Hi Thanks for reading.
HYPEX NCAS500MP and Hypex UCD36mp
Do you know anything about these amp boards, have you ever tried them or heard anything about them.
How much would they cost me per board, are they more towards the lower end performance Hypex boards
Any information is much appreciated
HYPEX NCAS500MP and Hypex UCD36mp
Do you know anything about these amp boards, have you ever tried them or heard anything about them.
How much would they cost me per board, are they more towards the lower end performance Hypex boards
Any information is much appreciated
Anyone have a clue, i've done a search but can't find anyone who has actually used them. Hypex is a good make but where do these fit in, are they more towards the lower end in performance
Sorry, no knowledge of them directly but I have only ever read of folks discussing Hypex amps in the positive. What's the proposed application?
The NCAS500MP is a 2 way amp board for an active speaker using the original NCore amplifier modules and an SMPS psu in on board. It's not lower end performance, it's similar to the well known NCore modules, bing the biggest difference that the psu is included on the board and that these are OEM boards, in general not sold to the general public, only as OEM part for amp builders. The whole MP series of boards is like that.
https://www.hypex.nl/product/ncas500mp/174
But it's not the latest tech or the most advanced. Hypex got two successors of the Ncore tech, the Nila and the NCore-X series. Those measure better, but if it still matters is another question. Because Ncore is already so good that it's higher res than our ears...
The UCD36MP is a similar OEM board with 6x 30w amps and smps PSU's for it, but with much older tech, the UcD that made Hypex known. It's a lot less good than NCore but still (after +20 years) clean and good sounding for a class D amp. Most would still be happy with it. It's overstocks are now sold by various shops i know, but i would not use it anymore.
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/ampl...le-with-power-supply-6x30w-4-ohms-p-6936.html
https://www.hypex.nl/product/ncas500mp/174
But it's not the latest tech or the most advanced. Hypex got two successors of the Ncore tech, the Nila and the NCore-X series. Those measure better, but if it still matters is another question. Because Ncore is already so good that it's higher res than our ears...
The UCD36MP is a similar OEM board with 6x 30w amps and smps PSU's for it, but with much older tech, the UcD that made Hypex known. It's a lot less good than NCore but still (after +20 years) clean and good sounding for a class D amp. Most would still be happy with it. It's overstocks are now sold by various shops i know, but i would not use it anymore.
https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/ampl...le-with-power-supply-6x30w-4-ohms-p-6936.html
Thanks! Any reason you would it, as it still measures well for an old amp
Is it outdated tech compared to modern offerings, so better off looking elsewhere
Is it outdated tech compared to modern offerings, so better off looking elsewhere
Ncore (the original one) is still better than others but the newer versions of Ncore (NCoreX and Nilai) and the Purifi amps, and all those are variations of the same designed by Bruno Putzeys, and differences are relative small. So Ncore is still fully valid. UcD is outdated if you ask me, but still sounding quiet decent in the actual field. But then Icepower is cheaper than UcD and better i think if you speak of class D boards.
UcD still got that class D grain that make them cold and harsh sounding (if i nitpick), NCore and newer variations of it not. The main difference is how the distortion is low and how they make it go low. Class D distortion is very disharmonic and so disturbing. So it need to be as low as possible to not disturb.Once it's below -100dB, it's unhearable for us and does not matter anymore.
I did own UcD180HG based amps (but sold them a while ago) and now have a NC122MP (Ncore) based amp (next to all kind of other amps). The NC122MP based amp is in daily use. I heared a prototype of an NCoreX (NCx500) based amp also, as "real live test"-rabbit for the designer and it sounds very much like my NC122MP (but measures better), but it was not side by side.
UcD still got that class D grain that make them cold and harsh sounding (if i nitpick), NCore and newer variations of it not. The main difference is how the distortion is low and how they make it go low. Class D distortion is very disharmonic and so disturbing. So it need to be as low as possible to not disturb.Once it's below -100dB, it's unhearable for us and does not matter anymore.
