Having aquired a pair of UCD400ADs to put head to head with the Coldamp BP4078s I would say that the Hypex modules have a cleaner sound through my PMC AB2s. The BP4078 has a fuller sound but the Hypex seems more refined at the frequency extremes. I guess this difference could just be down to the Hypex modules having a better op-amp as an input stage. Overall I'd say there's nothing between them in terms of power, they've both got plenty of grunt and the coldamp modules seem to run cooler.
With regard to the SPS80 vs a linear supply I found that there was no effect on sound quality aside from with no signal you could detect a tiny amount of noise if you put your ear right up to the speaker. This was more noticable on the BP4078 modules, possibly because they seem to have slighly higher gain than the UCDs. Maybe this is again input stage related and cleaning up the op-amp supply could resolve it.
I'm now using the UCDs for stereo duties as monoblocs with 530VA transformers. The coldamp modules have been supplemented by a third and will become a 3 channel amp for home cinema duties. One SPS80 should be more than adequate for this.
All in all, I know it's a cop-out, but I'd recommend both. The coldamp modules and PSU were cheaper (especially considering built in soft-start etc.) but I'd say the UCD400ADs are a little better in terms of sound-quality - whether this holds true for the standard Hypex modules I couldn't say.
Cheers
Simon
With regard to the SPS80 vs a linear supply I found that there was no effect on sound quality aside from with no signal you could detect a tiny amount of noise if you put your ear right up to the speaker. This was more noticable on the BP4078 modules, possibly because they seem to have slighly higher gain than the UCDs. Maybe this is again input stage related and cleaning up the op-amp supply could resolve it.
I'm now using the UCDs for stereo duties as monoblocs with 530VA transformers. The coldamp modules have been supplemented by a third and will become a 3 channel amp for home cinema duties. One SPS80 should be more than adequate for this.
All in all, I know it's a cop-out, but I'd recommend both. The coldamp modules and PSU were cheaper (especially considering built in soft-start etc.) but I'd say the UCD400ADs are a little better in terms of sound-quality - whether this holds true for the standard Hypex modules I couldn't say.
Cheers
Simon
Pjotr said:
If that article is the same as in the Dutch Elektor about the Coldamp SMPSU, it is no more than marketing bla bla. No testing, no critical views. In summary, it just notifies that this PSU exists with some pics.
From that I gather that despite the challenge of an ex parte esource, Elektor did an uncanny job of accurately representing the very process undertaken. Perhaps only more so had they whitewashed EDN into its composition.
HERE SOMETHING COME FROM QSC PL380
Here,I have made coolamp moudle, Same as QSC pl380 main board,four layers,ee55 ferrit ecore was made so much power out,
please view my BLOG,http://damp.blog.dianyuan.com
Here,I have made coolamp moudle, Same as QSC pl380 main board,four layers,ee55 ferrit ecore was made so much power out,
please view my BLOG,http://damp.blog.dianyuan.com
coldamp vs UCD
I have built a 4 channel amp with 2 x coldamp 4078 modules and 2 x UCD400HG modules driven by an SPS80 power supply.
The reason for the mix of modules is that I originally built a 4 x coldamp module amp in a 2U case and have had 2 4078 modules fail. I understand that the 5mm aluminium sheet on the bottom of the case was insufficient to keep them adequately cool. I therefore replaced 2 with UCD modules for the rebuild.
My current amp has a 3U case with a large finned heatsink for the modules. It actually still gets quite hot as both UCD and Coldamp generate quite a lot of heat. I have 2 x Altronics K5052 speaker protection circuits (www.altronics.com.au) which have DC and HF protection as well as switch on delay.
I am driving NaO IIt speakers with 2 x peerless 10" xls 8 ohm bass in parallel - 4 ohm nominal load. (see www.musicanddesign.com)
There appears to be a definite difference in build quality between Coldamp and UCD. I couldnt get the amp to start due to coldamp having an initial DC charge on the output which stopped the delay relay from closing as it always sensed a DC fault before turning on. A 10k resistor over the outputs on the coldamp modules cured this.
