Low-heat-output amp for Devore O/96


My Shindo amp/preamp combo sounds fantastic with these speakers, but during the sticky summer months here in N.C., my listening room gets uncomfortably warm, even with the central AC on. I've considered something like a First Watt JC2, but my understanding is these also put out lots of heat due to Class A operation. Any suggestions for a cool-running solid state amp that would sound good with the Devores?
ladok

Showing 2 responses by fsonicsmith

Forgive me for saying so, but if you have O/96's and you fall asleep, you have bigger problems than too much heat. I have O/93's and they are so engaging, even at low volume, that I never nod off. I know that syndrome, I am no stranger to it. I used to fall asleep all the time while trying to listen to music. I had B&W 805 Matrixes and solid state gear and less than great cabling back then. Now with an ARC Ref 6, ARC Ref 150se, Cardas Clear Beyond, and the DeVore's, it would take three glasses of wine and an Ambien (figuratively, I think that might be fatal in reality) for me to fall asleep. The DeVores need and deserve a great preamp and great cabling to bring them up to their true potential. So to your rather unique question, I have a smallish room, a big-ass amp, and I never get warm in the room. Are you perhaps blaming heat on your somnambulates?
Ladok, I apologize for my snarky and somewhat arrogant post. A few years ago our A/C had gone out of service and while my wife and I were waiting for our HVAC system to be replaced, I tried listening. At that time my amp was an ARC VS110 which is open-architecture with no cooling fans. I went from tolerably warm to insufferably hot within an hour. So I understand your predicament and I should not have used your post to attempt a segue into promoting high power amps with the DeVores which I acknowledge being something of a private non-industry-related agenda. I have no way to prove it, but it seems as though my Ref150se puts out less heat than my VS110 despite having the same number of output tubes.