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

Hi Jack,

Yes, I actually think that would be the best of both worlds. I'm still looking around but it might be another week or two.

Mike/Blizz recommends a couple weeks more for break in with the new parts. I'm not really listening critically right now but they really are sounding great. After next week, I'll swap the Sparkos in and see if I agree with Mikech.


I do have to say that there's an undeniable clarity without any harshness whatsoever. It's pretty cool to hear.

One more thing, the C52 with my Nords is a wonderful match. I think the C52 is a little sweeter than my Ayre. Different flavors of great.


Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
I have had the Nords for sometime now originally with the Hyper boards and then with the rev b boards with Bursons and Sparkos. My favourite sound was with the Bursons. I found the Sparkos a bit dull.
But just got thr rev. C boards with Sonic Imagery op amps and no doubt about it they are the best.
Instruments sound clearer and more real particularly violins which is always my yardstick.
 
I agree with your thoughts on the 994's and new buffers. I am surprised at how great they sound. I still have to try the Sparkos on the new buffer boards.
 
Finally had time to switch in the rev. C boards this morning. Letting them cook and will listen periodically through the week. Heading to Newport Thursday. Colin message me the address to ship back the rev. B boards please.
 
Marty,

Looking forward to your thoughts. I put my Sparkos back in yesterday from the 994's. I am using the new buffer boards. I think Mikech might be right, I think I still prefer the Sparkos but it sounds better with the new boards. So, I am happy. More to come......

nc42acc said:
Finally had time to switch in the rev. C boards this morning. Letting them cook and will listen periodically through the week. Heading to Newport Thursday. Colin message me the address to ship back the rev. B boards please.
Click to expand...
 
Initial listening after a few hours burning in are very positive. Midrange is back into perspective with loads of detail and delineation. Bass is a little more punchier and dynamic (no subs used). Great image placement and soundstage but still lacking the palpability of my hybrid monos but if my memory serves me with the nc400 this improves dramatically with burn in time. Thinking since the only new addition is the rev. C boards the burn in should be substantially sooner. Will touch base tonight.


joeinid said:
Marty,

Looking forward to your thoughts. I put my Sparkos back in yesterday from the 994's. I am using the new buffer boards. I think Mikech might be right, I think I still prefer the Sparkos but it sounds better with the new boards. So, I am happy. More to come......
Click to expand...
 
joeinid said:
Marty,

Looking forward to your thoughts. I put my Sparkos back in yesterday from the 994's. I am using the new buffer boards. I think Mikech might be right, I think I still prefer the Sparkos but it sounds better with the new boards. So, I am happy. More to come......
Click to expand...
How would you describe the difference between the Sparkos and the Sonic Imagerys
 
Hi,

I think the 994's seems a little more even from top to bottom and possibly a little bit more open with a touch more air.

Neither op amps are sibilant, but I feel the Sparkos still has the edge in the smoother/sweeter end of the scale with possibly a very slight loss of air, but not in a bad way. The Sparkos maybe feels a tiny bit more compact (if that makes sense). Actually now that I think about it, the Sparkos feels a little denser. With the Sparkos, vocals seem a tiny bit more upfront with a bit more tone/body/weight. Both are wonderful.

I think the 994's will excel with a nice tube preamp whereas the Sparkos, do not need a tube preamp to give you some of that tube goodness. It bring the tube goodness along with it.

Sparkos seems a bit plumper in the bass giving a more round bass presentation. The 994's seem more articulate and a bit lighter without losing too much. Going from the Sparkos to the 994's and new boards, I thought everything fell into place. Now with the new boards and Sparkos, I got back some of the fullness that I had before.

Another few days and I should have a handle where this combo ends up. I do not expect to be going back and forth often, I kind of want to settle on a combo and be done. But it is interesting to be able to tailor the sound according to your tastes/mood/system.



colmon said:
How would you describe the difference between the Sparkos and the Sonic Imagerys
Click to expand...
 
joeinid said:
hi,

i think the 994's seems a little more even from top to bottom and possibly a little bit more open with a touch more air.

Neither op amps are sibilant, but i feel the sparkos still has the edge in the smoother/sweeter end of the scale with possibly a very slight loss of air, but not in a bad way. The sparkos maybe feels a tiny bit more compact (if that makes sense). Actually now that i think about it, the sparkos feels a little denser. With the sparkos, vocals seem a tiny bit more upfront with a bit more tone/body/weight. Both are wonderful.

I think the 994's will excel with a nice tube preamp whereas the sparkos, do not need a tube preamp to give you some of that tube goodness. It bring the tube goodness along with it.

Sparkos seems a bit plumper in the bass giving a more round bass presentation. The 994's seem more articulate and a bit lighter without losing too much. Going from the sparkos to the 994's and new boards, i thought everything fell into place. Now with the new boards and sparkos, i got back some of the fullness that i had before.

Another few days and i should have a handle where this combo ends up. I do not expect to be going back and forth often, i kind of want to settle on a combo and be done. But it is interesting to be able to tailor the sound according to your tastes/mood/system.
Click to expand...


ditto
 
Order placed (SI994) have the other opamps all ready. My nc400 mono's took a long time to break-in, these will probably be the same.
 
Congratulations! Let us know when you get the amps.


PeteG said:
Order placed (SI994) have the other opamps all ready. My nc400 mono's took a long time to break-in, these will probably be the same.
Click to expand...
 
My speakers are Troels Gravesen designed Illumina 66 floorstanders and you get a choice of resistors for the HF section of the crossover. When I built the crossovers I choose a resistor vaue to give a very smooth treble. This probably accounts for the fact that the Sonic Imagery sound great and the Sparkos slightly dull.
Although I have not tried the Sparkos in the Rev C boards yet only the Rev B.
 
I'm looking forward your thoughts. The 994's are a little more
neutral but by no means sterile.

What I think is so cool is that subtle changes can be heard and each op amp has is it's own signature.
 
@Marty glad the Rev C are now working to your liking.
Interesting views guys. I'm now going to re evaluate the web sound notes on the Op Amps. Listening to the Sparkos now. To be honest most of the testing of the new Rev C boards were done with 994's and the combo sounded so much better and 95% of the amps recently shipped have been with 994's. I believe a lot of this performance has been from the Sparkos regulators at $48 each they should be good! Any way thanks for sharing your thoughts on the sound, will be amending the website accordingly over the next week.
 
Colin,

Thank you for your help in sorting all this out. If I had the 994's and new boards/buffers from the beginning, I would have been just as ecstatic and can only now really appreciate what I have here with the Sparkos. Both awesome flavors of great and wonderful performing amps.
 
The ability to change the Op Amps and adjust the flavor gives you the ability with little outlay to account for changes in speakers and front end gear without buying new amps. There are a lot more than just these three Op Amp choices if you want to experiment and almost all of them are a lot less expensive.
 
Colin thanks for the message. Midrange has smoothed out and the bass keeps getting better. Image layering and placement is outstanding with a great 3D quality. Guys if the Sparkos soften things up they are not for me. The VR5s are brutally honest on upper midrange and treble and I am liking what I hear. This is using the passive Hattor exclusively so no tubey coloration with the REF5SE. Colin you have a winner winner chicken dinner.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top