which amp would be "better"

[voodooless]

Your grandpa is right. No audible difference whatsoever. It is more a gimmick.

Well, on the audibility part for sure, on the EMI isolation, I’d say: citation needed.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Well, on the audibility part for sure, on the EMI isolation, I’d say: citation needed.

Yes.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Your trust is... touching.

I've had my fingers burnt in the past that way.

Not by buying a Yamaha you won't. -Always on point and the R-N1000A is sharing the guts of the A-S701 which is a design that has proven itself. No need to worry about it not living up to the specs. But this is turning OT a bit so let's get back on track without further FUD.

 

[Multicore]

I agree with others who said that it's not wise to try to fix loud speakers or the room response by replacing your amp. First, if the amp you have and the new one are both work properly (most amps do) then the new amp won't sound different. Assuming either the old or the new or both amps do not work properly, the chance that the difference between them will compensate for your problem in the speakers is extremely small.

I prefer to have control over the tone. Equalizers and tone controls are great. There are other effects available too, e.g. harmonic distortion if you like that but I don't use that except in music production.

 

[Multicore]

I was in a musician's shop years ago, and I heard a customer ask the owner, "Which guitar amp is the best?". The owner replied, "Whichever one you like the most."

The more I thought about it through the years, the more I saw the wisdom in that reply. You don't get satisfaction from the biggest, the best, the fastest or the most expensive. You get satisfaction from the one you like the most.

At the music shop that's not bad advice for guitar amps. With stereo amps for home audio playback, I wouldn't know how to choose an amp. I ended up at ASR (about 5 years ago, I think) because I recognized my incompetence in that process of subjective selection of amps. Since then I learned a very great deal (Thank you ASR! I am really grateful.) none of which have helped me in this particular problem.

Funnily enough, I never got along with guitar amps, despite being an electric guitarist since the 70s. I ended up using effects, linear amp and PA speakers. About 5 years ago I got a Headrush Gigboard which has DSP for nonlinear models of guitar amps and FIR models of speakers, cabinets and mics. In both cases what I needed was better control, which corresponds to my previous post.

 

[Leeken]

No amp truly doubles, and if you find one that says it does, it is probably understating its power into 8 Ohms. I'd agree that a Purifi module correctly implemented will get pretty close, of course.

Nor is it necessary to have an amp that doubles or comes close to that, as long as it is up to the job of driving the speaker it is connected to. As I said, only measurements will allow us to answer that question for sure. An extensive audition will answer the question for the listener concerned, so that I guess would be the next step with the YBA unless someone has one and the wherewithal to measure it.

Although maths was never my strong point,this one does,with a few watts to spare.There maybe others,there’s certainly a lot of “audiophile“ brands which can’t
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/nad-c298-stereo-amplifier-review.47531/

 

[Deleted member 48726]

Although maths was never my strong point,this one does,with a few watts to spare.There maybe others,there’s certainly a lot of “audiophile“ brands which can’t
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/nad-c298-stereo-amplifier-review.47531/

As @Galliardist wrote; Purifi modules come close. And the NAD in question does have Purifi modules.

This is a review and detailed measurements of NAD C298 stereo class D power amplifier based on Purifi Eigentakt modules

 

[Leeken]

As @Galliardist wrote; Purifi modules come close. And the NAD in question does have Purifi modules.

that’s the point,the nad doesn’t just come close,it exceeds it from 8 to 4ohms,the measurements prove that (I’d assume it doesn’t double down to 2&1).

 

[Deleted member 48726]

that’s the point,the nad doesn’t just come close,it exceeds it from 8 to 4ohms,the measurements prove that (I’d assume it doesn’t double down to 2&1).

What point?

In some rare cases it happens. Almost no amps double down without underspecification of their 8 ohm power. Galliardist may not be absolutely right that _no_ amps double down but I'd say it's so close that it makes it almost true.

NAD always made amps behave a certain way IR to power supply and delivery. They probably cooked something up with the new class d amps as well to keep to their reputation. Someone else may have the specifics of their ways and class d implementations.

