I listened to an amplifier today which completely swept me off my feet. I took my speakers along to a local dealer and spent two hours in a state of bliss.

There were three on my radar. I started with a $2k Line Magnetic tube integrated with EL34s which sounded good enough to leave me wanting for not much. Then I hooked-up a $2400 all Class A Sugden A21. Holy jellyfishfingers. I didn't know my speakers had it in them to do what I was hearing. Everything in the mix was projected to very specific places in the soundstage. So much front to back presence, as well as left to right, and plenty going-on outside of the speakers.

Stunning. Good thing they are efficient. The room was big and the amp is only 23 watts.

Then I tried the $3300 A21SE integrated (a titanic 30 watts, and improved pre-amp stage). Even more sonic glory. Greater air/space between the vocals and instruments. Piano sounded so full-bodied. Notes just flowed like slobber from Cujo's jaw, delivered with aplomb from the speakers like a summons from the hands of an end-of-shift courier.

Vocals had the intimacy of a bedtime time story being read to you by that blond babysitter your father was so enthusiastic about hiring when you were just old enough to reach for the milk in the fridge.

No going back to the regular A21 after that. I want my system to sound like this all the time.

Class A isn't offered by many amplifier manufacturers. They aren't cheap to make. They are not very efficient, running good and warm all the time. As much as anything, how tough it is to market to world full of enthusiasts who are largely convinced amplifier output needs to be at least 100 watts to have any credibility. The reality of it is, if your room isn't huge, and your speakers produce an efficiency of 88dbs from one watt, you don't need more than 12 watts to go very loud. Great-sounding efficient speakers are easy to find these days.

Sugden Class A amplifiers have impressed me in the past at audio shows, but I had never heard one in my system. Always wanted to, but finding a dealer in the US is like seeing a Fisker at a truck stop in a rectangular state.

This was such an enjoyable experience that I left the shop feeling like very effective therapy had taken place.

Now I just have to sort out buying the thing. Sugden offer 14 colors to pick from - unusual for an audio component, let alone one designed and built in the UK. The graphite model pictured is likely to be my rather unadventurous choice.

 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - KanedaK 05:52:56 10/28/20 (0)
 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - RGA 19:47:39 09/21/20 (0)
 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - immatthewj 17:30:37 09/21/20 (0)

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 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - KanedaK 05:52:56 10/28/20 (0)
 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - RGA 19:47:39 09/21/20 (0)
 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - immatthewj 17:30:37 09/21/20 (0)
 I got me a nice Class A right here on the AA Trader - Story 15:12:55 09/21/20 (0)
 Like slobber from Cujo's jaw... - MaxwellP 13:57:59 09/21/20 (1)
 +1 Imma use that line myownself some day! nt - JoshT 14:49:43 09/21/20 (0)
 My cautionary observations on Class A amplification.... - AbeCollins 11:17:50 09/21/20 (8)
 Fair enough. The Minis are a really easy load. - ppopp 17:45:33 09/21/20 (4)
 RE: Fair enough. The Minis are a really easy load. - el34eh@yahoo.com 14:35:27 10/26/20 (0)
 RE: Fair enough. The Minis are a really easy load. - AbeCollins 20:43:09 09/21/20 (1)
 RE: Fair enough. The Minis are a really easy load. - immatthewj 20:52:16 09/21/20 (0)
 RE: Fair enough. The Minis are a really easy load. - immatthewj 18:24:35 09/21/20 (0)
 +1 ..... Bi-Amping will get you 'Over the Hump' .......nt - Cut-Throat 13:34:43 09/21/20 (0)
 More than just sensitivity... - Ivan303 11:52:14 09/21/20 (0)
 RE: My cautionary observations on Class A amplification.... - cawson@onetel.com 11:31:54 09/21/20 (0)
 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - cawson@onetel.com 11:06:45 09/21/20 (0)
 I would go with black if it were I - jedrider 09:40:59 09/21/20 (4)
 RE: I would go with black if it were I - JURB 17:33:16 09/22/20 (0)
 RE: I would go with black if it were I - immatthewj 17:28:21 09/21/20 (0)
 At least in theory, a pure class A amp, once warmed up.... - viridian 11:54:17 09/21/20 (0)
 RE: I would go with black if it were I - LtMandella 09:51:40 09/21/20 (0)
 RE: I finally got to hear a Sugden integrated in my system. I'm in trouble now. - LtMandella 09:27:42 09/21/20 (0)

Respectfully, that is a gross generalization by those who justify low power Class A amplification...... with the usual "if your room isn't huge" and "if you don't go very loud" excuses.

In my experience even my 91dB Tannoys do in fact need well over 50-Watts to "come alive" with decent dynamics. Yes, they'll play "loud" with a mere 10-Watts but the dynamics are compressed and struggling. I'm talking about a small bedroom sized room at modest listening levels.

I've had a couple sub 50-Watt tube amps as well as Class A solid-state on my somewhat efficient 91dB Tannoys that didn't cut it. Don't even get me started on these wimp amps for my Thiels even though they're probably fine if you don't mind the transistor radio-like sound from audiophile speakers! ;-)

My Pass Labs Aleph 3: 30-WPC @8 Ohms, 60-WPC @4 Ohms

Nice enough amp but dynamically challenged on my 91dB Tannoys. I also had the newer Pass Aleph 30 with identical 30-WPC and dynamically struggling results. I owned the Cary Rocket-88 20wpc/triode and 40wpc/ultra-linear. Again, under powered for the 91dB Tannoy speakers in either mode.

I would caution that while you're probably listening to a better quality amp overall compared your existing Naim, you might also try a quality Class AB amp with more power to at least get a feel for dynamics before settling on low power Class A.

Class A is great if the power is sufficient but it often isn't. In those cases, you're much better off with a sufficiently powerful AB amp. Don't be lured into buying an under powered Class A amp then justifying it with excuses like "small room", "not playing it loud", etc.

A good AB amp will sound great, AND can be played with outstanding dynamics, dynamics which are lost in many Class A amps that are not quite powerful enough --- but "OK in a small room. And OK if you don't play it loud" ;-)

In my case.... The 30-WPC Pass Aleph 3 didn't sound as good on my speakers as the 150-WPC Pass X-150.5 AB amp. The Aleph 3 was anemic and compressed sounding compared to the Pass 150-WPC AB amp. In this case the AB amp was the clear winner by a long shot.

Class A is only good if it is powerful enough to truly drive your speakers to real world listening levels w/o breaking a sweat.