Apparently difficult to interprete
NC400 200W / 8 ohm is peak power; with a good thermal design you'll have a low distortion 100W amp.
NC500 is very comparable.
When you translate the watt numbers into dB's, the differences are uninteresting.
Unless you have grossly inefficient speakers or like your ears bleeding you aren't going to come remotely close to using 65W (or 50W) continuously. Of more interest is at what W levels distortion reaches unacceptable levels. I mentioned a very, very unambitious level of 0.01%. A good amp will measure in mere ppm distortion at rated power. For some reason Hypex 'rate' their amps at very high distortion levels - I would not consider 1% at all an appropriate benchmark distortion level for rating the output power of an amp. And, as mentioned above, anyone advertising amps using these modules has to be very careful as to how they display their specs. Hypex has a full data sheet to fall back on. Selective advertising of partial figures without context is dangerous. You can't quote a rated power at a distortion level and then quote distortion specs at an entirely different output level.
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The high distortion spec is not uncommon; look at datasheets of NPX TDA class d chips, and other brands. Seems to be typical for class d where sometimes output power at 10% THD is specified. Maybe a heritage from times where class d amps were mere subwoofer amps.
Hypex is clear about distortion numbers; they (once more) stress the importance of thermal design in relationship to continuous power ratings.
It is not difficult for manufacturers to come up with realistic numbers.
Maybe - doesn't make it right. Hypex is clear in a full data sheet. Boggit less so in his advertising. Certainly I wouldn't rate the NC500 above 300W RMS 8R and, in my opinion, the modules hit levels of distortion above 100W RMS into 8R that I would not be happy with. (Of course thermal design is important for continuous power.)
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It is common for all manufacturers to rate amplifier output power at 1% THD. Nothing odd about this at all. I would suggest what is important for the nCore class D amps is where the knee in the distortion curve is; where the distortion starts to rise rapidly. If you want to compare usable output power, compare the distortion curve graphs from amp to amp. Stereophile has independent measurements of this in their reviews, and available online at their website, for all of the amplifiers which they have reviewed.
Whilst I don't wish to waste my valuable time with pettiness I would like to point out
we advertise our NC500 amplifiers in the exact same manner that all "boutique" manufactures do. Certain members actions here, have only caused Hypex to put pressure on us manufactures to increase prices, to the decrement on the innocent buying public. It would not surprise me if these actions cause Hypex not to offer any further new models to the DIY market and who could blame them.
This is an audio forum, be it has a DIY focus and the most important measurement of an amplifier is how it sounds and performs to a customers ears.
So hear are a few customer feedback emails we receive and a review, more can be viewed on our website. Anyway I'm off to put the finishing touches to the CAD drawings ready for the onslaught of building multiple orders received over the break.
Hello Collin Amazing amplifier. I used 90,s upgraded A class amp + AB very famous one (new). Now I am using Nord. It is resolving not fatiguing at all. Amazing I have no another word to describe feelings. Never ever thought to go D class.I never thought that something can be better than class A. P.S. NICE WORK COLLIN best Regards Giorgi
Hi Colin,
*
Good to hear the first order came through, hopefully many more will follow.
You are offering an excellent product for a very reasonable price so no need to thank me, we all thank you
I currently have around 30-35 hours on both amps, and they keep amazing me. So much new details, and yet*
presented in such a natural way without becoming analytic sounding. Besides that, the headroom these amps
have is simply unbelievable.
*
Please let me know if you have new information around the multichannel amp you are planning for.
*
Best, Ruben Driving Linkwitz LX521
I simply have to tell you what (I am sure) you already know.* Our American cousins report that your amplifiers get even better after 200-300 hours.* I stopped counting after 100 hours as (you may recall) my first 20 odd hours were very disappointing. After 80/100 or so the amplifier sounded very very good.* Now, after - who's counting but it must be 200+ - it is astonishing!* I used to lust after Krell or similar high end USA amps. Not any more.* Thank you. This amplifier is wonderful.* If I had paid £5000 I would not be disappointed, indeed I cannot put a price on it. Thank you.
HiFi Wigwam Review Published in June
And you think you’re so clever and classless and free…Speaking as a peasant.*I don’t like Class D amplifiers.
