Ditching Class A Amps due to Heat - Sort of a Poll

@jerryg123 

WOW. Hard to imagine that people thinking they could find anything at twice the MSRP to be better, although, W4S has been beta testing a new kind of GaN amp that eliminates the dac. I haven't found anything about it, but...

WFS probably has the EAS GaN digital amp boards and is testing them. Digital amps are the future....all DACs, preamps, and normal amps are now officially history.....he he. If you play CDs only, the best sound will be to burn the CD (with treatments done to it) onto a hard drive and play it from a streamer or computer into the digital amp. There will be integrated fully digital amps (more advanced than Technics and Lyndorf) that will have a coax input and volume control built in so you can play a CD transport directly into them.....there will be tons of these kinds of products out. It’s only just begun.....add to this that you can bi and tri and quad amp with these things and get rid of all the crossover parts.....and you can even make your own speakers as all you need is woofer/box alignment or use open baffle and equalize (digitally). We are in for a wild fun ride.......AND when you add getting off the grid using a big Giandel Inverter and using the Puritan line filter and ground filter system with dedicated ground rod just for your stereo!?!?!?!?! OH YEAH......you will never need to go to an audio show again......Nirvana will be at home.....and affordable. You can do all of this RIGHT NOW! The Peachtree GaN 1 amps are for sale......buy two for biamping....buy three for triamping.....OMG!!!!!!!

Am I repeating myself?  The GOOD NEWS is worth repeating.

If someone is going to ditch their class A system because of heat, I guess a tube system is kicked out the door too! Really, the only drawback I can see in a class A is energy waste from heat dissipation.  Enough it may raise the electric bill. However in this forum that's not a problem . 

I moved from Class A/B to Class D - first to Bel Canto Ref 1000 MkII and then upgraded to Mola Mola Kalugas. Little heat, small footprint and superb power and dynamics. For me no going back to backbreaking heavy amps, even if i maybe compromising a thing or two.

To answer the OP, one of the main goals for my system was to reduce the heat in my room. I live in SoCal where temps average 85-95 degrees in the summertime, sometimes more, and electricity rates are high. I like to avoid using the air conditioner if I can.

In 2015, I had an 80 watt OTL amplifier, Class A. It was the proverbial space heater. I had a listening outfit - tank top and shorts, no socks. Not really a good look for an aging, balding audiophile. But the sound was marvelous and worth it.

The amps that replaced it are 8 watt SET mono blocks, also Class A. They barely raise the temperature in my room. It is only 70 degrees today, which is also the temperature in my listening room. I am wearing a sweater, long pants, and socks. I feel dignified. I have had my SET mono blocks for 7 years now.

When I got my SET's, I noticed that my electricity bill went down by about $75 a month. 7 years at $75 a month is $6300. My SET amps cost less than that, so I like to think that the energy savings ended up paying for them. In addition, the sound is better than ever before. Hallelujah!