The Fuxtor
Addicted Member
I sure like my rebuilt Hafler DH-200 with original MOSFET finals. It always seems to surprise me when I rotate it in the mix.
List of Mosfet power amps
- Thread starter halkaloogie
- Start date
PabloTincho
Super Member
Going back to my question, do you guys know which brand has the advantage when it comes to Mosfet; Adcom 5XXX, B&K, Hafler, Sherwood 6040, Nikko and Soundcraftsmen?
They are very similar on price and specs.
They are very similar on price and specs.
if someone set up a blind test with my adcom 5200,5300 and b&k vmr 654, i think it would be hard to pick what was what. they all sound great. i do like the distortion indicators on the adcoms as i tend to listen to metal too loud at times... but speaking of metal, my nikko na-2090 integrated is not mosfet and i prefer it for metal over anything else i own and it's not the most powerful. it's actually in rotation now and the b&k is shelved. not that the others are slacking with anything i throw at it but the nikko is edgier.
if i could only keep one it would be the b&k because i have put it through 20 years of abuse and it was still working when i recapped it last year, and it sorely needed it.
the adcoms and the b&k are "dual mono" designs with separate windings/rectifiers/ filter caps for each side.
the 5200 you can bias the crap out of it and get a lot of class a if you can dissipate the heat. somewhere there's a thread on it and nelson pass chimes in. i don't run mine that hot.
dunno what else to say and i can not comment on the others
if i could only keep one it would be the b&k because i have put it through 20 years of abuse and it was still working when i recapped it last year, and it sorely needed it.
the adcoms and the b&k are "dual mono" designs with separate windings/rectifiers/ filter caps for each side.
the 5200 you can bias the crap out of it and get a lot of class a if you can dissipate the heat. somewhere there's a thread on it and nelson pass chimes in. i don't run mine that hot.
dunno what else to say and i can not comment on the others
PabloTincho
Super Member
very informative, the only dual mono are the BK 442 and the Adcom 5500 ?
Does hafler has a dual mono amp ?
ducati_EL34
Addicted Member
out of that list, My first picks would be Adcom and Soundcraftsmen.
no. the adcom 5200,5300 and b&k vmr 654 are dual mono designs. i stated that in my post but i guess i wasn't clear enough for you. they are no different than the 5500 and the 442. separate windings for each side on the same transformer. bridge rectifiers for each side and filter caps for each side.
the only thing different about the 654 is it's 6 channel amp rated at 6x60. channels 1,2,3 are on one bank with their own power supply, channels 4,5,6 are on the other bank with their own power supply but only driving 1 channel per bank gives you 115wpc @8ohm.
DeeCee
"Music is what we like to play..."
As I recall, my Aragon 4004 Mk. II is a MOSFET amp. I wouldn't be stuck on a particular topology anyway, the idea is to make sure your amp is suited to the speakers you've chosen. (Then again, I never met a component I liked that didn't have a very well designed power supply).
Separate windings on the same transformer core would disqualify it as strictly dual mono. As one winding draws current the magnetic field in the transformer core approaches saturation and affects the voltage/current in other windings on the same core.
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if you go back a few posts i have dual mono in quotes. i guess i should have put it in quotes everytime , huh?
there are more than a couple amps out there labeled as dual mono that only use one transformer. but yes, if we want to split hairs you are correct, a true dual mono amp will have dual transformers but they are still sharing a common power cord and a common outlet and a common home circuit, which is possible(though unlikely) that one channel pulls so hard that it affects the line voltage/current to your outlet and affects the voltage/current to the other transformer.
so where do the semantics end, with a separate power feed to your home from 2 power plants?
Mitsubishi/Diatone DA-A10DC, and DA-A15DC. Dual mono, Dual MOSFET
https://audio-database.com/MITSUBISHI-DIATONE/amp/da-a10dc-e.html
https://audio-database.com/MITSUBISHI-DIATONE/amp/da-a15dc-e.html
https://audio-database.com/MITSUBISHI-DIATONE/amp/da-a10dc-e.html
https://audio-database.com/MITSUBISHI-DIATONE/amp/da-a15dc-e.html
Sorry, I missed that.
I wouldn't say it's simply a matter of semantics. The current drain on one winding having an effect on the other is easily observable with simple measuring equipment.
ducati_EL34
Addicted Member
You could have two different outlets on different legs coming into the home.
The KVA rating of the pole pig is more than sufficient to handle the current requirements of any amplifier.
But even one 20A outlet would be sufficient for dual mono power supplies.
it's kind of semantics but not entirely. it's a lot of marketing for sure.
i think over half of the members here claim that they don't even listen loud so the point then becomes moot. but yes, you are correct.
i almost said dual feeds from the pole but i went the extreme route.
ducati_EL34
Addicted Member
it's kind of semantics but not entirely. it's a lot of marketing for sure.
i think over half of the members here claim that they don't even listen loud so the point then becomes moot. but yes, you are correct.
i almost said dual feeds from the pole but i went the extreme route.
Yes, just call up your local PoCo and ask them to install two pole pigs for your home, and your home only. No need to share with anyone.
Yes, just call up your local PoCo and ask them to install two pole pigs for your home, and your home only. No need to share with anyone.
that may help, so far this summer my voltage is 115-116 during the day and back up to the normal 122 by night. luckily i have nothing that demanding and i'm not that critical. i can deal with what i have.
if i had another feed to the house it would be for my garage only. small garage but i'd love to have 4 or 5 20a circuits out there
ducati_EL34
Addicted Member
That is odd. We don’t have lower voltages here. It is constant throughout the day and night. And I am sharing that pole pig with two other houses.
I tried to get the PoCo to hang a 3 phase pole pig for my garage at a former house. They would not do it.
a shop i worked at had 3 phase 450v installed when it was built, it was pretty nice.
my neighborhood was built in the 60s. nothing has really been upgraded since then. in this hood it's generally 4 homes per transformer but my house is in the middle of the block and i believe it's 5 homes per transformer. itsa mirror image next block over. really not sure how common it is. yup 115vac right now. hottest part of the day.
they are actually just now working their way into my area to do water and gas lines but ameren ain't gonna upgrade anything until **** starts failing.
