By the way, here is an interesting test of the Burson op-amp, unfortunately in French, but you can see the graphs. A simple summary is "The question asked is: why are the Burson AOP sold as audiophile op-amps while numbers are showing they are absolute garbage. The conclusion is: it is indeed a shitty product, a scam if you look at the asking price."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJT5oitJvuw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJT5oitJvuw
It was done in 2013 and was on a product several generations old. Also posted on April 1st if that means anything to you, April fools day in UK. I use a mixture of Burson V6Vivid and Sparko SS3602 in my active crossovers, the burson are lean and clean, the Sparko more valve like, the combination gives the right balance for me.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Do you have any more recent measurements? By the way, for many of us, "valve-like" means distortion and coloration.
Firstly, this thread is about Hypex NC500 build, not purifi. Secondly there is no reason to forget about Hypex - the nCore series (and accompanying SMPSs) are still one of the best-performing modules out there.
In the old valve ways yes, good modern valve gear less distorted.
I strived to get my system as neutral as possible, with a flat response and lack of colouration. Only to find that when I did so I felt disappointed, it was lacking and I tired of it. Adding a touch of warmth and body to the mids (call it distortion) brought it to life and I engaged with the music. Accurate is ok as a tool in the studio, but not for me, listening for pleasure. Don't get me wrong, I want to hear instruments as they should sound, with correct tone and detail, but someone playing live in my room would not sound like a studio anyway. It's all about balance against personal preference. I like things leaner than most so an old fashioned lush and rounded off valve sound is not for me.
Sure, nothing wrong with that as a personal preference.
To me that is a bit like wearing soft focus eyeglasses to a photo exhibition just because you like soft focus on portrait pictures (or rose-colored glasses to a Rembrandt exhibition because you like the colors a bit warmer), but that is just my personal view.
On My active crossover (Rod Elliott's) I went through about 7 types of monolithic op amp and every combination of them imaginable, over a 12 month period. My final combination did include some LM4562, it is one of the best for audio. But moving to discrete op amps (any make) made a significant improvement. I spent another 12 months going through all the combinations using 4 types of discrete, till I settled on what worked for me. So I have tried these things out.
So if you have tried these things out, could you tell us what (objective) improvements the discrete opamps made?
It's a bit expensive, Apollon start at 2,280 euro for a 2 channel. They use Hypex SMPS, which I don't have a problem with, my system uses them and is silent.
I hope the Purifi DIY versions are a bit better priced when they arrive.
I thought I had earlier, but to recap and I will have to be subjective, because I can not measure any of this: Transparency was immediately noticeable as being a lot better, I thought the LM4562 was pretty good in this respect, but it was way off the mark in comparison and I could not go back there. I swapped them back in a couple of times just to double check and it was a seriously backward step. Delineation of notes in complex passages improved with less smearing and detail came through that was just lurking previously. Timing, which never was a problem with the LM4562 was as good if not better. I introduced them gradually and now have a full compliment of 9 dual channels in the x-over. I have a meagre income, I would not have spent that amount if the improvement was not a reasonably big one.
With the European modules. They have a price premium of $ 200 for each module vs Asians!
And Bruno Putzeys said they will be solded like a kit too, two Asians modules with input board.
To be fair, Bruno designed UcD, then NC400 and NC500, the Purifi are his next generation product, so it's only natural to make that leap.
I would agree, Hypex SMPS are excellent.
I think you and I have very different definitions of "objective". How about even "verified"?
Sure - the Purifi might be even better (at least measurably), but that doesn't suddenly make the nCores sound bad.
Sure - the Purifi might be even better (at least measurably), but that doesn't suddenly make the nCores sound bad.
Absolutely, I still wish the Purifi were available 18 months ago, when I purchased my 4 channels of NC500 though.
There is always going to be something new around the corner, you just have to make a decision and dive in. The NC500 are very good so I have no complaints.
Absolutely, I still wish the Purifi were available 18 months ago, when I purchased my 4 channels of NC500 though.
There is always going to be something new around the corner, you just have to make a decision and dive in. The NC500 are very good so I have no complaints.
Unfortunately "good enough" doesn't seem to be a concept audiophiles are prepared to accept.
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