NHT power5 amp, Givin it some lovin

Class D amps are the future, the only proplem right now is that "audiophiles" look down on them because it is a newer technology, in the same way tube only people look down on SS.

These are discontinued by NHT, right? NHT still honors the 3 year warranty, I take it? By chance, does anyone know which Icepower series these use?

I heard that it uses the A series modules without the built in power supply (like what the asp modules have). I have no idea who makes the power supply (possibly Vinci labs designed it) and whether it is an SMPS or a transformer. When I get hold of mine I will pop the lid off and take some pics. Likely it has 500A module as seen in http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com...eaker/A_SERIES


Shame that the matching processor does not support multichannel LPCM over HDMI otherwise it would be a killer combo

Great to hear that you can turn off amps that are not in use. I originally thought that this feature was only availble through the ethernet port and when hooked up to the controller.

Thanks for your input. I just bought a used proceed amp3 and have been considering also comparing that to a ICE powered amp. How do you think the NHT power5 would stack up against the proceed?

Thanks,
Brandon

Thanks, I also am interested of the Power5 and am trying to decide whether I can justify the premium over the Emotiva XPA-5, which is also 200x5 but class A.

Class AB. If you look for raw power, cost and listen to heavy rock get the XPA. If you want finesse, transparency, detail, and power you know what you should get In the end you get what you pay for.

Or perhaps a used IPS-1...decision, decisions.

The Power5 uses two 500ASP modules and three 500A modules.

Interesting.

So I would imagine the 500ASP modules are for the L/C/R channels, and the two 500AS modules for surrounds? Although it probably makes no difference. Maybe the AS modules are for the L/R channels?

And the AS modules get their power from two of the ASP modules?

Just ordered a Power 5 from Listenup. A great price and Listenup's return policy is very good if there is an issue. I have bought from them before and they were great to deal with.

I was looking a Wyred 4 Sounds Special Edition 100x5 which is $1499. plus shipping. The Power 5 is $300.00 cheaper, double the power and the shipping is free. I am not sure of the differences in the ICE modules between the Power 5 and the W4S. I would guess the Power 5 modules are of a older design but I feel it is a chance to try an ICE powered amp at a reasonable price.

It will be interesing to compare the Power 5 to my A52. One spec. I could not find was a 4ohm power rating. I would guess possibly double as some other ICE amps I have seen double the 8ohm rating.

Bill

CS,

I was wrong. Just checked the schematic. The DC supplies from both of the 500ASPs are tied together through some isolation diodes. Then all three of the 500As are tied to this rail. The bottom line is the power supply rail is shared by all five amplifier channels equally.

How many AMPS does the Power5 draw? Would I need a dedicated 20amp circuit? (Or portable nuke plant?)

That's enough in my price range I'd consider it.

Those output numbers are insane.

Thanks psujohny. I just can't decide if i want to compare yet another amp(currently selling a 3 ch B&K)? I do love the proceed, but the NHT with 2 extra channels has my curiosity up.

Curtis, you have the ICE powered amp for your sierras, what are your thoughts on this NHT amp?

Take care,
Brandon

Jack, do you know what modules the Power2 uses - is it 2x 500ASP or 1x500ASP and 1x500AS? I am considering getting one of those for bi-amping with the Power5. Thanks!

The channels are 1 = L, 2 = LS, 3 = C, 4 = RS, 5 = R on the Power5.

The Power2 uses one 500ASP and TWO 500As. The amplifier channel on the 500ASP does nothing. This way both channels have absolutely identical behavior since they use exactly the same amplifier module.

It doesn't really make sense to specify a current draw for a power amplifier given the dynamic nature of music. If all five channels were amplifying sine waves at full power, the current draw would be around 20A. At a normal listening level, the current draw is going to be around 2A. The easiest way to know if you need a higher current AC circuit for the amplifier is to monitor the AC voltage when the system is playing back at your maximum playback level. If the voltage drops below 105VAC, I would consider it. If you don't have an analog voltmeter or a DVM with a bargraph, plug a small lamp into the same circuit. See if it dims much.

Just got my NHT Power 5 and I think I have a faulty unit. The noise floor is very high with nothing playing on all channels. Tried different interconnects and two different preamps (Onkyo 805 and an audiolab 8000S) - no difference.

Calling listenup to figure out how to sort it out I was so looking forward to getting it hooked up....

vulture,

Too bad about the amp. I ordered one today online and called Listenup with a few questions and after 6 calls leaving voicemails did not get a return call. Did you get through to them? I thought I had bought my BA gear from them but it was Audio Advisor.

I have to admit I am not happy about not being able to reach a person by phone then no reponse from my voicemails either. I hope they are not hard to deal with if by chance I have a problem with the Power 5 as you have.

