Eeyore writes:

Have you ever spent any time listening to a true Class A solid state
amplifiers ?

Any comments on how it sounded compared to any other types ?

5-6 years ago I went through a rather extensive amp eval period, trying
serveral different solid state and tube amps, the most expensive being a
$6K Levinson and the cheapest a $400 Parasound. Power outputs ranged from
20 wpc to 200. Load was a pair of soffit-mounted Tannoy SGM10Bs with
Mastering Lab crossovers. The room is treated, and has few problems
and reveals much.

Most of the amps sounded pretty good. The tube amp, a Bel, I believe, had
some nice qualities in the mid range but was otherwise dull or muffled
sounding. All were AB, with one exception.

The winner was the 30 wpc class-A Pass Labs Aleph 3 -- not because it was
"oooh" this and "ahhh" that, it simply was the least colored. Once you
"heard" its transparancy, it was the other amps that started to sound
colored.

Its failing, however, had to do (apparently) with less than ideal LF
damping and/or lower power. This, as well as some LF IM problems attached
to the Tannoys, disappeared once I added subs and biamped (had to mod the
active xover -- good design, crappy parts), crossing over just above the
Tannoy port frequency at 60 Hz. (This is a hybrid 3-way system -- active
LF xover, but passive for the mid and top.)

It's a hell of a system for the money, and nice to mix on.

Class A has it merits if you can get into it for a reasonable price and
know some of the negatives (such as heat and weight).

Frank Stearns
Mobile Audio


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