[steve f]

Question for Klaus. How many watts do your stereo amps typically deliver into Class A operation?

[steve f]

Bump.

[Phil A]

Here's one review of Odyssey amps -

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/odyssey2/1.html

“The Kismets are class A for the first 10 watts or so and then the more power-efficient class AB thereafter. Class AB is a push-pull affair implemented here with Sanken 2SA1216 and 2SC2922 epitaxial planar power transistor pairs. These ring-emitter devices are noted for their long-term stability and reliability and crank out something like 17 amperes each or 34 amps per pair at 50MHz. They’re pretty much loafing in audio-frequency applications. Each Kismet has four such pairs, giving a peak current capacity of over 120A with 6 to 7 amperes steady-state. The inherently high bandwidth of these devices supports a frequency response of 2Hz to 500kHz, which according to Klaus allows lower feedback correction, reduces listening fatigue and distortion. It’s not by chance that these Sanken transistors are designed into several of the radically more expensive Burmester, Electrocompaniet and Symphonic Line amplifiers. “

[srb]

And from the topic Re: Questions (and lots of them).... (albeit from 2003):

How heavily biased into class A is the Stratos xtreme monoblock? In the Odyssey trade show review section, the "Audiophile Voice" states the first 35 watts are class A for the standard Stratos amps. How does that translate to the xtreme monoblocks?

Originally a couple of years ago, we stated that the amps would be 30 + W. class A, which is quite possible.  However, in reality, and because of the final biasing of our current amps, it's more like 10 W., and even that varies depending on circumstances.  With the Xtreme reference edition monos, we're biasing the amps a bit hotter, but probably still in the same ballpark.

However, as with all Symphonic Line amps, it really doesn't make a difference since the x-over to AB is absolutely impossible to detect.  The SL designs are 100 % coherent in this regard.  Yes, I know the saying " the first Watt is the most important one " " pure class A is the best sounding" etc, etc, etc.  Truth is, all of this is just soso.  Doesn't tell you as to how it sounds.  With bad amps, you can tell a difference in the x-over from a class A to AB or B, just as you can in a speaker with a bad x-over.  So what, we're talking SL here.

[steve f]

Thank guys.