2. amps-preamps
  3. 162052-34747

suggestion for a SS class AB amp that sounds like a class A ... if such a thing exists

Looking for an amplifier below 2K for my Altec 620A (99 db efficiency). My actual amp is a Sugden A25B, which has 34 watts/chanel in class AB. Although quite musical, it lacks transparency and details. Of course, the best amplifier would be tube or class A but I'm trying to avoid these because of the heat and the electricity bill (my amp is on all day long). My short list include :

  • Audio by Van Alstine Set-120
  • Ayre AX 7e (used)
  • Sugden Mystro (class AB)
  • Benchmark AHB2 (used)

NOTE : please, no class D since I'm not familiar with it (and pretty skeptic too).
128x128alaindexe
kevin1852
1 posts
 
Not as well know, but I recently acquired an LFD LE VI.  Hand built in UK  Extremely smooth and liquid, kick ass bass, and pleasent top end.

50 solid watts of AB, drives my 84 db spendor A4s with absolute ease. It would really pack a punch in some sensitive speakers as mentioned.

Think, handbuilt smoother sounding Naim.
ernesto14
6 posts
 
I have a spectral dma 50 amp, 80wx2, a/B, sounds  dinamic and trasparent, with details, and I m very happy with it. 
They say that a j roland model one, 60wx2, can have more punch. 
audiobrian
183 posts
 
Consider GamuT D200 series amplifiers, all iterations have excellent tonality (‘class A like’), are detailed and very musical. 200/400/700 WPC mates with most all loudspeakers. 
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano
2,653 posts
 
Benchmark used with a tube preamp.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
a SS class AB amp that sounds like a class A
This thread is going nowhere. As it doesn’t address the OP’s thread title

Nothing repeat nothing! solid state A/B (low bias A) sounds like a 20w> high bias Class-A amp.
As there is no xover distortion in Class-A when the top and bottom transistors switch over from each other, because they’re still both biased into Class-A.
The transistor xover distortion is most noticeable in the highs, (strings, piano, tops of female high notes etc) on a low bias Class-A/B amp when it switches to B, after a couple of watts.

You need around 20w of Class-A to make it disappear on a A/B amp, then it gets too hot because of the rail voltage to get it to be 100w in Class-B. The A’s heat goes up exponentially. compared to just having a 20w class-A push pull with no Class-B

So go back to my first post, bi-amp with a simple 20w Class-A for the highs (no B and not very hot). Then an A/B for the bass.
https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/2065044

PS: last weekend we listened to Wilson Alexia MkII’s driven by a Class-A/B Gryphon Antillion Evo (it’s got 3 Class-A bias settings 10w 30w and 100w, switchable on the fly), we were listening mainly to streaming v cd, and at the end of the session we decided to go from 30w to 100w, all of us heard the improvement within seconds, and felt the room heat up after 1/2hr. (Didn’t change the streaming v cd outcome though).

Cheers George
More to discover