Hello from the UK

[Xav]

Just stumbled across WBF today for the first time and I don't know how I hadn't heard about it before (spending a lot of time on other AV fora!).

My background is in Broadcast engineering - I'm a solution architect who helps design and build TV stations or sub-systems. Up till recently, the personal audio (and video) side had always been a hobby, but I've decided to launch a small audio power amplifier business and have spent the last few hours reading up on here, really appreciating the technicalities some of you get into and also the fact some here have very exotic gear so it's good to get a feel on what they think of the various techs out there.

Anyway, I'll carry on reading and will probably post whenever I have a question, although I don't want to step on anyone's toes

The last few hours have been so informative, long may it continue

 

[Steve Williams]

Hello and thanks to you

Welcome to WBF

 

[Xav]

Thanks Steve

 

[Steve Williams]

Speaking for myself and everyone here we would live to hear about your amps

 

[Xav]

I've always been a big fan of Class D - I had (still have) a Sony STR-DA5300ES receiver which I love for its musicality and transparence whilst still providing the emotion and soul of music. Over the last maybe 5 years, I've been following Bruno and the Hypex gang and have seen their range develop from the early UcD ST series through to the HG and now the Ncores.

The first step I'm making is providing a bespoke multi-channel power amp based on UcD HG modules. I'm not doing anything to the electronics, but have spent quite some time experimenting with different balanced audio cables, speaker cables, power supplies, etc, and have decided on a formula I really like the sound of.

It seems that there are some high-end manufacturers who have used their modules, now the Ncores, but they are at rather elevated prices ($4-5K per channel), and I believe there is a gap in the market for those who want something a little more affordable and in a modular package where people can start with a number of channels of a particular power then increase power or number of channels whilst still retaining the same "sound" and enclosure.

I've spent the last few months designing a chassis from scratch taking the various variables into account and producing something that's very minimalist in design, purely functional, but looks good and sounds great. Standard hifi cabinet size, 3RU in height, comes with removable rack mount ears, etc.

The biggest challenge is getting an idea of how it compares to other setups (different room acoustics, different sources, speakers, etc), as I've only done extensive testing with my gear at home. On a positive note, one of my local HiFi retailers has expressed an interest in it and when I brought it round to do some comparisons in their demo room comparing it to mainstream commercial power amps (Yamaha, Marantz/Denon, etc), everybody agreed which they prefered the sound of

I'll see how it goes (a few sales already - need to get building!). Next stage will be offering a higher-end product based on the new Ncore 500 modules; I'm tinkering with audio buffers designs on the input side...

 

[treitz3]

Hello to you sir from across the big pond. Glad you found us and we hope you enjoy the forum.

Oh, my manners. Welcome to the WBF!!!

Tom

 

[Xav]

Thanks Tom.
I actually found WBF whilst reading up on SACD / DSD conversion. I have a trusty old 1st gen Japanese PS3 I smuggled back in the UK before the European release after a business trip to the Sony factory in Atsugi many moons ago... Although so far, I'm doing conversions on the PC into PCM / FLAC as I don't have a DSD DAC. My old Sony amp mentioned above had the firewire interface which worked wonders with my old Pioneer DVD player...
I feel this forum could be bad for my finances - and that's particularly painful after I managed to control impulses fed by AVS and AVF

 

[LL21]

Welcome aboard! Look forward to reading more about your amps. As has been observed about most things (but included Class D), there is Class D...and then there is Class D. Execution is a big part of any high quality equipment.

In my case, i run Class A amplifiation, other than my big Velodyne. I often wonder what would happen if someone stuck in an extreme amp behind it, Class D, A, whatever.

 

[Xav]

Thanks LL21,

With my experience in the broadcast industry and having set up some recording studios, I know the difference between great execution based on solid theory, science and A/B/X blind testing and the snake oil rest out there
Having said that, I've been amazed at the impact different balanced audio cables have had on the sonic signature, something which I didn't expect to be quite so pronounced (especially from a balanced audio side).
After testing various different cables from non-branded to ones used in the broadcast and recording studios, I've settled for a formula I'm happy with

I think there's a new market for a range multi-channel, high-density, high-power units which, unlike traditional designs used in Car audio, don't compromise on finesse and control. This is particularly true with the new multi-channel audio formats coming out (Dolby Atmos, DTS X, etc) where 5 channels are no longer sufficient. I have one potential customer who's selling his Anthem unit to part fund a 14-channel power amp I'm building for him.