Why?
Well, I have kept a weathered eye on the world of Class D amplifiers. And I have seen it move from being only suitable for bass speakers to something a little better, but not that much better. Following all the glowing reviews on the web I bought a pair of Nuforce power amps. We went through Version V1, V2 and V3 together and although they improved I still found the good came with bad. The good was the neutrality in the frequency response and the ability to go really loud. They could push out nearly 200w without getting hot and weighed less than Boris Johnson’s book of tact. The bad was the dynamics and the high frequencies. The dynamics were flat and not really involving.
*
The high frequencies were really odd despite reading on the net that the high frequencies were exceptional. Yea, exceptionally bad. Real they were not. So I just went back to keeping a cynical eye on developments. Oh and wondering what some guys were drinking and where I could buy some.
All went quiet and then along comes a guy called Bruno Putzeys with a brand new breed of Class D. Last year I had a chance to hear the latest creation from Bruno Putzeys, who by that time was the new wunderkid on the Class D block. He had updated his UCD Class D amplifiers to the newer cleaner, super nCores. They are sold through Hypex amplifiers. They have bucket loads of negative feedback and a switch mode power supply, of all things. I heard the nCore NC1200 in the Merrill Veritas and the UCD 400 in the Merrill Thors. Kevin Fiske wrote up his thoughts about them on the Wam. For me, despite all the good they still had that flat and undynamic sound that did not involve me. So having tried two bites of the Class D cherry I concluded they were not for me. Hey ho….. back to the drawing board and just keeping an eye on things.
Next, guess what……a new net buzz. This time it was about the newest guy in town, Nord Amplifiers, with the recently developed nCore NC500 amplifiers. The Nord amplifiers are made in Cheltenham. Was this a case of the same old, same old??
Nope.
They had brought some new USPs (unique selling points). Nord had changed the voltage regulators used in the amps from chips to discrete components, which has certainly helped Naim amplifiers, although these two amps are poles apart. Nord also introduced the ability change the Op amps from the stock LM4562 to the more expensive and better(?) Sparkos opamps or the even better Sonic Imagery 994 chips. Nord also offer Burson op amps as well if you prefer their sound. The amplifier has a socket on the main board that will take any of these opamps and all you do is plug/unplug to change the sound of your amp for the cost of an op-amp. Good idea if it works.
So I got the stereo power amplifier with the Sonic Imagery 994 op-amps. This amp produces 400w per channel at 8 ohms, 700 w at 4 ohms and about 550w at 2 ohms. A real powerhouse. As with most Class D amps it is small and light. I plugged it in and let it warm up. I use an Auralic Aries digital front end. This feeds my Audionote DAC 2.1x, a Nuforce P9 pre-amplifier and the sound comes out of my Audionote E HE Signatures. Now these speakers do not need 500w/channel (6 ohm speaker impedance) but there is no way they are going to run out of power. Oddly enough the power amps actually get warm to the touch. They only generate 40w of heat, which is channelled through to the case, so the cases do get warm. Not hot. They are still as efficient as other Class D amps.
As with most NC500 amplifiers they only accept XLR inputs (Nord can sell you a RCA/XLR cable which does the job). The connectors used are of a good quality, Switchraft XLRs and CHK for the speakers. The case is made in Italy and whilst better than the case on my Audionote preamps it is, fortunately, not expensive audio jewellery.
So the big question...do they have all the positives of Class D and finally get rid of what for me was the big negative of a flat and undynamic sound. YES.
OK giving you some more information than that. I use a wide range of music to try out new components and a lot of it is not audiophile music which I find in most cases boring and bland.
This amplifier sounds sublime. It is very neutral, has a tremendous amount of real detail that is nicely presented and integrated into the music. The bass is deep and powerful and has great tonality where you can tell what strings are being used on a bass guitar as opposed to a boom, boom, thud, thud. It is very clear without the mid-range boost used by other amps attempting to give you detail, DETAIL, detail.
As I said I have pretty wide tastes in music and I play a lot of classical music including piano music and opera (when the wife is out as she hates it). Classical piano music is very difficult to reproduce correctly. I find the Nords are very truthful and will show when the recording is done naturally or has been messed about with mics on the lid or using ‘fill-in’ microphones.
