I've got a pretty much complete design for bespoke face and backplates fitted to a 3mm walled aluminium casing which works out at about 230 Euros for two with a choice of two sizes, both 60mm height but I'm not yet sure whether I'll run with either of these. They would have a quite heavily modified front plate. There is someone else looking at building cases off here who I have been chatting with. The design won't be finalised for a week or so yet but I think they could be worth waiting for so I'm holding off ordering mine for now.
Does anyone know the output voltage and milliamps of the aux output on the SMPS 600 with 120 volt input? The data sheet says the output voltage is proportional to the input voltage, and the 21 volt rating is at 230 volts input. So if my math is right it should be somewhere around 11 volts at 120. I want to power some components that draw 500ma but I was told a supply with 1000ma would be best. The data sheet says the aux output puts out 500ma. But is that at 230 volts? I'm not a electronic engineer but would the amperage not double if the voltage is cut in half?
Regarding enclosures, here you'll find a sexeh looking one sold at a very good price!
This specific enclosure is too big (300x200x142) for a mono build - a rough sketchup model indicates there is room for a dual mono and then some (i.e. 3 or even more channels, depending on arrangement and SMPSs used).
I've asked for more pictures but build quality looks excellent.
I'm also trying to persuade the vendor to provide us with a smaller enclosure to better suit a monoblock build (180x180x100 or something).
Thanks. I like this with four large-radius vertical corners. Will it fit 3x NC400 and 3x SMPS600? If yes, I will have local (N. Utah) CNC shop cut the holes, save the plans, and resell if anyone interested.
I like the following idea: Setup/cut a chassis just large enough for 3-ch. If someone wants stereo the CNC shop either omits all holes for the center amp or cut for 3-ch and user ignores the center ch holes (add 3rd channel later if desired).
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OK I've solved the problem I had with my sound. It turns out it was my DAC. If anyone's not familer with the Eastern Audio Minimax plus, it is a hybrid DAC using the ESS 9018 DAC chip. You can select from either using the tube output or solid state. There is 2 sets of opamps, one that outputs to both the tube and solid state output, and one that outputs to the dedicated solid state output. I have upgraded both sets of opamps. I upgraded the main opamps with the excellent Burson audio discrete opamps, and the solid state with New class a DEXA discrete opamps. With my Vecteur amp, I preferred the sound of the DEXA SS output. The tube output sounded great, but lacked the dynamics. Now that I'm using the NCores, I prefer the tube output. All of the body and soul that was missing before is back, but better then ever. The sound is pretty much perfect. I now realize the amps are flawless and that if there is any problem with the sound it's coming from the source. Although I have an excellent DAC, it is the weak link in the chain. I'm definately going to have to try some more DAC's with this amp. Once I have the amp fully built into my case, I'll be trying it with a PS Audio Perfectwave MKII. I have a feeling I might end up buying it.
Makes sense. Thanks for the update. I too love my NCOREs....but I would like to remind everyone why they really should suck:
(1) They are Class D. Class D has an unnatural, glossy high end which is fatiguing.
(2) They use an SMPS. SMPS are noisy and definitely not audiophile grade.
(3) They use tons of feedback. Feedback is BAD, terrible for the sound. Open loop is what real audiophiles use.
(4) They are very small, light, efficient and don't generate much heat. Audiophiles all know an amp sucks if it doesn't weigh a ton and generate enough heat to warm your house.
(5) They don't use tubes. Crazy. Audiophiles know tubes are required to make the music sound good, natural.
I finished putting my boxes together last night and did a complete check out before any usage. Noise looked great and met spec. Freq response was about what the graph looked like in the poop sheet, didn't do THD or IMD as that I don't have the resolution to do that well. Then burned them in over night. Is there a solid reason to burn in? Probably not with this equipment other than to discover if there is going to be a early fault, that will show up if burned in for several hours. Not a problem.
We hooked them up to a couple different speakers and the tonal textures were pretty similar between them, outside the speaker differences. So I felt reasonably assured that I was hearing the amp talking.
The primary thing I noticed was the clarity and ease of reproduction they brought to the sound. One of the speakers was fairly neutral and they kept sounding that way, while the other has a pretty hard top end, which made them less interesting to listen to, but was not exacerbated in any way by the amp, a good thing. They retained the sweetness of the sound where there was sweetness to reproduce, they let edgy guitars be edgy guitars.
I didn't have much of a take on the bottom end as these were monitor type speakers so they don't go there very much and I don't think you can judge bass on a ported loudspeaker.
My personal analogy was they were more like the difference between a good ribbon mic and a good condenser mic, no harshness on the top, presence and clarity where it was supposed to be (not exaggerated). ( the nc4000 being the ribbon)
One of the people present commented that they didn't do the "usual" digital amp thing of sucking the life out of the dynamics and presentation.
In all everyone present was favorable about the first listen to the amp.
"I could live with that"
It was a hard and jaded room. (philosophically, not physically)
Off to a mastering room today or tomorrow that already uses the UCD700s
source material was primarily mix masters at 88.2/24 (that means before mastering and crappy compression) that I have worked with before and know pretty well, spanned the range from classical, Indy Pop, acoustic, and we forgot to do any jazz.
Alan Garren
We hooked them up to a couple different speakers and the tonal textures were pretty similar between them, outside the speaker differences. So I felt reasonably assured that I was hearing the amp talking.