 

[pewe]

For the Elac Solano BS283, is this amp "enough" considering the speakers are 85 db/4ohm:

AUDIOPHONICS AP300-S250NC Power Amplifier Ncore NC252MP

The Audiophonics AP300-S250NC is a stereo amplifier based on a Hypex Ncore NC252MP amplifier module. It is ideal for providing a significant power reserve (2x250W @ 4Ω) without sacrificing sound reproduction quality.

www.audiophonics.fr

Or is this one more suitable:

Audiophonics AP-300S500NC Power Amplifier Ncore NC502MP

The Audiophonics AP300-S500NC is a stereo amplifier based on a Hypex Ncore NC502MP amplifier module. It is ideal for providing a significant power reserve (2x500W @ 4Ω) without sacrificing sound reproduction quality.

www.audiophonics.fr

I understand the latter can play louder and be better for bigger rooms but wondering if the nc252 would do the speaker justice in a smallish room with listening levels around 80-85db? The price difference is 150 euro (about 150 usd)

 

[jooc]

For the Elac Solano BS283, is this amp "enough" considering the speakers are 85 db/4ohm:

AUDIOPHONICS AP300-S250NC Power Amplifier Ncore NC252MP

The Audiophonics AP300-S250NC is a stereo amplifier based on a Hypex Ncore NC252MP amplifier module. It is ideal for providing a significant power reserve (2x250W @ 4Ω) without sacrificing sound reproduction quality.

www.audiophonics.fr

Or is this one more suitable:

Audiophonics AP-300S500NC Power Amplifier Ncore NC502MP

The Audiophonics AP300-S500NC is a stereo amplifier based on a Hypex Ncore NC502MP amplifier module. It is ideal for providing a significant power reserve (2x500W @ 4Ω) without sacrificing sound reproduction quality.

www.audiophonics.fr

I understand the latter can play louder and be better for bigger rooms but wondering if the nc252 would do the speaker justice in a smallish room with listening levels around 80-85db? The price difference is 150 euro (about 150 usd)

Lots of variables here but those speakers should be able to play at uncomfortably loud levels with both those amps not breaking a sweat, this approximates your general requirements:

 

[radix]

There is a small set of measurements of the YBA on p. 10 of this article using an AP. It's not a standard set of tests, so I don't know how informative it is for hifi purposes.

https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2203/2203.03166.pdf

Personally, the YBA has several of what I think of as gimmicks: 3 feet with dampening, the wood, the "digital power" switch on the rear. None of that is needed. That tends to turn me off from a brand. You asked for feedback, so that's mine.

The music fidelity has at least been objectively measured, so you know what you're getting at least.

I don't know if the 330VA transformer output is per secondary or total. If it's total, then it does seem underpowered and I'd like to see real measurements of maximum power at 1% THD. Given the speakers, even if it is underpowered, you likely would never go to the full volume of the amp.

You have 85dB sensitivity speakers. How big of a room or what listening distance are you at? For small spaces, a 100 wpc (at 4R) amp would be OK. The speakers are listed as "Nominal | Peak power handling: 70W | 100W" by elac. So, 70 wpc (nominal) at 85 dB sensitivity would be good out to maybe 2-3m, depending on the max volume you want to achieve. It should get loud (90-94 dB SPL), but not very loud. For average loudness (say 80s db SPL) it should be fine. I suspect if you throw the whole 165 wpc @ 4R of the YBA at those speakers, they will distort badly.

Based on this review, the elac might be closer to 84 dB sensitivity. Unfortunately, I did not see a THD vs freq vs power chart. https://www.i-fidelity.net/testberichte/hifi/elac-solano-bs-283/seite-5.html

I would save money on the amp and get one or two subs. For the YBA, given the integrated amp design, you cannot put a HP filter on the mains, but you do at least have the PRE OUT for subs. Get a measurement mic and REW to integrate the subs.

My view is that audio distortion is caused, in descending order, by: the room, the speakers/subs, and then everything else in super tiny amounts relative to the first two. If you want to improve your sound, either use room treatments or DRC. To used DRC, you need an audio chain that allows an active crossover and DSP between the mains and the subs. You can do some of it with EQ on the source, but to get your TV and CD and phono corrected, you need something in the preamp or preamp-amp chain. So, personally, the choices you laid out would not be my path. I use an Anthem STR preamp that has DRC. Some NAD and other do too. On another system, my 1980s McIntosh preamp has a processor loop (pre-out and pre-in at line level before the volume control), and I can insert a DSP there.

