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Demo'ing Class A amps, Appreciation Suggestions from those who recently been there

I recently sold my Cary S120MKll Amp in 2 days. It was 60wpc triode.
Filling in with Pass Lab, baby DIY Class A Mono blocks. Maxing at 7 wpc.
My speakers are rated 94 Sensitivity older FSMs by Tannoy.

I have sampled so far in order of preference:

-Pass Labs XA25 -Disneyland color the way I like it. $4,900 new
-Leben 300 Int. 12 wpc. EL 84s by Golden Lion-Like an Upscale call girl. Seductive. $4,000 new-Not in the running-

-Lejonklou Boazu Int.-40wpc S.S. Class a/b-Totally Pure. Almost hurts to hear a guitar slide. $4,000 new
-Sugden Masterclass IA 4 Class A to 33wpc. Very smooth but surprisingly not a great match with my Tannoys. $6,000?

What else would you think might be worth a listen?
I want to go Solid State this time. I enjoy the Class A resolution.
Yes the Leben is an outlier someone offered and I said "Sure"! Done with hum otherwise.


I listen from a low of 60 db to high of 75 db.
Room is irregular and medium sized in terms of cubic
feet. Treated as needed.

I want an amp that is satisfying enough to keep for the long run.
Someday I may add the others for a different sound or with less efficient planars, etc.

Price range $5k max.
Used preferred.
Willing to wait.

Brands I am have not heard but read positive comments about:
Ayre, Naim, Linn

Thank you all in advance for your thoughts.
Please do not feel compelled to respond if you
have not been here in the last few years.





chorus
daveman2's avatar
daveman2
58 posts
 
So, I'll add my $0.02, even though this discussion is already pretty long. I am extremely happy with the Schiit Aegir. It is a champ of an amp (TM) and ridiculously low in cost. Class A, resolving, neutral, and with good power/drive. As a bonus, it has a switch on the front to de-bias the output in a standby mode. It can operate in stereo (single-ended only), or like I'm going to do soon, in mono (balanced only) for roughly double the power output.
celtic66
1,619 posts
 
Aforementioned Luxman and Accuphase are really really good.
bulldogger
262 posts
 
Krell XD. We can debate whether it's true class A but the sound is really special. Dynamics, bass slam and all at the same time not harsh or fatiguing. Make sure you hear Krell XD ; ).
kirk9
46 posts
 
Save your money and buy a modern Class D. The Benchmark AHB2 is the one to beat. Even the run-of-the-mill Hypex models will blow away nearly any Class A. I know, I'll catch a lot of flak for this post, but just give a listen.
audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,017 posts
 
Have you thought about thie Sugden class A amps? In particular the signature A21se? It goes well with my tannoys, and considering you are not listening loudly, it could be a very good choice for a reasonable outlay, only $3250. It is all analog with 5 line inputs plus a fixed tape out, and a variable pre out. Other than that just a simple remote. It is all I require and has a very nice tube like sound signature. 30 watts into 8 ohms, and 40 watts into 4 ohms. It does get hot during use but that does not present any issues for me. It has a beefed up power supply to achieve the above power output. My tannoys are 90 db efficient and seem to pair very nicely with the Sugden.at only 9 or 10 o’clock. I’m getting a very decent volume in my room which Is about 16 x 14, but also open to another area or space. The Sugden company has been around for a very long time and are based in the UK, Scotland, same as tannoy, and Linn. 
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