Description
— we expect the IOM 500 Stereo with the new NCx500 boards available mid April–
The IOM NCore 500 Stereo is our high-end stereo power amplifier. It’s housed in a compact full aluminium chassis with balanced & unbalanced inputs (switchable).
NCx500 with IOM buffer board
High-end audio quality is guaranteed by using 2 premium Hypex NCOREx amplifiers (soon available), 2 x NCx500, in combination with our connection board or our custom input buffer-board . The connection board set-up makes use of the Hypex NCx500 on-board op-amps & power supplies. With the IOM buffer-board you can choose and connect the op-amps of your choice (dip8 or pro 6 pin packages). Two dual op amps are needed for the stereo amplifier. When you want to consider the purchase of the buffer board in a later stage on request we can pre-drill the holes already. Just send an email right after your purchase.
IOM 500s features:
- 2 pcs NCx500 boards
- Hypex SMPS1200A700 powersupply
- Full anodized aluminum enclosure, 6mm & 5mm thick parts
- Rhodium plated binding posts (if you prefer other; pls. send a mail with your request)
- As well balanced (XLR) as unbalanced (RCA) stereo inputs
- Dynavox aluminum damping feet
- Selectable illuminated ON/OFF-switch settings (white ring light): normal/dimmed/off
- Standard 4V to 12V trigger input on board, input at the back
- Gain control (3dB) on the buffer board (only)
Price is displayed without VAT/BTW. If applicable this will be added at checkout.
Gerrit Kroesen –
Ik zocht een krachtige, audifiele, versterker om mijn Klipsch RF-7 aan te sturen. Ik gebruik die voor mijn orgel. Die speaker is weliswaar behoorlijk efficient, maar lastig aan te drijven vanwege de bokkensprongen die de impedantie maakt. Deze versterker heeft er totaal geen moeite mee: ook in het mid-bas gebied wordt de Klipsch aangedreven alsof het niks is: heel grote controle.
In het begin had ik wat aanloop-probleempjes, maar Sipko heeft die heel efficient aangepakt. Excellente service!
Al met al erg tevreden over deze versterker! Hij ziet er ook degelijk uit: stevige, massief aluminium doos. Wordt na een tijdje spelen handwarm, maar dat was van te voren bekend.
K –
thanks for the wonderful amplifier.
I’ve got an old pair of JBL K2 S9800 that are now driven by the IOM 500 Stereo.
The speakers never sounded that crisp before, got much more defined bass and now project a very good sound stage.
They never did that with my old AVM mono blocks.
Rene van Someren –
Zocht naar een upgrade van mijn huidige versterker een Audiolab 6000a met DC Block.
Gekeken naar versterkers van de bekende merken en zelfs een aantal thuis uitgeprobeerd. Veel geld en amper een verbetering (nuances).
Na het zien van een review op youtube waarbij de Audiolab als voorversterker is gebruikt, besloten om die route op te gaan en kwam ik uit bij IOM.
Na een bezoek bij Sipko op locatie, luistersessie en doorspreken van mijn wensen heb ik een zeer fraaie IOM 500s met RCA en XLR input ontvangen.
Het is een wow upgrade; warm, rustig en gedetailleerd geluid met lekker veel PRAT, zoals de Engelsen zeggen.
Ik kijk nu uit naar de realisatie van bijpassende voorversterker door Sipko. Dat wordt zeker mijn volgende upgrade :).
tim –
With the purchase of a new high-end audio system for my living room, it quickly became clear to me that I also needed a new power amplifier that had both sufficient power and a state-of-the-art sound. I quickly chose Hypex NCORE technology after reading a lot in different audio forums. The visual challenge was finding something that be visually appealing and not too big.
When exploring the market, I noticed that many providers use large and rather conspicuous housings. Some with bold logos, all of which I found annoying. I also wanted a device where you don’t see any writing or anything like that.
IOM quickly made a positive impression on me. The shape of the case and the elegant, timeless design reminded me of Apple products or Scandinavian designer furniture. Exactly the right thing for me.