Classical piano is not only a stringed instrument but a percussion instrument with a large wooden sounding board that can echo well in a hall. The Nords play well recorded pianos really well and maybe only miss out on a little of the weight of the piano. Although with some burn-in that improves. So for me that makes it one of the better SS amps. It can really highlight how much other SS amps mess up something simple like the frequency response or make instruments sound fuzzy and indistinct.
Pop pianos have a wide range of tones with very dry being favoured to add impact but there are very few really natural recordings. I find with a lot of SS amps that it can be difficult to tell whether the piano is real or electronic. That was less of an issue with the Nord.
I have recently really enjoyed recordings of Maria Callas and a lot of SS amps can make her powerful voice sound edgy, especially when she really lets go. The Nord rarely if ever do that. Her voice is very, very clear. It really lets you know that although she may not have been the most technically brilliant singer the emotion in her voice can on occasions be off the scale good.
When I was around at the manufacturer’s place he played Eilen Jewel’s live album. I was transported back to Texas where I was sat in a bar, having a few beers, eating peanuts and tossing the shells over the bench and really enjoying the music. What a great time. At home I had that same experience again. The music sounds very alive and the detail was easy to hear without harshness.
‘London Lights’ on Songs of Separation has the singers and the band in my room. When the backing singers came in it was easy to hear how many people were singing, with their different tonal qualities and trying to guess who had the most powerful voice. Although the bass sounds light when you first hear it, if you listen carefully the bass is there, it is very clean and very, very deep.
With live Roger Waters at an incredible volume level (empty house) the naturalness of the amp stopped the sound from becoming unbearable or shouty. The amplifiers are more truthful and some of the on-stage dynamics were outstanding. Passenger’s ‘Let Her Go’ was poignant and really sad and the amplifiers show how he changes the way he sings to emphasise what the words are saying. Some SS amps can make his voice mono- emotional. It ain’t.
Overall the problems with the previous Class D amps has mainly gone and the use of better voltage regulators and higher quality op amps has really improved the dynamics without losing the good things from the nCore amps.
If you prefer a different type of sound you can always change the op amps. I had the Sonic Imagery 994 op amp. I tried the Sparkos and they gave me a more weighty sound with a small emphasis on bass impact and a slight softening of the dynamics. Comparing the two, I would say it is down to your own personal preferences. Do you prefer Rioja or Beaujolais….?? I preferred a Beuajolais (Sonic Imagery 994) as a lighter more dynamic wine as the Rioja (Sparkos) is a little too full bodied. Although having said that, I do like a nice Chateauneuf du Pape (Audionote). The opamps were not fully burned in so their sounds may change a bit. Whichever you prefer remember it does not cost a lot to experiment. And speaking of cost this stereo amplifier cost me £1350, which gives you an awful lot of amplifier for the cost.
I bought it at full price, £1350. Yes, Mr Dudley there was no accommodations or price reductions for good reviews here. Just a normal punter paying full price. But in the world of nCore Class D that is a cracking price.
I did pitch it against my Naim Supernait2 and whilst the Naim is meaty, beaty big and bouncy it sounds somewhat artificial compared to the neutrality of the Nord. Heresy about Salisbury but that it is what I heard.
If you get a chance, try to hear it at the Cranage North West Show if not give Colin a quick e-mail or call at Iqspeakers.
It has now become my summer amplifier as the Audionotes put out too much heat in the summer. Oh and the Krell 600 monoblocks have gone.
wme.
*
If you want to be a hero well just follo
we advertise our NC500 amplifiers in the exact same manner that all "boutique" manufactures do. Certain members actions here, have only caused Hypex to put pressure on us manufactures to increase prices, to the decrement on the innocent buying public. It would not surprise me if these actions cause Hypex not to offer any further new models to the DIY market and who could blame them.
This is an audio forum, be it has a DIY focus and the most important measurement of an amplifier is how it sounds and performs to a customers ears.
So hear are a few customer feedback emails we receive and a review, more can be viewed on our website. Anyway I'm off to put the finishing touches to the CAD drawings ready for the onslaught of building multiple orders received over the break.
