The New Benchmark in Reference Stereo Power
The NuPrime Evolution STA-SE is not merely an update; it is a reimagining of what a reference-class stereo power amplifier can achieve. By combining our award-winning Only Distortion Cancellation (ODC) technology with a revolutionary ANC GaN (Gallium Nitride) Power Supply, the STA-SE delivers an staggering 400W per channel of pure, effortless authority.
Building on the “giant-killing” reputation of its predecessor, the Special Edition pushes the boundaries of transparency, speed, and musicality, offering the liquid warmth of Class-A with the surgical precision and explosive dynamics that define the NuPrime sound.
The STA-SE continues to utilize NuPrime’s breakthrough Only Distortion Cancellation (ODC) Class-D design:
- Unlike traditional designs that use a global feedback loop, ODC derives its error signal directly from the MOSFET devices and output filter. This approach resulted in a substantial reduction in distortion THD+N of 0.002%. This surgical level of precision results in a sound that is entirely neutral and transparent.
- High-Speed Resolution: Operating at a 650kHz switching frequency, the STA-SE captures the complex harmonic structure of live music, delivering a “holographic” soundstage that is both wider and deeper than its predecessor.
Revolutionary ANC GaN Power Supply Technology
Advanced GaN Power Factor Correction with Active Noise Cancellation
How it Works:
- The ANC Feedback Loop: Much like high-end noise-canceling headphones, the STA-SE’s power supply monitors the AC line for noise and ripple. It then generates an “anti-noise” signal to cancel out interference in real-time. This reduces power supply noise to levels previously thought achievable only by massive, expensive linear transformers.
- Dual-Phase Interleaved Topology: By interleaving two power phases, the STA-SE significantly reduces ripple current and ensures a smoother, more stable delivery of energy.
- Efficiency Meets Authority: The GaN semiconductors operate at switching speeds far beyond traditional silicon. This allows for near-instantaneous current delivery (up to 40A) and a near-perfect power factor, ensuring that the amplifier remains cool and unshakeable even when driving the most difficult, low-impedance speakers.
Gallium Nitride High Frequency High Efficiency Power Module (Gan HFHFPM)
Beyond the PFC stage, the Evolution STA-SE employs new-generation GaN semiconductor modules for the critical power conversion stages that supply the amplifier circuits. The choice of GaN semiconductors over traditional silicon-based solutions enables this extraordinary power density (400W x 2) while maintaining excellent thermal characteristics and switching efficiency. This translates to reduced heat generation and improved long-term reliability.
Engineering Excellence Through Miniaturization
Perhaps most remarkably, this advanced power supply system delivers performance equivalent to traditional transformer-based power supplies while occupying only one-fourth the physical space and weighing merely 20% of conventional designs. This dramatic reduction in size and weight opens new possibilities for amplifier design and placement flexibility without compromising performance.
The Sonic Signature: “Liquid Precision”
- The Bass: Authoritative, rock-solid, and richly textured. With high current capability and exceptional control, low frequencies are delivered with speed, weight, and precision — not just heard, but felt, maintaining perfect timing even in complex passages.
- The Midrange: Full-bodied, natural, and saturated with a Class-A-like warmth inspired by the NJR MUSES8820 op-amp stage. Vocals and instruments possess a lifelike presence, allowing the speakers to disappear within a wide and deep soundstage that reveals even the most subtle details without artificial enhancement.
- The Treble: Refined, airy, and extended, free from the ringing or brightness often associated with high-power switching amplifiers. Ultra-low distortion and a clean background ensure delicate nuances emerge with purity and realism.
- Dynamics: Fast, expansive, and effortlessly powerful. From the subtlest micro-details to large-scale orchestral crescendos, the presentation maintains clarity at the deepest layers, offering greater dynamic range, scale, and transparency throughout.
Technical Highlights
- Massive Output: 400W x 2 RMS @ 8 Ohms and 4 Ohms. The maximum RMS output is 400W per channel; therefore, both 4-ohm and 8-ohm loads receive the same power.
- Dual-Mono Configuration: Truly independent power paths for left and right channels to eliminate crosstalk and maximize imaging precision.
- High-Speed Switching: Operating at 650kHz, the switching frequency allows for a resolution that approaches the finest analog designs.
- The entire power path fully adopts 40A ultra-high current and low resistance terminals. Improve current dynamic capability. Total of 52,000uF power supply filter capacitors.
- Preamp stage and Class D oscillation circuit utilizing high-end NJR MUSES8820 op-amp.
- Featuring Furutech FP900 RCA inputs and high-conductivity binding posts for an uncompromized connection.
- High quality copper PCB trace instead of usual cables are used to connect the power supply to the amplifier’s circuitry, maximizing power delivery.
- Resonant-Free Chassis: Mounted on NuPrime’s proprietary vibration-damping isolation feet.
Why the Evolution STA-SE?
Reviewers of the original STA noted it was “difficult to criticize” and “kept them listening late into the night.” The STA-SE takes that winning formula and adds nearly double the power and a next-generation GaN power architecture. It is the ultimate choice for the audiophile who demands the soul of a tube amp and the muscle of a powerhouse solid-state, without the heat, weight, or distortion of either.
