Power Amp for Atom HE

@facefirst It’s a DIY kit from Ghent audio.

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Looks interesting if you need many watts.
Are these US based or available inside EU/Europe without customs duty ?

Cool. They look a bit like the (now discontinued) Emotiva class-D mono blocks which were (I think) called the PA-1. Not sure which core they used…ICEpower?

@PerF They are based in China, so in most cases you will have to pay customs duty i think.

There is also a US manufacturer named VTV that sources from them.

@facefirst Yes that’s certainly possible! They have builds for various amplifier topologies; ICEpower, Ncore and the newest generation Purifi.

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This is a Purifi EVAL1 kit with a Hyper power supply built into a Ghent Audio case. The modules and the power supply I bought in The Netherlands and the case plus cables I got from China. Costed me 1350 Euro including customs and tax.

Building it yourself is quite easy. I actually created a manual for that purpose.

And a picture of the inside:

BR,
Richard

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@PerF This is about the manufacturer of the case, the amplifier modules themselves are available within the EU.

ah. thank you, I know someone who build Hypex based amplifiers years back.
I had a listen and preferred my Olive boxes as those Hypex lacked involvement & timing, was a bit sterile and grey. Lots of power though.

Nevertheless could be nice to have available, maybe they have refined electronics to perform better nowadays.

The Purifi amplifier modules are much better in this respect. Still very neutral, like the Hypex are, but less sterile and grey. The amount of power is amazing, especially related to the power intake, which is very low. What I like about the Purifi amp is that it is so natural that the Naim sound is kept intact when using the Atom as streamer and preamp.

I have asked my dealer for a quote when handing my Atom back in and upgrading to an Atom HE. But he said that is out of stock already and that he has ordered multiple from Naim again. Seems to be a real bestseller already, this Atom HE. Let’s see if the price he comes up with is interesting. I am so happy with my Atom as a preamp, that it is hard to imagine that the HE will be much better.

Hence I am eagerly awaiting the first reviews of the Atom HE as a preamp. :clap:t2:

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Are the NAP 110 and 140 far better options than the recently discontinued NAP 100 Richard ?

I’ve never personally used a NAP100 so couldn’t really compare. However, of the old Naim amps, the NAP110 in particular is a real favourite. There’s just something about the way it performs…

a new shoebox power amp with balanced inputs done in the new Solstice casework would look really cool, and the heatsinks can be made to function.

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I’m sure this is already on test bench with mono or stereo offerings
I hope its not a class D concept due to space limit

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Class D is the future. State of the art Class D is as good or better than A/B in terms of sound, and more efficient in terms of power and heat. The Purifi modules are perfect for a small, cool, powerful amplifier. You could get a stereo power amp with loads of power into a box the same size as the Atom.

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Do you not trust Naim to make that call? I think if Naim chooses to use Class D it will be because they feel for the budget their designing it for it offers the best sound. I doubt they will release something which doesn’t have the Naim sound.

Of course audition, but why would you get hung up on the exact technology? That’s just a means to an end, and as @facefirst said, better get used to it, it’s the future.

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Quite. In theory at least, amplification should be audibly transparent and the exact technology shouldn’t matter. But…but I think most people agree that Naim has a house ‘sound’ which I image could be implemented regardless of the class of amplifier being used.

A theoretically transparent system, with level-matched outputs, should sound exactly the same immaterial of who makes the components.

When I was at Naim they did quite a lot of work with Class D amplification - they even released a product using Class D, the n-Vi, which certainly sounded pretty remarkable for a powerful multi-channel amp in a small box. Some of the separate amp prototypes were very good too, albeit eclipsed in performance by their regular equivalents. I don’t know what work continues today, but I’d guess they keep their finger on the pulse and constantly re-evaluate as the technology evolves.

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I think with the Hypex and Purifi modules, the downsides of Class D have been overcome. If anything, one of the major complaints is that Class D amps are too transparent, which people perceive as grey and dull sounding.

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I’ve had a NAP 100 for two years now and love it. Pairs well with 4 ohm Dynaudios, so 75W per channel and really controlled up loud. Only criticism is lack of involvement with classical/jazz at lower volumes, but speakers may also be to blame?

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Or they’re just grey and dull sounding :grin: and the claimed transparency is a marketing ploy.

Nope. That is not the case. :innocent: