Why Class A is the BEST Audiophile Amplifier Technology
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
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Why Class A is the BEST Audiophile Amplifier Technology
Featuring Hans Looman from Infigo Audio
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A pair of these amps has gone to the top of the must have list for me!
What's the brand?
@@adamnocon9432 Infigo Audio
@@JilesMcCoy You won’t be sorry! I guess I went Gaga over them. How the Chinese can produce a quality product and sell them for what they’re asking amazes me. Enjoy them Remember the reviewers a comparing them to amps up to 10x the price! I really like ChiFi with the Likes of Fosi and other users of the TI TPA3255 chip there making affordable products. Don’t listen to those who poo poo them saying they’re counterfeit or using used parts it’s not the case. When you get you amp pop the top and look inside there is decent parts and good workmanship.
I have tried A and AB and currently run class A amplifiers in my home theater. Class A does sound different and, to my ears, more pleasant than anything I have heard before.
Which are you using?
@@JilesMcCoy Sugden a21ai Signature Edition for left/right, and a Sugden a21a for center channel. They’re only 23 watts/channel but plenty loud with my front stage speakers which are efficient, 98dB, Klipsch Heritage Forte speakers with Crites crossovers, on custom stands. I use Simaudio Moon i-3 Special Edition to power the side and rear surrounds, which are also class A up to 5 watts, and switch to AB from 6 up to 100 watts. No Atmos yet.
Or maybe its just the amplifier rather than it being class-A, running semiconductors hot, makes no good sense.
😊@@JilesMcCoy
There’s alot of difference in sound quality even amongst Class A amps. All this while my impression of Class A amps is that while they are smooth & pleasant but they can sound lacklustre & dull. I recall hearing a Threshold Stasis amp compared to an Onkyo & for me the Onkyo was far far more lively, open & involving. Both amps were driving very efficient spks. However, newer Class A amps from Luxman & Accuphase seem like the opposite esp the Luxman L-590ux. Its very transparent, open, lively & gives a thoroughly invigorating & incisive sound unlike Class A amps from Musical Fidelity & Passlab. Similarly, there are also lively & dull sounding Class AB amps. So ultimately, i cannot say with 100% certainty that Class A is always better than Class AB or vice versa. Class D for me is not even worth mentioning in musical terms. It will probably get better in the future but for now its still lagging far behind Class A & Class AB for 2 channel audio.
The design and the active device technology used is just as important as the amplifier class of operation. They go together…you can’t address the merits of the class of operation without scrutinizing the other variables, even those variables that go beyond that discussion. Like a lot of things in life, people can’t always simplify them to their liking.👨🏻
@@shipsahoy1793Your reply is perfect and succinct. I might use it as a standard copy/paste response as it applies to a multitude of guff "audiophile" comments. Thanks!
I own three Class A Amplifiers, a Musical Fidelity A1, JL Hood 1969 and a Pass ACA amp! I also have four Class A/B amplifiers from Adcom, Fosi, Luxman and a Van Alstine modified Dynaco Double 400. Each of my amplifiers for me are quite good and each different in presentation. There seems for me that the Class A amplifiers sound more musical and enjoyable. The three Class A amplifiers are Chinese Clones and in the case of the Musical Fidelity is much better made and uses much better parts than the original minus the pre-amp. Both the Pass, Hood 1969, Musical Fidelity are made by the same manufacturer BrzHiFi in China. The clones deviate from the original slightly and in most cases for the better with more stable electronics and power supplies. The Chassis of the clones exceeds any from the original manufactures in quality and esthetics. Some reviewers talk about fear of fake knockoff counterfeit parts, so far none have found any. How the Chinese can make these amps for $200.00 to $300.00 with shipping is mind blowing. The lightest weight of the amps is about 14-15 pounds each in a compact chassis with quite large heat sinks.
The original producers can make them for small money too. But they need some big profits :)
@@AlanFenickHello, which one of the three you mentioned is the most detailed/transparent?
@@xabieznetic Overall I’d say the Musical Fidelity and the Hood. The Pass and Hood are just limited by is output power not how they sound. If you have very efficient speakers like Klipsch the Pass and Hood are standouts.
@@AlanFenick Thanks, my plan is to use Bi-Amping and I am looking for driving the highs and mids by some class A amp so it doesn't have to be high power. Just looking for the amp which would be nicest in the mids and highs 😀
What you are hearing are the differences in damping due to different output impedances. The "quality of parts" is purely aesthetic. Circuit topology matters far more than parts.
