Looking for a power amp open to suggestions. Goals: Small room, not loud, clean power. Minor bias toward through hole (repairability) vs SMD, and strong bias towards Class A or Class A/B over switching D/G/S/… I’ve had A/B possible interest in trying A. Suspect I’d probably go with a zinamp or AmpsLab build (debating time for build). Curious if anyone has heard, seen or built the Zinamp Lateral FET or SCA or the AmpsLab Lm60mk2?
Thoughts on SCA? where SCA = simultaneous class A, apparently references some older Quad amp, but updated circuit. Some market (maybe technical) material here.
I looked at the Odyssey Khartago but something about the responses around biasing to your individual house power strike me as odd.
Schiit Aegir 2F … but they didn’t respond to my email questions, also SMD.
Have considered others as well. Going to drive with a Pioneer C-21. Not that it should dramatically matter.
F5m very good, like it better than orig F5 and none of the pesky thermistors. Building self a AJzm, again - fan the 3d push outward from single ended class A. The complementary output stage of F4 & F5 have better bass definition but my go-to setup is bass bins with 2 ways where bins powered by crown xls2002 and minidsp. M2x is also fantastic, slightly ‘colored’ in a pleasant way. Though heat monsters when use where most of my 2 channel listening done, a small room.
Guessing that Ampslab would be similar to Rod Elliot’s P101, experience with the latter and like it. Have one I built idle in fam room media rack, used to have own copycat boards fabbed in mid 2000’’s, but ran out and know Rod’s ESP no longer shipping overseas, or something like that. Can get the exicon lat fets from Profusion, Profusion Semiconductors | Profusion Ltd P101 very neutral, nothing really jumps out as ‘charming’
Haven’t had the desire to take on more involved class AB build like honeybadger or wolverine from diyaudio land.
That SCA design has me intrigued. I’ll have to do a little more reading about that approach. I know there’s usually a difference in the harmonics Class A vs AB amps generate, but thought actual crossover distortion was mostly solved years ago.
The Akitika brand has a nice amp kit too, full with a chassis power supply etc. I believe ASR measured it at some point: Akitika Preamp and Power Amp Kits
If you usually don’t like Class-D, try the IcePower 200AS2 module based on TI TPA3255 before closing the book. It won over two of my friends that are Class-A diehards, and one of them doesn’t like much of anything at all, so it was strong validation of my findings that those two friends like it. I think the answer is its lower damping factor than most Class-D amps.
These are all good suggestions…and confirming my research. Comments…
Not a complete anti class D etc just not what i want to do now.
Re Neurochrome/Akitika. Aware was thinking I’d not do a chip based, LM3886, but of the two I’d probably select the Neurochrome.
I’d seen Pass Labs, their store is both dense (lots to read) and sparse (missing all the details). Example how many watts is F5M? Think 25, had to do a web search to fin, not clearly in pages. Will look more at this. There is a used camp amp set near me, id looked it up but the distortion is higher and until i switch to a 90+ db speaker the output is to low.
Part of what i like about zinamp SCA is it seems partially built vs Ampslab or Pass where need to solder more. Not scared off soldering, but do have time limits right now.
Should open up parameters. I don’t necessarily have to build it. Re Schiit Odyssey or others. But i do need an amp to pair with the C21 pre so I can take my Sansui out of rotation to fix the issues I didn’t address when i rebuild the power supply and amp boards.