Hello Collin Amazing amplifier. I used 90,s upgraded A class amp + AB very famous one (new). Now I am using Nord. It is resolving not fatiguing at all. Amazing I have no another word to describe feelings. Never ever thought to go D class.I never thought that something can be better than class A. P.S. NICE WORK COLLIN best Regards Giorgi
Hi Colin,
*
Good to hear the first order came through, hopefully many more will follow.
You are offering an excellent product for a very reasonable price so no need to thank me, we all thank you
I currently have around 30-35 hours on both amps, and they keep amazing me. So much new details, and yet*
presented in such a natural way without becoming analytic sounding. Besides that, the headroom these amps
have is simply unbelievable.
*
Please let me know if you have new information around the multichannel amp you are planning for.
*
Best, Ruben Driving Linkwitz LX521
I simply have to tell you what (I am sure) you already know.* Our American cousins report that your amplifiers get even better after 200-300 hours.* I stopped counting after 100 hours as (you may recall) my first 20 odd hours were very disappointing. After 80/100 or so the amplifier sounded very very good.* Now, after - who's counting but it must be 200+ - it is astonishing!* I used to lust after Krell or similar high end USA amps. Not any more.* Thank you. This amplifier is wonderful.* If I had paid £5000 I would not be disappointed, indeed I cannot put a price on it. Thank you.
HiFi Wigwam Review Published in June
And you think you’re so clever and classless and free…Speaking as a peasant.*I don’t like Class D amplifiers.
Why?
Well, I have kept a weathered eye on the world of Class D amplifiers. And I have seen it move from being only suitable for bass speakers to something a little better, but not that much better. Following all the glowing reviews on the web I bought a pair of Nuforce power amps. We went through Version V1, V2 and V3 together and although they improved I still found the good came with bad. The good was the neutrality in the frequency response and the ability to go really loud. They could push out nearly 200w without getting hot and weighed less than Boris Johnson’s book of tact. The bad was the dynamics and the high frequencies. The dynamics were flat and not really involving.
*
The high frequencies were really odd despite reading on the net that the high frequencies were exceptional. Yea, exceptionally bad. Real they were not. So I just went back to keeping a cynical eye on developments. Oh and wondering what some guys were drinking and where I could buy some.
All went quiet and then along comes a guy called Bruno Putzeys with a brand new breed of Class D. Last year I had a chance to hear the latest creation from Bruno Putzeys, who by that time was the new wunderkid on the Class D block. He had updated his UCD Class D amplifiers to the newer cleaner, super nCores. They are sold through Hypex amplifiers. They have bucket loads of negative feedback and a switch mode power supply, of all things. I heard the nCore NC1200 in the Merrill Veritas and the UCD 400 in the Merrill Thors. Kevin Fiske wrote up his thoughts about them on the Wam. For me, despite all the good they still had that flat and undynamic sound that did not involve me. So having tried two bites of the Class D cherry I concluded they were not for me. Hey ho….. back to the drawing board and just keeping an eye on things.
Next, guess what……a new net buzz. This time it was about the newest guy in town, Nord Amplifiers, with the recently developed nCore NC500 amplifiers. The Nord amplifiers are made in Cheltenham. Was this a case of the same old, same old??
Nope.
They had brought some new USPs (unique selling points). Nord had changed the voltage regulators used in the amps from chips to discrete components, which has certainly helped Naim amplifiers, although these two amps are poles apart. Nord also introduced the ability change the Op amps from the stock LM4562 to the more expensive and better(?) Sparkos opamps or the even better Sonic Imagery 994 chips. Nord also offer Burson op amps as well if you prefer their sound. The amplifier has a socket on the main board that will take any of these opamps and all you do is plug/unplug to change the sound of your amp for the cost of an op-amp. Good idea if it works.