The coldamp modules drove the bass. However one trips out at 15V (56W) and the other at 30V(225W) on sine wave 40Hz(overcurrent trip I presume). I have had both UCD modules up to 33V without distress before I gave up (too loud , floor shaking, cones trying to leap out of cabinets etc). Thus it seems another module is not right.
With regards to sound quality, I would say that the coldamp modules sound more "dynamic", "louder" and "harder" than the UCD. They do drive the bass better than the UcD (more oomph) until the protection cuts one of them out. However I find them tiring to listen to when driving the mid/treble on the NaO. Some sounds such as harmonica (bob dylan) are not really pleasant when the treble is driven by Coldamp but are fine when driven by UcD. This is not a subtle audiophile type of difference, its a big difference. There may even be a frequency response peak developing with the coldamp and Nao setup I have.
because of the overcurrent issue, I have now (today) replaced the 2 coldamp modules with another 2 x UcD modules and no more spurious trips.
The SPS80 however seems to be a good unit though my initial unit failed when the 4078 module failed but Coldamp replaced it immediately with a revised model with improved protection. It is small, light, runs totally cold and drives the 4 channels well. It does require you to put all your protection circuits in separately, unlike the Hypex power supplies which have DC protection built in.
Both Coldamp and Hypex offer excellent service. Coldamp are superior with regards to manuals and user guides though I feel that both parties underrate the heat generated, particularly in a 4 channel amp.
I hope the above assists those looking to make a choice and build themselves an amp.
Derick
I have built a 4 channel amp with 2 x coldamp 4078 modules and 2 x UCD400HG modules driven by an SPS80 power supply.
The reason for the mix of modules is that I originally built a 4 x coldamp module amp in a 2U case and have had 2 4078 modules fail. I understand that the 5mm aluminium sheet on the bottom of the case was insufficient to keep them adequately cool. I therefore replaced 2 with UCD modules for the rebuild.
My current amp has a 3U case with a large finned heatsink for the modules. It actually still gets quite hot as both UCD and Coldamp generate quite a lot of heat. I have 2 x Altronics K5052 speaker protection circuits (www.altronics.com.au) which have DC and HF protection as well as switch on delay.
I am driving NaO IIt speakers with 2 x peerless 10" xls 8 ohm bass in parallel - 4 ohm nominal load. (see www.musicanddesign.com)
There appears to be a definite difference in build quality between Coldamp and UCD. I couldnt get the amp to start due to coldamp having an initial DC charge on the output which stopped the delay relay from closing as it always sensed a DC fault before turning on. A 10k resistor over the outputs on the coldamp modules cured this.
The coldamp modules drove the bass. However one trips out at 15V (56W) and the other at 30V(225W) on sine wave 40Hz(overcurrent trip I presume). I have had both UCD modules up to 33V without distress before I gave up (too loud , floor shaking, cones trying to leap out of cabinets etc). Thus it seems another module is not right.
With regards to sound quality, I would say that the coldamp modules sound more "dynamic", "louder" and "harder" than the UCD. They do drive the bass better than the UcD (more oomph) until the protection cuts one of them out. However I find them tiring to listen to when driving the mid/treble on the NaO. Some sounds such as harmonica (bob dylan) are not really pleasant when the treble is driven by Coldamp but are fine when driven by UcD. This is not a subtle audiophile type of difference, its a big difference. There may even be a frequency response peak developing with the coldamp and Nao setup I have.
because of the overcurrent issue, I have now (today) replaced the 2 coldamp modules with another 2 x UcD modules and no more spurious trips.
The SPS80 however seems to be a good unit though my initial unit failed when the 4078 module failed but Coldamp replaced it immediately with a revised model with improved protection. It is small, light, runs totally cold and drives the 4 channels well. It does require you to put all your protection circuits in separately, unlike the Hypex power supplies which have DC protection built in.
Both Coldamp and Hypex offer excellent service. Coldamp are superior with regards to manuals and user guides though I feel that both parties underrate the heat generated, particularly in a 4 channel amp.
I hope the above assists those looking to make a choice and build themselves an amp.
Derick
Hello,
After reading Derick's comments, I would like to add some comments.