The primary thing I noticed was the clarity and ease of reproduction they brought to the sound. One of the speakers was fairly neutral and they kept sounding that way, while the other has a pretty hard top end, which made them less interesting to listen to, but was not exacerbated in any way by the amp, a good thing. They retained the sweetness of the sound where there was sweetness to reproduce, they let edgy guitars be edgy guitars.
I didn't have much of a take on the bottom end as these were monitor type speakers so they don't go there very much and I don't think you can judge bass on a ported loudspeaker.
My personal analogy was they were more like the difference between a good ribbon mic and a good condenser mic, no harshness on the top, presence and clarity where it was supposed to be (not exaggerated). ( the nc4000 being the ribbon)
One of the people present commented that they didn't do the "usual" digital amp thing of sucking the life out of the dynamics and presentation.
In all everyone present was favorable about the first listen to the amp.
"I could live with that"
It was a hard and jaded room. (philosophically, not physically)
Off to a mastering room today or tomorrow that already uses the UCD700s
source material was primarily mix masters at 88.2/24 (that means before mastering and crappy compression) that I have worked with before and know pretty well, spanned the range from classical, Indy Pop, acoustic, and we forgot to do any jazz.
Alan Garren
Well there was two, one of them from me, some 200 pages ago.
But apparently I'm deaf, so you should disregard my review....
Well there was two, one of them from me, some 200 pages ago.
But apparently I'm deaf, so you should disregard my review....
Come on StigErik, we luv u man....
. But if you keep adding woofers to those bass panels then maybe you will go deaf....
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+1Come on StigErik, we luv u man....
Will take some time before I will get my Ncore modules up and playing. I quess the first thing I should do is to place an order.
Just need to decide how many I need. StigErik's and others comments about bass improvement makes me wonder if I should get some Ncore modules for subs too.... I was kinda hoping to get away with a Crown/Behringer or a cheaper class D for the subs.
Hey guys I thought I'd say once again, these amps are stunning now that I have the issues with my DAC worked out. I won't give a in depth review, but I agree with all the positive comments others said about them. Just make sure you have a excellent source or you may be disappointed. It truely dishes out exactly whats put in, except louder. I will be comparing them up against some Mcintosh MC1000 mono blocks as soon as I have them built into their cases. I'll post a review then.
You should do that.
But i think my 19" 1U 40mm height enclosure might have better looks, front can be customized in other ways.
Hifi2000/Modushop makes pretty nice enclosures, monday i received an 19" enclosure for my 3xUCD400 bassguitar amplifier; they look very good.
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I'd wanted to use my leftover Van Den Hul D-352 speaker cable for wiring from the speaker connectors on the modules to the speaker connectors in my chassis, but these cables are quite bulky. When twisting them together it becomes even bulkier and unwieldy. It is not possible to twist them together as tight as a thinner cable. Will this be OK to use it or better use a thinner cable?
I'd also like to know how other Ncore owners connected the modules to the speaker connectors. e.g. which cable, single or multi stranded, cable length etc.
I'd also like to know how other Ncore owners connected the modules to the speaker connectors. e.g. which cable, single or multi stranded, cable length etc.
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I just used a random two-colored non-low gauge wire =)
I ended up with I think it was 4mm so maybe too much but I didn't find any 1.5-2.5mm close enough so I picked it anyway
To fit it onto the NCore I had to split the wires though, so the wire looked kinda like this:
====< so that I could push the ends on each side of the screw. Can fix picture if you want one =)
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Hi Everyone,
Im new here, but, diving in and loving it. I have a couple of questions that were sort of fielded a couple hundred pages ago, but, I thought Id get a couple more details.
The speakers Im going to be driving with my nCores are the Revel Ultima Salon 2. They have a nominal Z of 6 Ohm and a min Z of 3.7 Ohm. I have been wavering on whether one nCore will be able to dish out enough power to really make them sing.
If I bridge 2 nCore's for these speakers is the low apparent impedence going to run me into current limiting behaviour frequently?
I was originally going to get an active crossover and biamp so I ordered 4 nCore's. I have since decided to ditch the active cross...am I likely to get any major benefit by passively bi-amping using the speaker's internal crossover network? (and I hope Im not leading into a controversial topic here....I know some boards have real fun with this question)
Thanks.
Im new here, but, diving in and loving it. I have a couple of questions that were sort of fielded a couple hundred pages ago, but, I thought Id get a couple more details.
The speakers Im going to be driving with my nCores are the Revel Ultima Salon 2. They have a nominal Z of 6 Ohm and a min Z of 3.7 Ohm. I have been wavering on whether one nCore will be able to dish out enough power to really make them sing.
If I bridge 2 nCore's for these speakers is the low apparent impedence going to run me into current limiting behaviour frequently?
I was originally going to get an active crossover and biamp so I ordered 4 nCore's. I have since decided to ditch the active cross...am I likely to get any major benefit by passively bi-amping using the speaker's internal crossover network? (and I hope Im not leading into a controversial topic here....I know some boards have real fun with this question)
Thanks.
If you were setting it up for single cable feed, then split it into two feeds, one for each side of the screw. Don't twist the wire, you'll just make it thicker, let it lay flat. That is already twisted into a cable lay so more twisting is not a good idea or needed. You should be able to separate the cable lay easily into the two ends you need to insert. Make sure no loose strands are left out to cause trouble. You may need a small amount of heat shrink to make it safe.
No way you can use that wire for an optimal bi-wire set-up. See Bruno's earlier post about set-up for bi-wire and the Ncore.
Alan Garren
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