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845 SET vs Sugden Class A Amp with Avantgardes

5.68.61.25
Posted on February 8, 2016 at 11:36:06
cawson@onetel.com
Audiophile

Posts: 2383
Joined: September 27, 2004
 Does anyone have first-hand experience with Sugden amps and big SETs?

I'm presently using Consonance Cyber 845 monobloc amps rated at 28 watts. They are more than powerful enough to seriously upset my neighbours when fed to my Avantgarde 102 dB efficiency speakers.

I'm thinking of switching to solid state and the new Sugden Masterclass FPA-4 power amp has been recommended. It's rated at 25 watts, pure Class A, so should be comparable in power terms with my present amp.

Many here have suggested that if I want to switch to SS without disappointment, I should go Class A. Sugden only do Class A, enjoy a good reputation, have been around for eons and build their kit very substantially.

Can anyone offer me encouragement or otherwise? Any descriptions of what sort of sound I should expect to hear appreciated.

Thanks

Peter

 

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RE: 845 SET vs Sugden Class A Amp with Avantgardes, posted on February 8, 2016 at 13:40:40
Eric B
Audiophile

Posts: 312
Joined: October 11, 2001
 Another solid-state manufacturer you should look at is First Watt. They have have at least a half dozen class A offerings. Each offering a slightly different flavor. I'm currently using their M2 with my Avantgarde loudspeakers.

 

RE: 845 SET vs Sugden Class A Amp with Avantgardes, posted on February 9, 2016 at 04:33:44
ultraficables@gmail.com
 Peter,

I seriously doubt you'll find much, if any, difference between 25 and 28 watts. What I do think you'll find is that you'll hear the difference between the power supplies in these two amp. And, I'm not just talking in terms of energy storage either.

Having designed and build many 845 amps, I can relate instances where the amps that I built having less than 20 watts per channel sounded significantly more powerful than other amps having more than 100 watts per channel.

For those that don't appreciate that power is a logarithmic relationship, a big surprise is in store....

 

RE: 845 SET vs Sugden Class A Amp with Avantgardes, posted on February 9, 2016 at 06:08:07
Kloss
 I tried many amplifiers on my Duos never did find a SS amp they gelled with inc older sugden, blue circle, AG integrated. Honestly they matched up best with a old NAD SS amplifier then the costly amplifiers.In the end I always ended up with Tubes mostly SET. Till I sold them and moved on to greener horn pastures.

 

RE: 845 SET vs Sugden Class A Amp with Avantgardes, posted on February 9, 2016 at 09:56:33
Don Reid
Audiophile

Posts: 890
Location: Rural NW Georgia
Joined: February 2, 2001
Contributor
  Since: April 1, 2010
 I second Eric B's suggestion of First Watt amplifiers. I used Cary Audio 2a3 SET monoblocks to power the midrange (actually wide range) and bullet tweeters of my triamplied DIY horn speakers for years. Then I tried First Watt F3 single gain stage, single ended, class A, SS stereo amplifiers instead. I sold the Carys and replaced them with two First Watt F3s. The improvement in sound was real and most pleasing.

The F3s are rated to output 15 watts into 8 ohms (10 watts into 4 or 16 ohms loads) so they might not provide the power you need, but they have totally sold me on the sound of First Watt amps.
I dream of an America where a chicken can cross the road without having it's motives questioned.

 

+1. It is not simply "power" that, posted on February 10, 2016 at 18:39:59
91derlust
Audiophile

Posts: 1101
Joined: December 25, 2014
 that gives the impression of loudness/dynamics etc. I'm no master of SET craft - and never will be - but suspect that few SETs have the combination of sufficiently low source impedance at audio frequencies, recovery, damping, and a few other factors to do dynamics well and provide generally agreeable sonic quality. Some do; without having heard one, I think the Monaco was one that probably did.

Sorry guys - back on topic now.

Cheers,
91.

"Confusion of goals and perfection of means seems to characterise our age." Albert Einstein

 

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