First of all, thanks, Derick for exposing the facts in their whole dimension. It is true that you had a problem with the SPS80 PSU but you have also stated that we solved it quickly.
The PSU that he had was one of the very first units, that suffered from a problem in the startup circuitry that was easily solvable, that's why we made version R2, that solved this issue and incorporated some improvements. Current version is R3, that is so stable and safe that it is being used for marine-military applications, where full power (800W) continuous is required for hours with high temperatures and humidity, and events such as short-circuits, sudden load removals, etc. occur very often. We are proud of the reliability and power capability of this PSU.
Regarding the BP4078s, I have personally re-read all the questions and found that the main cause of the problem was that the case didn't have enough ventilation. The idle dissipation of each BP4078 module (similar, from what I know, to UcD400 and others), is around 9W. Multiply this by 4 and add the small consumption of the SPS80 and you have around 40W of consumption inside a very small case with little (very little) ventilation. This will cause a slow temperature rise inside the case that may compromise reliability. There are some counter-measures to reduce idle consumption, described in SPS80 and BP4078 datasheets and app.notes that can reduce dissipation by more than one half.
We nave some pictures of Dereck's setup but we won't publish without his permission, of course.
Added to this, Derick purchased an older version of BP4078, now an updated and more mature one is sold, that is manufactured at large scale with very rigurous quality controls, so reliability is not an issue at all. We even have a stereo setup with SPS80 running at our labs continuously for 18 months, 24 hours a day (that's 13000 hours) inside a small 19" case with no forced cooling, and no problems so far.
Regarding the overcurrent protection, I will review the issue in detail, but we can guarantee that our modules can drive a 4 ohm load up to clipping (>400W) continuously at 40 Hz without protecting. It was probably a matter of wiring, a problem with the initial PSU or, more likely, a problem with overtemperature (overcurrent protection level is lower with extreme temperatures for safety). But as I said, I have to review Dereck's case.
Regarding protections, Derick stated that SPS80 doesn't have onboard protections, and that's not totally exact: the only protection missing in SPS80 is DC protection. All the rest is onboard: inrush current limiter, soft start, overcurrent/shortcircuit, overtemperature of the startup circuit in case of protection, and even a fan output with fan speed controller. For the applications requiring DC protectoin, we have a circuit design of our own design to implement this for up to 4 channels (optoisolated) that is available to all our customers, in the form of schematic and PCB design, free of charge.
And... regarding sound quality, we won't state anything as at the high quality levels we are talking about (hypex, coldamp, etc), comparisons are more a matter of taste than any other thing, in our opinion. Other users love the mid-high end of BP4078 and some of them use them in studio applications, where their main requirement was absolute precision and transparency...
Hope this clarifies things a bit.
After reading Derick's comments, I would like to add some comments.
First of all, thanks, Derick for exposing the facts in their whole dimension. It is true that you had a problem with the SPS80 PSU but you have also stated that we solved it quickly.
The PSU that he had was one of the very first units, that suffered from a problem in the startup circuitry that was easily solvable, that's why we made version R2, that solved this issue and incorporated some improvements. Current version is R3, that is so stable and safe that it is being used for marine-military applications, where full power (800W) continuous is required for hours with high temperatures and humidity, and events such as short-circuits, sudden load removals, etc. occur very often. We are proud of the reliability and power capability of this PSU.
Regarding the BP4078s, I have personally re-read all the questions and found that the main cause of the problem was that the case didn't have enough ventilation. The idle dissipation of each BP4078 module (similar, from what I know, to UcD400 and others), is around 9W. Multiply this by 4 and add the small consumption of the SPS80 and you have around 40W of consumption inside a very small case with little (very little) ventilation. This will cause a slow temperature rise inside the case that may compromise reliability. There are some counter-measures to reduce idle consumption, described in SPS80 and BP4078 datasheets and app.notes that can reduce dissipation by more than one half.
We nave some pictures of Dereck's setup but we won't publish without his permission, of course.
Added to this, Derick purchased an older version of BP4078, now an updated and more mature one is sold, that is manufactured at large scale with very rigurous quality controls, so reliability is not an issue at all. We even have a stereo setup with SPS80 running at our labs continuously for 18 months, 24 hours a day (that's 13000 hours) inside a small 19" case with no forced cooling, and no problems so far.
