View Full Version : Neurochrome power amp
Looking to try a Neurochrome power amp if anyone has one they want to move on, upgrade etc
Anyone selling one either has an awful lot of money to spend or has no sense. Seriously, make one, its not that hard and you wont regret it . . .
Sherwood
25-07-2020, 22:27
You wait ages for one Ian and then ..............................
killie99
25-07-2020, 22:57
By luck I bought the last 2 SMT 686 boards that Tom had available, build will start when my chassis appears from China. 1st chassis ordered in March has gone AWOL, 2nd chassis bought in June now appears to be stuck in Poland. I'll do a wee progress report when I get started. Like you I tried to find a 2nd hand 686 for over a year and eventually got fed up waiting so just bought from Tom.
I may have a pair of Modulus-86 mono blocks up for sale soon, as I need to raise some cash for my Modulus 686 parts.
Still on the lookout for a dual mono or pair monoblocks, in uk
ianlenco
23-01-2021, 16:51
I was looking through the Audiophonics (french) site earlier and noticed they were selling neurochrome amps.
I was looking through the Audiophonics (french) site earlier and noticed they were selling neurochrome amps.
Only the kits as far as i can see and at a higher price than importing from canada
hifinutt
23-01-2021, 20:39
I was looking through the Audiophonics (french) site earlier and noticed they were selling neurochrome amps.
you fancy making one ian ?
Was more thinking of a pre built entry model to get a feel for them, longer term if all went well maybe a higher spec with soft start, speaker protection etc. Depends on what comes along, thinking others might be further diwn the same road and looking to up spec.
Not in any great rush really like my nord ncores
Was more thinking of a pre built entry model to get a feel for them, longer term if all went well maybe a higher spec with soft start, speaker protection etc. Depends on what comes along, thinking others might be further diwn the same road and looking to up spec.
Not in any great rush really like my nord ncores
I’d order the bits and make one yourself mate.
I’ve just made one and it was honestly a piece of piss. If I can do it anybody can. If you can turn a screwdriver and Allen key you will be fine . Tom’s instructions have made it idiot proof , I’m proof of that. It’s like lego for Hifi nerds . Screw the boards to the chassis and connect point A to B with wires. I asked Tom to provide all the hardware I needed so it all arrive in one box ready to go , he even sent the cad drawing off to Modu for me for them to drill the chassis. Toroidy made the traffo with 4 windings to make it dual mono .
Was quite enjoyable too
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Majsterjanek
24-01-2021, 17:03
BigBird what’s the costs for the all-in-one-box? What’s included? Did you order 686?
Thanks
Karl ordered assembled boards, and all of the other parts separately to build his 686.
I didn't know that was an option, otherwise I may have done it.
BigBird what’s the costs for the all-in-one-box? What’s included? Did you order 686?
Thanks
Hey mate so I ordered the boards assembled as mentioned , this took away any possibility of me ballsing things up, Tom provided cad drawings to modushop (I just made up a logo and sent it to them ) , I also asked Tom to provide me with a hardware kit of all screws , stand-offs , hookup wire , thermal paste etc .
I then ordered a toroidy supreme audio grade traffo 800va with 4 x 25V windings to make it dual mono. I bought a few metres of Neotech 7N UPOCC wiring for the signal paths from inputs to outputs on the speaker posts and Viborg pure copper ,Teflon insulated carbon RCAs and speaker posts .
Total cost was around $2500 but if you are confident soldering the boards , don’t use speaker protection and use a different power supply like smps you can build one for under 2k
I wanted to go top spec with no compromises as I feel this amp deserves the best . You can see in the photos how simple it’s is. Just turn a screw driver and connect point A to B .
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210124/00a96d09956a8fb627ee25020453f68a.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210124/ddb494dbdfa8df9f417a03a46743a871.jpg
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Majsterjanek
24-01-2021, 19:36
Thanks for thorough full info mmm I love it! Is the chassis custom made or supplied by Neurochrome as well?
Cheers
Thanks for thorough full info mmm I love it! Is the chassis custom made or supplied by Neurochrome as well?
Cheers
It’s a real beast mate .
The chassis is Modushop 4U . Tom provided them with the CAD for all of the holes , I provided my own logo .
It’s huge. Pretty much the same size and weight as all three of my Croft boxes together [emoji23]
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donmarrese
25-01-2021, 00:22
It’s a real beast mate
Don't mean to trash this thread Karl, but I notice you are running a pair of Mono 7R's....Is the 686 replacing them? I'll rephrase, is the 686 superior/better/trashes the 7r's?