Crossover notch distortion shows up as harmonic distortion. Early solid state amplifiers had this problem. It took several years for engineers to figure out how to limit it. The FTC made a rule that harmonic distortion ratings had to be at rated power and any power below. A good way to test audibly is to connect a very efficient speaker, play it very softly, and put your ear up to it. If there is crossover notch distortion you'll hear it. If not it's inaudible at any power level with any speaker. The most primitive design is the class A vacuum tube triode amplifier with no feedback and an unregulated power supply.
If you are hearing cross-over distortion on any class AB amplifier, than its not a good design. There seems to be some old wives tail that suggests negative feedback is bad, but the very nature of semiconductor devices and even valves poor linearity requires negative feedback to reduce distortion.
Love me some class A but hate the power consumption.
I have a Sugden class A amplifier. It’s a great one.
I should check those out.
@@stephenlegg262 Wonder if there will be a Chinese clone of the Sugden?
@@stephenlegg262 I heard a Sugden driving a pair of Roger’s LS3/5a’s the amplifier was lively and very musical. For some reason the little LS3/5a speakers have always impressed for being musical and able to sit back and enjoy the music, not the equipment.
Great video! I love my Sugden A21 amp.
Still have my A21 SE. I have to say, though, the MF A1 is very close.
Class A does sound better. As someone who used Williamsons for several decades and now uses Hiragas (also JLH).
Nice
With Class A the less power it puts into the speaker the more heat it puts into the room.
Why?
I would argue, only in the cold winters are they superior.
Extra bonus then!
THANK YOU . i had forgotten why i so many years i bought a class a system ! i have bought and changed cd players , turntables , but always kept my krell ksa 150 it`s kbl preamp and external phono stage . my new clearaudio turntable addition to it makes me hear music like never before . i almost felt like an idiot thinking that . and on top of that .....i am heating my man cave !
Krells are pretty special amplifiers, my old uni teacher used to assist Krell in their designs, but majority of Class-A are not in their class, but better than a great class AB? I honestly doubt it, at least not in theory.
Class AB, npn/pnp push pull is actually better than a class A single ended transistor amp...
Right on
Learned a lot thank you
Thanks for watching.
Did I hear that correctly: 300 W Class A??? Holy cow. Most people listen with maybe 1-2 W, PearlAcoustics did a nice demo on how loud 1 W is. So even 20-25W is overkill on 8 Ohm speakers. Have a Pass XA25, like it, gets warm, but not ridiculously hot. Also the guest's comment that they do some gimmick with their "Class A" suggests it is NOT pure class A, but something else. G, H? Never quite understood those. It it would be a pure class A, and efficiency being around 10% (XA25 consumes 2A = 240W for 25 W music power), then their amp would draw 3000 W, or around 25A. Most household circuits are 10-15A. So clearly something does not add up here.
Stick it on a 220v 30 amp circuit. Most folks probably only use 1 watt though.
I suspect it’s not going anywhere near 300 watts in class A, most go as high as 30 -60 before needing some serious noisy fans. 🤔
I'll stick with the HypexNcore
I tried class a and monoblock Ab and nCore
I desided on nCore Hypex
The best transparent and bass in amps period.
I've got the older ucd modules in some active towers. Love em. With class D the implementation is important. I have hear amazing amps built with ice modules too.
@@Phloored for people who don’t have access to nCore modules also check out tpa 3255 chip based amps
@@Phloored my B&W subs are ICE modules...excellent...the hypex are TEAC ap 505 running Elac carina
Hypex, Purifi... these are part of a growing modern group of Class-D amps that outperform almost every amp built in the past.
The arguments presented in this video focused on a narrow aspect of amplifier design while using outdated info to address the high-frequency filtering aspect of class-D.
Given that this guy is selling a product based on this old tech, it's not surprising he'd bash other solutions & his biased opinion should be discarded unless he can prove better performance via. some repeatable, measurable tests.
Given the price of the amp, though, I'd bet he's the type that suggests you suspend your speaker cables on $100 blocks of magic wood.
I am considering purchasing a Sinbosen power amplifier from my sub bass speakers (21") but i am not sure whether to buy a Class D or Class TD amplifier. Could you please describe with regards to the amplifier tone what is the difference between both Classes
Ive not heard their class D before.
crossover distortion is a well known phenomenon, and handily solved with class AB mechanism, his comments make no sense
crossover distortion is *caused* by class AB amplification...