So I got the stereo power amplifier with the Sonic Imagery 994 op-amps. This amp produces 400w per channel at 8 ohms, 700 w at 4 ohms and about 550w at 2 ohms. A real powerhouse. As with most Class D amps it is small and light. I plugged it in and let it warm up. I use an Auralic Aries digital front end. This feeds my Audionote DAC 2.1x, a Nuforce P9 pre-amplifier and the sound comes out of my Audionote E HE Signatures. Now these speakers do not need 500w/channel (6 ohm speaker impedance) but there is no way they are going to run out of power. Oddly enough the power amps actually get warm to the touch. They only generate 40w of heat, which is channelled through to the case, so the cases do get warm. Not hot. They are still as efficient as other Class D amps.
As with most NC500 amplifiers they only accept XLR inputs (Nord can sell you a RCA/XLR cable which does the job). The connectors used are of a good quality, Switchraft XLRs and CHK for the speakers. The case is made in Italy and whilst better than the case on my Audionote preamps it is, fortunately, not expensive audio jewellery.
So the big question...do they have all the positives of Class D and finally get rid of what for me was the big negative of a flat and undynamic sound. YES.
OK giving you some more information than that. I use a wide range of music to try out new components and a lot of it is not audiophile music which I find in most cases boring and bland.
This amplifier sounds sublime. It is very neutral, has a tremendous amount of real detail that is nicely presented and integrated into the music. The bass is deep and powerful and has great tonality where you can tell what strings are being used on a bass guitar as opposed to a boom, boom, thud, thud. It is very clear without the mid-range boost used by other amps attempting to give you detail, DETAIL, detail.
As I said I have pretty wide tastes in music and I play a lot of classical music including piano music and opera (when the wife is out as she hates it). Classical piano music is very difficult to reproduce correctly. I find the Nords are very truthful and will show when the recording is done naturally or has been messed about with mics on the lid or using ‘fill-in’ microphones.
Classical piano is not only a stringed instrument but a percussion instrument with a large wooden sounding board that can echo well in a hall. The Nords play well recorded pianos really well and maybe only miss out on a little of the weight of the piano. Although with some burn-in that improves. So for me that makes it one of the better SS amps. It can really highlight how much other SS amps mess up something simple like the frequency response or make instruments sound fuzzy and indistinct.
Pop pianos have a wide range of tones with very dry being favoured to add impact but there are very few really natural recordings. I find with a lot of SS amps that it can be difficult to tell whether the piano is real or electronic. That was less of an issue with the Nord.
I have recently really enjoyed recordings of Maria Callas and a lot of SS amps can make her powerful voice sound edgy, especially when she really lets go. The Nord rarely if ever do that. Her voice is very, very clear. It really lets you know that although she may not have been the most technically brilliant singer the emotion in her voice can on occasions be off the scale good.
When I was around at the manufacturer’s place he played Eilen Jewel’s live album. I was transported back to Texas where I was sat in a bar, having a few beers, eating peanuts and tossing the shells over the bench and really enjoying the music. What a great time. At home I had that same experience again. The music sounds very alive and the detail was easy to hear without harshness.
‘London Lights’ on Songs of Separation has the singers and the band in my room. When the backing singers came in it was easy to hear how many people were singing, with their different tonal qualities and trying to guess who had the most powerful voice. Although the bass sounds light when you first hear it, if you listen carefully the bass is there, it is very clean and very, very deep.
With live Roger Waters at an incredible volume level (empty house) the naturalness of the amp stopped the sound from becoming unbearable or shouty. The amplifiers are more truthful and some of the on-stage dynamics were outstanding. Passenger’s ‘Let Her Go’ was poignant and really sad and the amplifiers show how he changes the way he sings to emphasise what the words are saying. Some SS amps can make his voice mono- emotional. It ain’t.
Overall the problems with the previous Class D amps has mainly gone and the use of better voltage regulators and higher quality op amps has really improved the dynamics without losing the good things from the nCore amps.
If you prefer a different type of sound you can always change the op amps. I had the Sonic Imagery 994 op amp. I tried the Sparkos and they gave me a more weighty sound with a small emphasis on bass impact and a slight softening of the dynamics. Comparing the two, I would say it is down to your own personal preferences. Do you prefer Rioja or Beaujolais….?? I preferred a Beuajolais (Sonic Imagery 994) as a lighter more dynamic wine as the Rioja (Sparkos) is a little too full bodied. Although having said that, I do like a nice Chateauneuf du Pape (Audionote). The opamps were not fully burned in so their sounds may change a bit. Whichever you prefer remember it does not cost a lot to experiment. And speaking of cost this stereo amplifier cost me £1350, which gives you an awful lot of amplifier for the cost.
