How long does Class A have?

@rocray you listed all my beloved stuff. However, recently I gave up the Class A and think my new Clas A/B Pilium Hercules monoblocks do at least the same job, actually way better. But the V8 and V Twin - no way to be replaced :).
As for Ms. Tunberg I would suggest to focus on promoting not eating grapes as this kills some unborn wine, cogniac, etc.

All Class A/B amps operate in Class A for at least a few watts. For many speakers this is enough for average listening levels!

mrmeaner OP
How long does Class A have?

So long as people want the very best, it’ll last forever.
Nothing comes close to a Linear Solid State >100w Pure Class-A that can also do big current down into low impedances.
IE: keep close to doubling wattage for each halving of impedance down to 2ohms

Cheers George

“The amplifier does not require any maintenance. While the design is conservative, this is a hard running amplifier, as single ended Class A operation is the least efficient operating mode. In fifteen years the electrolytic power supply capacitors will get old. Depending on usage, you will begin to have semiconductor and other failures between 10 and 50 years after date of manufacture. Later, the sun will cool to a white dwarf, and after that the universe will experience heat death.”

- Nelson Pass from my Aleph 1.2 manual

As my amps run on 230v I guess they draw 1/2 the current and 1/2 the power?

I wonder what a true blind test would reveal?

Why don't manufacturers list the amount of amps (current) their amplifiers and receivers put out.  It is nothing to do with watts.  It all has to do about current.

I think they hide this number because they know their amplifiers do not produce much current.

Wonder why this group doesn't talk about this?

Yeah Sugden .. a big fan .. P and C 51’s and also 2 integrated in the Past.

They are energy efficient as they do multiple tasks. Amplification and heating in 1 unit, how good is that !!! Perfect for cold climates, though lets not mention hot locations. These class D things can only do one thing ... pftttt

As others say sling a solar panel or 3 on your roof and you are instantly green and world luv’d .. I have 15Kw burbling along on my roof and am anxiously waiting for the day Batteries are actually cost effective !!

When you think of upgrading look at the Accuphase Class A amps, I now run an A70 behind a Supratek Dual DHT pre, BTW another valve heating unit !!
Long Live Class A and may your Class A amp continue to be a blessing.

Enjoy and stop worrying and dreaming about Greta .. Lol ..

@mrmeaner 

class a will be dead and gone in a matter of a few years

allow me to spare you the indignity of owning a hot mess of a doorstep

pm me, i will buy it at a steep discount from msrp... i am feeling charitable today, i will do it as a favor to you

:)

Who knows maybe even the micro-pellet nuclear reactors will come into vogue. :)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Popular mechanics last year had an issue that spoke of small neighborhood reactors.. The cool thing, it alluded to being VERY safe..
Rod disposal is the issue. I think this addressed it.. The Russians already have one that is floating just for energy production with minimum waste.. In winter months when BTU drops on natural gas, these guys pick up the slack without the carbon footprint increase to meet severe winter demands. Good idea.. Sure beats the Fukushima cover up.. Is that what Russia uses them for? I’d doubt it..

Sink it.. Problem gone.. Just have to worry about Godzilla’s, nephew or something..

Class A will never go away.. Just ME away from it. I don't miss my little heaters.. I'm on class Ds for another month and on to class A, A/B valves through the fall, winter, and spring.. To darn hot for the inland Bay Area.
20 degrees difference between where I live and the coast.. Over 110 a few times through the summers here..

Regards

Class A is a niche market. It's bought like jewelry because people want it. It will probably last forever.

I noticed the lead question mentioned a single ended class A amp. ALL single ended amps are classe  A. They have to be, the circuit is inherently class A. So if single ended amps last, so will class A.

A will be around until no one exists to prefer it over what is still possible.

Totally agree about Pass gear...and amazingly sound like "music" despite not containing a single tube.  

And with Thorium on the horizon, class A will cease to be a concern…

http://thorenergy.no

Class A is still very popular Pass labs 1st watt is very popular 
as well as their integrated 60  very good products if you have efficient speakers ,still a very solid choice.

I seem to notice that equipment in the "hifi" world that sounds good, tends to stick around for a long time.  Vinyl records with the right combo of equipment sounds good, and fill that niche for carrying on the torch of nostalgia.  Tube amps survived solid state amps, hence they are still around, and again, the nostalgia of tubed equipment lives on.  Class A amps, they sound good, and just like record spinners, and tube amps, they have their foibles but most importantly, it sounds good.  A few decades ago, I bought a pair of Nelson Pass's Aleph 1.2 Mono Class A bruisers; still have them, and they sound wonderful to this day.  