My 3RU unit looks like this at the moment, up to 9 channels at 400W into 4 ohms. No over-subscription on the power supplies, remote 12V triggering for integration with processors and home automation, etc.

My biggest challenge is checking suitability and seeing how it sounds with other surrounding equipment.

 

[Xav]

I forgot to mention, my old man is also into high-end audio. We used to have a really nice setup with a tube power amp. Lovely warm sound. But after the cost and maintenance issues we had, we switched to some nice Plinius class A amps. Very easy to listen to considering the move from valves to solid state. But running costs remained quite high when running in class A (we would switch to AB after a while!).

 

[LL21]

Wow, Xav...very good looking there! Nice! It is actually quite interesting to hear from the professional audio side about the differences between cables (particularly balanced). Thanks for sharing your observations. I find that WBF has a particularly strong set of professionals (BruceB (recording/mastering), Atmasphere, Stillpoints, Stillpoints Apertures, Shunyata, Genesis, Duke LeJeune, several of the world's top reviewers, and (i think) a few recording labels)...and no doubt i am missing a few others for which i apologize)...this creates a very nice balance in the information flow here. Great to learn.

 

[Xav]

Yeah, that's what I've noticed in reading up here.
I actually have a Genesis audiophile 12 sub in the boot of my car with a specifically designed enclosure for it. Really nice
And from a professional background, I strongly appreciate a neutral balanced sound which is what I have found playing around with the amps. Good recordings sound absolutely sublime. Bad recordings however sound really mediocre and it's a shame as there are some classical and jazz recordings where there are a lot of nuances and detail which could be there, but it hasn't been properly captured and the mastering really lets it down.

One of my favourite studio recordings is Maria Joao's Fabula album. It's available on CD and it's simply one of the most enjoyable, detailed, emotional recordings of Jazz I own. I never bore listening to it. Each time I think I notice something new, a nuance I hadn't picked up on before, making almost every listening session a rediscovery of something new. Despite being a studio recording, there's a lot of space and depth in the soundstage. It's one of my go-to CDs for testing out a setup as I know it very well.

Another is the Dire Straits Brothers in Arms SACD. It's as if the SACD layer (2ch) is a live recording. You can pick up the energy of the instruments more than the CD layer. One other audio guy I read on another forum said something along the lines of closing your eyes makes you believe it more than if you were seeing it for real.

It's a fine line sometimes trying to stay objective (with my pro audio / video head on) when you get drawn into the emotion of the music which high end systems give you.

My gear at home is relatively modest, but I just love the sound it produces: Marantz AV8801 processor, Monitor Audio R752/MD fronts, Paradigm CC350 centre and Servo 15 sub.

Due to the combination of ill-matching speakers and the truly atrocious acoustics of my lounge, I bought the Audyssey Pro kit and have spent some time setting up and calibrating my lounge and the results I think have been amazing. Particularly how well the Servo 15 sub (which is a bit of a brute) has been tamed and integrates so well with my main speakers. You can no longer notice when the speakers stop and sub starts - the transition is seamless. It also enables me to drive stuff at some pretty high volumes, whilst never being tiring to listen to. You realise how "loud" it is when you can't hear someone else speaking to you. I did take some measurements - into the 115+ dB area, but no stress, just lots of good audio energy that gets my foot tapping.

My long term aim is to have a place where I can build a dedicated room for audio / home cinema. Acoustically treated, detached from all other buildings allowing you to turn up the volume without worrying about annoying your neighbours. Unfortunately, to be able to do that outside London in the UK requires some seriously deep pockets to get the space!

 

[LL21]

I will have to give Maria Joao's Fabula album a try! Thanks for the recommendation.

BTW, a Genesis sub in your car? Wow!