I bought it at full price, £1350. Yes, Mr Dudley there was no accommodations or price reductions for good reviews here. Just a normal punter paying full price. But in the world of nCore Class D that is a cracking price.
I did pitch it against my Naim Supernait2 and whilst the Naim is meaty, beaty big and bouncy it sounds somewhat artificial compared to the neutrality of the Nord. Heresy about Salisbury but that it is what I heard.
If you get a chance, try to hear it at the Cranage North West Show if not give Colin a quick e-mail or call at Iqspeakers.
It has now become my summer amplifier as the Audionotes put out too much heat in the summer. Oh and the Krell 600 monoblocks have gone.
wme.
*
If you want to be a hero well just follo
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I bet you don't regret using my roll-able discrete amp concept these days Colin. After all which Ncore amp at any price point receives that much positive feedback? We were going to release integrated amps in the same series of cases as our Superstream/Purestream that we have been using for 8 months. But since you decided to use the exact same cases we scrapped the plan. You have a solid product at a solid price point. Our goal is to create the ultimate Ncore implementation regardless of price. Something that can take on the Boulder's of the amp world using Ncore technology. So rather than diluting the market with a bunch of entry level Ncore amps, we will let you be the king in this area. Because I have my doubts anyone will beat your offering at your price point.
Colin, you have every right to advertise the way you like, but the majority of members here are not "the innocent buying public". So when you come up with specifications which do not cope with the manufacturer's datasheets, you can expect some opposition.
"Hypex putting pressure on manufacturers to increase prices because of certain members actions" is a pretty bold statement. Please be a bit more specific, or, even better IMO, stop these insinuations.
I agree. Colin, that is a pretty serious accusation. Either name names and provide proof, or refrain from unfounded accusations.
First off its not an insinuation. Its a fact. Hypex phoned me. This was shortly before the main Hypex thread was closed. Members of DIY audio called Hypex, too call into question why I could sell my NC500 for what I did. Fact. Can you imagine how Hypex felt? They also gave me the go ahead to defend this position. I did not, realising the only outcome would be bad in mine and Hypex's interests. I just kept quiet. Getting on producing great sound amplifiers.
I would suggest you read from page 1145 onwards herehttp://www.diyaudio.com/forums/class-d/190434-hypex-ncore-1145.html onwards and draw you own conclusions. Comments such as " The only way to DIY with NC500 is buying ready made amps like Colin's, that's why the price of NC400 boards is a bit frustrating apart from the fact that it does not allow to try different input stages" and general Hypex, Nord and Bavmike bashing abound.
As a manufacture we have to be careful in what I say now and in the past. I have both hands tied behind my back. The only way I can reply is with facts, this way I wont be caught out.
I believe Hypex have provided the DIY community with a fabulous product in the NC400 complete with discreet buffer and allows complete novices to produce a world class amp at the fraction of the price, this should surely be applauded and embraced not bickered about. I for one want what's best for us, our customers and Hypex, as a very important and excellent technical partner.
Together we are bringing the buying public superb sonic performance for a fraction of the price of the more entrenched manufacture's. Where is the problem? (rhetorical)
I would suggest you read from page 1145 onwards herehttp://www.diyaudio.com/forums/class-d/190434-hypex-ncore-1145.html onwards and draw you own conclusions. Comments such as " The only way to DIY with NC500 is buying ready made amps like Colin's, that's why the price of NC400 boards is a bit frustrating apart from the fact that it does not allow to try different input stages" and general Hypex, Nord and Bavmike bashing abound.
As a manufacture we have to be careful in what I say now and in the past. I have both hands tied behind my back. The only way I can reply is with facts, this way I wont be caught out.
I believe Hypex have provided the DIY community with a fabulous product in the NC400 complete with discreet buffer and allows complete novices to produce a world class amp at the fraction of the price, this should surely be applauded and embraced not bickered about. I for one want what's best for us, our customers and Hypex, as a very important and excellent technical partner.
