Edge NL 10.1 update


I have an Edge 10.1 amplifier. I am considering updating to the NL 10.2. Does anyone out there have any experience with this update? Is it worth the money for an already great amp?
rkochies
I had my Signature 12.1 mono's updated. It was definitely worth the investment.

Jim
Jim, Thanks for the comment. I wasn't even aware they made a 12.1 mono. Glad to hear you thought it was a good investment. How did it improve the sound?
for what it's worth, I had an NL-10 for ten days. I let it run in on a satellite radio music station for seven days continuously while I was away. It was brand new, unopened box, ready to go. I was eager to try this amp at home and was happy to have the chance. I came home, sat down to listen and it was the single worst sounding amp I have ever heard. It was lifeless, no depth whatsoever, none of the typical amp adjectives even remotely applied to it. I kept listening and asking myself "what on earth is going on?" Everything I played sounded small and like those solid state amps from the 80s. I sent it back.
I have the 10.1NL too. Amazing amp IMO. I replaced my Pass X-600's with it. What does the upgrade cost and what do they do to it?
The cost is $3200..not sure all they do. They rebuild circuit boards with better, matched components. Supposed to be better than SE upgrade.
For Huntermusic-

Years ago, we were sent a new Edge amp, an M-10. We had already been quite happy with that model and needed a second one for speaker-burn-in/testing. Hooked it up and no bass, no depth, lifeless. So, we decided to run it HARD for a full week 24 hours/day, on obnoxious bass-heavy music. The result- still no bass. A pair of speakers with 12" woofers sounded like very small two-ways.

We spoke with Edge' designer and he advised turning that amp off and on 10-12 times over the next 48 hours while playing our music. Voila! Earth-shaking bass, and all else fell into place, sounding exactly like the other M-10 we'd already been using.

The designer's explanation was that the turn-on surge of current helps to 'form' the (large) power supply capacitors. Since then, any new component we obtain always has its AC power turned off and on at least 12 times over the first few days of its use, before we let it run non-stop.

In the case of the Edge amp (and other amps), we let the music continue to play in order to know the power supply is discharged completely (the music fading out), before we turn the amp back on. Although we use other amps, we greatly enjoy our current custom NL12-based Edge amp.

Best regards,
Roy Johnson
Designer
Green Mountain Audio
Roy, Thanks for your comment. I would have never turned off while playing music. My Edge has never sounded that way anyway. Bob Koch
Even if you turn your EDGE off while playing music the music will stop instantly. That is the way it is designed. The Edge nameplate light runs discharges the power supply I believe, as it takes a bit to slowly dim to off.
Bob and Srwooten, you are both correct about modern Edge amps shutting of the output as soon as the power switch is turned off-- perhaps these have a speaker-wire relay which disengages.

Srwooten, the power-LED may indeed discharge the power supply, but on our current NL-amp, if we do not wait at least 20 seconds (while still playing music) before turning it back on, OMG what a thump occurs into the speakers! So we wait... probably a good idea for any amp even if one hears the speakers go off instantly.

Bob, I don't know much about our amp other than it was a custom unit (in one chassis) made for us by Tom at Edge before he sold the company. I do know it's 350W/channel into 8 Ohms, and rather heavy.

Best regards,
Roy
Roy...Made the mistake of switching the amp back on too quickly. What a thump indeed!! Bob
should have done this long ago. After talking with Steven Norber, formerly of Edge, I did have him upgrade my amp to the 10.2 version. Amazing improvement..much cleaner, quieter, better ambience and decay, stronger in mid-bass,much easier to listen to for long sessions...one of the best upgrades I have eve done. Mated to my new Consensus Passion speakers and I am closer to real music than ever before...