Anyone replaced a Class A amp due to power use? Suggestions for replacement?

newlash09

Iam deaf at the ears, but way more dumb in between
Wammer Plus
Aug 10, 2018
3,095
2,793
183
44
India
AKA
Y.Manohar / mike
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Okay my above post got vanished...but what is important.. is that iam lugging everything from China to deliver whatever you ever buy or consume in the UK. Its surprisingly "EVERYTHING"...and iam burning 240 metric tonnes of the most dirty fuel imaginable, getting the Chinese produce there. So class A or tube amps do not need to feel guilty, in comparison to normal British domestic consumptions..
 

rabski

Everything in moderation
Staff member
Dec 2, 2006
34,605
1
23,886
173
Kettering
AKA
Richard
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I don't listen a massive amount, so I'm not going to feel guilty about it. Plus, as I've said before, a lot of the components in my system (the valves in particular) have been saved from going to landfil, as I see it.

We both work from home and have between us three computers and five monitors powered up all day and half the night. Even with a hideous number of valves and all Class A, my listening power consumption probably pales into insignificance by comparison.
 

garn63

Wammer Plus
Mar 3, 2020
9,723
12,530
183
N. Wales.
AKA
Mark.
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I replaced my former class A amps with an NVA A/B . Leave it on 24/7, leccy down £50 a month ?
Sounds v.good to my ears. :)
 

gninnamag

Listening to music hopefully
Wammer
Jan 15, 2008
1,097
2,412
143
Leeds
AKA
Andy
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Used a Puresound A30 - just mothballed it and using my old Audiolab 8000A for now. Liking the sound (different but good)
 

bencat

Amplifier Destroyer
Wammer Plus
Feb 6, 2010
8,474
5,606
193
Liverpool
AKA
Andrew
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Most Class A amps do not use that much more power for the time they are on . Class A amps get switched on listened to and switched off as has been indicated here some leave there A/B amps on 24 / 7 which given that for most of the time they are not being listened to is a waste . So no I have no intention of changing either of my Class A power amplifiers for something else . I will though freely admit that I do really like the sound quality and natural presentation of NVA Power amplifiers and indeed use them in my system . When finished listening though they get turned off .
 

jtc

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 10, 2007
333
4
48
Fife Riviera, UK
AKA
John
Yes, that's correct. The logic is that my current Class A amp is a huge 80w beast drawing around 300w from the mains, but as I don't play things all that loud maybe a 40w Class A amp would meet my aim to reduce power use while retaining that Class A sound.
If it’s genuinely 80w class A, it’ll be pulling a lot more than 300w. A 30w class A will pull around 300w, it seems the ratio is often around 8:1 to 10:1. What amp is it? It must be some size to make 80w class A. The very largest Krells, that kind of exotica…
 

cynix

Wammer
Wammer
Jan 7, 2011
239
72
43
Scotland
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
If it’s genuinely 80w class A, it’ll be pulling a lot more than 300w. A 30w class A will pull around 300w, it seems the ratio is often around 8:1 to 10:1. What amp is it? It must be some size to make 80w class A. The very largest Krells, that kind of exotica…

It's a Jungson JA-88D, quite a beast as you can see in the pic, I measured properly with a meter and it's actually pulling 360W . They claim 80W per channel Class A but I agree it must be quite a bit less in reality.

I've now replaced it with a pair of Valvet class A monoblocks that are drawing less than half the power and sound even better. :)

Also tried a Rocksan Capsian M2 power amp and thought it sounded quite poor in comparison to the Jungson.
 

Attachments

  • jungson_09.jpg
    jungson_09.jpg
    83.2 KB · Views: 5

MF 1000

Extreme Full Range 😱
Wammer Plus
Apr 5, 2011
6,123
4,611
193
Caego
AKA
Keith
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
My multi amp setup inc the Class A MF A370 beast according to current rates consumes around 30p per hr of electricity…..I’ve never smoked so this is my chosen addiction and at around £1 per evening listening etc it’s far less damaging to both me and my wallet. 😁
 

Lurch

Piss-taker & Gobshite Par Excelle'nce
Wammer Plus
Sep 17, 2016
5,257
5,614
183
Chichester, W Sussex
AKA
John
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Yes, quite true.

I was tempted by the Nord NC500 in the classifieds recently and if it had been a little cheaper (thus allowing me to move it on at less of a loss if/when I didn't like it) then I'd have given it a try.
Here you go.
https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/nord-nc500mb-amps-£795.272796/#post-4821917
As I said earlier in the thread, I have a pair of these. They replaced a pair of Icon Audio MB845SEs, no loose of detail, richness but have added grip to the recipe, truly stunning amps for the money.
 

cynix

Wammer
Wammer
Jan 7, 2011
239
72
43
Scotland
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Here you go.
https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/nord-nc500mb-amps-£795.272796/#post-4821917
As I said earlier in the thread, I have a pair of these. They replaced a pair of Icon Audio MB845SEs, no loose of detail, richness but have added grip to the recipe, truly stunning amps for the money.
Thanks for the link, but I already got a pair of Valvet Class A amps that pull about 150W in total (less than half that of my Class A Jungson @ 360W) which was what I was aiming for.

Still not heard any of these new Class D amps, I nearly got a Nad C298 but was outbid so decided just to go back to my original plan of lower power Class A. I did try a Rocksan Capsian M2 Class AB power amp but thought it was pretty poor in comparison even to my Jungson, which is inferior to the Valvets.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lurch

hearhere

Wammer
Wammer
Apr 9, 2013
985
773
113
Portsmouth, UK
AKA
Peter
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
You're worried about 300w consumption!? Mine consume 1800w lol.
It's worrying that so many here are thanking you for apparently not being concerned that your amps gollop 1800 watts. Lucky everyone doesn’t use this type of environmentally inexcusable amps! I give them an emphatic thumbs down.

Thankfully even Atmasphere (I believe you use their amps) have realised the folly of their past amps and are now building Class D ones. That's enlightening, particularly from a US builder.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
110,120
Messages
2,339,014
Members
69,631
Latest member
puresse

Today's Birthdays

Latest Articles

Staff online