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First foray into Class A amp -- recommendations

Thinking of checking out a Class A(or quasi) amp just to see if the sound is really better than a nice Class A/B amp. I want to buy a used amp and my budget is $2500-3000. My current class A/B amp is a McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe, rev. A.

I've been looking at a lot of amps here on A'gon and what I have come up with so far is the Krell KSA-200S, which, from what I read in reviews, operates largely in Class A into 8 ohm loads up to 200 wpc.

Considering that my McCormack is a pretty decent amp, do you expect that the Krell would offer a significant upgrade in my priority areas of bass slam and control, mid range transparency, and natural high frequencies? I also welcome any other suggestions or ideas. Thanks!
mtrot

Showing 1 response by martykl

martykl
3,578 posts
 
If you really want to discover Class A amps, the Krell KSA amps might not be optimal. They're very good amps IMO and I owned a KSA 50s for many years, however these were sliding bias designs that went to A/B operation when necessary. That's not a bad thing per se, but its not an ideal choice if you're looking for a pure Class A amp. OTOH.......

A pair of used Clayton M100s would be worth considering if a pair pops up. The last ones I recall seeing on Audiogon went for $3k ish - some time ago - so they should be near your price point. Their small, deep chassis might make it easier for you to accommodate mono amps, too. The Clayton amps were real Class A monsters and could roast meat as well as handle tough speaker loads. IIRC, the M100 was the smallest mono amp Clayton sold and put out 100+ watts in Class A.

I'm not sure how much benefit Class A amps provide into any given speaker, but this one will allow you to find out.
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