Ps. your 686 looks the dogs b*******!
Don't mean to trash this thread Karl, but I notice you are running a pair of Mono 7R's....Is the 686 replacing them? I'll rephrase, is the 686 superior/better/trashes the 7r's?
Ps. your 686 looks the dogs b*******!
Thanks mate . Yes I bought it to replace the monos. The specs alone are in another league
It definitely has more fine details and transparency but has a smaller soundstage but I think that’s a valve vs solid state thing. Having all those watts really does grip the speakers by the gonads too , but as you know aswell, the performance jumps at this level get smaller and smaller as you move up the ladder . They are both fine amps, both different but ultimately the 686 is better yes.
The 686 is basically invisible and doesn’t have a ‘sound’ like the Croft amps do. It will give you a pure neutral signal that’s true to the recording .
There is definitely an improvement but I think what the 686 has done now is highlight that my 25R preamp is the weak link in my system . Once I get something better sorted I will be able to hear the 686 full potential .
That will come soon. I have already put the plans in motion to get one built using top spec parts . I was considering sending the 25R off to Glenn for the RSLS treatment but it’s 1500 quid to do that which seems excessive for what it is . The parts for my new preamp were half of that so when I move the 25R on I will break even , but have a better measuring and performing preamp and a more neutral setup .
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donmarrese
26-01-2021, 22:54
Karl, thanks for your honest appraisal...you do know what you have done now....?
First it was the Radford 25's, then any Tannoy HPD's, a few Exposure's and now the 686's...AOS is the definitive market mover!
Watch the 686 movement grow within AOS!
All the best
Moving from an 86/286 to a 686 is the way :lol:
Moving from an 86/286 to a 686 is the way :lol:
Haha it most definitely is. [emoji12]
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Still looking, could go to 1700 for dual mono 868 with soft start and speaker protection
hifinutt
18-04-2021, 17:40
i am surprised AD audio`s one has not sold yet
https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?72588-Neurochrome-686-Brand-New-Build
hifinutt
18-04-2021, 17:42
Don't mean to trash this thread Karl, but I notice you are running a pair of Mono 7R's....Is the 686 replacing them? I'll rephrase, is the 686 superior/better/trashes the 7r's?
Ps. your 686 looks the dogs b*******!
thats a very good question , i saw some lovely croft monos recently . i am thinking they might match my horns but cant do it yet as funds depleted severely [ like many others !!}
My heavyweight Mark Levinson 27.5 blew up spectacularly so I swapped in my all-time favourite the ML23.5 but this now had a bad hum so I returned both to their boxes and despondently shoved them back into the spare room. With pressing house repairs I decided to find some amplifier just to tide me over. I eventually settled on a Neurochrome 286 and I'm impressed and relieved. The Mark Levinson problem was bugging me and now I find I don't even think about them anymore!
I needed something that would not use up too much of my time and glad I found this kit. I had an old chassis and it did not need much effort to assemble. It is the quietest amp I have ever had and can confidently recommend a Neurochrome kit.
I was tempted but its well outside my budget and getting down to London to collect is a challenge. Covid risk looks to be cancelling my month in the islands and Highlands which might free up some time to research 686 build, think i can stretch to £2k
I was tempted but its well outside my budget and getting down to London to collect is a challenge. Covid risk looks to be cancelling my month in the islands and Highlands which might free up some time to research 686 build, think i can stretch to £2k
You might struggle at the price. It costs 500 more than that for parts alone in a mono build . Maybe try a standard build with smps as that can be built around the 2k budget?? My father in law has one now and it’s very close indeed.
All I can say is that after some weeks and hours of playtime I couldn’t even listen to my crofts anymore . They sounded broken haha. Like I had a quilt over the speakers. The 686 is in another league. The crofts are now gone
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WESTLOWER
20-06-2021, 11:07
Ian Im surprised you have not grabbed David Coe's monos
They are a bargain as stated this is parts cost alone!
I doubt you will get cheaper or better...
I was tempted but its still a few hundred more than i can raise, also collection issues although i am in Luton Stevenage early july.
Lawrence001
20-06-2021, 11:47
The alternative is to wait for one to come up on eBay, it might take a while as there aren't too many about but if money's tight it could be worth the wait.
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