New B&O ICE Power 1200AS2 Module @ Nord: 600W into 8Ohms 1200W into 4Ohms

Interesting that Nord apparently finds this new ICE module to perform at a level below their top offering which still uses Ncore Hypex modules. A previous member of this forum (who was banned in short order) is claiming that this latest generation ICE module performs at a much higher level, declaring it as the best sound he's ever heard from any amp at any price! Of course he's already started to sell them and has many buyers lining up to purchase the amps based only upon his hype. I guess time will tell as to their ultimate level of performance. :skeptical:
 
I thought all of the initial buzz over Class D amps has kind of faded.
 
mep said:
I thought all of the initial buzz over Class D amps has kind of faded.
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Wishful thinking. Hard to believe Class D has been around since 1964.

I would still take a JOB225 A/B amp over similarly priced Class D amps.
 
Mike said:
Wishful thinking. Hard to believe Class D has been around since 1964.

I would still take a JOB225 A/B amp over similarly priced Class D amps.
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That kind of says it all doesn't it? Class D might have been "around" since 1964, but please list 3 amps that claimed audiophile pretensions prior to 1985 (and I picked that year somewhat at random). And when I think about it, I don't know if I remember a single person with an analog-centric system that uses Class D amps. Seems like it was always people with digital only systems that loved them some Class D.
 
mep said:
That kind of says it all doesn't it? Class D might have been "around" since 1964, but please list 3 amps that claimed audiophile pretensions prior to 1985 (and I picked that year somewhat at random). And when I think about it, I don't know if I remember a single person with an analog-centric system that uses Class D amps. Seems like it was always people with digital only systems that loved them some Class D.
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I’m thinking....

I got nothing....

Even the Rowland Class D amps weren’t anywhere near the sonic performers of his AB designs IMO and if Jeff can’t make it work, I don’t know who can.

I would take Jeff’s little 625 S2 amp over any of the bigger Class D amps. Just saying...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Mike said:
I’m thinking....

I got nothing....

Even the Rowland Class D amps weren’t anywhere near the sonic performers of his AB designs IMO and if Jeff can’t make it work, I don’t know who can.

I would take Jeff’s little 625 S2 amp over any of the bigger Class D amps. Just saying...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I guess my main point was the fact that you stated that Class D has been around since 1964. What the hell were those applications? They weren't high-end audio. I don't think that Class D amps tried to elbow their way onto the high-end dining room table until well after the year 2000. They don't seem to have grown any legs in the high-end audio industry since they (Class D amp manufactures using basically the same Class D modules) announced they were here and the revolution had started.
 
John Ulrich designed the first commercially available Class D amp in the '70s under the Infinity brand and later continued to design such amps for Spectron. For the record I agree with Mike in that I've never heard a Class D amp that I like, but have no bias against properly engineered and refined SMPS designs like Jeff Rowland uses in his Class A/B designs like the 625 which I own. Here's are some details including mention of a Sony Class D amp which apparently followed:

"During the late ‘70s, Infinity produced a Class-D, or switching, amp; Sony introduced one soon after. Switching amps have great efficiency because they treat the signal as a chain of full-amplitude pulses, altering the audio output’s amplitude by changing the pulses’ duty cycle. John Ulrich, one of the principal designers of the original Infinity amplifier, currently makes a very good-sounding high-power switching amplifier under the Spectron name."
Relevant text taken from: http://www.gammaelectronics.xyz/audio_may1997_history_3.html

 
Mike said:
I’m thinking....

I got nothing....

Even the Rowland Class D amps weren’t anywhere near the sonic performers of his AB designs IMO and if Jeff can’t make it work, I don’t know who can.

I would take Jeff’s little 625 S2 amp over any of the bigger Class D amps. Just saying...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

kinda weird How Roland dropped his previous work to go full gang into Class-D ... BTW I know of more than a few ditching their Job Amps for Class-D a few years ago..

Regards
 
I've not owned/listened to many amps over the years but I'm more than happy with my class D Nord :)

Sent from my Swift 2 Plus using Tapatalk
 
audio.bill said:
A previous member of this forum (who was banned in short order) is claiming that this latest generation ICE module performs at a much higher level, declaring it as the best sound he's ever heard from any amp at any price! Of course he's already started to sell them and has many buyers lining up to purchase the amps based only upon his hype.
Click to expand...
Hah, didn't know Miv was once a member here. Yes, seen that thread. The gullibility of many audiophiles will never cease to amaze me. :rolleyes:

As a side note, one of my many large scale experiments involved testing hundreds of audiophiles who swooned about the sounds of the Class A SS and tube amps they were hearing with their ears...when in fact it was "hidden" class D. No names to spare the innocent.
Fun stuff. :)

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:disbelief::ninja:Right, so everyone's going to buy a Devialet then & the star wars speakers & be done???
 
Interesting thread...

I diy'd ncore monos and very much enjoyed them over my tube gear. My pre was a Bent Audio Tap. My system never sounded so good.

I then sold them to buy a JOB225 amp. THAT was a mistake! Sold the Job and bought a MW KWI-200 Integrated. Returned that to Dan Wright and purchased a Wells Audio Integrated.

Ended up selling the Wells and purchased Colin's Nord One Up Monos which I pair with a TLA MZ2 Pre with NOS Tubes. Pretty happy again.

Yes...I am going to try the new AS1200 from Mike. For the price of admission, why not?

Full disclosure....I am a professional classical musician who has played in symphony orchestras for over 37 years. This can really be a curse when combined with looking for audio pieces!

Regards

Randy
 
I am getting a pair of them (monoblock configuration) hopefully sometime next week. for the price of admission its worth the shot and who knows what newer tech brings in. I figured that if it doesn't work for me, I can put it in use in my HT system happily :)
 
I got an ad mail from Colin at Nord and seems like they are also in the process of building an amp out of this module but priced lower than than the NC500 based Nord One up.
 
Dev

I hope Mike delivers what he says he will. Seems well intentioned but sometimes he reminds me of Mark Schifter with constantly changing variables.
 
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