Solid state amp to replace my Audio Research Ref 150 amp


I have owned an Audio Research Ref. 150 for 4 years, but with tube changes and the heat, I'd like to find a solid state amp that would mate well with my Baby Nola speakers, as well as be 100% reliable and have the great sound my AR amp has given me. The AR amp was originally recommended by the Nola designer, Carl Marschiotta. 

My listening tastes primarily range in jazz, classical, roots music, and Americana such as Jason Isbell. I do like to rock the house occasionally, but I greatly value the finesse I get from the AR 150, as well as the solid bass and dimensionally my amp provides in my system.

I don't want to replace my Audio Research preamp and phono preamp, so I am wishing for a solid state power amp that will fulfill my amplifier hopes, work with my other AR pieces an continue to provide me the pleasure my Audio Research amp has given me.

 I would like to pay less than $8k on AudiogoN.

Comments and suggestions are appreciated.

shaq

Showing 2 responses by almarg

George, note though that one of the OP’s concerns was heat generation. A pair of XA-160.5 monoblocks apparently draws a total of 1200 watts, all the time (when powered up), since it is biased in class A. While the power consumption of his Ref150 is spec’d as 420 watts at idle, and 730 watts at rated output. So the Pass will generate a good deal more heat than the Ref150.

A similar issue would arise with most comparably powerful class A amps, whether tube or solid state.

Regards,
-- Al

The amount of heat an amp will put into the room can be judged based on its AC power requirement specs (or its AC current requirement specs, which can be converted to power numbers by multiplying by the assumed line voltage). Although that judgment will be less precise for class AB and especially class D amps than for class A amps, since those numbers will vary considerably as a function of the volume and dynamics of the music in the cases of class AB and class D. But for example in the case of the OP’s class AB amp we know that the power drawn will be somewhere between 420 and 730 watts, probably closer to 420 than to 730 most of the time.

This assumes, of course, that the specs are provided by the manufacturer and are reasonably accurate.

Temperature measurements (or estimates based on touching the amp) may not necessarily be meaningful because for a given amount of power consumption (and hence heat generation) the measured temperatures will vary depending on the design of the heat sinks (the more substantial they are and the more efficiently they radiate heat into the room the lower their temperature will be, everything else being equal), among other variables.

The amount of heat put into the room by a component is proportional to the power going into it minus the power going out of it. But since nearly all speakers convert just a small fraction of the power going into them into sound, with the rest of that power being converted into heat, the AC current or power drawn by the amp can be a useful indicator by itself.

Regards,
-- Al