When I started designing and prototyping my bass amp, I was blown away at how efficient the 700AS power amp module was.
With just this hearsink screwed to it, no thermal grease, I played about an hour, at probably 75% volume and could lay my hand on the heatsink. Freaking awesome!
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I had the 2000 mono board ice amps at my house and they actually had the best bass I’ve heard, an over-all were very good, but that’s just my opinion.
I had 1000asp that flaked out on me, then later with the replacement (as was purchased from PE and under warranty) that hanged 2 500 modules off of (1000+500x2), then that one power supply started ticking. Later converted to dual mono linear supplies and sounded great, the 2x500 modules, sold it off. But had numerous 125x2 modules when they could be had on ebay for like 125 each that were rock solid and great performers. Was from the days I was doing all active in family room needing 8 channels (3ways + 2way center). Later would use drv134 boards to btl the 2x125’s and never had issues driving 4 ohm loads btl, tons of power.
Back in the late 2000’s, I used to have ‘contractor’ account with hypex, about 40% off. Would build ucd180 or ucd400’s amps but was like pulling teeth to sell them on secondary market as I was too sloppy and ‘black market’ selling amps where was too easy to blow up the modules if shorted outputs on accident. Like Hagrid, oh i shouldn’t have said that… But to the point, recently bought ucd400’s with HxR which is upgraded input modules with regulated ps filters to that stage, powered with connex 600watt smps and sound much better than I remember from back in 2000’s.
Havent been too happy trying various tpa3255 modules, even the ASR touted boards - every time feels like they are current constrained and even all the social media hyped ones like fosi or aiyama, sound great in mid highs compared to crap class D modules (like those 15-40 buck amazon things) but sometimes wonder if all these people hyping those up are using sub assist as just didnt have the balls compared to my ‘audiophile’ amp (proceed) or esp101 or even many of the pass 25wpc-ers.
Though I did pick up a pair of those frugal Extron 1002 amps, put into convenient holder so have rca inputs and binding post outs - they sound very neutral, can tell not have the gusto of the bigger class D hypex or icepower, but suit my need to play with active 3 ways again for the mid tweet, use a crown xls2002 for low end - minidsp htx for dsp duties. 100-125 buck outlay for the 2 extrons to achieve good performing 4 channel makes me smile.
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Really clean build. Nice! I’m wondering, assuming they fit, are these cases reusable for different amps?
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Hi Brian, the cases come pre-drilled for a number of different amp modules, so in that sense they are reusable. Information about the supported modules is on the Ghent Audio web site.
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Here’s a photo of how the 300W monos are being used. I use green LEDs for the Icepower monoblock enclosures, because I also have Hypex amps that are using blue LEDs, and a couple stereo amp chassis (including the Icepower 200AS2 and a Hypex NC122MP that I don’t use because it has a nasty turn-off pop) that are using white LEDs.
The IcePower 300AS1 amps are being fed by a SMSL RAW-MDA1 DAC, using the built in volume control of the DAC. This combination sounds really, really good. (That’s reviewer-speak.)
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How do the 1200 sound compared to the 300? If they sound as good, great to have extra power on hand, though 300 should also be plenty enough for daily use!
I have a couple of ASX125 boards. How do you btl them? Supposed to have 400 watts in 4 ohms.
I don’t have head to head listening impressions of the 1200 vs the 300, but the 300 are plenty good for most normal listening; I don’t notice a clear character to them except for the typical Class-D solid and exact presentation. The 1200 have superior measured performance and more power, and they sound fantastic, but they are also more expensive. I have something planned for the 1200AS1 monoblocks that might be able to sink their full power output on dynamic transients (a BIG speaker), but the 300AS1 are a very good sounding module for mere mortal speakers.
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RESTOCKED ICEpower 700AS1 @ PE $212. I use one for my sub. Has signal sense that brings it out of and back into standby on it own. BALANCED input only 
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You can run single ended input. Especially since its capable of accepting a 12V swing on the input.
For prosperity…
Here’s the circuit I use to turn a single ended signal to balance driver for the IcePower module.
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Thanks Eric, what i am not sure about is - does sending a balanced signal automatically turn a ASX125 into BTL mode utilizing both inputs? Need to re-look at the documentation, but I am still not very sure of the connections.
Ani, Send balanced + to Ch2 input and balanced - to Ch1 input. Make note of the pins used for output as well.
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Thanks, this helps - it was there somewhere!
The plan is to get a RPi 5 and the hifiberry 8ch DAC. Then I can do either 8 ch DSP or 4 ch BTL for going active. All I have is the 125(4x) modules for now, need to get the Pi and 8ch DAC. The hifiberry DAC can be configured for 8ch single ended or 4 ch Balanced, i think.
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Might even be able to do a 6ch one for 3 way with single ended to 2 modules and balanced to 2 modules with a hight power for the woofer.
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Ani, I have both the hifiberry Dac8x and Studio Dac8x (balanced). I have yet to play with the Studio version, but I use 4 channels from the Dac8x into 2 AMP-3210T for the Barium speakers and then 2 channels from the Dac8x to create balanced for the 700AS1 for the sub. I feed a digital signal from a WiiM Pro into the Pi5.
I think i saw your setup in the old forum. You are in the Minneapolis area right - I should check out your system. The source for this would either be the Rpi or the Wiim ultra.
I didn’t know the Studio balanced version was available. The DAC8x would give me the most flexibility with the 4 125ASX2 modules - 4 ch balanced, 6 ch and 8 ch active.
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Yes, I’m in the north metro. Yeah, we should schedule a time
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Hi Ani and others,
I had a chance to hear the 1200AS1 Monos when I brought them to the house of my friend Steve Fishe, who has some excellent ancillary gear to evaluate them with (mine is still ‘coming soon’) - Bluesound Vault 2i, BAT VK-5i preamp, and Joseph Audio RM33 Limited Edition three-way towers hot-rodded with marble side panels. I have heard the supposed state-of-the-art amps from Hypex (NCx500) with the same system, and those are certainly good amps, but I have been less than sold on them - I found them to have overdamped bass, distinct mid-treble glare, and turn every soundstage into a 2-dimensional curtain hanging between the speakers. The 1200AS1 are sonically superior to this; they are the first Class-D amps I have heard to sound close to the honesty of Class-AB amps, but with monstrous power, while keeping soundstages 3-dimensional. They are also load-independent, which can only be achieved by post-filter feedback, so they’re doing everything a modern Class-D amp should be doing. They have a true high-end sound that will satisfy someone who is used to having the good stuff around.
Special mention is also due for the 200AS2 module - for the price, it is incredible, and it ended up being our favorite. We tested it on the above mentioned Joseph Audio speakers, as well as some older Legacy Focus SE, Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor, and ProAc Response 1 SC, with a front end consisting of a Spectral preamp, Denafrips Ares II R2R DAC, and BlueSound Node 5i, and for its size the 200AS2 amp pumped out firm, powerful low end, vivid, uncolored midrange, and smooth, clear, grain-free treble, with good three-dimensionality and width to the soundstage. The presentation through the Legacy Focus SE was wide-awake, high-resolution, and engaging. Steve has occasionally dabbled in Class-D with Hypex NCore NC400 and some others, but rarely been satisfied - yet the 200AS2 stereo amp in the little Ghent case won us both over, and that amp is staying with him while I build another for myself, since it is still my favorite amp for driving my Thiel CS1.7 speakers.
I hope this gives some color to the type of sonic performance we are talking about.
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