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Solid State Low powered Amplifiers

My quest is to find a SS low powered amplifier to use in the Summer months, in place of Tube and Class A amplification … I have Klipsch Cornwall 4s and limited AC in my hot TN listening room for 4-5 months. I know it will be hard to match the sound I get from tube and Class A …on a solid-state amp and I am wondering if I’m looking in the right place for a “10 W per channel” solid-state amplifier which I don’t even know if they make. The Cornwall speakers are 102 DB sensitivity.

128x128moose89
riccitone
229 posts
 

One listed in usaudiomart:

 

clewissc1
5 posts
 

I have the same issue with heat in my office/listening room in the summer.
HVAC person said I need to get a duct fan installed.
I have:
Schiit Gjallarhorn; use when I'm working, desktop setup. Very little heat.
AVA SET120; summer amp in main system. Very little heat
First Watt M2; hot, almost can't touch heat sinks
Home built tube amps; hot, can't touch

umrkretread
37 posts
 

Refurbed Sansui AU-505 would be very nice.

yoyoyaya's avatar
yoyoyaya
741 posts
 

The Sugden A21 would work well. It's solid state Class A but being low powered, it's not dissipating a massive amount of heat.

lanx0003
821 posts
 

While it may appear logical to pair a speaker of high sensitivity like the Cornwall IV with lower-power amplifiers, experience suggests that more power can result in better performance. See the following review (but not limited to).

With technological advancements, a well-designed and constructed Class A amplifier does not generate as much heat as it used to. The Accuphase A75, if you can afford it (or are willing to), is a good example. I spent a good hour auditioning it in a store, and to my surprise, it does not feel hot. Feedback from its users echoes the same sentiment.

While rated 150 wpc (8 ohms; 225 wpc 4/2 ohms), 35 amp high current pc, my class A/B Parasound NC 2125 v2 generates much less heat when switching to 2-4 ohm stable operation load tap, as compared to another class A/B A23 and it sounds better to my ears. Specs like SNR is better than some aforementioned gears.

Heat is less of an issue and concern nowadays if you delve into the subject further. Don’t settle for the fantasy of using a low-powered amp for less performance with a $6-7k speaker.

https://twitteringmachines.com/review-klipsch-cornwall-iv/

One benefit bestowed on the systems’ sound with the ModWright’s 225 Watts was, you guessed it, more control throughout the frequency range. With the ModWright driving the Klipsch, the overall presentation was more balanced, more put together compared to either of the tube amp partners while tone and texture felt very nearly as full as it did with the Feliks 300B. What’s more, the system’s ability to reproduce subtlety also improved along with greater dynamic slam. A win, win, win in my book.

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