Since the summer is here and since may playback generates more heat then Pittsburgh Steel plants, and sine my Monitor project end up more or less successful I would like to find a very cool running class AB, SS amplifier with which I would driver my “monitors+”

I was truing to drive the SL600+ with other amps beside the Lamm M1.1 and was not able to get any good results. It is not that Lamm was better but other amps, for whatever reasons, did not deliver any more or less acceptable sound at all. Defiantly, going for a cool running AB little amps I would accept some worsening of sound but still I would like do not go too far into weaker sound.

So, I think about a stereo amp, relatively small and cool running, not expensive (a few hundreds bucks max), that would be able to do 100W-150W. Regarding the price, I might go for more expensive cool-running amp but in that case it should deliver a superior performance, or at least to be equal to what. Lamm M1.1 goes. I doubt that I will find such amps and such reasons.

Anyhow, if you have anything in your mind then let me know…
The caT

Gregm wrote:

This would involve some researching... thus introduing (possibly unecessary) complexity: look for a Sony or Yamaha or Sansui "power j-fet" amp. These were produced s/where in the mid '70s and should be very cheap now. I have listened to a Yamaha (called "B2"I think) that was surprisingly good -- either that or I was expecting horrible results and was pleasantly surprised... here's a link I found that catalogues these products: http://conlui.hp.infoseek.co.jp/theory/htm/e/hp018e.htm Or, just go buy a powerful 2-channel pro amp from a large manufacturer like Crown (shudder); at least the asking price will be moderate compared to "hi-fi esoterica" and the device rugged... even a well maintained Quad 405 (?) they used to play their 63 spkrs years ago. Anyway, the problem is we all offer ideas -- but no-one has come up with a tested proposal, myself included

Frankly it was the direction where I was looking with optimism. I know that in '70s and 80s some consumer companies did “better” SS amps then what they usually produce. I know Sansui had their AU-X1 amp that was reportedly in the matching class with their Sansui TU-X1 tuner (to which I have a tremendous respect). I personally do not anticipate that their amps would perform as good as their TU-X1 perform among tuners but I would defiantly like to hear it. The problem is that it is very large, very-very large. I know that Yamaha and Denon produce some very interesting amps at the same time, including relatively expansive monoblocks. They nave r made available on west but when I dealt with Japanese folks then the amp they were available. Thos amps reportedly sound better then the regular crap that they made but I do not know if their “better” is still would be at near-acceptable level. I have some people I know promising to me the wonderful sonic quality from
Nakamichi PA-7 amplifier. The PA-7 was quite popular, very available on West and it was their top of the line amp. I had this amp and it was absolute unusable sonically. So, being me, I would prefer to try some consumer amps probably if no one audio-freak pass any positive comments about it… :-)

Yes, they are some options but as you pointed well, no one, insulting myself, come up with a tested proposal. So far I specialize on complaining regarding the poor quality of advised amplifiers…  :-)

Rgs,
The caT

Chris, I have no experience with good sounding SS amplifier that might drive high sensitive horns. I also have no expertise to build such an amp. From what I trued before I have learned that in order to sound more or less acceptable the SS should run a pure class A. Well, a few watts class AA SS should not be a big deal to make, well theoretically….  An idea of heaving a SS single ended amp for 10W is not bad idea as well, but who build them and who can assess how thy sound while they build them?  To deal with the Pass’ “First Watt”- level people and to be satisfied with the amplifiers that make the single driver speakers to sound like “live music”. Thank you, I have heard a lot of Pass amps and a lot of Lowther speakers….

I kind of keep thinking about it for a whale and my first step into the direction that you propose will be the new version of Zarathustra.  Dima has been running the out stage and it currently despites 300W deep into class A; he also claims that is proprietary bias (working name is Newton bias, it is no joke, there is a reasons for this name) allows him to get exactly 50% efficiency… The amps is PP but it sounds very different then SS that I heard, at least the AB version was and I did not hear the Zarathustra Class A version yet.  Now is the interesting part. There is a lot of very kinky solutions in the new Zarathustra and one of them is an ability to run this amp as 150W and … as I would say 10W in class A, presumably with no compromise to sound (wish us good luck). I do not mean that the amp will be switching into class B after 10W but it will all together dissipate juts 20W by it’s output stage and never will find itself switching into class B. (we drop both current and voltage). So, when I get Zarathustra I will try to run it in 20W mode for instance and to see if it able to do anything worthy with horns…

The idea to have a separate low power SS and biamp it with a powerfully SS for bass is wonderful but I would like if I wish to flip a switch and to turn the “big” system on, driving the Macondo with what it should be driven with. If I have a small parallel system (SS+ SL600 and sub for instance) then it is easy to do. I defiantly DO NOT want to disconnect 4(5) cables form Macondo and connect them to something else. Not to mention that the Dominus cables do not sound good for a few days after they were disturbed…

Still your idea give some food for thoughts….

Rgs,
Romy the caT