Together we are bringing the buying public superb sonic performance for a fraction of the price of the more entrenched manufacture's. Where is the problem? (rhetorical)
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Good on you. I merely recommend you don't advertise a rated power spec without quoting the distortion or a distortion figure without the power output applicable to it - especially when the power outputs applicable to each are massively different (in one case it is half the other). The last thing you want is to be accused of false advertising. It's just common sense.
As for the cost of the NC400, if someone doesn't like it they needn't buy any. Why someone would accuse you of predatory pricing is beyond me. Especially when they aren't trying to compete with you. Jeez, I can buy an ATI NC500 based multichannel amp at a lower price per channel than the Nords, even with the lower Pound (which still has further to fall).
As for the cost of the NC400, if someone doesn't like it they needn't buy any. Why someone would accuse you of predatory pricing is beyond me. Especially when they aren't trying to compete with you. Jeez, I can buy an ATI NC500 based multichannel amp at a lower price per channel than the Nords, even with the lower Pound (which still has further to fall).
Let's indeed stick to the facts.
When someone wants to invest in Ncore amplifiers there are two options:
1. he can buy and build NC400 kits at Hypex, assuming he has the skills;
2. he can buy a ready built Ncore based amplifier from some manufacturer.
Normally, going the DIY path safes quite some money.
However, buying two mono NC400 kits at Hypex will cost some € 1600 (VAT included).
Looking around what a pair of commercially available Ncore based mono amps would cost you'd expect prices some orders higher, but wowww Nord sells a complete pair NC500 based amplifiers starting at 1330 GBP! That's almost exactly what the kits would cost!
Now the potential buyer can draw his conclusions: either Hypex is too expensive, or Nord is too cheap. It is perfectly plausible that people, either by contacting Hypex or questioning at forums, try to figure things out.
My own critics, as expressed at the NC400 thread, was that the NC400 kits are overpriced, and I'd wish Hypex to charge for these kits more in line with their UCD based modules. Apparently they do not feel the need to do so, and, instead, suggest OEM customers using Ncore amps for their products to raise prices in order to maintain a healthy difference between kit and ready made amplifier??
Or build a kit car!
I wish I could buy a iPhone or Samsung direct from the factory. I cannot. I would of thought it would be around £100 tops?
I presently have on order with Hypex, £42K worth of NC500 parts, and around £25K worth of MP modules to be delivered over the next 3 months. They have firm orders and a customer Nord. I don't but that's business. This allows them to plan and order production knowing they are sold. I don't even know if the MP modules will sell at all I have designed and built around 500 PCB's in 2 boards required, one for the back panel and a micro controller to sequence startup, diagnostics, and trigger etc. Ordered required XLR, RCA, binding posts. Many hours perfecting the layout in CAM. Thermal testing etc.
The NC400 was a clever way of marketing NCore, come and have a listen what I built!
Everybody benefited but you have to face the reality of business economics, scale, and route to market. Companies has different methods and are set up for those. We sell direct.
I wish I could buy a iPhone or Samsung direct from the factory. I cannot. I would of thought it would be around £100 tops?
I presently have on order with Hypex, £42K worth of NC500 parts, and around £25K worth of MP modules to be delivered over the next 3 months. They have firm orders and a customer Nord. I don't but that's business. This allows them to plan and order production knowing they are sold. I don't even know if the MP modules will sell at all I have designed and built around 500 PCB's in 2 boards required, one for the back panel and a micro controller to sequence startup, diagnostics, and trigger etc. Ordered required XLR, RCA, binding posts. Many hours perfecting the layout in CAM. Thermal testing etc.
The NC400 was a clever way of marketing NCore, come and have a listen what I built!
Everybody benefited but you have to face the reality of business economics, scale, and route to market. Companies has different methods and are set up for those. We sell direct.
Yes I'm just pointing out the probability that the DIY direct model will probably cease and give you some evidence as to why. NewClassD on the other hand fully embrace the DIY market and don't deal with OEM's I assume this suits there structure and size. We or I answer 99% of emails often running into multiple exchanges. There will come a time when I physically don't have enough time I work till 2-3 as it is. and something will have to change. Any way I'm away to book collections for tomorrow.
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