@@joshua43214 .. you obviously have zero idea how class AB works
@@babablacksheep4234 Maybe you should practice some Google Fu before you make more of a fool of yourself.
I'll help you out: Class B *always* has crossover distortion, therefor call AB also *always* has crossover distortion once it enters class AB operation.
Perhaps you are confusing class AB with class A push-pull? This is what he described in the interview that you seemed to think made no sense...
Quad current dumping feed forward design eliminates crossover distortion
Have you read up on Douglas Self's opinion of crossover distortion? Or anyone else of notable stature for that matter? I mean anyone who has spent the majority of their adult life studying the topic, compared to an armchair researcher.
A matter of taste i suppose. Still haven't heard a class D amp i like.
Sterile as hell and flat soundstage.
My ESL-63 sound best powered by Luxman L-550AX Class A Integrated Amplifier.
Very nice!!!
Took a while to find any pricing for these, but at $50,000 a pair for the class A monoblocks, $35,000 for the DAC/pre, and well over $10,000 for interconnects and speaker cables ……
That sounds right.
@@JilesMcCoy Too rich for my blood, and I can’t be the only one - but more power to them.
Now you know why he praises class-A, its marketing BS, there is a reason most designs are class-AB and its not because of reducing prices, they just make goddamn sense from a design point, semiconductors unlike valves do not like high temperatures, noise increase as temperature is increased, this is a law of physics set in stone.
Class A is great, but you have to have a very large, clean power supply.
For sure a good thing!
I have Pipneer m22 that is pure class a ,no bulshit marketing just pure sound pleasure
Nice!
Sounds to me like class D amplifier Czar perfect for your LFE Channel
Yuk!, Class D not only suffer high distortion, but the worst kind of distortion.
@@engjds you should look into the new class D amplifiers. Majority of CZcamsrs reviewing them say that they sound great, especially the Crown XLS series that are out now which I have three of and they do sound spectacular
@@EverythingHomeTheater Class D's have been around for decades, the technology hasn't really evolved over past few years, and there is no good reason for them being any better than designs 10 yeas ago because we havent seen any significant improvements in semiconductors during that time. You take a class leading class-d driver from the likes of top-players like ananlog devices for example, and the datasheet will show their limits, you will be lucky to get 0.1% distortion, thats far higher than class AB which are a couple of multitudes below that. The main problem is you need to include dead-time between output device switching-which adds distortion.
Plus fast switching power MOSFET's used in the output stages will not be as robust, as your typical class AB design, dont expect oneto last a lifetime.
I love Class A. Pass Labs amps are justly famous. But to proclaim Class A to be the best is a bogus claim. Every methodology has its pros and cons. It's always a tradeoff. Class A is expensive for the amount of power and puts out excessive heat that harms long term longevity. If made somewhat affordable, its limited in its power. It doesn't have the grip in the bass that Class D provides. Tube single ended triode amps provide far better palpability, soundstage and tonality than any other tech. In addition, as Class D tech progressives, its getting better and better. When high sensitivity speakers are combined with single ended triode tube amps, the perception of a 'musician in the room with you' is unmatched.
Mine got 4 tubes frm old days 403b western electric..Its class a But only 2watts...yup its OTL..peace!
All you need is that 1 golden watt!
Hmm wow u really into dis stuff..u know thing Not just say it in theory..tq sir..
Im usin iem btw..Cuz its so damn sensitive..U can heard the circuit board jitter If its not well built N sumore ez for portable hifi system.
No crossover distortion is what separates the men from the boys.
Woohoo
crossover distortion is what you call class-C, class AB have no crossover distortion because the transistors are biased into conduction mode.
$50,000.00 for a pair. I wish reviewers would mention the price at the beginning of each review.
This isnt a review...
@@JilesMcCoy his point is still legit. Come on man !
There are many class a amps that are much less expensive than that...
sir i want apprenticeship in electronics please help
I'd check with an electronic school or company.
Well. What is this class A amp?
Link in the notes for this particular amp.
I think the Class D amps are better than Class A, B, & A/B Amps.
I have all class d in my theater room now.
My conclusion is the same - It is extremly rare for class B to compete by ear with class A in tube amplifiers.
Can you name me one - just one - class B amplifier ever made since 1970?
@@babablacksheep4234 My opinin is based on my own experience and just so I presented it - It is MY CONCLUSION
It is based on long experimenting with six tube PP amplifiers and generaly not even finding any need to modify two SE amplifiers which were (are) perfect. Compared PP which I named here "B" for basic of their construction to SE with the same sources and many types of speakers. My last amplifier it is stereo SE made with own design and unusual construction by myself. It was result of above conclusion but I want to notice that PP are also always above each solid I have (few) . What is your conclusion and how you got it?
