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Actually difference between class A and AB?

Class A amp sounds like holy grail of HIFI world.
But class A amp are much heavier, more expensive and rarer than class AB or class B design. Few can afford 100 LB weight of a 2-channel 100w/c amp.

Is there any actual difference between class A and class AB when listening to actual music? And what is that difference?
hl10027

Showing 3 responses by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,099 posts
 
I find that class A amplifiers play bass better as well as being smoother in the mids and highs. They can also be more detailed as they make less distortion.

BTW/FWIW there is no such thing as A/AB. That would simply be an AB amplifier. If you see such designations they are marketing terms, not technical terms.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,099 posts
 
Liguy, I have to disagree, despite Nelson's paper. The designation of 'AB' **already** "denotes that the amplifier operates in Class A up to a certain power level then switches over to Class B. This switch point is determined by the bias.", as you put it above.

IOW, Class AB already meant this; it could be class A to 0.5 watts or class A to 35 watts with clipping at 40 watts, either way that is what AB is... Putting another 'A' in front of it thus has no meaning, and is not found in the textbooks. That's why I say its a marketing term.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,099 posts
 
Mapman, I suspect that that is sort of true, at least I have hope for it but have yet to see a class D amp come anywhere close to what I expect out of an amp. I think the technology has more to offer than we have seen available so far though.

Joenies, when you read that TAS article, you may also want to read this:
http://www.atma-sphere.com/Blog/
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