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How would you describe the sound of the various Avondale amps?

P

PascalDS

Member
Hi everyone,

I'm new here, and very interested in the various discussions relating to Avondale amps. Coming from a Naim SN3, my "dream plan" was to upgrade to a 252/300 configuration with a CHC PSU. But many of you seem to indicate that Avondale produce brilliant gear as well, well worth listening to as an alternative.

Do any of you know of some sort of resource describing the house sound (House of Avondale, that is ;) ) and also how the various amps in the lineup relate to one another? Or would you care to share your own experience? Most of what I have found so far indicates superb quality but not in descriptive ways that a total newb might be able to interpret. Are we talking about more/less controled bass, more/less airiness, more/less fluidity, more/less refinement, more/less detail, more/less slam, more/less legibility ... ?

How do SE amps fit into the NCC lineup?
How do the various box options (250, 300, 135 ...) affect the sound?

I mostly listen to gentle music, meaning not metal or electro, but not restricted to any genre. Billie Eilish appeals to me as much as Lana del Rey, Frank Sinatra, Mahler, Bach, Miles Davis ...

My current speakers are home-made (don't hate me) CSS Audio 2TDx, which have a brilliant midrange, and a detailed but gentle treble, but too much bass for me. My current plan is to switch to a Graham or Rogers LS5/9 with sub, or LS5/9f. From my little experience with them, they seem to like a lot of current, but are also very revealing of amplifier personality.

That's it ;) It's a lot and I'm not expecting anyone to answer all this, but look forward to any thoughts.

Thank you very much, and you all have a great day,
Pascal
 
It would be one hell of a task to find - you'd really need input from those who posted the info', even just a link, but broad comparisons of the Avondale boards meant for Naim upgrades, plus comment on the more recnt Avondale amp's, has been posted within the past year or so.

There will be rather few people who can make worthwhile comment as they'd need to have experience with several incarnations of Naim amp's, PLUS the various Avondale boards and versions.

My recollection is that a lot of comment came from one of the regular and very capable, knowledgeable DIYers here.

OP - maybe post something on the DIY forum, linked to this thread, and also just keep bumping this one?
 
Vinny said:
It would be one hell of a task to find - you'd really need input from those who posted the info', even just a link, but broad comparisons of the Avondale boards meant for Naim upgrades, plus comment on the more recnt Avondale amp's, has been posted within the past year or so.

There will be rather few people who can make worthwhile comment as they'd need to have experience with several incarnations of Naim amp's, PLUS the various Avondale boards and versions.

My recollection is that a lot of comment from one of the regular and very capable, knowledgeable DIYers here.
Click to expand...

Hi Vinny,

yes I realise this may be a very large undertaking.

Maybe it's simpler to start with the perceived improvement for a given amp. For example, if I bought a used 250 and had NCC220 boards installed, what would that change? Dynamics? Refinement? Bass control? Treble extension and airiness. I'm not looking for a detailed review, just an understanding of the flavour of Avondale. Big and bold? Sweet and vintage? Modern and detailed? Refined and elegant? So far, I'v really struggled to find any consisten info.

Ditto within the Avondale range itself. What does a NCC300 add to a 220 or 200? What's the SE range like compared to the NCC range? Surely single ended has a very different sound signature?

Any objective help is appreciated.

Cheers
 
Vinny said:
As I suggested above.........................................
Click to expand...

Ah, true. Read too quickly and just saw the keep bumping part. I've now been to the DIY forum and found some info there. Probably no need for me to repost a question, I'll just do some digging.

Thanks to all who helped!
 
PascalDS said:
Ah! Did not know that! Newb mistake, sorry. Thanks for the tip.
Click to expand...

It's a big question.

I'm not a Naim expert, I've used a Nait 3 and a 32.5/Hi/250. On the Avondale side I had a z260 stereo amp based on 200 boards, and 130 mono blocks with both 200 and 220 boards. I also had a Grad 1 preamp. I think comparisons are appropriate with the older Naim gear rather than the more modern, which is voiced very differently. In short the Avondales do every that Naim does but they're cleaner, more refined, give more bass etc etc. The 260 is superior to a 250, the monos better than 135s. Avondale boards in the naim amps will go most of the way to doings the same.
 
gavreid said:
It's a big question.

I'm not a Naim expert, I've used a Nait 3 and a 32.5/Hi/250. On the Avondale side I had a z260 stereo amp based on 200 boards, and 130 mono blocks with both 200 and 220 boards. I also had a Grad 1 preamp. I think comparisons are appropriate with the older Naim gear rather than the more modern, which is voiced very differently. In short the Avondales do every that Naim does but they're cleaner, more refined, give more bass etc etc. The 260 is superior to a 250, the monos better than 135s. Avondale boards in the naim amps will go most of the way to doings the same.
Click to expand...

