high current amp power delivery

[ClaudeJ1]

14 minutes ago, DirtyErnie said:

 

But how does it SOUND?

I don't have this new version, but it's the same guy who designed my Hypex NC-400, which I purchased WITHOUT EVER HEARING IT, and still listen to every day.

 

He is quoted as saying that is was difficult to even improve on that design, and even then, only slightly. "Neither dirt nor fairy dust" was his motto.

 

Before I got the NC-400s (2 monoblocs I never shut off), my reference standard was a First Watt Aleph J Class A amplifier. I have a speaker A/B switch and I was able to match the relative gains of the two amps to the point where having an A/B switch operated by a friend yielded no sonic difference. The reference Aleph J class A was the best sounding amp I ever owned, including all the classic tube amps I had from my teen to my mid thirties. Sold my last tube amp, thefabulous Marantz 8B about 30 years ago, which was approved by PWK himself as one of the best amps to drive my Klipshorns back in 1985 when I met him and spend a whole day hanging out.

 

The Hypex sounded every bit as good as the  Nelson Pass designed Aleph J, (but with 400 Watts per Channel instead of 25 Wpc.). The main goal was that sweet sound below one watt, never worrying about clipping my 100 db/watt speakers, EVER, and instead of being able to fry breakfast eggs on top of the Aleph J amp, I could leave NC0400's on all that time since the quiescent power draw/thermal loss was less than the loss you get in a modern laptop power supply....................a few milliwatts. Efficiency is important in amplifiers also, which, of course, tubes and solid state class A do NOT have. They are basically both SPACE HEATERS that amplify sine waves. Hypex and Purify blow them all away in pure performance........Sonically as well as measurements. End of the line.

[willland]

@jdmccall,

 

How is the Denon PMA-1600NE treating you?

 

Bill

[ricktate]

Well I use to have Yammy stereo reciever that had 80 watts. I got a HK 430 with 24 watts. The HK would step all over that Yammy and sound better. Not sure why,,,,Its not always about the watts is what I learned. The Yammy was newer, bigger, heavier. Back in the day the HK was exspensive for sure. 

I love taking it over to friends house and killing their new high power amp they brag about though...lol. 

[henry4841]

On 1/7/2021 at 1:14 PM, ClaudeJ1 said:

I don't have this new version, but it's the same guy who designed my Hypex NC-400, which I purchased WITHOUT EVER HEARING IT, and still listen to every day.

 

He is quoted as saying that is was difficult to even improve on that design, and even then, only slightly. "Neither dirt nor fairy dust" was his motto.

 

Before I got the NC-400s (2 monoblocs I never shut off), my reference standard was a First Watt Aleph J Class A amplifier. I have a speaker A/B switch and I was able to match the relative gains of the two amps to the point where having an A/B switch operated by a friend yielded no sonic difference. The reference Aleph J class A was the best sounding amp I ever owned, including all the classic tube amps I had from my teen to my mid thirties. Sold my last tube amp, thefabulous Marantz 8B about 30 years ago, which was approved by PWK himself as one of the best amps to drive my Klipshorns back in 1985 when I met him and spend a whole day hanging out.

 

The Hypex sounded every bit as good as the  Nelson Pass designed Aleph J, (but with 400 Watts per Channel instead of 25 Wpc.). The main goal was that sweet sound below one watt, never worrying about clipping my 100 db/watt speakers, EVER, and instead of being able to fry breakfast eggs on top of the Aleph J amp, I could leave NC0400's on all that time since the quiescent power draw/thermal loss was less than the loss you get in a modern laptop power supply....................a few milliwatts. Efficiency is important in amplifiers also, which, of course, tubes and solid state class A do NOT have. They are basically both SPACE HEATERS that amplify sine waves. Hypex and Purify blow them all away in pure performance........Sonically as well as measurements. End of the line.

Having never heard the Hypex's I cannot argue with you about how they sound. The technical part of me still says class A is the most linear of all the classes and that does not mean all other classes can and do sound great if implemented right. Since diving into class A sound the last 10 years I looked down on class A/B until my last amplifier build a 150 watt class A/B amplifier. It incorporates all the improvements in circuitry in class A/B over the years. Outstanding sound. Much the same can be said for my TPA3255 amplifier, outstanding sound. All that being said the most satisfying  sound for me is one of my tube amplifiers. 

[ClaudeJ1]

3 hours ago, henry4841 said:

Having never heard the Hypex's I cannot argue with you about how they sound. The technical part of me still says class A is the most linear of all the classes and that does not mean all other classes can and do sound great if implemented right. Since diving into class A sound the last 10 years I looked down on class A/B until my last amplifier build a 150 watt class A/B amplifier. It incorporates all the improvements in circuitry in class A/B over the years. Outstanding sound. Much the same can be said for my TPA3255 amplifier, outstanding sound. All that being said the most satisfying  sound for me is one of my tube amplifiers. 

They are all designed to move voice coils. But they are still tested with resistors. I have purchased all the necessary components to build 2 TPA3255 Power Amps, but have yet to get to work on those. I have several other TI "chip amps" that serve as surround channel amps. The Hypex NC-400's are strictly used for stereo 2 channel. I also have 3 different class A amps. The Hypex does a great job of driving ANY load, with speaker drivers fed via passive/reactive components, or direct to Voice Coils (or other types of transducers, like planar or AMT types). All classes have their merits, but they either get hot, or heavy, to if you include heat and weight as part of the specification (2 manifestations of efficiency), modern class D wins every time (chips or discrete). The Hypex NC series or the latest Purifi brand from Bruno Putzeys genius being the top end at reasonable price.