The Atmasphere GaN amp was designed by a foremost tube amp designer and can be found used on hifishark in your price range if you’re patient. Best of luck.
Class A\B or D for summer months (vs Class A)
I have a Pass XA25 with a XP20 pre-amp with Forte iV speakers.I bounce back & forth between streaming local content & vinyl. Noise floor is low, sound quality is good through the volume range - Classic rock, hard rock, blues rock... Typical late 70's through 90's mainstream bangers.
Last summer I did notice the XA25 amp and my central air were battling it out a little in the listening room. The amp had no issues and runs warm regardless of season. I guess I notice it more when I'm looking to stay cool vs stay warm.
I have a Benchmark LA4 preamp that I used prior to the Pass XP20. I'm sure there's good synergy between the Benchmark LA4 and Benchmark AHB2 amp so the AHB2 has been on my 'investigate further' list.
I'm a little worried that it might be too thin or sterile vs the XP25. The AHB2 would certainly help reduce the heat.
Anyone been down a similar path with thoughts to share?
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You shouldn’t be restricted by your imbalanced AC unit. Run any amp you want in perfect comfort. My listening room was furthest from the AC unit and couldn’t keep cool. Installed a mini split AC unit. Runs perfectly quiet.(no, really, it’s silent) I noticed that they use the same units in PS Audio listening rooms also. I Use it like a light swtich. You can see the mini split unit on the right wall up near the ceiling over pauls head. |
Thanks for the time & replies. Encouraging news on the XA25\AHB2 direct comparison. Also great to get some alternative amplifier options to pull up and review. The room AC isn't a drastic or large comfort issue. It's just noticeable to have the heat from the amp rising from the rack as the cool air comes in from the ceiling. I'm sure there's a small itch to try some new gear, and I'm still evaluating the purchase heavily. The Pass amp & pre are really delivering. It's nice to test & learn, and there always seems to be some lost time and cash involved when things don't meet expectations.
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@tbac23 I listen to a class D amp year round. I'd put it up against any Pass Labs amp with no worries. It replaced a set of class A tube monoblocks and I've not had any reason to look back. But you might also consider that if your amp makes heat there's a simple way to move it out of the room without air conditioning. If you can place a vent in the ceiling above the amp, you can used dryer hose and a small fan to vent warm air out of the house. That's a lot cheaper than air conditioning. Works best if the vent is directly above the amp. |
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