2. amps-preamps
  3. 150286-53619

Again the topic of weight of amps

I see this has been covered but not recently.
I have had a few amps in the 100+ pound range.
I liked them enormously but I am in a small space and am tired of dealing with these behemoths when I need to move them around and the real estate they take up. They were all wonderful in their way and I would like to have kept them but for their immobility. But can one find true love after such heavy weights with a feather weight 55 pounder?
Have technological advances in 2019 made such a thing possible? I had a pass 350.8 which I loved but you can't keep a Stonehenge rock in an apartment living room.

roxy1927
noble100's avatar
noble100
2,419 posts
 
geoffkait:"Are you out of mind?"

Hello geoffkait,
    Yes, I am out of mind. Because you failed to recognize the subtlety of my admirable restraint. I'm not mad at you, just a bit disappointed. I either need you to be at the top of your game or I need to rely on the moderator letting me slide.  I got lucky.

    Please dust yourself off, focus on precision which we both know allows for a larger margin of error, climb back onto that saddle and ride like the wind!

Thank you,
    Tim
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano
2,653 posts
 
Benchmark AHB2  
Light and wonderful.
dctom
108 posts
 
Active speakers are a good way to save space.
taww's avatar
taww
124 posts
 
For < 60 lbs or so I can recommend the Bryston 4B3 and Valvet A4 Mk II monos  (review forthcoming for both). The Bryston has more than enough power for most people and while the Valvet is only 55w, it sounds equally dynamic with a reasonable load, and it has the magical liquidity of Class A. Depending on your speakers it should be plenty for an apartment. 

On Class D I have heard them sound pretty good but it is just a matter of taste and maybe even physiology. I’m still fairly convinced that different people react differently to the unique characteristics, and for some it just sounds unnatural. For me my most recent exposure was the Bel Canto Black and while it was impressively quiet and clear, the instrumental textures still didn’t feel completely natural to me. (I’m a violinist and my wife is an oboist.) If it sounds fantastic to you that’s great, but I wouldn’t assume it does for everyone in every system and with all music, and these constant debates to the contrary get rather tiresome...

Cheers,
TAWW
wspohn's avatar
wspohn
597 posts
 
First question is why one would need to move power amps other than when they are first installed....can't think of any good reason, but you could always invest in some amp stands with casters.

I tend to prefer Class A and Class B with big power supplies, so I have four amps over 100 lbs. in use (and another backup that is only about 70 lbs.) As I almost never need to move them, the weight is never an issue.

Having said that, the power amp in my main system right now is a tube amp that weighs only about 50 lbs. - maybe that is a way you could go....
More to discover