• 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!

Review and Measurements of Neurochrome HP-1 High-Performance Amp

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Maybe that's too good for a $500 amp. Can you degrade the performance a bit? ;)

Tom
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
Maybe that's too good for a $500 amp. Can you degrade the performance a bit? ;)

Tom
Yeah sure, throw in another opa2189 + tpa6120 to separate each channel. Reducing noise by 29% and double the current to 1.4A.
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Those who are waiting on their HP-1s to arrive will be delighted to learn that my chassis manufacturer - after three tries - has worked out the bug in their system. FedEx should deliver the chassis within the next 30 minutes and I plan to ship by Thursday or Friday.

Thank you for your patience.

Tom
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Ready for final test.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0425_SM.jpg
    IMG_0425_SM.jpg
    362 KB · Views: 266

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Oh, it gets better...

Time for a trip to the post office (and for a DHL pick-up).

Tom
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0434.jpg
    IMG_0434.jpg
    250.1 KB · Views: 199

chnan

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2019
Messages
13
Likes
16
I'd like to take the opportunity to ask you folks here: If I was able to make a headphone amp available in a prettier case, with a volume knob that felt right, and that would provide the same performance (except likely lower output power) for around $500-600, would you be interested?

Or let's say I went the other way and wanted to make an amp for the $5-10k space. What features, performance, etc. would you expect?

Tom

Hi, Tom

Please count me in. I am interested in your $500-600 amp product. After all, a decent audio device still requires good parts, which are not always cheap. I am new to this forum and knew your HP-1 lately. Being part of the manufacture industry, I believe 40~50% of gross income is necessary for long-term surviving, especially the small-scale business.

As for 5000~10000 USD amp, I personally think it is an issue of trust. Most people don't understand what they purchase in a material sense. I guess I am too pessimistic to believe customers' feedback if I am preparing something I feel proud of. I think I'll need to loan a trial unit at home.
 

Nango

Major Contributor
Joined
Aug 6, 2018
Messages
1,463
Likes
985
Location
D:\EU\GER\Rheinhessen
Given the enourmos (retail $400) bid on this THX 789 Headamp why not a version Neurochrome for around $600-$700?
 
Last edited:

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Please count me in. I am interested in your $500-600 amp product.
Fantastic! To be the first to hear about the release of such a product, I suggest signing up for my newsletter, which you can do here: www.neurochrome.com/newsletter

After all, a decent audio device still requires good parts, which are not always cheap. I am new to this forum and knew your HP-1 lately. Being part of the manufacture industry, I believe 40~50% of gross income is necessary for long-term surviving, especially the small-scale business.
True that. 40% gross margin gets you to survival if you're reasonably frugal. If you have expectations for doing better than just survive, i.e. being able to retire one day or have a little emergency cash in case the car breaks down, you need higher margins ... or higher revenue. That's part of my reason for pursuing retail products. I'd like to do better than surviving. I think it could be an enormous amount of fun too. And a good challenge.

Given the enourmos (retail $400) bid on this THX 789 Headamp why not a version Neurochrome for around $600-$700?
Why not indeed? I need to see what math says. I'm handing in my honours thesis for my psych degree on Thursday (come hell or high water). After that, I'll have time to do math (and to approach chassis vendors). Actually, after that, I'll probably collapse, and I have plans to catch up with the social networks I've neglected while buried under class work. But AFTER THAT I'll look at the math. Definitely! :)

Actually... I should probably get a survey going for a little market analysis. After Thursday. I'll post it here once it's ready, as I'm genuinely curious for your opinions and insight.

Tom
 

maxxevv

Major Contributor
Joined
Apr 12, 2018
Messages
1,872
Likes
1,964
If you can project an approximate 1000 piece production, you can look up some of the custom aluminium extrusion firms in SouthEast Asia. There are some in Malaysia / Thailand who will do it for pretty low MOQ.

It will save a lot in terms of your chassis costs.
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
1KU orders is probably a bit much. I hope to make it there some day... :) Right now I'm looking at some options in Japan. I need to explore some local options as well. We have plenty of precision machining facilities in Calgary and with the downturn in the oil economy, they should be pretty hungry about now.