Regarding the overcurrent protection, I will review the issue in detail, but we can guarantee that our modules can drive a 4 ohm load up to clipping (>400W) continuously at 40 Hz without protecting. It was probably a matter of wiring, a problem with the initial PSU or, more likely, a problem with overtemperature (overcurrent protection level is lower with extreme temperatures for safety). But as I said, I have to review Dereck's case.
Regarding protections, Derick stated that SPS80 doesn't have onboard protections, and that's not totally exact: the only protection missing in SPS80 is DC protection. All the rest is onboard: inrush current limiter, soft start, overcurrent/shortcircuit, overtemperature of the startup circuit in case of protection, and even a fan output with fan speed controller. For the applications requiring DC protectoin, we have a circuit design of our own design to implement this for up to 4 channels (optoisolated) that is available to all our customers, in the form of schematic and PCB design, free of charge.
And... regarding sound quality, we won't state anything as at the high quality levels we are talking about (hypex, coldamp, etc), comparisons are more a matter of taste than any other thing, in our opinion. Other users love the mid-high end of BP4078 and some of them use them in studio applications, where their main requirement was absolute precision and transparency...
Hope this clarifies things a bit.
Hi Pierre,
Why do you guarantee the power rating of your module now at 40Hz, is it only good for subwoofers or is it because the output of your esupply drops off at low frequency?
We're sharp enough to know that he obviously overlooked venting without your assurance of that fact. Oddly however the UCD modules thrive where yours continually failed.
You even go on to fault your own module, saying he bought an old one (was that what he requested) and the new one is better but the problem was in the lack of venting anyway or perhaps power supply or something somewhere else right, and you'll be sure to keep us all updated as you find out more?
As to:
"And... regarding sound quality, we won't state anything as at the high quality levels we are talking about (hypex, coldamp, etc), comparisons are more a matter of taste than any other thing, in our opinion. Other users love the mid-high end of BP4078 and some of them use them in studio applications, where their main requirement was absolute precision and transparency..."
After all that's said you're about the only one putting your products in that high level category next to hypex of all things.
It's also not a matter of subjective taste at all until such a point as you can post equivalent measurements, frequency response, THD +N Vs Freq /Power (not disco), into a variety of loads, group delay and can operate at rated power without the need of a fan.
The only thing close to that that was ever posted didn't come from you, as you've always failed in posting measurements, but a review magazine that doesn't even have anything to do with audio, where you saw fit to make a long list of excuses for that as well, something you've proven yourself proficient with.
Sonically, wiring and layout always make the difference but I think we can assume his setup didn't suddenly show a mastery of the art towards UcD, and they suffered the same. Poor taste to be including that in your list of public excuses btw, nice customer support that is, but it's good that you've got that picture to prove it, even if you can't show it, because that would be too immoral for you pierre..
To me he gave an impartial and honest telling of his experience and findings that required no excuses from you.
His description was also telling of the kind of performance you'd expect from an amp that suffers less than ideal characteristics, cheap components, layout, EMI (which you do have), poor regulation, etc.
Even this "ooomph" in the bass can be equated with a lack of control. More "dynamic", "louder", and "harder", equates with the rest I mentioned and non of it's good. If it's tiring to listen to, and things don't sound realistic or pleasing in the least, it's because you're listening to noise of some form and it's putting too much effort on the brain to make sense of it. Might still be OK for disco in short duration (might not need the fan afterall) but for anything at all intricate, forget that noise, but I'm sure you can list the transparent recording studios who'd disagree.
This is why that at your level, it's still very much technical failures and subjectiveness doesn't yet enter into the equation.
Maybe someday we'll get to read an actual contribution of yours.
Why do you guarantee the power rating of your module now at 40Hz, is it only good for subwoofers or is it because the output of your esupply drops off at low frequency?
We're sharp enough to know that he obviously overlooked venting without your assurance of that fact. Oddly however the UCD modules thrive where yours continually failed.
