Thread: Nord One Up Ncore NC500 amps, Class D ready for prime time .....

I would say around 100 hours.

So we have a new range of products. Easy-Stream. Fitted into any of our power amps, a stand alone streamer and a 7" and wide

weighs under a lb

50W WiFi Integrated streamer amp The Tardis at $240 RCA in Pre out remote USB in Network port.....
Tidal Spotify Qobuz Tunin etc Multiroom tone controls beautiful easy stable app to control.
Will run off 12V so great for outdoors, Trailer camping etc
Also a Sabre DAC9038 will see off £1200 DAC's for $200

Feedback has be superb, WOW Remarkable.
Enjoy Colin
PS Comes in grey as well https://www.nordacoustics.co.uk/easy-stream

wowits a brilliant bit of kit fella, well done​Wow. The Tardis is plumbed in. Took about 30 seconds to set it up. Absolute no brainer.

Just streaming Eric Bibb via Spotify. The app is a joy to use.

Received the tardis yesterday. Very easy to set up & get operational. It replaced a vintage dual mono receiver in a system in the sitting room, the speakers are a pair of acoustic energy compact 1’s. It’s generally only used for occasional listening & background music & the difference in clarity streaming from Qobuz is night & day. The only minor issue is the remote range seems very limited & does not work off axis, as it’s only needed for turning it on & off it is a very minor thing & I’m more than happy with it. Thanks for the great service & keeping me updated. The tardis is a great sounding product & ideal for someone looking to get into streaming, or like me, looking for a streamer for a second room. It deserves to be a success. All the best.

Regards, Neil.
I have been lucky enough to have a go with a “prototype” of the Nord Easy-Stream. Wow, what a fabulous device it is too. (Before I continue I need to let you know this isn’t going to be a proper review such as my good friend Ken could do.) I wanted to try it as I want to put speakers into my bathroom and stream music from my NAS, TuneIn and Tidal.
So this does all that and so much more.
I attached the unit to my Kralks with some spare speaker cables I had and downloaded the 4 Stream app.
In less than 30 seconds from switching on I was listening to Tune In radio.
I then selected Tidal and once my username and password was entered (just needed on the first time) I was able to quickly navigate around Tidal with ease.
Finally moved onto music on my NAS which is found through the My Music  tab
HiRes 192/24 flac files played perfectly.
Sound wise I was completely blown away. Personally I had to reduce the bass slightly (easily done by the handset) but otherwise great straight out of the box. It was difficult to believe that this all in one box costing £200 +VAT was sounding that good.
I’ll definitely be getting one for the bathroom as originally planned but think I’ll probably get another one at some point for my daughters room at some point.
For the majority of households I think this would make a great little minimalist system. Even for us HiFi snobs  it is great for an easy streaming solution for other rooms in the house.
Thanks to Colin for loaning me this and to Ken for arranging things.

Will the streamer work as a roon endpoint?

Originally Posted by JayT

Will the streamer work as a roon endpoint?

No Jay they are not designed or priced to be high end kit.

Obviously the Tardis is a standalone device the other 2 products are designed to go in the MP range as a complete solution and in our higher end kit as a discovery tool, that's not to say they don't sound good. At £99 and £130 they are not going to compete with a Lumin.
We are working on higher end solutions.

Too bad. I have a whole-house audio system where the controller has failed and the company is no longer in business. Since I use Roon for my primary 2-channel system, I am looking for a low-cost streamer/dac/amp that I can use in quantity to drive all the different zones around the house.

Purifi based Nord amp online.
https://www.nordacoustics.co.uk/prod...ono-stereo-amp

Originally Posted by Matias

Purifi based Nord amp online.
https://www.nordacoustics.co.uk/prod...ono-stereo-amp

I can't keep up with all the new products being released.
Is this amp better than if I upgraded my current Nord amp to Rev. D, which I've been looking at doing for the last few months?

Rev D is the buffer board attached to the amplifier module. It accepts the larger opamps form factor.

Purifi is a new module manufacturer from the same man behind Hypex nCore. It also uses Hypex power supply, but of a different voltage output than NC500 module.

So that you can have rev D buffer board and Purifi amplifier module in the same product. They are independent.