In short, if it sounds good, and Class A amps check that box, then it will have longevity in the market.  The designs will get better, the transistors plus transformers will get better, the caps will get better, hence technology will help keep Class A alive.  

And what’s with these “men” tailing aim at a young girl?

Threaten easily, do we?

It’ll be around. Fear not.

Tubes are still in use, vinyl is till being played, class A will be around.

As far as the environment goes, wonder what is dirtier to make. A gallium nitrate chip, or a class A chip.

Greta has never pretended to be anything but a kid.  Her consistent message is to listen to the scientists.  Stupid science.

Linear powered class D module with a low power, class A input preamp section is the future.  High powered Class A output is like using a V8.  Inefficient and wasteful.

Not long in general but if you have one and love it nobody will make you get rid of it. Also there will always be things sold as long as there are people who want to buy. But not many want to so expect to pay a premium for an increasingly niche item.

They have about as long as they work for because you are not going to see but a few true class a designs anyway, count yourself lucky that you have your sugden because class a will soon be a thing of the past.

@bpoletti  Be nice... this is an audio forum, no need for politics.

@mrmeaner  Perhaps a better question would be, how long does Class D have? 

I like Class A amps, V8 engines in my cars,and big V twins on by bikes. Oh ya,save the whales! 

+1 rh67

Class A is fine, compared to other items in the home there is little impact.

The big Evil is EV i had a Tesla S and their SUV and my electric bill went up $600 a month, the dial on my meter was moving so fast there was a constant whine. So i installed solar and two Tesla house batteries to the tune of 70k and my electric bill was still in the $200 a month range. I got rid of the Teslas and now the electric company is paying me monthly.

For everyone to be in an EV is a pipe dream the grid cannot handle what we have now let alone an EV world. So if someone complains tell them to complain to an EV owner.

Get yourself a nice solar power source and you’ll be just as environmentally conscious as anyone else.


Solar isn't very cost effective in Michigan for the amount of energy it produces. I'm on certainteed's advisory council in my area and they won't even offer photovoltaic shingles because we don't get enough sunlight.

@ebm
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Fortunately for the planet, big iron Audiophiles are a dying breed. We’ll self select ourselves out of being important.

In California a combination of power crunch and environmental factors have caused the state to mandate energy efficiency for new pre-built PCs. Sales of those far outweigh the hobbyist PC gamer/builder. This is kind of an analog for the audio hobbyist.

They aren’t coming for your tubes let alone Class A amp for a long long time.

Lastly the issue isn’t how much you consume it’s how it is generated. Get yourself a nice solar power source and you’ll be just as environmentally conscious as anyone else.  Who knows maybe even the micro-pellet nuclear reactors will come into vogue. :)

When it comes, and it likely will come, it will come in the form of a consumption tax on electricity. A sin tax if you will. Or maybe a luxury item consumption tax (similar to a gas-guzzler tax). Just a matter of time.



I don't think that will happen because that would be a hit to electric cars, the powers that be wouldn't want that.

One year and 2 days perhaps, then gone! 

Sugden good. Just install solar panels.

@ebm 

!

2 days and its history.

I have solar panels that cover 72% of our family use and I buy energy credits to make up the rest.

Until we get out of gas cars and flying all over the place, Class A amps is a drop in the ocean. 

They sound great. They will continue to be made, sold, and enjoyed. My two cents.

When it comes, and it likely will come, it will come in the form of a consumption tax on electricity. A sin tax if you will. Or maybe a luxury item consumption tax (similar to a gas-guzzler tax). Just a matter of time.

I hear you, and obviously the vacuum cleaner market is larger, and I’m not sure of your whereabouts but in the EU we had the power of vacuums, lightbulbs etc targeted quite tightly, I just think someone will come along and pick on them, I hope not mind. 

The size of the Class A hifi audio amp market literally doesn't move the needle on global environmental impact and the earth's carbon footprint. Much more lower hanging fruit for any activists or policy interest groups to go after first - most obviously a move away from fossil fuels and on to renewables.  It would be much more meaningful to power our societies (including our Class A amps) with offshore wind, solar, waste to energy, etc power sources.  Anyone who cares about policy would be taking this approach and not targeting individual devices.

It seems likely, or possible, that mixed Class-A, A/B and Class-D could serve out three or 4 channels of sound to Tweeters, MR and woofers.
But that would likely happen with speakers that are powered and have some DSP to serve as the basis for an active XO.
However the Hypex Class-D plate amps and the recent Purifi Class-D, would examples of Class-D aps that could be seen as obviating most of the Class-A advantages.