I decided to write to IOM because I wasn’t sure which power amp was right for me and I wanted to make sure that the manufacturer is a professional. I received a friendly reply from Sipko, who then gave me comprehensive advice and finally made me a power amp that matched my tonal and visual ideas – a modified IOM 500s. I’m impressed by how well Sipko responds to the needs of its customers – kudos from me. The 500s is impressive too – the enclosure is solid aluminum and looks like it’s been made in one piece. There are no screws to be seen! (Only on the bottom plate). The sound is impressive too. The OPAs used by Sipko deliver a top sound and the Hypex NCORE 500 modules have incredible power reserves.
Perhaps Sipko’s secret is to build such first-class products of the highest quality that he is a former engineer at Philips. I love my IOM 500s and can highly recommend the products from IOM respectively Sipko and his team!
Best regards
Tim form Hamburg
Matthijs –
As you can read elsewhere here, I started out with the NCore. I still stand by what I wrote about that little gem. And to be honest, I would have been totally happy with it for years to come. But then I got the opportunity to listen to a 500s. After that there was no going back for me.
The NCore offers tremendous bang for your buck. With its clean power and insightful sound, it delivers, say, 90% of what the 500s delivers. The pedigree is obvious. They both offer a very detailed, very neutral sound, with solid bass and wide soundstage. So why pay almost twice the price for the bigger brother? In short: involvement. More music, less equipment. Let me elaborate:
The sound stage of the NCore is very open and wide. So is the soundstage of the 500s, but this one is deeper. And even more: it adds hight to the soundstage. You have the feeling the ceiling went up 10 meters. it makes for a more 3D sound. Besides that, the sound is also slightly more forward, but at the same time there is more ‘air’. So the 500s has a very holographic sound. There really is more sense of the recording venue, be it a small jazz venue or a big church. This conveys even more atmosphere and space, acoustics. The feeling of ‘being there’. The musicians are also placed more accuratly, you can pinpoint them. Everything falls into place, it breathes.
High frequencies are just a little more fluid on the 500s, and the sound is still very clean. There is more of an analogue feel to them, though, they shine. Mids offer just a bit richer and more nuanced sound. So the character of instruments is slightly more pronounced, there is a little more colour. Listening to a guitar you can hear just a little bit more wood besides the metal strings, with grand piano I can hear where the metal strings end, and the copper strings begin. You can hear the reed of the saxophone, the resin on the strings of the violin, cymbals have gorgeous decay…
I wrote the NCore had phenomenal authority over the lower octaves. And it does. But with the 500s there turns out to be another abyss of low frequencies hidden underneath. I hear bass I did not know my speakers were capable of. It is also very well controlled. The combination of my speakers and the acoustics of my room give me a slight hump in the mid lows, which, with the NCore, resulted in an occasional booming sound. Not so with the 500s, the hump is under control, I have very clean tight bass now! As said very very deep, and also with more texture. Double bass has nice grunt!
So between the NCore and the 500s, it is a matter of the best being the enemy of the (very) good. In the end, with the 500s amp, music becomes more warm-blooded, more moving, bringing meaning, urgency and involvement. With this amp, music is not any longer only listened to, but becomes alive and almost palpable.
And that is worth something.
Anko –
This amp is really something! Built like a tank and nice looking. And above all: its sounds really good! It’s cristal clear with deep uncoloured bass and a 3-dimensional soundstage. Handles speakers with a difficult load very well.
It reveals exactly how the recording was done. Of course this means that a good recording sounds wonderful and a bad recording, well, it doesn’t sound that good…..
The amp is extremely revealing, so the matching with preamp, cabling and speakers is important. The amp does not run hot at all, stays lukewarm, even when turning the volume up quite a bit.
To sum it all up, this amp is a bargain, you really get a lot for your money. And communication with Sipko, the engineer and owner of IOM was a delight. He’s a very friendly and sincere person. Highly recommended!