You even go on to fault your own module, saying he bought an old one (was that what he requested) and the new one is better but the problem was in the lack of venting anyway or perhaps power supply or something somewhere else right, and you'll be sure to keep us all updated as you find out more?
As to:
"And... regarding sound quality, we won't state anything as at the high quality levels we are talking about (hypex, coldamp, etc), comparisons are more a matter of taste than any other thing, in our opinion. Other users love the mid-high end of BP4078 and some of them use them in studio applications, where their main requirement was absolute precision and transparency..."
After all that's said you're about the only one putting your products in that high level category next to hypex of all things.
It's also not a matter of subjective taste at all until such a point as you can post equivalent measurements, frequency response, THD +N Vs Freq /Power (not disco), into a variety of loads, group delay and can operate at rated power without the need of a fan.
The only thing close to that that was ever posted didn't come from you, as you've always failed in posting measurements, but a review magazine that doesn't even have anything to do with audio, where you saw fit to make a long list of excuses for that as well, something you've proven yourself proficient with.
Sonically, wiring and layout always make the difference but I think we can assume his setup didn't suddenly show a mastery of the art towards UcD, and they suffered the same. Poor taste to be including that in your list of public excuses btw, nice customer support that is, but it's good that you've got that picture to prove it, even if you can't show it, because that would be too immoral for you pierre..
To me he gave an impartial and honest telling of his experience and findings that required no excuses from you.
His description was also telling of the kind of performance you'd expect from an amp that suffers less than ideal characteristics, cheap components, layout, EMI (which you do have), poor regulation, etc.
Even this "ooomph" in the bass can be equated with a lack of control. More "dynamic", "louder", and "harder", equates with the rest I mentioned and non of it's good. If it's tiring to listen to, and things don't sound realistic or pleasing in the least, it's because you're listening to noise of some form and it's putting too much effort on the brain to make sense of it. Might still be OK for disco in short duration (might not need the fan afterall) but for anything at all intricate, forget that noise, but I'm sure you can list the transparent recording studios who'd disagree.
This is why that at your level, it's still very much technical failures and subjectiveness doesn't yet enter into the equation.
Maybe someday we'll get to read an actual contribution of yours.
it is noat all unusual for manufacturer to recall their products for upgrade. When I bought the ucd 700, they were also recalled by hypex for exchange of some component. Over the years I have bought over 16 modules from hyped fir by active speaker and surround system. They are very accurate sounding amp but I found them too dry. Too boring. Have not tried coldamp amp but I agree that it boils down to personal taste.
Berns,
I think you are not being as objective as you could be. Whilst some people might have issues in the way Coldamp have utilised the forums, I still have a lot of respect for them, what they are doing and their customer service. I was actually commenting that Coldamp modules have a lot of oomph - ie dynamics in the bass and punch in the midrange - and in fact slightly more than UCD. You have taken this as a criticism of Coldamp which it certainly isnt - its their strength in my opinion.
Sergio was commenting on performance at 40Hz because this is the frequency I stated I was using for testing my modules.
Sergio,
I am using a big finned heatsink now in a 3U case so there is NO question there is adequate cooling for the modules now. One of the modules I was using was one of the 2 that survived the drama in my previous 2U case and this might be on the way out.
In my mind it seems that for 4 channel applications a heatsink should be recommended for amateur builders for UCD and Coldamp. Companies with proper product development cycles may be able to develop simpler less robust systems (ie without heatsinks) that offer adequate cooling but amateurs cant afford the time and expense of learning by testing to failure.
I built the optocoupler protection circuit you sent using proto board but it didnt work reliably (I only received the circuit and parts list). I dont know why. I suspect my layout and connections could have had something to do with this. I also didnt understand the electrical limitations of optocouplers so wasnt comfortable with trying to troubleshoot it or modify it. Thus I moved to the Altronics protection kits which worked well though the HF protection side couldnt handle Coldamp or UCD.There is a big need for a small, very simple multi channel DC protection circuit kit (ie circuit board and parts) that switches the power supply to the module and has fuses bor both rails for each cahnnel so you can use a "crowbar" relay system (which many of the experts such as Rod Elliot say is essential) . Why not offer ready made matching 2 and 4 channel DC protection modules for the SPS80?
