Amps that don’t impersonate space heaters.


There have been some epically hot periods in metropolitan Chicago this summer. I have had a long running affair with a pair of Avantgarde Uno s2’s and don’t really require a great deal of power. I have two dissimilar but equally compelling amps (a Pass 30.5 and a BAT vk-56) both prodigeous producers of heat creating a sauna like environment in my library/listening room the HVAC system not withstanding. What, if anything, have you boys and girls found that might replicate the qualities of my beloved amps minus the potential for 3rd degree burns and heat prostration?
Cheers and good fortune to you all. 

williamjohnston

True class A burns full power all the time, and even if it's cool to the touch due to large heatsinks, it's still using that power and dissipating it as heat in the room.

I've read that the newest Mola Mola classD monos are even better than their well reviewed prior amps. GTT might do an in house audition like they do for the Tambaqui. Everyone keep in mind the power our systems draw wrt to climate change. My ML-532H sounds great and "only" draws 80w at idle, so it's quite cool. It's also very low noise and low distortion but at 300w it may be too much power for the OP.

Please write a follow up post telling us what you auditioned and went with. My next amp will probably be a GaN class-D mono to reduce the power draw.

My amp puts out 200/400 and is stable at 2 ohms (550)....powers my Maggies without breaking sweat and sounds sublime. Unfortunately, I guess the name doesn't have the cache for some "audiophile" despite glowing reviews since it was introduced a few years ago. I don't even try to talk anyone into it anymore.

 

secretguy

1,678 posts

 

My amp puts out 200/400 and is stable at 2 ohms (550)....powers my Maggies without breaking sweat and sounds sublime. Unfortunately, I guess the name doesn't have the cache for some "audiophile" despite glowing reviews since it was introduced a few years ago. I don't even try to talk anyone into it anymore.

 

great recommendation for the OP! Now he can add another amplifier to his list of amps to consider.