lambda_unit
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- Nov 23, 2020
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I bought a pair of KEF Q150s on sale for $300. I'm trying to pick an amp next. I want a class-D amp because I am conscious about power draw, and also b/c they are smaller/lighter for sitting on my desk.
I heard that the KEFs like power. Personally, I don't like my music super loud, and I live in a studio apartment w/ neighbors. I'll mostly be listening at my desk, or on my couch across the room. (Room is oddly shaped, but roughly 15'x15', 8' ceiling, mostly hard surfaces.) I figured that ~50W into these 8ohm speakers is probably plenty. I like to listen to reggae, electronic, classic rock, bluegrass, jazz, hip-hop, pop, a small amount of classical. I'm not planning to get a subwoofer, I'm hoping I can get enough bass performance out of the Q150s.
It looks like my best bet is something using the Hypex NCore NC122MP (75W). I've also been eyeballing the NC252MP-based amps (135W), because they tend to be slightly cheaper (no idea why), but (A) they're seriously overkill (B) it looks like from Amir's tests that the noise floor of the March Audio P122 NC122MP is a few dB lower than the IOM NCore Pro using the NC252MP, which benefits the SNR at low volume. Do you think that the difference is due to the Hypex parts, or perhaps to the way they are being used in those two amps? As far as sources, I'll probably just use a DAC with my PC (Intel NUC, which has a TOSLINK fiber output). I only really have digital media & streaming, so no analog input needed. It would be nice to have a trigger for the amp so I don't have to remember to turn it on/off.
I'm not afraid to wield a soldering iron, so I looked into DIY solutions a bit, but I'm having difficulty locating a NC122MP by itself (the NC252MP seems easier to source). It occurred to me to get the VTV implementation and pull it open to add a trigger circuit and a DAC board. (Edit: Ahh, I just realized what a 'plate amp' is -- I think this might be the ticket! Edit #2: N/m, they're generally only for mono...)
I was hoping to keep the budget under $500 total, but I'm gonna let it slide b/c I want to get a really solid setup that I will enjoy. Let's say I get the Topping E30 (having a remote would be nice for when I'm listening from the couch), and then round out with a $650 amp, that would come to just over $1k. That's a bit much, but I could stomach it I suppose if it means I get what I want & don't need to upgrade shortly after. I might also pick up a microphone & try to do some room correction.
One other option I'm weighing, though, is getting the Yamaha WXA-50. It seems to be out of stock everywhere, but it would save $$ over getting separate DAC & amp, and it's apparently a pretty good value. I guess my main concern is whether I'd regret not getting a higher-power and/or higher SNR amp. Plus, I also like the idea of getting separate components for the sake of modularity. (OTOH, my desk is getting pretty crowded, so the integrated amp would be nice.)
Anyway, I'm rambling! I'd love to hear your feedback/suggestions.
I heard that the KEFs like power. Personally, I don't like my music super loud, and I live in a studio apartment w/ neighbors. I'll mostly be listening at my desk, or on my couch across the room. (Room is oddly shaped, but roughly 15'x15', 8' ceiling, mostly hard surfaces.) I figured that ~50W into these 8ohm speakers is probably plenty. I like to listen to reggae, electronic, classic rock, bluegrass, jazz, hip-hop, pop, a small amount of classical. I'm not planning to get a subwoofer, I'm hoping I can get enough bass performance out of the Q150s.
It looks like my best bet is something using the Hypex NCore NC122MP (75W). I've also been eyeballing the NC252MP-based amps (135W), because they tend to be slightly cheaper (no idea why), but (A) they're seriously overkill (B) it looks like from Amir's tests that the noise floor of the March Audio P122 NC122MP is a few dB lower than the IOM NCore Pro using the NC252MP, which benefits the SNR at low volume. Do you think that the difference is due to the Hypex parts, or perhaps to the way they are being used in those two amps? As far as sources, I'll probably just use a DAC with my PC (Intel NUC, which has a TOSLINK fiber output). I only really have digital media & streaming, so no analog input needed. It would be nice to have a trigger for the amp so I don't have to remember to turn it on/off.
I'm not afraid to wield a soldering iron, so I looked into DIY solutions a bit, but I'm having difficulty locating a NC122MP by itself (the NC252MP seems easier to source). It occurred to me to get the VTV implementation and pull it open to add a trigger circuit and a DAC board. (Edit: Ahh, I just realized what a 'plate amp' is -- I think this might be the ticket! Edit #2: N/m, they're generally only for mono...)
I was hoping to keep the budget under $500 total, but I'm gonna let it slide b/c I want to get a really solid setup that I will enjoy. Let's say I get the Topping E30 (having a remote would be nice for when I'm listening from the couch), and then round out with a $650 amp, that would come to just over $1k. That's a bit much, but I could stomach it I suppose if it means I get what I want & don't need to upgrade shortly after. I might also pick up a microphone & try to do some room correction.
One other option I'm weighing, though, is getting the Yamaha WXA-50. It seems to be out of stock everywhere, but it would save $$ over getting separate DAC & amp, and it's apparently a pretty good value. I guess my main concern is whether I'd regret not getting a higher-power and/or higher SNR amp. Plus, I also like the idea of getting separate components for the sake of modularity. (OTOH, my desk is getting pretty crowded, so the integrated amp would be nice.)
Anyway, I'm rambling! I'd love to hear your feedback/suggestions.
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