Sugden

[radiant red 5,132]

1 hour ago, Amormusic said:

Having now been listening to music a lot since this arrived, it would have to be something super special indeed to dethrone this in my living room.

It is absolutely superb, imo.

In combo with the Jolida and PMC's it is perfect in my room. This is, for me, a long-term keeper.

I think my constant-box-swapping-sometimes-sideways-but-upgraditis bug may finally be cured! Wow!

Truly an excellent amplifier.

It just proves that spending more isn’t always the answer. This is why I got another with the phonostage. Getting it right with synergy is the key and as Sugden say ‘it’s all the amp you will ever need’ 

Glad it’s worked out for you bud.

[radiant red 5,132]

Mine is singing rather well today too.

[deggie 823]

Jon ...ya knobs have never looked better ......happy twiddling........

[HouseElf 263]

3 hours ago, radiant red said:

Mine is singing rather well today too.

Just a lovely timeless aesthetic. Will look contemporary in 50 years.

[plasticpenguin 1,774]

On 12/02/2021 at 20:48, Amormusic said:

As a positive, it's cold tonight but I can probably turn off all my heating 😂

Pleased you like the Sugden .

In all seriousness, this is one reason why I could never own a A21 (or any Class A amp). During most of this last year I've had my amp on averaging 7-8 hours every day. Even before the pandemic I used to have it on for 3-4 hours every day. Think the Sugden would have gone up in a puff of smoke long before now.

As I'm typing this, nearly 4am in the morning, the amp has been on since 6pm yesterday. Not only do I play music on vinyl, CDs and radio, but also have it wired up to the Blu-ray, and even watch TV programmes through the amp.

This is a serious consideration IMV for anyone looking at a Class A amp.

Edited February 23 by plasticpenguin

[radiant red 5,132]

Class A isn’t for everyone PP. I use mine to listen to music be it vinyl, Streaming and CD. If I want background and everyday use for TV etc, that’s where the sonos comes in. 
I think anyone seriously looking into Class A or Valve, will already know the advantages and disadvantages and how to use them. What I will say is the rewards certainly outweigh the negatives. 

[plasticpenguin 1,774]

Totally agree there's no one size fits all. Out of interest @radiant red, on average, how long do you generally use the Sugden each?

After nearly 12 hours of constant play, I touched the casing and the vents and I could hardly feel any warmth.

[radiant red 5,132]

42 minutes ago, plasticpenguin said:

Totally agree there's no one size fits all. Out of interest @radiant red, on average, how long do you generally use the Sugden each?

After nearly 12 hours of constant play, I touched the casing and the vents and I could hardly feel any warmth.

Generally, I use it about three hours a day atm because I’m at home however since the last picture above, it’s not been on due to sharing the main room with everyone else 😊

if I did a total for the average working week, probably no more than 10 hours

[plasticpenguin 1,774]

42 minutes ago, radiant red said:

Generally, I use it about three hours a day atm because I’m at home however since the last picture above, it’s not been on due to sharing the main room with everyone else 😊

if I did a total for the average working week, probably no more than 10 hours

Presumably, how quick it heats up will also depend on the efficiency (or lack of with some brands) of the speaker. So if I Totem Arros at 4 ohms and 86db or midrange Dyns my amp would heat up a lot quicker.

[radiant red 5,132]

18 minutes ago, plasticpenguin said:

Presumably, how quick it heats up will also depend on the efficiency (or lack of with some brands) of the speaker. So if I Totem Arros at 4 ohms and 86db or midrange Dyns my amp would heat up a lot quicker.

I wouldn’t use either of those speakers as they are not efficient enough. A lot depends on how low a speaker can dip to under load. 
Mine are 6ohm 86dB and I would go no lower although they are efficient in their measurements (apparently) 

This is a different story with Harbeth P3. Yes they can sound lovely on Sugden but they are not that efficient at 83dB. I would not use these long term on the a21a. 
a brand of speaker that is really efficient is Fyne Audio. So at the ‘cheaper’ end of the market, The FS301. Quite a remarkable little speaker 🔊 

[radiant red 5,132]

In tradition, a class A or valve will heat regardless of speaker load but more so with a difficult load just like a class a/b push pull but the transistors in a class a are permanently on regardless of load unlike the a/b’s. This can often be a minefield when choosing speakers. 

[simon ess 14]

I have my A21a switched on for about 12 hours a day on average. Have done for years.

[radiant red 5,132]

2 minutes ago, simon ess said:

I have my A21a switched on for about 12 hours a day on average. Have done for years.

Might be time for a check over 😊 

[simon ess 14]

7 minutes ago, radiant red said:

Might be time for a check over 😊 

Yep - done a couple of years ago. Good for another 10 I reckon.

[radiant red 5,132]

1 minute ago, simon ess said:

Yep - done a couple of years ago. Good for another 10 I reckon.

Did you notice a ‘cleaner’ sound when you got it back? I did it with an A21a (1996 model)