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Class A into Class AB

I’m still a little confused about power amplifiers and integrated amplifiers that are class A & class A/B. Like when they say the first 8 watts are class A then it goes into 400watts class A/B. But the same amplifier can be biased to put out 12watts class A then go into 250watts class A/B. It can be biased again for 18watts class A and 150watts class A/B. etc. Ive read that these amplifiers, ones that can be biased like that...and in general all the "first X amount of watts are class A before going into class A/B"...that those first X amount of class A watts is NOT true class A. If that’s true...what is it then? What’s "kind of" class A mean? What’s the point of a "first X amount of watts are class A" then?

tmac1700

Showing 1 response by kren0006

kren0006
1,859 posts
 

Question for atmosphere:  Do you think amps that are only spec'd over their class A operating range, but transition to class AB outside of that range, are properly called "class A" amps?  I'm thinking of Luxman L590axii, spec'd to 30W at 8 ohm, 60W at 4 ohm, and class A over that entire specified range.  But nevertheless capable of going to about 90W, 8 ohm outside of class A in AB, per at least two magazine measurements (which I forget now, maybe Stereophile and HiFi News). 

Would you call that a class A amp or a class AB amp?

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