@@babablacksheep4234 Onkyo Integra M-504
@@bradatherton9369 ...let me presume that you understand schematics (although I doubt that) preset R423 in the power amp cirsuit sets the amp for class AB.
@@babablacksheep4234 Presume all you want. Electrical Engineer here. Also worked at Circuit City selling Onkyo Inegra back in 99 and the M-504 was advertised as Class B. I owned one for 10 years. The thing ran ice cold so I took the Class B advertised remarks to be accurate. Didn't own an oscilloscope in those days, but I do now as well as a Keithley 2015 THD analyzer so it would be a different story today.
Got any more presumptions?
Best at what? Best sounding ? Not always to my taste...
Salt and pepper to taste.
Lol some electronics terms mixed with a whole heap of audiofool voodoo babble. Audiofools must think class A is something very sophisticated. And then there are these "extra 25W" out of thin air...
The amps do sound good!
@@JilesMcCoy Oh they better :-) But why not say "hey this is a good class A amp using proper components". Class A is the simplest possible amp, however configuration for hiWatt is not easy and requires also high quality components and some caution when working inside, such things can easily run on 100V or more rails inside. Making a linear PSU for it is also not for beginners... You see there's no voodoo necessary...
Title make engineers shake their heads, to the uninformed, they only look at crossover distortion, but in reality good class AB amplifiers do not suffer from that. The temperature characteristics of semiconductors suffer poor linearity. Sure, those buidling class A will swear they are better, BUT measurably you can see the problems, if you can measure it, you can hear it!
Thanks for watching!
this is for billionaires . We cant hear over ca 20000 hz. When i was 26 i heard 17500 Hz. I cant hear over 7000 hz today. I have a Yamaha 5.1 home cinema for 500$. Im so satisfied!
Its not for the faint of heart for sure.
The Dutch chap needs to hear a D class NAD M23 and an Orchard Audio Starkrimson. His view that class A is better "all the way " will be absolutely flipped on its head. There's not a class A amp on the planet that competes with those two amps in terms of distortion. So, if we are talking about a flat response, on paper class D can (and does!) easily smash class A out of the ball park. If however we are talking about the actual sound and sound colouration, well thats just infinite subjective choice and there's as much difference between class A amps in how they sound as there is between any other class of amp. It's quite frankly ridiculous to say class A amps are better, simply because they are considered generally more "revealing" due to their constant on power. Nonsense. More revealing doesn't automatically or necessarily mean better IF the sound is being influenced (coloured) in other ways due to the amp design, UNLESS you enjoy that particular sound profile. A good amp to my taste, has ample power on tap (which class D does) and can present sound as close to the original recording as possible - i.e as flatly as possibly in its signal path. That NAD M23 is so flat, right up to volumes that will make your ears bleed, that it will have you doubting your testing equipment. It's perfect. Now, the argument can always be made about how close we can get to hearing a recording as it was intended - the variables are impossible really. But with a class D amp like the Nad or the Starkrimson, we are really REALLY in the ballpark of a baseline...truly a fantastic starting point for pure "as the recording artist intended" music. And that is my goal. Class A amps are generally great don't get me wrong, but they're great in the sense owning a classic car is great. Prohibitively expensive to buy/run/maintain, get very hot very quickly, temperamental personalities (there can be no mismatching or the experience sucks). They are nostalgic relics. Class D amps can deliver power just as well/as effectively as class A, and they won't cost you a small fortune to operate, or melt your furniture ;-)
Class D has solid products no doubt!
I hate hi fi that gets hot
Thats all classic HIFI for sure.
Are you an ESTP dude?
INTJ
That explains the good focus. I’m INFJ. INTJ makes more sense now
Today's Class D is just as good; better in some cases. But in the world of 'power cables make my system sound so much better', snake oil sells. This is one big advertisement.
This is a small one. If you watch the whole interview, thats the large one!
Clickbait. And BS at it's best. You guys are claiming to be able to hear things which are only measureable.
Thanks for watching and the comment!
So the purist should always choose Class A.
I dont think so, maybe in the past. But Class A certainly is good.
But class A has no crossover distortions. The only reasons to choose other classes is for efficiency or size/cost of amp. If sound quality is your main goal, class A is a no brainer.
Nothing compares to Class A.
Just physics….