Class A\B or D for summer months (vs Class A)


I have a Pass XA25 with a XP20 pre-amp with Forte iV speakers.I bounce back & forth between streaming local content & vinyl. Noise floor is low, sound quality is good through the volume range - Classic rock, hard rock, blues rock... Typical late 70's through 90's mainstream bangers.

Last summer I did notice the XA25 amp and my central air were battling it out a little in the listening room. The amp had no issues and runs warm regardless of season. I guess I notice it more when I'm looking to stay cool vs stay warm.

 

I have a Benchmark LA4 preamp that I used prior to the Pass XP20. I'm sure there's good synergy between the Benchmark LA4 and Benchmark AHB2 amp so the AHB2 has been on my 'investigate further' list.

I'm a little worried that it might be too thin or sterile vs the XP25. The AHB2 would certainly help reduce the heat.

Anyone been down a similar path with thoughts to share?

 

tbac23

I have to second the notion of using the available funds to fix or supplement the AC. I had the same issue in my office where I have my headphone rig. I have several tube amps there which all give off quite a bit of heat. I would have never even considered switching to SS or something of the sort, but that's just me. In your case, I feel like you heat problem will remain even if you change amps. If you notice any difference, it likely won't be enough.

In my case, it turns out the main return was undersized for the house. I guess they didn't do the best job at calculating those 20 years ago. I added an additional small return outside my office door which is in the opposite end of the house from the main return. I also added a larger dedicated run to my office off the main duct and installed a bigger vent. If this hadn't worked, my next move was mini-split.

On the other hand, a new amp to switch things up for a few months out of the year sounds like fun too. Best of luck with whichever path you take!

You can't beat.a class A for room heating during the winter!  (Luxman, driving Forte IV's)

I hate to sound like a shill for Infigo, but they have a cool Class-A technology. Excellent sounding amplifiers and do not put out much heat.  

I went from class D to the Simaudio Moon 330A. Excellent amp, beautiful, a little more power than the ABH2, perfect footprint for my space (like the ABH2), runs cool, and if lightly used, within your price range. Paired it with the BHK pre. Perfect!

You can't beat.a class A for room heating during the winter!

@fatdaddy2 Here in Minnesota even a class A high powered triode amp has no dent on the room temperature...