thinking about the UCD modules.

[cowanrg]

so, im wanting to get a few projects done so i can clear out my basement of all the stuff. ive already contacted a guy that does machining to get a price quote on finishing my cases.

they were originally designed with an aleph2 monoblock in mind. but, after doing more calculations, it just seems like its going to be too hot. it will work, but it will just be HOT. i think the case would be like 80C or something like that (considering worst case scenario, room temperature, etc.) and thats for an 80 pound case, and i only get 100 watts

the truth is, my current speakers are power hogs and 100 watts really does nothing for me. i currently bi-amping with 2 220watt amps per speaker and its just barely enough to get them to the levels i want. so, a 100-watt monoblock is nice, but i would need something else to help it out, or go with a full active bi-amped system.

so, enter the UCD module. over the past month or so, ive read all the threads on the UCD180, 400 and 700. it was a LOT of reading. so i really dont have many questions. and im NOT going to ask "how will it sound compared to a pass labs amp?" that is something only i can figure out. but, my question is, what amp can i try out to get an idea of the sound quality? i dont want to drop much cash, i just want to get an idea of what im in for. i dont care how it sounds compared to the aleph2, i dont even know how that sounds yet. i just want to know, "will a UCD sound good with my speakers". thats all. ive heard of people building amp1's and such for cheap just to get an idea... does anyone have one of these for sale?

i know my cases are WAY overkill for the cooling requirements of the UCD modules, but i dont care. the heatsinks will be just for show. im considering doing stereo UCD700 amps (two of them). i mean, who not? plus, that would allow the case to maybe raise a few degrees...

plus, i have a couple 1.7KVA transformers that i was going to use for the aleph2's that have 45v secondaries, which would be right in line for the UCD400's.

so, am i crazy to abondon the alpeh2's and use UCD modules instead?

[MikeW]

Yes you are crazy. You could put all 7 channels for your surround sound in one box.

[cowanrg]

haha.

hey mike, whaaaaaaaaats happening...

long time no talk. actually, i dont use a center channel, and i plan to biamp front and rears (currently i just biamp the fronts). so that would be 8 channels. and i use 4ft speaker cables on the fronts, so i need at least 2 amps, one left and one right...

i would be good with just a stereo amp. of course a double stereo (4-channel) would be cool, and do two of those. but with the price of the modules at around $250 each, that would be $2k in just modules. thats much more than i have to spend. so ill just do 4 for now...

but anyways, is it a crazy idea to abondon a pair of aleph2 monoblocks for UCD modules?

[ackcheng]

Oh! Man! you made so much effort to make it looks like Pass products! What a waste? I have heard Aleph 2 and it is really very good!

I have UCD400. While it is good too, but I find the bass is lacking - that is to my liking anyway.

[cowanrg]

Originally posted by ackcheng
Oh! Man! you made so much effort to make it looks like Pass products! What a waste? I have heard Aleph 2 and it is really very good!

I have UCD400. While it is good too, but I find the bass is lacking - that is to my liking anyway.

sure, there was a lot of effort to make it look like a real pass amp, BUT, it was never going to be an exact XA200 clone. it was going to be a very nice cloned chassis with an aleph2 inside.

so, putting something else inside isnt a whole lot different than having an aleph2 inside. neither are that the "original" was.

but, the ultimate truth is, 100 watts just isnt enough juice for what i need. if i built this amp as a 100-watt monoblock, i would end up getting another amp to drive the bottom end of the speaker too. it would mainly be just for show. it wouldnt be my main amp, it would be a tweeter amp. thats a waste of time to build a DIY amp that looks THAT good just to use it as a supplemental amp.

so, which amp could i get thats cheap to get an idea of how this class d stuff sounds? i heard the aleph2 was a little bass shy too. its not a big deal for me, i crossover at like 80-100hz and give ALL bass to my subwoofers, which handle it just fine. i just need clarity, soundstaging (very important), and imaging.

could an amp3 or amp6 give me that "taste" of whats possible with this new breed of class D?

[rha61]

Originally posted by ackcheng


I have UCD400. While it is good too, but I find the bass is lacking - that is to my liking anyway.

it depends a lot on your PSU caps
put Elna caps and you will get big bass

alain

[cowanrg]

thats good to hear. not that bass is a huge concern, but i would rather my amps do what they should be doing!

i almost forgot about this thread. i guess if everyone though i was completely nuts i would have heard about it by now...

[lawbadman]

Hey Cowanrg,
I have similar questions you have. I too have power hungry speakers (MMG).
I was thinking about getting the Charlize as an intro to class D amps, since Nuuk's T-amp article on TNT stated that the Charlize sounds the best (not by a big margin though), and its not too expensive.
It would be nice to hear how it is compared to my tube amp.

[Yves Smolders]

I have UCD400. While it is good too, but I find the bass is lacking - that is to my liking anyway.

I've changed block rectifier/2xBC156 22.000uF's for the Hypex HG (slitfoils)

Bass is a little more pronounced, but very tight!

@cowanrg,

Give it a go, buy 2 UcD400AD's. You have nice toroids just lying there, find 2 caps and a block rectifier and you're ready to test (without DC protection and such, but you can test them)

2x45V might trip the overvoltage though, however, I think I've read the overvoltage limit has been put higher again in the newest 400 batch.

UcD is something special, you need to hear it! I see you don't run a center channel, you'll love the UcD's, they image very well and super precise (got fooled more than once, I was thinking my HTM2 center was running between my 804's and it wasn't )

[cowanrg]

well, how about this...

would you be interested in buying a second-hand amp from me? i was thinking about the amp6. its very cheap and not surface mount. they say the surface mount sounds better, but i just want an idea of how it sounds, not the final end result...

the charlize is too underpowered for me. its only 20watts, and would be $96 shipped. its too expensive for me to just play around with, and 20 watts isnt enough to do anything with.

so, it comes back to the 41hz stuff. the amp6 is only $40 plus shipping. its only 2x25w into 4 ohms, but its cheap also, if i had a place to unload it, i might entertain the amp1. its 2x100watts into 4 ohms and only $54 plus shipping. i would be willing to get one of those if i knew i could unload it and only lose a few bucks. the only downside, it needs to be built and its surface mount...

let me know. i want to get moving on this, and i just want to hear something first. unfortunately, the UCD modules are a bit pricey to just play around with.