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Class A Amp

I was going to say, because Schitt are in Valencia California :)

If i had the skill to build something like the brilliant Pass labs amp you've built, i'd definitely go that way.
 
Fretbuzz said:
Choosing which First Watt-type (from JH) was a bit tricky. Personally went with the M2 as it appealed in SQ descriptions and design concept. So a bit of a stab and I've not heard any others to compare it to, but it sounds wonderful in itself - moreover, as I'd come to hope.

In terms of getting an idea of the various First Watt products, his own website is obviously good and makes some comparisons in the respective manuals (http://www.firstwatt.com/prod.html). Six Moon reviews have a go at that also.
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I can't help feeling there are too many choices, too little information, and no chance of hearing the differences between them. For now I've gone with Sugden.
 
I very much regret selling my original 1970 type Sugden A21 to a fishy about 5 years ago... It was before any customer had engaged me to completely refurb/rebuild one and I hadn't realised just how good they can be when working 100% to spec. Yes I'd listened to it and had heard other ones in need of a service maybe 10 years before and thought I knew what they were capable of... I didn't.
 
I looked into the Pass clones made by the chap in Coventry. They're superbly well made and seem to be excellent value. But what put me off, in a similar vein to the comments above, was the need to buy blind (with resale not being the easiest on this type of thing), the high number of different designs (with everyone seeming to have a different view on which is best), and the pretty mixed reviews of the amps. There's lots of enthusiasm but also a fair number who describe them as being dull, uninvolving, hifi etc.
 
jonnypsvinyl said:
I looked into the Pass clones made by the chap in Coventry. They're superbly well made and seem to be excellent value. But what put me off, in a similar vein to the comments above, was the need to buy blind (with resale not being the easiest on this type of thing), the high number of different designs (with everyone seeming to have a different view on which is best), and the pretty mixed reviews of the amps. There's lots of enthusiasm but also a fair number who describe them as being dull, uninvolving, hifi etc.
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Re the last bit (dull etc), have they tended to refer to any model types in particular?

Couldn't be more opposite to my own experience. But yes, definitely an element of risk involved.
 
neilmack said:
I've paid a deposit on a Sugden A21al.
If it doesn't work out, well I haven't bankrupted myself. And if it does, I can always sell the other kidney and look for something more ambitious.
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If you only listen to music and forget about the rest, you won’t need something more ambitious !
Trumpets are life like with this little amplifier !
 
jonnypsvinyl said:
I looked into the Pass clones made by the chap in Coventry. They're superbly well made and seem to be excellent value. But what put me off, in a similar vein to the comments above, was the need to buy blind (with resale not being the easiest on this type of thing), the high number of different designs (with everyone seeming to have a different view on which is best), and the pretty mixed reviews of the amps. There's lots of enthusiasm but also a fair number who describe them as being dull, uninvolving, hifi etc.
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One person's "dull, uninvolving, hifi etc." is another person's long-term listening pleasure. There is a lot of kit out there that sounds fabulous in a demo but which can get a bit relentless after a few songs.

Buying DIY kit is always a risk, even from someone who makes them extremely well but choose wisely and you'll get something awesome for a fraction of what it would cost as a commercial product. I have DIY Aleph 60 monoblocks and I can't praise them enough. Sure, they're not perfect but they cost me a lot less than something similar from a commercial vendor.
 
jonnypsvinyl said:
I looked into the Pass clones made by the chap in Coventry. They're superbly well made and seem to be excellent value. But what put me off, in a similar vein to the comments above, was the need to buy blind (with resale not being the easiest on this type of thing), the high number of different designs (with everyone seeming to have a different view on which is best), and the pretty mixed reviews of the amps. There's lots of enthusiasm but also a fair number who describe them as being dull, uninvolving, hifi etc.
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In the case of Jo Henry's amps, you can return them if you don't like them. 14 days, just enough, I'd say, to come to a decision.
 
Gervais Cote said:
If you only listen to music and forget about the rest, you won’t need something more ambitious !
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I haven't heard the Sugden, but there's a sense in which lots of amps are like this. Rotel amps costing £150 second hand will do.

However, when you have a really special amp, it does make a difference to timbre, and to image. My Rotel amps disappear and when listening they are perfectly satisfactory -- if I move from the Rotel to the Radford or the Krell, I am reminded of all the weaknesses of the Rotel, how it fails to resolve overtones and all the detailed information which make the audio sound like a real presence.

Is it worth the additional £2K+? I think it probably is!
 
i.j.russell said:
One person's "dull, uninvolving, hifi etc." is another person's long-term listening pleasure. There is a lot of kit out there that sounds fabulous in a demo but which can get a bit relentless after a few songs.

Buying DIY kit is always a risk, even from someone who makes them extremely well but choose wisely and you'll get something awesome for a fraction of what it would cost as a commercial product. I have DIY Aleph 60 monoblocks and I can't praise them enough. Sure, they're not perfect but they cost me a lot less than something similar from a commercial vendor.
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very true . and that F3 for 750 in bristol looks a wonderful buy . if it can make Ocellia Calliopes sound good , it must be good
 
booja30 said:
You can build your own for under £800 using PCBs from DiyAudio / DiyAudioStore, chassis from Modushop, etc. Here is a thread I started after I finished my Pass F5.

I totally understand if you want something already finished though. It's a lot of work, but a lot of fun to push through one of these builds. The funny/sad part is I am considering selling my Pass F5 amp and BA2018 preamp (designed by a Pass employee) and I haven't even finished the preamp. The problem is the amp puts out a lot of heat, kind of like having a toaster on in the room the whole time you are listening to music. Might not be a problem in some places where you heat year round, but in Valencia it tends to mean having another fan on, or worse, A/C.

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Nice work!
 
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