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Living With A Class A Tube Amp

I'm ready to replace my venerable Prima Luna Dialogue One amp.  Just as I thought I had my choices sufficiently narrowed down, I came across Roger's EHF-100 integrated amp.  It has the features I'm looking for without any frills, and has sufficient wattage to power my Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII speakers   Checked out their web site and had an informative email conversation with Roger, who confirmed that this would be a good amp for my speaker. s and room.  He provided me with some useful information, but I need some info from Class A tube amp owners generally.

From what I gather Class A amps produce max power at all times, therefore run hotter than a typical amp.  How does this affect amp placement?  My current amp is on a heavy wooden table and in front of a curtained window.  Would the table need to be replaced?  Do I need Nomex curtains?   How does this heat affect tube life?  Any other internal components subject to accelerated aging due to the heat?  Any other thoughts from Class A amp owners would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John Cotner

New Ulm, MN 

jrcotner

Showing 5 responses by jrcotner

jrcotner OP
71 posts
 

Thank you for providing some information from an owners perspective.  I watched one of Rogers videos and it was instructive. 

jrcotner OP
71 posts
 

Any Rogers owners out there want to chime in?

jrcotner OP
71 posts
 

Thanks for the useful information.  I'm not concerned about household power usage, since the amp is on no more than four hours a day.  But I do want to have my eyes open if the tubes need to be replaced more often, which is an expense worth considering.

jrcotner OP
71 posts
 

Thanks for the additional information.  I always learn so much from these posts. 

jrcotner OP
71 posts
 

Thank you for all of your responses.  I sifted through them and here's what I've been able to discern:

  1. Class A amps produce more heat than typical amps.  Placement may need to be considered depending on wattage and style.
  2. The additional heat may reduce tube life by as much as half. 
  3. Operating costs will be higher due to more frequent tube replacement.
  4. Class A tube amps have desirable sonic qualities, but other current tube or solid state amps can produce equally good sound quality without the drawbacks listed above.
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