Los Cost Class A Amplifier?

Hi,
not really familiar with audio equipment but I was wondering if there are any Class A amplifiers at relatively low cost? Ideally below 250GBP / 300 USD?
50W is enough, 100W would be better.

Any pointers are welcome! :slight_smile:

Thank you as always :slight_smile:

Class A amplifiers

Class A Audio Amplifier? Do you want one of those for a reason? I dont think youll be happy with it. Oh, it will work OK, but it will be huge and hot.

Most amplifiers are AB1 where two sets of amplifying transistors share the work. Usually the positive sound waves are one set and the negative waves are the other. The “1” part is in the middle where the two transistors both work to eliminate crossover distortion.

If you don’t do it that way, the size of the amplifier doubles to get rid of the heat. Class A is notoriously ineffiecient.

Screen Shot 2024-10-20 at 11.19.36

That’s a 150W commercial amplifier Your amplifier will be half-again or double that size.

Nobody makes that I know of.

Koz

I don’t know, and off-topic for the Audacity forum.

My advice is to check the specs, especially the output power, and don’t worry about what’s inside. (Although you can’t always trust the manufacturer’s specs.)

FYI - It’s Class A because it was the first, NOT because it’s best. Then it was common in the tube days because Class A/B requires another tube and it was cheaper. When transistors came-around it was still used in TVs and cheap radios, again to save the cost of a transistor. Now, it virtually costs nothing to add another transistor or MOSFET.

IMO - Class-A is outdated and dumb!

Nowadays, Class A/B is much more economical per-Watt, and it’s been that way for decades. It’s also more energy efficient. A 100W Class A amplifier burns about 100W even with low output or silence. The fact that the output device has to generate and handle all of that wasted heat is what makes it more expensive, and it’s why you don’t see 1000W Class A amplifiers. Class D is now even more economical and more energy efficiency.

MOST modern amplifiers (and other electrons) are better than human hearing. There is always SOME noise (hum, hiss, or whine in the background) and whether that noise is audible or not depends on several factors including on how close you are to the speakers, and other noise in the room, etc. Unfortunately, the manufacturer’s noise specs aren’t useful because there are lots of ways to measure noise. :frowning:

Frequency response is usually flat across the audio range, and distortion is almost always inaudible unless an amplifier is over-driven into clipping (distortion).

See Audiophoolery.

P.S.
They are also usually marked to “crazy audiophiles”. :wink: In the audiophile market, quantities are smaller making the market less competitive. And a higher price makes the item more desirable to “audiophiles”. And, low demand and a smaller market increases the per-unit development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution costs.

Thank you both :slight_smile:

They are around in valve form

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273211963214?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=oon53xzNRgC&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=RhClFbqdR5-&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

A vey small minority of enthusiasts swear by the sound quality ( not me!) but the Chinese will make anything if there is a hint of demand for it.

Thank you @roadsterUK