I did own UcD180HG based amps (but sold them a while ago) and now have a NC122MP (Ncore) based amp (next to all kind of other amps). The NC122MP based amp is in daily use. I heared a prototype of an NCoreX (NCx500) based amp also, as "real live test"-rabbit for the designer and it sounds very much like my NC122MP (but measures better), but it was not side by side.
Hi,
I was intrigued by this statement, so i examined the Audio Science review for the Nad C268 based on Hypex UcD, and the Carver Raven 350 Tube amplifier :
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/nad-c268-power-amplifier-review.14287/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/carver-raven-350-review-tube-amp.36601/
Their distortion profiles are similar - dominant 2nd with a lower 3rd.
It is unusual that Tube amplifiers are in general, stated as being nice sounding, and class D harsh, yet their distortion profiles indicate, perhaps, class D is not harsh.
Maybe the OP needs to listen to them before assessing ?
Regards,
Shadders.
As you say they are still decent amp boards despite being a little old and outdated
As you say they are still pretty decent amp boards despite being a little old and outdated, to give me an idea of sound quality what kind of amps would you compare the HYPEX NCAS500MP against
As you say they are still pretty decent amp boards despite being a little old and outdated, to give me an idea of sound quality what kind of amps would you compare the HYPEX NCAS500MP against
I would not call that Carver a good tube amp neighter. It would be nice to see it next to a Prima Luna, Line Magnetic, Manley Labs or Audio Research tube amp, and then you would see something else with a low general noise and high harmonics. It's also the difference in level between the harmonics and the general noise that makes tube amps not sound harsh, and there it's much bigger, with class D in general not.
And i don't think modern class D amps sound harsh. I got some an Ncore based amp that i rate high as clean amp and a cheap SMSL SA36 that even does not has that anymore. But class D amp designs of +10 years ago in general sounded harsh and sterile. UcD was the least offender and that was why it's was so popular, and it remainss standing today. It's just to expensive for what it is in the market where Icepower is cheaper and slightly better now and chinese brands flood the market with even cheaper amps that sound better (but you don't know how well they are build).
Ncore (all versions), Purifi and even a lot of cheap class D amps sound neutral enough to not have that. Even Behringer now makes great sounding class D amps that sound more than decent and have a lot of power for cheap, it's just that they are not reliable when pushed to their limits. And i love that evolution. So if UcD would be like halve the price or less of what it is now, it would be a great deal. But now it's not in my opinion because they keep asking premium prices for it.
@goodguys that is the same level as a NC400 kit that was sold, but with PSU and amp module on one board, and a different config of power. Or like the other NcorexxxMP modules like the NCore 122MP i have in my Audiophonics build amplifier. It's a Hypex Ncore amp and a Hypex SMPS that is tuned to each other in one board, build as OEM for different manufacturors.
Thanks! That sounds like a bargain because the NC400 are £300, and the hypex are £150 so well worth looking into. How does the other amp the HYPEX NCAS500MP compare in sound quality terms.
With most amp kits i have purchased, the board has 3 connectors: input rca connectors, speaker output connectors, and a power supply connector, just these three connectors.
With the hypex boards, do they have the same three connectors? because i can see the ribbon connectors, do i have to concern myself with these
Thanks
Please ignore the last post, i made a mess of it. What i meant to say :-
the NC400 are £300, and the hypex NCAS500MP are £150 so makes the NCAS500MP a bargain.
How does the other amp the Hypex UCD36mp compare in sound quality terms.
With most amp kits i have purchased, the board has 3 connectors: input rca connectors, speaker output connectors, and a power supply connector, just these three connectors.
With the hypex boards, do they have the same three connectors? because i can see the ribbon connectors, do i have to concern myself with these
Thanks
the NC400 are £300, and the hypex NCAS500MP are £150 so makes the NCAS500MP a bargain.
How does the other amp the Hypex UCD36mp compare in sound quality terms.
With most amp kits i have purchased, the board has 3 connectors: input rca connectors, speaker output connectors, and a power supply connector, just these three connectors.
With the hypex boards, do they have the same three connectors? because i can see the ribbon connectors, do i have to concern myself with these
Thanks
You should also check out the Icepower 300A2 modules. They sell them for US$171.00. I have not seen any reviews so far, but their technology seems to be solid.