I have had a much longer and harder road getting to where I am now than I expected. Whilst I have learnt a lot, I would have preferred to have had a simpler challenge!
Whilst I have moved to the UCD side for modules, I am firmly on the Coldamp side for power supply. My next amp would be built with an SPS80. A power supply with a bit more capacity that was rated for a 4 channel system would also be good.
No doubt the BP4078 modules have improved at the next revision from mine, but the competition "just worked " right from minute 1 and this is something I like.
Derick
I think you are not being as objective as you could be. Whilst some people might have issues in the way Coldamp have utilised the forums, I still have a lot of respect for them, what they are doing and their customer service. I was actually commenting that Coldamp modules have a lot of oomph - ie dynamics in the bass and punch in the midrange - and in fact slightly more than UCD. You have taken this as a criticism of Coldamp which it certainly isnt - its their strength in my opinion.
Sergio was commenting on performance at 40Hz because this is the frequency I stated I was using for testing my modules.
Sergio,
I am using a big finned heatsink now in a 3U case so there is NO question there is adequate cooling for the modules now. One of the modules I was using was one of the 2 that survived the drama in my previous 2U case and this might be on the way out.
In my mind it seems that for 4 channel applications a heatsink should be recommended for amateur builders for UCD and Coldamp. Companies with proper product development cycles may be able to develop simpler less robust systems (ie without heatsinks) that offer adequate cooling but amateurs cant afford the time and expense of learning by testing to failure.
I built the optocoupler protection circuit you sent using proto board but it didnt work reliably (I only received the circuit and parts list). I dont know why. I suspect my layout and connections could have had something to do with this. I also didnt understand the electrical limitations of optocouplers so wasnt comfortable with trying to troubleshoot it or modify it. Thus I moved to the Altronics protection kits which worked well though the HF protection side couldnt handle Coldamp or UCD.There is a big need for a small, very simple multi channel DC protection circuit kit (ie circuit board and parts) that switches the power supply to the module and has fuses bor both rails for each cahnnel so you can use a "crowbar" relay system (which many of the experts such as Rod Elliot say is essential) . Why not offer ready made matching 2 and 4 channel DC protection modules for the SPS80?
I have had a much longer and harder road getting to where I am now than I expected. Whilst I have learnt a lot, I would have preferred to have had a simpler challenge!
Whilst I have moved to the UCD side for modules, I am firmly on the Coldamp side for power supply. My next amp would be built with an SPS80. A power supply with a bit more capacity that was rated for a 4 channel system would also be good.
No doubt the BP4078 modules have improved at the next revision from mine, but the competition "just worked " right from minute 1 and this is something I like.
Derick
Hello, Derick.
Thanks for your fair expression of your experience. And remember that, if you have any problem with your modules, they have a 2 year warranty. Even if you purchased them earlier, just contact us and we'll see how to solve the issues.
Regarding the DC protection, if you want we can give you the PCB layout design. By the moment it is not a product we are thinking in selling, and in fact no customer is asking for them, because output stage failures are very very rare.
Besides, we prefer to concentrate in the development of the new batch of products.
One of them is a low consumption amplifier that will solve all the heat issues in multichannel applications, by the way.
Thanks for your fair expression of your experience. And remember that, if you have any problem with your modules, they have a 2 year warranty. Even if you purchased them earlier, just contact us and we'll see how to solve the issues.
Regarding the DC protection, if you want we can give you the PCB layout design. By the moment it is not a product we are thinking in selling, and in fact no customer is asking for them, because output stage failures are very very rare.
Besides, we prefer to concentrate in the development of the new batch of products.
One of them is a low consumption amplifier that will solve all the heat issues in multichannel applications, by the way.
Hi Sergio,
one doesn't need output stage failure to get a large dc offset - I blew an EX3 drive unit by not switching off before introducing a valve line buffer at the input.
Hypex speaker dc protection is on their psus, so a combination of Hypex linear psu & BP4078 works just fine - in fact I find the BP4078 sounds better with a linear psu, and use my SPS80 to drive Ucd400s (on Quad L22s).
