Pure class A amplifiers = "slow" amplifiers?


Hi folks, I know this is subject of controversy. In general pure class A has been regarded as the best way in solid state amplification to get the purest sound. In my experience many pure class A solid state amplifiers (Accuphase, Pass Labs, Plinius) sound "slow" and are lacking "dynamics". Do they sound that way because they have less distortion than class A/B amplifiers, I mean sometimes a signal is so pure that one is increasing the volume adjustment knob to get a louder sound. With a very pure sound it seems like music goes slower too (= psychoacoustic phenomenon).

Chris
dazzdax

Showing 2 responses by mechans

In the Black and Blue books of the the great German or was Austrian Oh that's right Vienese Philosoper Wittengstein explained at length . The only thing which anything tells you of itself, is limited to what it can tell you. Further you can't whistle about it either. In plain old Austrian if the thing called Class A amplification tells you it sounds slow -it does indeed sound slow. Logic will tell you that if A does not depends on how it's circuit. then you can count on A always being A. His obversations being limited to the fin de Ciecle or Saichel, when there was no abundance of anything, especially class A, so could he know? We are left to ponder.
Finally if it sounds slow is that so terrible?
Band width and slew rate are not a function of eachother only potentially limited by one or the other parameter. In any event the slew rate is ridiculously quick, some other elements must account for percieved slowness. I don't percieve it in my class A tube amp at all. I think it is not physics but pycho acoustics with cues telling some listeners the sound is rich dense, or heavy and therefore slower.