CESS 1/8" 3.5mm Mono TS Female Jack Socket with Switch Panel Mount (LW) (10 Pack) : Electronics

www.amazon.com

...to connect to the power supply?

 

[Julf]

That's the hang up... 12 v trigger from AVR?
I haven't found how to get that into the Power Supply. Perhaps i'm having weak google-fu when I search on this. Maybe I'm just being daft and I need to install a 3.5mm socket like this:

Amazon.com: CESS 1/8" 3.5mm Mono TS Female Jack Socket with Switch Panel Mount (LW) (10 Pack) : Electronics

Amazon.com: CESS 1/8" 3.5mm Mono TS Female Jack Socket with Switch Panel Mount (LW) (10 Pack) : Electronics

www.amazon.com

...to connect to the power supply?

Yes, that is the nuisance, the need for a 12V supply/signal. The current consumption is pretty low, so pretty much any 12V source will do.

 

[ryanosaur]

Yes, that is the nuisance, the need for a 12V supply/signal. The current consumption is pretty low, so pretty much any 12V source will do.

Did a little more searching and ordered a set of these:

Fancasee (4 Pack) 3.5mm x 1.35mm Female DC Power Jack Socket Panel Mount 2 Pin Solder Type Metal Power Supply Jack Connector Adapter Socket : Electronics

Buy Fancasee (4 Pack) 3.5mm x 1.35mm Female DC Power Jack Socket Panel Mount 2 Pin Solder Type Metal Power Supply Jack Connector Adapter Socket: Connectors & Adapters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Any advice on linking multiple power supplies in a single chassis? Is there a way to daisy chain them, or would I run connections in parallel from the socket to each power supply?

 

[Julf]

Any advice on linking multiple power supplies in a single chassis? Is there a way to daisy chain them, or would I run connections in parallel from the socket to each power supply?

You can do both, whatever is easier to do in your chassis. Either parallel connections all the way from the input socket, or daisy chain the power supplies (in parallel).

 

[ryanosaur]

You can do both, whatever is easier to do in your chassis. Either parallel connections all the way from the input socket, or daisy chain the power supplies (in parallel).

Going direct to each power supply board is probably easiest...

Thank you for taking the time to chat about this. Greatly appreciated.

 

[CRKebschull]

Yes, that is the nuisance, the need for a 12V supply/signal. The current consumption is pretty low, so pretty much any 12V source will do.

The Hypex docs say anything between 3.3VDC and 12VDC can be used as the SMPS standby trigger... so you can use the 5V out from Raspberry Pi GPIO for example.

Edit: A Pi GPIO pin set as output delivers HIGH/3.3V or LOW/0V, so that ought to work for the Hypex SMPS PSU standy trigger.

 

[somebodyelse]

The Hypex docs say anything between 3.3VDC and 12VDC can be used as the SMPS standby trigger... so you can use the 5V out from Raspberry Pi GPIO for example.

Edit: A Pi GPIO pin set as output delivers HIGH/3.3V or LOW/0V, so that ought to work for the Hypex SMPS PSU standy trigger.

If you're not familiar with the current limits of the Pi GPIO pins I'd suggest using a buffer or transistor between the Pi and the SMPS trigger inputs. The Pi's GPIO isn't as robust as an arduino's.

 

[ManuCV]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, and slightly related to the last conversation. I have just purchased an Audiophonics HPA-S400NC and I have the first generation of the MiniDSP SHD. Would this work, if I connect this to the SHD and the 12V trigger to the power amp so I can just turn off and on the power amp while powering the SHD?
I don't want to keep the amp switched on indefinitely.

Thanks in advance.

 

[doug2761]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, and slightly related to the last conversation. I have just purchased an Audiophonics HPA-S400NC and I have the first generation of the MiniDSP SHD. Would this work, if I connect this to the SHD and the 12V trigger to the power amp so I can just turn off and on the power amp while powering the SHD?
I don't want to keep the amp switched on indefinitely.

Thanks in advance.

If I understand how the S400NC functions then plugging this into the SHD would turn the SHD on if the 12v trigger is high and off if it is low. If you want to automatically turn on the MiniDSP when the amps are turned on then this should work. Not clear the voltage output of the S400NC trigger or the minimum voltage of the trigger if it is fed something lower than 12 volts.

 

[ManuCV]

If I understand how the S400NC functions then plugging this into the SHD would turn the SHD on if the 12v trigger is high and off if it is low. If you want to automatically turn on the MiniDSP when the amps are turned on then this should work. Not clear the voltage output of the S400NC trigger or the minimum voltage of the trigger if it is fed something lower than 12 volts.

Doug, in fact it's the other way around (what I pretend). The amp does not have a power switch and it's always on, as far as I know. I might be wrong, but since there is no manual that's what I could understand from other Audiophonics builds. I don't want to have the amp switched on 24/7, hence triggering it from another device (in this case the SHD) is what would make sense. But this 12V trigger/device seems to be a slave and I'm not sure it would work as I expect...

 

[doug2761]

That big white led button on the front of the S400NC is the power switch.

 

[Julf]

Doug, in fact it's the other way around (what I pretend). The amp does not have a power switch and it's always on, as far as I know. I might be wrong, but since there is no manual that's what I could understand from other Audiophonics builds. I don't want to have the amp switched on 24/7, hence triggering it from another device (in this case the SHD) is what would make sense. But this 12V trigger/device seems to be a slave and I'm not sure it would work as I expect...

