High Current Monoblocks

Peter_s...The "Double down" criteria is a good test of a decent power supply.
Another criteria which might be more appropriate for music is "headroom". I think this word describes the ability to deliver an undistorted waveform when the peak (brief duration) voltage is well above what the amp can deliver continuously. In practice this would mean high "rail" voltages that will "sag" if a correspondingly high output voltage is required continuously. Don't like that "sag"? No problem. Just give me another $1000 for a bigger power supply,and more output transistors, but if you don't listen to continuous ear-splitting sine waves it will gain you nothing (except audiophile bragging rights).

Here's a good explanation of "high-current" (see the "best answer" at the top of this page). As I understand it, it basically means that the amp has a whole lot of idle power immediately available on tap when it is needed (as in Class A designs - read HOT). The KWA I use, as some other designs, are Class A for the the first 'X' watts and then A/B for those after. Still, it runs pretty dam hot in high-bias (around 140 degrees F). Sound is outstanding though.

Dodgealum - thanks for that clarification. I'm surprised that Lou likes the Parasounds - I've only heard those amps sounding mighty cold and sterile to my ears...never heard them with his speakers though. I've not heard the Claytons at all. Indeed, the KWA does run hot and is large. I've had the Bel Canto Ref. 1000's for a while and enjoyed them (original version), but after living with them for many months I ended up going back to tubes for the added level of presence they offered. I heard the new Ref's at CES and they sounded great there but cannot recall the speakers they were using and obviously could not compare to anything directly. Another amp I liked a whole lot is the Ayre V5Xe, which deserves consideration, it is a bit smaller than the KWA and does run cooler as I recall. Never compared the two head-to-head so couldn't comment, but enjoyed both very much. Good luck - nice speakers!

I would add the Tube Research Labs Samson monoblocks to the list you are considering. These amps are not as small as the Nuforce, Claytons, or Channel Islands amps, but they are smaller and lighter than many of the Class A behemoths such as Plinius and Pass Labs. I have an ordinary rack, and they fit comfortably in it, albeit not side by side. They run absolutely cool to the touch, and the sound is utterly astonishing--to say they have "serious control of the bottom end while being musically correct" is an understatement.

Grannyring wrote an outstanding review on these amps that I recommend and agree with. Needless to say, I'm deliriously happy with mine.

Good luck in your search!

Jax--thanks for the link. I get so "glazy" when I read these things. Yikes, maybe I'm not cut out for this hobby! Not to speak for Lou but my impression is that his current (pardon the pun) favorite amp for the Daedalus line is the Modwright, while the Claytons are a close second. The JC-1's were something he recommended a while back for his older designs--I'm not sure he would put them in the same category now.

Why do I need a high current design? Great question! I'm a little perplexed as well since the DA-1.1's are very efficient (as noted by Tvad) and do not, as far as I'm aware, present a difficult impedance dip (though I do not have specs on this). My understanding about amplifier matching is based primarily on my conversations with Lou who seems to prefer high current designs. Maybe I'm getting too hung up on this criteria, which I do not really understand fully. Also, I'm generally agree with Brauser about staying in the family to avoid problems with synergy. I thought about the new ARC SD135, which puts out 60amps of current, but amps like the Claytons, even at 50wpc Class A, put out 100amps. This is all a bit of a mystery to me and, unfortunately, I'm not in a position to listen to a whole bunch of amps to really discern for myself whether the pursuit of "high current" is really all that important relative to other qualities of an amplifier. Thanks for the suggestions everyone.