Class A watts vs Class A/B watts

I agree with Oakleys, I love Class A amps. There is a naturalness to them akin to tubes, though many Class A amps are tubed of course. I find class A/B solid state, largely unlistenable in the long term. There is a grain, grey tone to them, I can'nt live with. There are exceptions of course, the only one I can think of, was the Lavardin IT.

I use a Pathos Inpol now, a 50watt Class A, tube mosfet hybrid, I just love it. Compare it to the A/B equivelant in the line, the Logos, it is totally different. I could'nt use the Logos long term. If you are looking at Class A then the Inpol or smaller TT, Pathos amps, are worth a look

When I had Totem 1s, they made some amps sound weak and shut in. My friend uses a Bedini 25x25 class A 25wpc with them and it sounds great. You would be best served by auditioning the amps if at all possible.

I think it will be impossible to get an answer about the Accuphase with your speakers without trying it, there are just too many variables that could make 30watts problematic, or not, you have to try it in your room with the music you like at the volumes you need. Class A or not, 30 watts is awfully close to the limit of how low you can go in power with that speaker load and sensitivity. I have no doubt that Class A sounds better than A/B in SS IF you are getting enough power, and Class A SS watts cost alot of $$$. If you are underpowered, I suspect you will prefer what you might get from the MAC. Unfortunately, I would not trust anyone's opinion in trying to make this decision, you have to try it. Now, since you are obviously smitten with the idea of the Accuphase, I suspect you will have to buy it, try it, and if doesn't cut it, sell it back on AGON and hopefully get back you investment, assuming you bought it used to begin with. While it is true that in some sense watts are watts, that doesn't mean that all watts play the same, some amps are conservatively rated (Class A Pass amps for example)and does not account for dynamic power reserves for peaks -- you have to try it, but I suspect if you went with the Mac first you will always be thinking of the Accuphase, but not the other way around.

I too have a Bedini 25/25 and have used it with terrific results in driving a pair of Verity Fidelio Encores. I second/third/whatever the recs for auditioning the amps.

I have a fully dual mono, pure class A SS boutique amp that puts 200 watts per channel into 4 ohms. By design, it gets so hot you can't leave your hand on it for 5 seconds--on idle! I also have Mac MC501 monoblocks that put 500 watts into 4 ohms. You can play 'em all day and they're barely warm. Montana EPS2 speakers at 92 db with 3 ohm min. The class A amp is ultra-transparent and sweet and delicate. It's magical, as you say--a great amp. It also supplies very little bass foundation. The Macs aren't as transparent and delicate but they create a phenomenal bass foundation, even at low volume, and control the speakers far better. Their midrange bloom is also better--piano notes just hang there with all harmonics intact--and they're more organic and coherent from top to bottom. Great detail, too, if not as completely resolving and present as the class A amp (which is remarkably good in this regard, like SETs). The class A amp, which retailed for $11K in 1999 when I bought it, now sits in its crate. There's something about Mac SS amps that's just incredibly satisfying in the right system, even for a hyper-critical listener like me. And until I bought them, I was convinced that pure class A was the only way to do SS amps.