2. amps-preamps
  3. 194601-3130

??? WHY WHY WHY ??? Class A vs Everything Else

 After 8 long months at the Authorized U.S.Service Center,my beautiful Sugden Bijou Class A amplifier & PreAmp came home 2 days ago..BOTH units have been completely,& I mean COMPLETELY rebuilt,from input stages to output stages,pretty much  everything was replaced with new components,checked,cleaned,rebiased & cooked in...
 For the last 8 months I've alternated between a Class A/B SimAudio Moon 240i & a Class D,Creek 4040A..I really like the Class D Creek and it will accompany me on an upcoming 3 year job in the Philippines starting this coming November..I was all set to put the Sugden gear up for sale as soon as it came in & I confirmed operation..I NEVER should have set it up!!!
 Using the Moon 240i as a preamp since I don't have a stand alone source to feed the Sugden HeadMaster,I set up the MusicMaster amp & let it warm up for 15 minutes...
 From the VERY FIRST NOTES,I was enchanted.mesmerized,enthralled,seduced & completely gobsmacked...
 There was something soooo right about the sound..There isn't one area I could point to,it simply sounds.right..Everything seems to have been lit from inside..The best analogy I can provide is this..The sound is like the colors of nature,as the rising sun just clears the horizon & suddenly everything snaps into vivid focus,taking your breath away...
 I spent the better part of today swapping in & out between all 3 amplifiers on hand just to make sure I wasn't simply locked into subconscious justification for spending the $ to have the Sugden gear rebuilt..I wasn't!
 I hate having gear sitting in a box unused but I'm not sure I have any choice in this situation..When I come home on breaks during this upcoming project & when it is finally finished & I come back to the States for good I'll have it to enjoy..Not to mention it will cost a small fortune by then to replace the level of performance of this gear offers with whatever happens to be the flavor of that time...
 WTH can't everything just sound this superb.......
 

freediver
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,750 posts
 

IME, Class A is more like graceful overengineering. May not be practical for all scenarios, but beautiful when done right. Some may call it inefficient (compare Class A/B or D) and while Class A runs warm to hot; it offers a purity and immediacy that many of us find musically addictive.

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,116 posts
 

You can thank the designer, not the class of amplifier.

This.

As long as the amp has a decent distortion signature it will sound pleasing regardless of the class of operation. 

There are now class D amps that rival the best class A tube and solid state amps. And there are many that do not. Its all about the designer's intention. 

grk
248 posts
 

I used to own a Sugden FBA 800 amp and while it had some very nice qualities, it lacked the requisite dynamics (for me) for orchestral music, plus it ran very hot!  I sold it and purchased a 300 watt class A/B amp which was okay but I sold it after about a year or so. I finally purchased a pair of class D mono's and now I am very satisfied!

FYI - my speakers are DeVore Super Nine's, so hardly a difficult load to drive.

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
5,380 posts
 

"There are now class D amps that rival the best class A tube and solid state amps."

I've never heard a Class D amp that rival my Pass XA25 or the Sit 3,  but maybe I need to hear much better class D amps! I heard Atmasphere's with some Tektons but it was unlistenable; I blame the speakers and the room, though. So, not a fair trial.

jonwolfpell
449 posts
 

I agree on class A generally sounding better than most other types of amps. Years ago I had a White Audio Labs 100 watt / side class A power amp & it sounded really nice but of course was a beast & drew 5 amps at all times much of which went up in heat. Currently, my Rogers integrated does about the same & also sounds great. 

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