Are There Any Inherent Advantages to Class A amps?


All things being equal, power supply size, wpc into 2 ohms and everything else, Is a class A design inherently better than an A/B design? Disregarding the heat issue with class A amps, what makes them so desirable?

I'm saving my money for a pair of used serious monoblocs. I'm thinking a pair of used Pass X-600 monos or a pair of used Krell 750 monos. On the used market, the Krells are approx twice the cost of the Pass monos.

The Krells are pure class A, the Pass are class A for the first 160 watts, then they go to A/B.
mitch4t

Showing 1 response by stevecham

Jeffreybehr,

You are incorrect my friend, a single ended amp is just a Class A amp with a single (as opposed to multiple) devices in the output stage per channel. Class A amps BY DEFINITION amplify through 360 of the duty cycle. Class A amps ARE NOT push pull!!!

From http://sound.westhost.com/class-a.htm

Class-A Output device(s) conduct through 360 degrees of input cycle (never switch off) - A single output device is possible. The device conducts for the entire waveform in Figure 1
Class-B Output devices conduct for 180 degrees (1/2 of input cycle) - for audio, two output devices in "push-pull" must be used (see Class-AB)
Class-AB Halfway (or partway) between the above two examples (181 to 200 degrees typical) - also requires push-pull operation for audio. The conduction for each output device is shown in Figure 1.
Class-C Output device(s) conduct for less than 180 degrees (100 to 150 degrees typical) - Radio Frequencies only - cannot be used for audio! ** This is the sound heard when one of the output devices goes open circuit in an audio amp! See Figure 1, showing the time the output device conducts (single-ended operation is assumed, and yes this does work for RF)
Class-D Quasi-digital amplification. Uses pulse-width-modulation of a high frequency (square wave) carrier to reproduce the audio signal - because of frequency limitations (and the fact that they nearly all seem to sound disgusting), many are only suitable for industrial control of motors and loud but crappy sub-woofers (this may change if transistors with an infinite bandwidth become available soon - yeah, right!) All Class-D amps have a major limitation in the output filter, whose response is highly dependent on the load impedance.