Originally Posted by Matias

Rev D is the buffer board attached to the amplifier module. It accepts the larger opamps form factor.

Purifi is a new module manufacturer from the same man behind Hypex nCore. It also uses Hypex power supply, but of a different voltage output than NC500 module.

So that you can have rev D buffer board and Purifi amplifier module in the same product. They are independent.

I have heard about the new module.
Just have to wait for users thoughts on it and how it compares.

On the site audiosciencereview dot com there is a review of amplifiers Nord One NC500 and Purifi 1ET400A with measurements.
The Purifi amplifier has less distortion.

Nord's menu lists the Purifi under the NC1200 flagship with all the enhanced components, but above NC500 and NC1200 with regular components.

That list appears to be in pricing order and that's all the significance I would give it. Colin said the first batch of EU built Purifi modules cost him more than the ones from Asia would later so if you have to be an early adopter then you will pay more for now.

Originally Posted by Nikan

On the site audiosciencereview dot com there is a review of amplifiers Nord One NC500 and Purifi 1ET400A with measurements.
The Purifi amplifier has less distortion.

Which audibly to humans, means zero.

I've owned a pair for a little more than 6 months now. These take a LONG time to reach their best sound. I ran them 12 hours a day for the first 6 weeks or so, then probably 3 hours a day average after that (powered up 24/7). The bass was pretty solid almost from day one, but the midrange took months to reach it's best sound. Initially it was pretty hard and edgy sounding - now sounds much smoother. High frequencies have also improved a bit over time.

The imaging also continued to improve for several months. It's still not as wide and deep as other (much more expensive) amps I've owned, but images are fairly stable.

For the price, overall tonal balance and imaging is fairly good although it doesn't have the richness and expansive sound stage of better class A/B amps. Dynamics (particularly bass), background silence, detail, raw power, size, and efficiency are hard to beat.

Originally Posted by PMD

can anyone tell me how to do this underline where you can enter the system you have (so that it is included in every post)?
Like in JayT post for example.

Top right Settings - then menu on the left Edit Signature, write what you want and Save button.

Clicking on Settings near the upper right, then click on Edit Signature on the left.

Checking if it works

ok, thank you , works

did anyone compare the Nord NC500 to the basic Dan D'Agostino Classic Stereo?

Does anyone know the specs on the top cover screws on the NC500MB Mk II? I've lost one and a couple of others are in in rough shape from removing the cover a couple of times.

Thanks.

The top cover screws are M3 (0.5mm pitch), 5mm long. The ones that came on the amp are raised counter-sunk phillips flat head.

I think I am going to replace them all with button head hex drive screws since I think they'll look a bit nicer and will be less likely to strip with multiple insertion/removals. Here's a link to them on McMaster if anyone else is interested.

https://www.mcmaster.com/94500a263

.... and maybe invest in a new screwdriver so the heads don't get destroyed?

Good choice, those bulk pack small phillips head screws are pretty flimsy no matter how good your screwdriver is. I have changed to hex or allen head screws on a lot of gear that use those small black screws. Many were already damaged by the production crews using electric drivers to save time.

@Dizzie - If I could remember where I put the spares.

Nord has about 180 hours. Big change took place after 70-80 hours, then evolution. Well, the reviews are not exaggerated, it is a great device.


Raw, the differences to the W5 seemed insignificant, with a slight indication of Nord in many respects and a few in which the W5 has been beter. Over time, as it got warmer and civilized more, the advantage increased. The Nord is very clear, thanks to which you can clearly hear more nuances that are already merging in the W5. As a result, Nord gives more details in the medium and low frequency range. The sound is very precise, the edges are clearer and rhythm and dynamics gain. Initially, in this range it was a bit too hard, a bit too strong edges, but after about 70-80h it gave way, refined and it was already done. The biggest positive differences for Nord are in the midrange, which is a little richer in it, the smallest on bass , in which respect the W5 defends the most, but Nord is certainly the winner here. The bass is mega controlled, has a bit more mass and stronger impact.


