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

Give this such weight as you will: I’ve now got a month or more on the Sparkos and four months with the amp, nearly daily use, and NOW the Sparkos seem to have more detail and wide, deep 3d soundstage with a lovely sound. 👍
 
Hi Guys
I agree with Samoyed .i have had the nc500 for 3 years now and must say the rev d boards do make a difference,i have tried both flavours of op amps having firstly dismissed the sparkos because of a fuzzy top end from new,having spent 3 months with the sonic imagery i could not live with the slightly lightweight presentation so switched back to the sparkos after 300 or more hours use the have undergone a transformation opening up to such a degree i cannot believe it to be the same op amp ,gone is that fuzzy top end ,the midrange has opened out too and the bass has more definition to it,the sparkos sounding fuller ,both op amps displaying the same level of detail, though, the sonic imagery will sound like it has more because of its lighter presentation it is all there with the sparkos.
 
Great description of the Sparkos. This amp is full of surprises, all good, but you gotta wait....😼
 
I was thinking of having the new board fitted with the new SI op amp (if I remember correctly: Colin's favourite), but now I'm having second thoughts.
Maybe Sparks would be better.
 
I switched from the SIs after owning the amp for a couple months. I've been using the Sparkos now for about 6 weeks. I will not be switching back. As others have noted, it takes a while for the amp (and op amps) to reach their best performance, but after a few hundred hours, this combination is really sounding great.
 
I enjoyed the SI but I have chronic tinnitus, which they seemed to aggravate. So, I tried the Sparkos and that ameliorated it, and over time the aggravation simply disappeared. If you don’t have tinnitus, and you are about Colin’s age, try the SI amp. Better yet, I’ll sell you mine! ��
 
Thanks joeinid for the welcome! Samoyed i was about to offer my si op amps(lol)Any one need some sonic imagery op amps?.....They are both excellent op amps, but i will say if you enjoy a fuller presentation the sparkos wins,the details are there with both, just sparkos sounds fuller than sonic imagery,from new it takes a while to get there and you will be wondering what is going on ,but persevere and after 300 hours or so ....vola,wonderful full open detailed soundstage
 
Yup, exactly my experience. Great description. Future buyers, don’t get antsy, the wait is well worth it. After a few months, Sparkos especially, you won’t believe what you get for the price paid.

Colin, I’m just about ready for a cat food diet so I can get the preamp. 🙀
 
Showroom Dummies said:
How old are you guys who like the Sparkos?
Wonder if it's an age thing, or perhaps the Sparkos is just better?
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I say the sparkos is better,nothing to do with age just preference tbh......Looking at your speakers and set up i would go with the sparkos,same detail but more body
 
I only live an hours drive away from Nord.
I was wondering if I should contact Colin and ask if I could have a demo of both op amps.
Not sure if it will be worth it though as it will be his system I will hearing them on?
It will still give me an idea, maybe?
 
I absolutely prefer the Sparkos. Smoother, sweeter and more “musical” to my ear.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always been a little sensitive to too much or aggressive treble. Sparkos are just easier to listen to, IMO.
 
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joeinid said:
I absolutely prefer the Sparkos. Smoother, sweeter and more “musical” to my ear.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always been a little sensitive to too much or aggressive treble. Sparkos are just easier to listen to, IMO.
Click to expand...
May I know which Sparkos version are you guys talking about ?
MKI Sparkos SS3602 vs SI 994?
Or the new Sparkos SS2590 vs SI 990enh?

Is it apple to apply comparison on same buffer board ? Rev D or C?

Thanks



Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 
I think for me it was the older version Sparkos. I’ll try and find the model.
 
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