Tom
 

maxxevv

Major Contributor
Joined
Apr 12, 2018
Messages
1,872
Likes
1,964
1KU orders is probably a bit much. I hope to make it there some day... :) Right now I'm looking at some options in Japan. I need to explore some local options as well. We have plenty of precision machining facilities in Calgary and with the downturn in the oil economy, they should be pretty hungry about now.

Tom
It won't be a singular year production since you're still at a very initial stage of things. But ya, the financial outlay may be an issue unless you go on something like Kickstarter / Indiegogo and secure money from orders before proceeding production.

Pre-formed extrusions will still be much cheaper as long as you have some quantity to go along with it. But yes, its worth exploring your local industries, sometimes, gems do turn up in your back garden.
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
Now that I have completed my psychology degree (yay!), I am back working full-time on Neurochrome. My current project is the $499-599 headphone amp we've discussed above.

I would like to make sure my amp has reasonably broad market appeal, thus, would greatly appreciate it if you would take my survey (linked to below). I am also interested in your general perceptions of Neurochrome. The survey shouldn't take more than maybe 15 minutes to complete.

Neurochrome Spring 2019 Survey (link).

The survey requires you to sign in with your Google/gmail account login. Your email address is NOT recorded in the survey, however. All your responses are anonymous.

Thanks in advance.

Tom
 

rebbiputzmaker

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
1,099
Likes
463
Now that I have completed my psychology degree (yay!), I am back working full-time on Neurochrome. My current project is the $499-599 headphone amp we've discussed above.

I would like to make sure my amp has reasonably broad market appeal, thus, would greatly appreciate it if you would take my survey (linked to below). I am also interested in your general perceptions of Neurochrome. The survey shouldn't take more than maybe 15 minutes to complete.

Neurochrome Spring 2019 Survey (link).

The survey requires you to sign in with your Google/gmail account login. Your email address is NOT recorded in the survey, however. All your responses are anonymous.

Thanks in advance.

Tom
Seems rather odd for an audio company to do this type of survey or need this type of info. Useful for a paper possibly more than sales decisions.
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
I'm guessing you're referring to the demographic and psychographic information. That's actually pretty standard fare in market surveys. It's hard to market to someone if you don't know who they are.

Tom
 

restorer-john

Grand Contributor
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
12,586
Likes
38,284
Location
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
I started to do the survey Tom, but pulled the plug after page 5. Sorry, it's ridiculously long and full of loaded/inapplicable questions. For example, how do I know what it's like to work for Neurochrome?

Looks like it's more designed to brainwash/guilt people. Felt like a census form.

Cheers.
 

rebbiputzmaker

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
1,099
Likes
463
I'm guessing you're referring to the demographic and psychographic information. That's actually pretty standard fare in market surveys. It's hard to market to someone if you don't know who they are.

Tom
But audiophile purchases probably do not necessarily follow conventional purchase demography. Audiophiles can be all over the map, starting with business suits working all the way to straight jacket. :)
 

JohnYang1997

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Audio Company
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Messages
7,175
Likes
18,292
Location
China
The survey is just too long.... I had to restarted twice.. forget it...
Emm what I want to say is... Beat thx 789! and make it 499!
I believe you can make it happen!
 

tomchr

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Company
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 5, 2018
Messages
984
Likes
2,607
Location
Calgary, Canada
I started to do the survey Tom, but pulled the plug after page 5. Sorry, it's ridiculously long and full of loaded/inapplicable questions. For example, how do I know what it's like to work for Neurochrome?
You don't, obviously. That's why the little word 'seems' is in there. Also, you can leave questions blank. I obviously appreciate as much data as possible, but if a specific question makes you go "I have no f-ing idea", you can just move on. I didn't run a pilot study, so the questions are untested. I did do my best to reduce the number of questions.

But audiophile purchases probably do not necessarily follow conventional purchase demography. Audiophiles can be all over the map, starting with business suits working all the way to straight jacket. :)
Certainly. It takes all kinds. That's true in many markets. With the data, I have the possibility of knowing. Without it, I'm staggering in the dark.

Tom
 
Top Bottom