The W5 has a nicer treble for the moment - it is clearer, more lively, there is more air there and I have the impression that a little more is going on there than with Nord. W5 also builds a better 3D scene. In Nord imaging of space is ok, but W5 more spectacular - tangible. About top end, I still have to wait until Nord make 500-600h because as many of you say that after this time there is a clear improvement in sound, mainly the midrange and top range. We'll see how it will be.


The W5 plays lighter in the whole band, while the Nord has more meat in the whole range, the difference is not big, but clear and more suits me in this aspect.


In terms of consistency / fluidity, the sound was initially better with the W5, but as the Nord has been warming up, the difference has been blurring, there is not difference in this matter now, but Nord still will not reach its full potential, and this aspect should also be further improved.


Overall, in my current system, after these 180hours Nord gives better, more resolved, richer in microinformation, more massive sound. As musical as it was with the W5, but with less tangible and less extensive space (which is a bit sorry). Nord does not sound as easy (at ease / cool and smooth) as expensive devices can be, such as D'Agostino Clasic or McIntosh 611/601/501, but it costs a fraction of the price of these amplifiers (and about 2 times less than the W5). The version with Sparkos in my system does not sound technical / digital. With character very similar to W5 but better in many aspects. Nord is also sensitive to the type of power cord. I connected MIT Oracle ZCord III, Audioquest Hurricane, Enerr Trascenda Ulitamte. The sound of the system changed with each of them. Enerr gave the most detail in the middle, the meat in the whole band and smoothness and gentleness, but for me it took too much air and had less extension down and softened the bass a little too much. Audioquest gave back the air and improved the bass, but it has a slightly smaller mass and a bit harder whole band (stronger edges in relation to Enerr). For now, I play Enerr on preamp, Audioquest on the power (Nord), MIT on the strip (to which CD and pre are plugged in). Maybe I will change AQ and Enerr places again, maybe not, it depends on how the sound develops as the Nord warms up and how I listen to myself (CD connected to the MIT Oracle AC2 bar).






After this time, which I play, I can say that almost everyone who is looking for a power amplifier at a price of 2,500-3,500 US $ should listen to a Nord, because at this price they can get something that gives way only to many times more expensive devices. I write almost everyone, because for people looking for a juicy, warm amplifier with a diameter in the foreground - I mean the sound of the tube Pathos Logos or Classic, or what the pre Cary Audio SLP 98 does with sound is not the right direction. But already for people who like the sound of the Pass 150/250/350 ..., McIntosh like 7000/8000/9000 series ..., Accuphase from the AB class, and the budget of these devices currently exceeds the capabilities of the wallet, it is a great alternative. It is quite shocking how the D class currently sounds on N-cors at least in Nord's edition.

I've sold my Nord amps. After owning them for about six months, I found that I wasn't completely satisfied with the overall sound of my system, and felt that I never quite reached the satisfaction I had with the system when I was using my Krell FPB300.

As a little background, I had owned the Krell since the late 90's and early this year, it started to have a lot of distortion in the right channel. I also had occasional mechanical hum, but this seemed to go away when I turned off the amp and let it cool down for 24 hours, and would only come back after a number of days. I looked into getting it repaired, but the repair cost seemed fairly excessive relative to its resale value, and I had already had it recapped once about six years ago.

Also, I have my system in a fairly small room right now, and the Krell was taking up a lot of space and generating a lot of heat. So I thought I'd give class D a try, based mainly on the glowing reviews in this thread.

The Nords took a LONG time to reach their peak performance. I would say close to 1500 hours of power-on time and at least 500 hours of music playing. Probably more - I wasn't really keeping track. In the end, there was a lot to like, but not everything I was looking for. I loved the small size and low heat/power consumption. Sound-wise, they are incredibly quiet (no hum or noise coming from my fairly efficient speakers), very dynamic sound with great bass (although the bass in my speakers is powered separately), very stable imaging (although not exceptionally wide and deep). But I listen to a lot of vocals (jazz, folk, classic rock), and this amp just sounds a little too sterile. I never got the emotional feel that I got with the Krell.

So I decided to look at class A/B amps that aren't ridiculously expensive. Based on what I read on this forum and Agon, I decided that the Parasound JC1s would be a good choice to try. I was close to buying a pair at a local dealer, but when I went in to listen to them, one of the amps had stopped working. They were more than 10 years old, so I was a little nervous about getting an old amp anyway. The dealer offered me a nice discount on the new(er) JC-5 which I was also interested in, so I jumped on it.

