As the cliche goes, didn’t think Class D would be for me, but very impressed with these paired with my speakers. Thanks to a lovely chap who goes by the name of CableMonkey (over there) I have some Ncore amps at home to try for a while. Can’t help but think I’ll need valves in the chain somewhere, a bit dry sounding but incredible detail.
Anyone trod this path before?
I had some expensive battery class D amps for a while.
Ultimately unsatisfying.
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Not my cup of tea.
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Feel like I’m trying too hard to make it my cup of tea.
Henry is a sound chap and has some nice gear.
On the subject of class D Hypex amps, not my cup of tea.
I’ve got a little bit of experience with class D amps. In the main they have all not suited my tastes. There is one exception to this though, the Gato DIA250 integrated amp which I used at Scalford in 2014 or 2015 (I forget which now). The Gato integrated amps, and particularly their power amps are excellent. I neither know nor care whether they are Hypex or whatever. @horace has the DIA250 I used at Scalford now and @Gyroscope has another variant (perhaps a DIA400). They might be able to comment also. I would go back to a Gato pre-power setup if I wasn’t so keen on heating my house using Class A valve amps.
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The Gato do seem highly rated. Thank you for the tip off.
Think it might be already decision made for me on hypex/Nord, as I was quite happy to stop listening to music tonight, which is rare for me…usually the ‘one more song’ scenario.
Another dead end, trying kit I suppose is what it’s all about.
Very clean with enticing, vanishing noise floor. But so ‘dry’ as to be long-term unsatisfying, ime.
Haven’t heard the Gato.
I do indeed have a Gato DIA-400, which is class D. And I had a Primare i32 before that, again class D.
TBH I don’t think that either is as good as the Moon 600i that I had a while back, but the Gato is more engaging than the Primare, and frankly I’m more about the practicality now, something that the Gato has in spades.
that Moon amp looks lovely, meant to be a good match for my speakers too, but pretty rare I expect.
ah fantastic you can try some . i have heard henrys nord but never in my system so hard to judge . let us know how you get on
very much my thoughts at the moment, was initially very impressed, but never really felt the voices were real somehow which is the thing that tends to keep me engaged.
However impractical it may be, think I might need to go back to Class A with my tail between my legs…
personally i think you should try that puresound L10 pre . you will be impressed by its musicality . it won`t be around for long at 1100 quid and guy is really supportive if any problems . i am not taken with the remote but its good . that might be a intersting listen with the nord . however the l10 is rca only so not sure if the nord have rca inputs
Yes, not exactly common on the secondary market.
I understand that there is a “v2” coming out soon, or out now.
Given unlimited funds and a dedicated listening room, I’d have one again. But they’re big, expensive, and have no DAC, so I would need / want at least one more box.
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Henry has built his own Ncore NC400 based amp, very good looking thing it is too in a brushed ali case. First thing I noticed was the bass, tons of it but not at all boomy. Pacy electronic stuff was the downfall of my Quad 909, So listening to Leftfield and Daft Punk suits the Ncore’s. Henry did explain to me that his version is as pure as it gets, no op-amps to soften the edges like the Nord amps, so hence if things are recorded on the lean side, that’s what you get.
What I really am missing at the moment is the midrange, don’t think I can live without that being atleast as good as the Quads, so the search continues…
L10, meh. And again meh.
yes, Nords are balanced, but think I’ll be getting a room heater anyhow.
I had a class d.
Demo’d it and thought it was powerful, fast and fun.
Then stuck on a class a / b and immediately heard the musicality.
I agree fully that people can be deceived up front but after long listens they are fatiguing.
I’ve heard some good Class D amps (Gato, Devialet plus Henry’s Hypex spring to mind) but none have made me want to move away from Class A for long-term listening.
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I’ve heard a few (but not particully ‘high end’) and found them to be a bit meh to be honest, although everything was there and they are powerful, they just didn’t hold my interest. I don’t know why though?
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