 

[Gringoaudio1]

This place is funny. We jump on some newbies and then we humour some. We don’t need to be this polite when the post and questions are so far from our mandate. This is a stupid post and we don’t need to be entertaining such. Send him on his way and say this is not the place for such foolishness. His responses reinforce that he’s impervious to science. No need even to questions about consumer choices that don’t include content that is scientific or measurement based. We have no need to feel we have a role in being advocates of testing. Who cares if the numbers of followers are growing?

 

[Gringoaudio1]

Comment about another newbie post spouting nonsense below.

 

[Galliardist]

This place is funny. We jump on some newbies and then we humour some. We don’t need to be this polite when the post and questions are so far from our mandate. This is a stupid post and we don’t need to be entertaining such. Send him on his way and say this is not the place for such foolishness. His responses reinforce that he’s impervious to science. No need even to questions about consumer choices that don’t include content that is scientific or measurement based. We have no need to feel we have a role in being advocates of testing. Who cares if the numbers of followers are growing?

Whose answers are you complaining about?

Mine were particular, I posted links to measurements, and declined to firmly recommend where good measurements weren't available. Others questioned the woo aspects of the responses and one of the amps with the bits of wood, and brought up Class D.

We are supposed to be polite. We have been asked by our host, no less, to be nicer to newcomers. Maybe we have to learn to be polite but firmer. We are not responsible for sending anyone on their way. You know who the gatekeepers are on this forum, and where the report button is, if you feel that way about a poster or a thread.

The interaction here was much improved over the "i'm new, may I ask a question?" "TROLL!" type of debate that we sometimes see. If someone is "impervious to science" they wlll show themselves as such in good time. And even then, our administrators will decide at what point what rules are broken and how to handle their posts.

I hope we do care that the number of followers are growing. How else do we measure success, by the numbers thrown out and our glorious exclusivity? No, this is where we stand and engage with anyone who genuinely wants advice or wishes to learn about what we have here.

I don't see much wrong with this particular interaction. We were courteous and made our points.

 

[Gringoaudio1]

Whose answers are you complaining about?

….

We are supposed to be polite. We have been asked by our host, no less, to be nicer to newcomers. Maybe we have to learn to be polite but firmer. We are not responsible for sending anyone on their way. You know who the gatekeepers are on this forum, and where the report button is ….. I don't see much wrong with this particular interaction. We were courteous and made our points.

Too polite. I just would prefer that this be a science and engineering based group and not a ‘what should I buy’ group. Very polite. Too polite.

 

[Galliardist]

….


Too polite. I just would prefer that this be a science and engineering based group and not a ‘what should I buy’ group. Very polite. Too polite.

If we can't collectively apply the principles to practical questions, what the hell use are we? Especially so, given that a core activity of this place is measurement , review and recommendation of devices by our host and others with sufficient knowlege and equipment.

It is always going to be a way in for people to a forum and its ethos.

 

[tmhaudio]

As far as I know, Shanling manufactures the YBA (Yves Bernard André) amplifiers in China, and it wouldn't be surprising if Shanling actually owns the YBA brand.

As the US Distributor of YBA, a few points of clarification...
Yves-Bernard Andre remains a part of the ownership group & Chief Designer of all YBA products
A small team, trained by Yves-Bernard manages all production aspects of YBA products to ensure high quality.
In fact, Yves-Bernard personally visited production facilities to QC test every "Signature" product produced and signs each chassis
Yves-Bernard's patented "Alpha Class A" amplifier circuit maintains the power supply in pure Class A to get the sonic qualities of "normal" Class A but without the excess heat.
The various series uses French components to Yves-Bernard's specs of differing quantities depending on the series - i.e. Signature has all French components and Passion just a bit less although the Passion A650 amp shares same UI-Core 1000va transformer.

I hope that clarifies YBA a bit as this is my first post on ASR.

Thanks guys!
JimRicketts/tmhaudio