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Living With A Class A Tube Amp

I'm ready to replace my venerable Prima Luna Dialogue One amp.  Just as I thought I had my choices sufficiently narrowed down, I came across Roger's EHF-100 integrated amp.  It has the features I'm looking for without any frills, and has sufficient wattage to power my Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII speakers   Checked out their web site and had an informative email conversation with Roger, who confirmed that this would be a good amp for my speaker. s and room.  He provided me with some useful information, but I need some info from Class A tube amp owners generally.

From what I gather Class A amps produce max power at all times, therefore run hotter than a typical amp.  How does this affect amp placement?  My current amp is on a heavy wooden table and in front of a curtained window.  Would the table need to be replaced?  Do I need Nomex curtains?   How does this heat affect tube life?  Any other internal components subject to accelerated aging due to the heat?  Any other thoughts from Class A amp owners would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John Cotner

New Ulm, MN 

jrcotner
Post removed 
ditusa's avatar
ditusa
1,887 posts
 

This is not a class A amp. It is a push pull.

From the Rogers website, see below:

’’Class A Design – The EHF-100 MK2 runs in full Class-A, which means the output tubes always pass current. This ensures that the power tubes are always operating in their optimal range, and yields the ultimate accuracy in music reproduction.’’

See website here!

Mike

tablejockey
3,915 posts
 

You may notice a bump  In your electricity bill Kwh usage and increased heat output compared to the PL- that's about it.

No additional accommodations necessary based on how you describe placement.

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,623 posts
 

Uh Huh....

 

ghdprentice
7,024 posts
 

I have Sonus Faber Amati which I am powering with 70wpc of triode tube power. It is more than sufficient. So, I would think the Rogers amp should be fine.

I cannot imagine there is anything wrong with your placement. The tubes are in the front. They are not going to get that hot. Running in class A will reduce the tube life.. so the output tubes will need to be replaced more often… maybe 2,000 hours… ask Mr. Rogers, and check on line about the price of replacements. I doubt it is a big deal.

Finally. Sure they use more power. So what… how long do you have them on a day? An hour? When my air conditioner is on round the clock it cost two or three bucks a day… and the amp is going to be a fraction of the power.

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