Regards,
Keith
one doesn't need output stage failure to get a large dc offset - I blew an EX3 drive unit by not switching off before introducing a valve line buffer at the input.
Hypex speaker dc protection is on their psus, so a combination of Hypex linear psu & BP4078 works just fine - in fact I find the BP4078 sounds better with a linear psu, and use my SPS80 to drive Ucd400s (on Quad L22s).
Regards,
Keith
Thanks for your contribution, KeithC.
Yes, you don't need a broken output stage to get a large DC offset, but it is the most common cause (a problem in the input or drive stage could also cause this, but it is even more strange that this happens in solid state, from our experience).
Each customer seems to like a combination in particular, other ones like the sound of BP4078 with SPS80 more than with LPS30 linear PSU.
Yes, you don't need a broken output stage to get a large DC offset, but it is the most common cause (a problem in the input or drive stage could also cause this, but it is even more strange that this happens in solid state, from our experience).
Each customer seems to like a combination in particular, other ones like the sound of BP4078 with SPS80 more than with LPS30 linear PSU.
Amplifier protection for SMPS
Keith,
What sort of protection are you using for your SPS80+UCD system?
Whilst the Altronics one that I am using is OK, I have disabled 50% of it - the HF protection and the AC sense shutdown. The circuit boards are big also.
I have seen others from Nordics projects (http://www.dxamp.com/construction/protection/) and rod elliots project 33 (http://sound.westhost.com/project33.htm), Velleman, Aussie amps, Jaycar, but these dont quite fit the bill.
DC protection is so simple, but all of the boards I have seen are far too complicated (eg those above) and none address switching between PSU and modules. I also dont feel like making my own circuit boards. I just want a board that fits a fuse for each module supply rail, and a relay for each module with DC protection. Ideally it should run from a 12V supply such as the SPS80 auxiliary supply.
Do you have any hints on where to get a PCB or a ready built unit?
Derick
Keith,
What sort of protection are you using for your SPS80+UCD system?
Whilst the Altronics one that I am using is OK, I have disabled 50% of it - the HF protection and the AC sense shutdown. The circuit boards are big also.
I have seen others from Nordics projects (http://www.dxamp.com/construction/protection/) and rod elliots project 33 (http://sound.westhost.com/project33.htm), Velleman, Aussie amps, Jaycar, but these dont quite fit the bill.
DC protection is so simple, but all of the boards I have seen are far too complicated (eg those above) and none address switching between PSU and modules. I also dont feel like making my own circuit boards. I just want a board that fits a fuse for each module supply rail, and a relay for each module with DC protection. Ideally it should run from a 12V supply such as the SPS80 auxiliary supply.
Do you have any hints on where to get a PCB or a ready built unit?
Derick
Basically, no DC protection without Hypex PSU, just a vague hope that 85db/w units capable of handling 300w would be more likely to survive than 99db/w drivers with silver voice coils.
Overall I find the power level of class D kit ludicrous - never mind the quality, feel the watts. And I use them on speakers that I can drive from my headhone socket. Joke.
Mind you, with winter coming on I'll soon revert to 6wpc Decware Taboo, if only to heat my office.
Overall I find the power level of class D kit ludicrous - never mind the quality, feel the watts. And I use them on speakers that I can drive from my headhone socket. Joke.
Mind you, with winter coming on I'll soon revert to 6wpc Decware Taboo, if only to heat my office.
For what it's worth...
I've used a Coldamp SMPS for a pair of UCD 400's for a year or so now. It works fine.
I had the same UCD's on a 1KVA toroid and the Hypex supply before I used the Coldamp and I don't think there is any audible difference.
It hasn't killed me yet (crosses fingers) and it sounds pretty good. What's not to like? <grin>
Regards,
Tom
I've used a Coldamp SMPS for a pair of UCD 400's for a year or so now. It works fine.
I had the same UCD's on a 1KVA toroid and the Hypex supply before I used the Coldamp and I don't think there is any audible difference.
It hasn't killed me yet (crosses fingers) and it sounds pretty good. What's not to like? <grin>
Regards,
Tom
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.