The NC400 and SMPS have a 12V disable that turns off the amp, but it needs an active 12 V signal.

 

[ManuCV]

That big white led button on the front of the S400NC is the power switch.

Thanks, I got the impression that the Purifi version from Audiophonics could not be turned off like this. Then this makes things much easier, and the 12V trigger device can be used on the SHD, which has no 12V trigger itself.

 

[tmtomh]

Thanks, I got the impression that the Purifi version from Audiophonics could not be turned off like this. Then this makes things much easier, and the 12V trigger device can be used on the SHD, which has no 12V trigger itself.

I have the Purifi version and can confirm that the big round front button works just fine to turn it on and off.

 

[VodkaChile]

Hi there
Since maybe more than one year i often read this forum. Greetings to all the community of audio science review for share so valuable information and experiences.

Some question about this thread and this amplifier class d

1.- whats the big upgrade switching power supplyes have made to overpass or equaly linear power supply performance? Looking for internet information and videos, 4 years to date, opinions about this kind of power supplyes have change a lot on audiophiles. Is due filters maybe?
2.- its safe use a smps 1200 watts on nc400 Core instead of 600 watts? Voltage and wattage is different. Want to build monoblocks
3.- how can those tiny class d amplifiers Deliver so much energy on Certain moments when we play music thats have a lot of peaks. Im thinking on those big class a amplifiers with massive condensers vs class d.
4.- what about music and sound. Its not all about maths and graphs. Some linear power supply fans think smps sound Even “robotic” an unnatural

Awaiting your comments
Kind regards

 

[Killingbeans]

1.- whats the big upgrade switching power supplyes have made to overpass or equaly linear power supply performance?

None. The performance was never much of an issue with good designs. Price/reliability ratio is probably the thing that has evolved the most.

Looking for internet information and videos, 4 years to date, opinions about this kind of power supplyes have change a lot on audiophiles. Is due filters maybe?

The audiophiles are just beginning to let go of the idea of "dirty" SMPSs. It's cultural, not technical, IMO.

2.- its safe use a smps 1200 watts on nc400 Core instead of 600 watts? Voltage and wattage is different. Want to build monoblocks

Yes. You get higher idle consumption, but that's it.

3.- how can those tiny class d amplifiers Deliver so much energy on Certain moments when we play music thats have a lot of peaks. Im thinking on those big class a amplifiers with massive condensers vs class d.

You can power a Class D amp with a linear supply or a Class A amp with an SMPS, if you want to. The amp itself doesn't care.

The reduced size is due to higher efficiency, not because of a cutback on peak current delivery.

4.- what about music and sound. Its not all about maths and graphs. Some linear power supply fans think smps sound Even “robotic” an unnatural

Forget about the "sound" of an SMPS. People see pictures of ripple and imagine all sorts of things.

An amp with good PSRR couldn't care less. If it doesn't have that, don't waste your time on it.

The only bad thing about SMPSs is the fact that it's hard (or rather forbiddingly expensive) to design one that doesn't cook its own electrolytic capacitors over time. Meaning that reliability is still a big issue. It's also much easier for any Tom, Dick and Harry to repair a linear supply when it goes bad.

 

[VodkaChile]

Thank so much for your valuable opinion @Killingbeans

 

[DonH56]

@Killingbeans did a great job. I'll just add one note:

3.- how can those tiny class d amplifiers Deliver so much energy on Certain moments when we play music thats have a lot of peaks. Im thinking on those big class a amplifiers with massive condensers vs class d.

Big capacitors are needed because a conventional linear supply recharges them slowly, at the power line frequency, so they are charged at 100/120 Hz (100~120 times a second) using a typical rectifier (AC to DC converter) from a 50/60 Hz wall outlet. In contrast, switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) charge the capacitors hundreds of thousands of times a second, running at 100 kHz to 1 MHz or more (depends upon the supply). That is way, way above the audio band and leads to a couple of advantages:

1. Any power supply noise is well above the audio band, not right in the bass region like a linear supply; and,
2. Since the capacitors (condensers) are charged 1000x or more faster, they can be 1000x smaller and still provide the same voltage ripple -- you do not need such large capacitors since they are "refilled" so much faster.

A third advantage is that by design SMPS are regulated and so less sensitive to variations in line voltage and noise.

HTH - Don

 

[doug2761]

From my personal experience, the NC400 mono blocks perform as good or better than my McIntosh MC400 to my Dynaudio Confidence C2 speakers. I think they sounded better but really doubt there would be any difference in a blind test. I can’t imagine anyone needing the power those McIntosh amps can produce for normal home listening and the Hypex mono blocks do the job with a lot less electricity. Even the Hypex NC252 from my second system is enough power for the Dynaudios. I wound up selling the MC400. That thing weighed around 110 pounds. The Hypex amps are only a few pounds.

I think a lot of audiophiles way over think these things. These Hypex amps are among the best on the planet. They’re used in many name brand amps that get rave reviews and objectively measure as audibly flawless. That you build one DIY in a few hours (basic ability with a screwdriver bring the only necessary skill) for a fraction of the name brands is a whale of a deal.

Worrying about power supply topology seems like wasted energy to me. In my experience, you won’t hear the difference between the NC252 or NC400 and which power supply is a distinction without a difference in audible or measurable performance. With one of these Hypex amps, there’s just nothing to worry about from a performance perspective.