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

Great Question! 

I had a pass labs xa25.  Loved the amp but it was = to having 4 60 watt light bulbs on.  Yes there was heat and yes I didn't like it because I was running my AC in the summer while a small heater was on.

The sound was great and likely at some point in the future I will get another one but only for a sound diff.  I switched to SPL S1200 power amp which runs cooler than the SPL Preamp!  

JH

Hot amps are more likely to catch fire.   Here is Art Dudleys humorous account of an amp catching fire in his house .

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Hot amps are more likely to catch fire.

I read that story and my first question would be something about the fuse that was used in the amp that caused such a mess.

If there were even the slightest chance that naming the manufacturer would spare someone else this inconvenience and potential danger, I would do so, but the law of averages suggests that the next time a modern electrolytic capacitor fails in such spectacular fashion, it will be in the power supply of a product from a different company. 

That lame excuse does not hold up to scrutiny, at least not in my country which bears no similarities with America.  The dodgy manufacturer ought to be named and shamed.  Should lives have been lost the dude would be guilty of criminal negligence.

I do hesitate before leaving the house for more than a couple of minutes with the amp on. My amp is not near anything but even if a tube blows, I want to be able to shut down quickly. When the power goes on, I’m home for awhile. 

Years ago I had a nice Threshold T200 that claimed Class A but was a terrible match for MartinLoga SL3s so I sold it and kept looking, mostly AB stuff.

Then I picked up a W4S STI-1000 and for good or bad it seems to power my watt-hungry speakers superbly with zero noise and a good tonal balance, not fat.

And I put recently acquired used W4S SX-500 monos on the old SL3s (now in a movie room) and those 10" woofers never spoke so authoritatively.

If I had enough money I'd love to try a big Class A amp because my speakers shine better with more clean power. You'd need the money for electric as well if you leave the amps on. I noticed our power bill drop when the old McCormack DNA-1 was turned off and pulled out of one system.