Hypex Ncore NC400

The NC series is better than the UCD series. I consider $2000 for a pair of NC400 based monoblocks to be tremendous value.

You might be happy enough with UCD based amplifiers, but that's impossible for me to say. That's strictly up to you and what your priorities are. What I can say is I believe the extra money you lay out will not be wasted.

The NC series is the best Hypex has to offer currently. The NC1200 modules are getting put into some very expensive amplifiers.

The NC400, in particular, is Bruno's effort to give something to the audiophile DIY community. I would not mistake the NC400 as an inferior offering to the UCD modules.

A few months ago, a local audiophile borrowed my NC400 amplifiers and compared them to his very expensive state of the art Icepower based amplifiers.

When he returned the NC400 amps to me, he said it was no contest. He had already placed an order for his own NC400 modules.

I have kept my NC400 amps longer than any amplifier I have ever owned. If I named some of the amplifiers I've owned, borrowed, listened to -- most would agree that the list would represent some very credible, even elite manufacturers. Both tube and solid state.

Having said all that, let me also say that the NC400s are not out of place paired with my Coincident Statement Linestage. That's how good they are.