After a few days or burn-in, I decided that this was the amp I wanted to keep. In my system, this amp delivers the goods. It's not as easy to move, or as cool running, as the Nords, but I'm loving the sound. I've now been running it pretty much non-stop for a couple of weeks and it's really sounding sweet.

I still think very highly of the Nords. They are less than half the price of the JC-5, and do a lot of things very well. Excellent detail, great bass and dynamics, extremely quiet background, but maybe a little TOO neutral for my tastes.

I have the Nords (SI OPamps and Rev-D boards) connected to my Falcons 3/5a and they sound spectacular with them. On the Magicos - not so much. I prefer Vitus, MSB and Dagostino on them for their denser, fuller tone.

I have been listening to various Jordi Savall albums for the past 2 days and I'm simply blown away. They leave the Graaf 20OTL amp in the dust.

The fact they do not double as space heaters as the Graaf, is a big bonus.

I will write something more when my Nord get 500 hours. For the moment have about 360 hours. Sound is changing a lot all the time. from about 280 hours upper range start to open and now that this rang keep line with rest of range. Changes are also moving towards increasing smoothness and fluidity whati is very possitive.
nevertheless it is not sweetened with a barrel of honey, decorated or colored. Rather neutral / natural colors, without embellishment or additional romanticism. But with proper weight and insane precision and resolution, and still preserved musicality. For now, I am positive about what I hear, but I will be able to express my final opinion on how the Nord will warm up (after about 500 hours) and I will get a little more familiar with it.
For today, the truth is that I get to know my CDs again and get used to them because I hear a lot of new things on each of them that I haven't heard there before. It is actually a new presentation that I have to get used to, stop getting excited by this new information and while listening to relax and see how I perceive this new perspective. For now, I can say that pop, rock, electronic and classical music undoubtedly gain a lot on Nord in relation to my current amplifier.

May I ask : any members on this thread have listened to Nord's new offerings of NC1200 and Purific poweramps and compared them to the
500?
If yes, please share.
Many thanks!

I agree with Samoyed e-mail or better yet call Colin and talk to him he has been with this forum for years and as you can see from the size of this thread many of us have been customers. I suspect all three have a similar sonic signature as Bruno developed all of them. The Purifi modules are just a five year newer development taking advantage of technology advancements in the interim.

Originally Posted by Donovan

Hello Everybody, I'm new to the forum.

I have ordered a Nord NC500DM and I can't wait to get it. I do have a question regarding passive preamps if anybody has feedback. From the following to match with the NC500DM which would be a good choice?

1. Something from the Khosmo lineup?
2. Goldpoint SA-2
3. Luminous Axiom II
4. First Watt B1 (the most $ of the bunch, also the only one that needs power, not sure what the JFET buffer would add sound wise)

I have a Schiit Saga passive preamp right now, but it is glitchy, and with the Nord coming, I want to upgrade. Inputs will be Cd player and Technics TT. Speakers are Totem Rainmakers with 87spl at 4 ohms.

Thanks for any advice!

I use my Nord amp with a passive pre-amp. They work well together.

Originally Posted by Donovan

Hello Everybody, I'm new to the forum.

I have ordered a Nord NC500DM and I can't wait to get it. I do have a question regarding passive preamps if anybody has feedback. From the following to match with the NC500DM which would be a good choice?

1. Something from the Khosmo lineup?
2. Goldpoint SA-2
3. Luminous Axiom II
4. First Watt B1 (the most $ of the bunch, also the only one that needs power, not sure what the JFET buffer would add sound wise)

I have a Schiit Saga passive preamp right now, but it is glitchy, and with the Nord coming, I want to upgrade. Inputs will be Cd player and Technics TT. Speakers are Totem Rainmakers with 87spl at 4 ohms.

Thanks for any advice!

Hi
My Nord works well with Hattor passive. It has additional opamp active stage and I found +6 dB gain works best here. Before I had Croft Micro25 which wasn't as revealing and natural sounding.