Ditching Class A Amps due to Heat - Sort of a Poll


A discussion elsewhere about the future of Class A made me wonder how true one statement really is. So the questions are...

Have you done away with your Class A Amp due to Heat concerns?

Will you be moving away from Class A Amp due to Heat concerns?

Will you never buy a Class A Amp due to Heat concerns?

I only have a class A/B unit that does Class A up to 6 watts with almost no heat so really can't speak for those who have used in the past or currently own and run Class A Amps.

brianh61

I like the sound of Class A and also Magnepan speakers. So a dilemma. My solution is low-power Pass diy amps with high-sensitivity speakers for casual listening around the house, and a Class D amp with tube front end driving the Maggies in my listening room. I don’t think I’ll ever own a Class A amp over about 25 watts. The electricity consumption does bother me. It’s wasteful. But then, I’m also a gardener with a house on more than an acre, and I use a lot of water. We all have our priorities.

Coda Continuum #16 amp runs slightly warm but nowhere near hot. I buy my amps based on my ears. I still think the best Class D GAN Fet amp that I have listened to is probably a touch better on the top end but clearly not as hefty on the bottom end. The main benefit of class D imo is their pint size. The Coda is now my reference.

@decathlon1991 

Thanks.  I knew my uprated KRS200s are big.  But I had no idea they are planetary paragons.  Thanks for this.

What we need now is a designer that can take pure Class A down to a quarter ohm.  Guess he'll be put in jail if he can do it.

Stiff and powerful rules OK.  Just going downstairs for another wonderful dose of reality.