Initial impression of the Nuprime ST-10 amp

@whitestix 

That's great. If it's anything like my IDA-16 it will continue to open up and fill out. You may have some peaks and valleys along the way. Around the 300 hour mark my amp really started to bloom. Even now passed the 500 hour mark it continues open up and settle in. Have fun.

Cheers,

Scott

Hello all,

I have over 500 hrs on my S-500 and thought I might comment a little about it.I think it's a step up in Sound vs nc400 and ref600m,these are the 3 class d amps that I own and I have access to more through a local audio club where we lend and or borrow equipment or occasionally listen to each other's systems.

I have been using a bel canto pre3 with all the diff. amps just to make a even playing field,the pre 3 is a pure water no coloration preamp.

The S-500 is the best class d amp I have had in my system and it has the warmest most engaging midrange with very sweet nicely extended top end that has more air and separation with the individual instruments making the entire frequency range very coherent.The bass is equally as good maybe better than my other class d amps listed.

I borrowed a Nuprime st10 to try out and found it too be a very close match to the S-500,with the nod to the S-500 for the best overall sound especially the midrange.

Offcourse this is in my system with my ears and judging the musical presentation that I prefer.

The next test will be comparison with a modwright kwa100se that I have owned for a few years but I haven't used it in about 3 years,I have loaned it out to club members though.I know it's a very good amp but can it equal or beat the S-500,only time will tell.

So many very good choices out there nowadays,


Kenny.

Kdude,
The S-500 must be fine for Clayton Shaw to recommend them for his Hologram speakers.  Glad to hear you felt the ST10 compares to it.  Samac, thanks for the insight into the breaking in of the ST10... I like it now and expect I will like it even more in the future.  

@whitestix what model Bel Canto you had?

Celo, I do not recall the model of the Bel Canto amp I had maybe 5 years ago, but is was used and well run-in when I got it. My listening notes reveal that the sound of it was exceeding dry, lifeless and strident.  I flipped it in within a few days, the shortest time I have ever had a component in my system in four decades.  

That said, I will hasten to add two comments.  First, the march of technological improvement with class D circuitry has been quite amazing in the past few years.  I think it is light years better than it was just a few years back.  Secondly, if one is swapping a class D amp for a class A/B or tube amp, the listening experience takes a bit of time to adjust to.  The hyper-clarity of class D amps, with so little distortion, can initially sound rather sterile and less engaging, but I personally think with my experience with the Nuprime amp, and another class D amp in my other system, that the class D amps are distortion-less and amazingly revealing the of the sound.  It is a matter of adjustment to the sonic character of the somewhat different sound of a class D amp.  

Based on Kdudes' comments above, I ordered the Red Dragon S500 stereo amp today to compare to my ST10.  One of them will stay in my system and one will be returned.  I turned a corner and am all-in with class D amps.  However, I will not soon part with my tube preamp!  Even with my Don Sachs preamp, my speakers are absolutely dead silent on quiet passages with the ST10.  Ryan at Red Dragon has a $400 discount for his b-stock ST500 amp which swing the order for me.  
Cheers , Mark