Thank you Gav. The refinement you mention is what's important to me. So often, these days, it's details at all costs. I'm joining the queue :)
 
If you really want my opinion, then here it is. I replaced the boards in an original Naim NAP140 with Avondale NCC220 Qudos. The sound is more harmonically rich and refined, so you can tell the difference between a clarinet and an oboe more easily. It is also way punchier and it has more of a 3d soundstage. However, it is also less easy in my opinion to follow bass lines, which was always Naim’s great strength. I would put that down to lack of harmonic richness. The sound signature is broadly similar though. There are also alternative boards by Witch Hat, though I’ve not heard them.

You seem to be looking to find a tighter bass for your speakers. I don’t believe the Avondales will do that, but others will have their own opinions obviously.
 
Avon said:
If you really want my opinion, then here it is. I replaced the boards in an original Naim NAP140 with Avondale NCC220 Qudos. The sound is more harmonically rich and refined, so you can tell the difference between a clarinet and an oboe more easily. It is also way punchier and it has more of a 3d soundstage. However, it is also less easy in my opinion to follow bass lines, which was always Naim’s great strength. I would put that down to lack of harmonic richness. The sound signature is broadly similar though. There are also alternative boards by Witch Hat, though I’ve not heard them.

You seem to be looking to find a tighter bass for your speakers. I don’t believe the Avondales will do that, but others will have their own opinions obviously.
Click to expand...

Thanks Avon, yes, tighter bass is part of the equation. But those are DIY speakers, and possibly not the most balanced. What you describe about better tonal separation between instruments is even more important to me. I'll buy speakers if needs be. Cheers
 
MJS said:
The word I would use for Avondale amp boards is 'immersive'. Detailed and enveloping soundstage is their key strength.
Some discussion here comparing to the Witch Hat Phoenixes.

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/avondale-ncc220-vs-witch-hat-phoenix.266831/
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Thanks MJS. Interesting thread. It would seem that Which Hat gets more applause than Avondale (in that thread), so going the "used & upgraded" Naim route (using Which Hat bords) is also an interesting upgrade path. Possibly a lot easier, too, as finding info is a lot easier at WH. Definitely worth pondering. Cheers
 
I own/owned various Naim amps (Nait 1, 42.5/110, 32.5/160BD, Supernait 1, Hicaps and 250.2) and my favorite of all is my recent Avondaled 110 with the NCC200 boards and power supply.
Compared to the stock 110, I would say I didn’t lose anything of the Naim’s PRaT and signature but got rid of treble harshness, bass is more refined without losing its impact, human voices are more natural, more space between instruments and better imaging.
When A/B compared with the other Naim amps of the above list, the 110 always win for its lively sound and will stay here forever.
Avondale is that good.
 
I recently bought a NAP250 fitted with NCC220 Qudos amplifier boards and the HCR200 regulator modules to compare to my standard NAP250. To my mind the Avondaled amp is clearly better in every way! The basic Naim sound signature remains the same. The improvements are not subtle, the increase in clarity, separation, depth, etc. are immediately obvious…. So good in fact that, when I get my 250 sold, I’m going to be on the lookout for a Voyager spec Avondale amp!
 
Gervais Cote said:
I own/owned various Naim amps (Nait 1, 42.5/110, 32.5/160BD, Supernait 1, Hicaps and 250.2) and my favorite of all is my recent Avondaled 110 with the NCC200 boards and power supply.
Compared to the stock 110, I would say I didn’t lose anything of the Naim’s PRaT and signature but got rid of treble harshness, bass is more refined without losing its impact, human voices are more natural, more space between instruments and better imaging.
When A/B compared with the other Naim amps of the above list, the 110 always win for its lively sound and will stay here forever.
Avondale is that good.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the descriptive comment, Gervais. I have just put down a deposit for an Avondale amp :) Cheers
 
Bruv Sawney said:
I recently bought a NAP250 fitted with NCC220 Qudos amplifier boards and the HCR200 regulator modules to compare to my standard NAP250. To my mind the Avondaled amp is clearly better in every way! The basic Naim sound signature remains the same. The improvements are not subtle, the increase in clarity, separation, depth, etc. are immediately obvious…. So good in fact that, when I get my 250 sold, I’m going to be on the lookout for a Voyager spec Avondale amp!
Click to expand...

Cool. And thanks for letting me know. Best of luck with that Voyager !!
 
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