50 watts Class A vs 50 Watts Class A/150 Class AB

[qguy]

50 watts Class A amp vs 50 Watts Class A/150 watts Class AB amp

Would the pure Class Amp have any advantage over a Class A/Class AB amp when operating below 50 watts

 

[cademan]

Yeah, ear damage.

 

[chazix]

Would the pure Class Amp have any advantage

It presumably runs the output devices at a lower voltage, so they would produce less waste heat.

(In before the descent into mysticism about amplifier classification!!)

 

[E-Stat]

Real world differences like circuit topology, parts quality and power supply stiffness would come into play.

Have specific amps in mind to compare?

 

[qguy]

No specific amp, just curious if say a Krell KSA 50, at 50 watts class A was converted to be 50 watts Class/150 class AB amp

Real world differences like circuit topology, parts quality and power supply stiffness would come into play.

Have specific amps in mind to compare?

 

[E-Stat]

Pass Labs makes an entire line of products that way. For each chassis size, there is a pure class A version (top) and an AB flavor (bottom). Nelson seems to think there is value in offering the choice:

https://www.passlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Point8_specs_2.pdf

Note that even the class A models eventually run AB at the highest power levels as per Stereophile testing:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/pass-laboratories-xa608-monoblock-power-amplifier-measurements