Well isn't that the point of Class A - it's simpler.. :-)
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 13,696
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Well isn't that the point of Class A - it's simpler.. :-)
“Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”
Hunter S Thompson
Banned
Location: NE England
Posts: 4,173
I'm Jez.
Don't leave it turned on! This is my advice for ALL equipment BTW but is especially important for units that get hot as the Kraken does. I was Chief Engineer with Alchemist BTW but not the designer of this model which was designed by Glen Gayle (as were most of the range). It's only class A up to approx 4 Watts.
I guess it's looks are a Marmite thing.... many (most?) owners bought them and love them because of the looks!. I still get a steady stream of these in for repair and/or rebuild and upgrades.
Banned
Location: NE England
Posts: 4,173
I'm Jez.
Not necessarily..... That's usually only the case for single ended class A and even then not always. Complexity of the power supply can outweigh any simplicity in some single ended class A amps though.Originally Posted by Ali Tait
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 13,696
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Can't disagree, but then from the stuff I've heard, power supply is everything when it comes to SQ.
For SS stuff, the Pass designs I've heard sound great. No feedback..
“Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”
Hunter S Thompson
Banned
Location: NE England
Posts: 4,173
I'm Jez.
It's very important yes but is hugely over rated by audiophiles in general.... as with many other aspects of good sound! People read things in magazines or forums which are often simply wrong in the first place (or right only under specific circumstances) and then a process of "Chinese whispers" and expectation bias can sometimes lead to certain ideas becoming "accepted truth" even though they are 100% incorrect.... In the case of power supplies the important thing is that the circuitry being powered can have good or bad PSRR (power supply rejection ratio). With exceptional PSRR just about any old power supply will do fine and improving it will result in minimal SQ improvement.
With very poor or non existent PSRR, common in VERY simple circuitry, then the power supply itself is indeed hugely responsible for the SQ obtained.... but no more so than the design of the amplifier circuitry itself! It is also often not appreciated that the internal grounding regime used is every bit as important as the power supply itself and has exactly the same effects as the power supply itself....
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 13,696
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Well I'm mostly talking about valve designs, but I'm talking from what I've actually heard, not just read. Yes agree grounding is very important too.
“Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”
Hunter S Thompson
Banned
Location: NE England
Posts: 4,173
I'm Jez.
I can assure my knowledge, gained over decades as a professional, goes much further than just having read something somewhere!!
Much of what is said about hifi, technically, is simply wrong and has it's roots in marketing combined with "a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing"....
Banned
Location: Torquay, Devon.
Posts: 5,684
I'm Shane.
I couldn't give a shit if the Kraken is class A (Or AB). This is indeed a nice sounding amp in its own right.
S.
Don McCorleone
Location: Galashiels
Posts: 13,696
I'm inthescottishmafia.
Yep agree, it's a good amp.
“Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”
Hunter S Thompson
Site Owner/Administrator
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK
Posts: 110,012
I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.
Heard yours at NEBO and liked it
Marco.
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