Hypex NCore400

Nord Acoustics in the UK offer an amplifier built around the NC500 which utilises an input buffer board with a discrete opamp implementation:

https://www.nordacoustics.co.uk/upopampchoice

There is a choice of two opamps. The input buffer board could possibly help iron out the problems in the upper mids and treble?

 

I owned a Nord One SE with the Sonic Imagery 994 opamp, and I didn't really enjoy what I was hearing. I bought a Van Alstine class AB amp to see if my amp was the problem in the chain, and although it may not be very good as far as class A or AB amps go, it was much more pleasing and musical to my ears. I couldn't bring myself to put the Nord up for sale on SBAF so I did it on usaudiomart.

 

I'd suggest starting with the NC500 modules rather than the 400s, there is a decent improvement in sound quality with that jump. The 1200 is genuinely awesome and beats most people's tube amps, especially in less efficient applications where the noise floor ceases to be an issue. Of course availability on the 1200s still sucks, and there's no real advantage in terms of price if you buy those instead of tubes as things stand.

 

They aren't as good for the widebanders or other situations where 1watt will suffice, which is why I said less efficient applications. Theres tons of guys out there that aren't willing or able to swing ultra high efficiency speakers.

 

Not really. Their major flaw is damning enough, but they aren't entirely bad. They will challenge most people's expectations, and I probably prefer them over an all-BJT current feedback alternative. I'd like to see NC400, NC500, NC1200 measurements. And I'm curious about the NC500's now, given @HitmanFluffy 's take.

 

This!

 

That?

 

I’m using the NAD implementation of the ncore400 (M22) and I rather like it. For an amp that I can leave on and is ready to go, it provides real utility over a class-A design. Plus I have very heavy drivers that need lots of low-end control, and it dishes that out handily. It’s detailed enough through the bass and mids that I can hear changes in upstream equipment that I cannot readily perceive on HD800SDR + IHA-1. Caveat is that my speakers roll off heavily in the high end so I wouldn’t hear any impact it has on tizz and sizzle loss or harshness. I’ll be comparing it to my pioneer M-22; and on a second set of 3-way speakers where terrible is heavily emphasized, soon.

 

Alright then, let me explain. To listen to Voxativs fed via a small several watts class A amp is to know. I hold modern class D amps in high regard, but widebanders have very special needs.

 

Nobody is considering Class D for use with 100 dB widebanders in the first place... are they? The Vox ear razors in particular will punish those who do.

 

Agreed, nobody sane and with a minimum of audio knowledge at least.

Yes, they will.

 

Wait ... do you have a NAD M22 AND a Pioneer M-22? Epic coincidence.

 

Elsewhere, I have read positive impressions of these:

http://www.ati-amp.com/AT52XNC.php

They use the NCore modules with a linear power supply and their own input buffer. Allegedly, they sound decent. I would be faintly intrigued if I could make enough sense of their website to find a two-channel unit (or is that beneath them?).

Edit:

https://www.wwsp.com/ati/at522nc.htm is the two channel one, it seems.

 

Definitely good stuff! Not long ago, I lived two doors down from Morris Kessler, the CEO of ATI. He has been slinging silicon for a long time. He started SAE in 1967 with the goal of making a solid state amp that sounded as good as the classic Marantz 9 amnd succeeded. I chatted with him about the NCore stuff and came to the conclusion that if I ever buy one it will be an ATI implementation...

 

It does look interesting indeed.