Bill

I didn't get a response but I assume that they have gone home since they are on MT. I sent them an email explaining the problem and hopefully will get a reply in the morning.
They did ship very quickly (same day) and I got the tracking number without asking. Also, Bruce responded very quickly to the question I had on the NHT controller through audiogon (that is where I spotted these for sale first).

I did some more investigating and there appears to be a grounding problem. If I use a power cord that does not ground the NHT to mains I get no noise (the amp comes with a cord that grounds it).The NHT is the only component in my rack that actually has the grounding pin in the IEC socket. The Onkyo 805 processor and the two audiolab amp/preamps I have use IEC sockets without grounding. I am running this off a dedicated 20amp circuit that is properly grounded and does not feed anything else in the house through a belkin PF60 conditioner.

There might be some funky wiring inside the NHT, I even looked at the wiring diagrams for the icepower modules at http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com...000aspdata.pdf. It looks like they all have balanced inputs by design so the NHT must be wired with the Vi- and analog ground shorted. In any case I would be interested to see if this is just a problem with my unit or if I am doing something wrong. In any case this is the first power amp that has done this in my rack and I have had quite a few.

Question for the other owners: How does one turn off amp modules that are not in use?

Vulture,

I also received the tracking number and the Power 5 is due on 3-19. I am also using the 805 as a pre-pro and I am concerned I might end up having the same problem you have. Would it be an issue if you continued to use a power cord that does not ground the NHT? I would be interested as to what Listenups response will be.

If NHT is getting out of the electronics end of the business I would hope they will still offer warranty coverage and service. When Boston was getting out of electronics their AVP7 and A7200 unit prices were cut similar to NHTs. I called Boston and they assured me that they would still offer warranty coverage and service for the duration of the warranty (5 years I believe). I think I will call NHT tomorrow to check to make sure.

In Kal's review of the NHT Controller and Power 5 he does not mention a ground issue. His review of the NHT combo was very positive which clinched my decision to buy one.

Bill

I am using a two-channel 1000ASP based (two 1000ASP modules) amp. So I don't have any direct experience with 500ASP or 500A based amps.

That said, for the prices I have seen the Power5 going for....I think it is a steal.

The issue has gone away completely by using a cord that does not ground the amp. I simply used the supplied cord (which BTW is pretty wimpy) and added one of those 3 to 2 pin adapters before plugging it into the outlet. No noise whatsoever. If I plug the power cord directly, the hum returns.

As far as sound, this amp sounds rich, powerful and detailed with incredible instrument/vocal separation and focus. You can tell how the instruments are layered on the stage! I have not heard anything like it before. I have used the british made audiolab/TagMclaren gear, an emotiva IPS-1 and panasonic digital amps. I am driving it with the Onkyo 805, which is essentially like the Integra 9.8/Onkyo Pro 885 processors in terms of audio capabilities and D/A conversion. I am using an older Sony transport and also a PS3 that upsamples to 176khz with the noise shaping filter turned on. This surpasses everything and leaves it in the dust. After listening to it for about 10 mins (Air albums that are fairly complex and some Celso Fonseca) my girlfriend insisted that we were going to eat dinner in the living room while listening to it. The sound is simply captivating.

I will talk to the dealer tomorrow and see if I can get to the bottom of the grounding issue.

Turning off unused channels is done via the NHTBus which appears to require the NHT Controller.

vulture,

Now I understand what you mean in regard to a grounded plug and the use of a cheater plug. I should be fine when I get the Power 5 as my Parasound A52 has a grounded plug. I have the A52 plugged into a Panamax 5100 with no noise issues. I do not have a dedicated breaker for my system as it is on a zone for my living room.

The odd thing I found trying to get the Zone 2 trigger to work was if the A52 was on without the 805 being on I got hum through my R&L front speakers. I even disconnected all the RCA inputs to the A52 leaving only the speaker outputs and still had the hum. But as soon as I reconnected all the RCA inputs and powered up the 805 all speakers are dead quiet, very odd. I wonder if I added a cheater plug if it would stop the hum. It is really a non issue as the amp is now triggered by the Zone 2 12v trigger and shuts off with the 805.

My thoughts on the 805's audio capabilities are the same as yours and I believe they are similar or the same as the 9.8/885. I started a thread asking the question if the analog section of the 805 was the same or similar as the 9.8/885 but did not get a reply either way.

I am glad to hear you are very happy with the SQ of the Power 5. I had thought about the Emotiva IPS-1 at one time but bought the A52. The XPA-5 also looked interesting for the additional power and the low cost. But I am really interested in SQ than the additional power. It looks like the Power 5 will give me the SQ of the A52 (or better?) and almost double the power output. I look forward to getting the Power 5 and comparing it to the A52.

Bill