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What is sublime?

herb

brain's right hemisphere
In recent exchanges I see people describe the sound of Class A amps as sublime. My thoroughly brutal ATC integrated is Class A for 2/3 of its 150 wpc output according to ATC. I guess that it is not true class A or it would run hotter than it does. To me sublime equals boring, that is what I hear at dealers and shows.
 
On the other hand. Rough sorts have a greeting around here “alright?” they say. “Sublime deary” I giggle back. My age has saved me from a number of good-natured beatings…
 
In recent exchanges I see people describe the sound of Class A amps as sublime. My thoroughly brutal ATC integrated is Class A for 2/3 of its 150 wpc output according to ATC. I guess that it is not true class A or it would run hotter than it does. To me sublime equals boring, that is what I hear at dealers and shows.

Sublime in Kant is defined as the special emotion that we feel when we become directly aware of the enormity and grandeur of nature - when we see a huge mountain range for example.

This is what I feel when I listen to my Krell and ESLs.
 
Sublime in Kant is defined as the special emotion that we feel when we become directly aware of the enormity and grandeur of nature - when we see a huge mountain range for example.

This is what I feel when I listen to my Krell and ESLs.

I remember my 1970s Kenwood Trio tuner/Quad 33 303 ESL57 /Akai open real tape recorder and Radio 3 (?) as being my best sounding system with classical music. I guess I have become too much of a flat earther now, too old to change.
 
My thoroughly brutal ATC integrated is Class A for 2/3 of its 150 wpc output according to ATC. I guess that it is not true class A or it would run hotter than it does.

Yes, I’d question that. For comparison have a look at the passive heatsinks a Krell KSA 80 needs, or for that matter my 30 Watt Pass:

51479487615_b672a7a0d0_b.jpg


I’m sure the ATC is a really good amp, but I don’t see how you can do anything like 100 Watts of class A with the heatsinking it has. From what I can tell the overwhelming majority of amps that claim to be just aren’t. It’s one reason when I eventually scratched an itch to try one I went for the Pass as is a remarkably simple and well documented single-ended class A amp.
 
Many years ago I was lying in the bath with my cheap transistor radio playing and heard by accident a live broadcast of Shostakovich's 4th symphony, a piece unknown to me before then. The sound quality wasn't up to much... but the music and its performance made that irrelevant. I was transported; my musical imagination filled in the missing bits of the sound.

I think that experience might reasonably be labelled "sublime".
 
'Sublime' is what happens when a solid idea transforms to masses of hot air on an audio forum without passing through the intermediate stage of critical reception.

I jest.

Anyway, ATC's class-A claim has always had a whiff of ashley talks crap - they - the integrated, which is the same basic design as the active speaker amp packs designed iircby Tim Isaacs, and solid - are mosfet amps: and as such need to run a bit of healthy bias out of necessity, but certainly not enought to meet the headline claim: c. 120-150ma/output pair/ channel would be about right.

I suspect someone long ago spotted the amp packs might dissipate 30-40w /channel in total at idle and conflated it with idea that since that's about a third of the rated output, so they are class A up that far - which certainly is not true. It could just about be an honest mistake at marketing level... just.
 
Anyway, ATC's class-A claim has always had a whiff of ashley talks crap - they - the integrated, which is the same basic design as the active speaker amp packs designed iircby Tim Isaacs, and solid - are mosfet amps: and as such need to run a bit of healthy bias out of necessity, but certainly not enought to meet the headline claim: c. 120-150ma/output pair/ channel would be about right.

I suspect someone long ago spotted the amp packs might dissipate 30-40w /channel in total at idle and conflated it with idea that since that's about a third of the rated output, so they are class A up that far - which certainly is not true. It could just about be an honest mistake at marketing level... just.

Hence class AB, class A,,,, But.
 
IIRC the ATC SIA-150 dissipates about 100W when idling, so 50W/channel. The theoretical efficiency of a Class A amplifier is 25% if I remember correctly, which suggests possibly the first 12.5 watts or so might be class A (very roughly). This still means in practice for many users the amplifier remains in class A for much or all of the time.
 
Many years ago I was lying in the bath with my cheap transistor radio playing and heard by accident a live broadcast of Shostakovich's 4th symphony, a piece unknown to me before then. The sound quality wasn't up to much... but the music and its performance made that irrelevant. I was transported; my musical imagination filled in the missing bits of the sound.

I think that experience might reasonably be labelled "sublime".

I remember motoring along in my noisy Reliant three wheeler and On Wenlock Edge by RVW came on the radio. I was transported elsewhere, and still am when I play the CD.:)
 
IIRC the ATC SIA-150 dissipates about 100W when idling, so 50W/channel. The theoretical efficiency of a Class A amplifier is 25% if I remember correctly, which suggests possibly the first 12.5 watts or so might be class A (very roughly). This still means in practice for many users the amplifier remains in class A for much or all of the time.

That's how I use mine in a flat above a neighbour's bedroom. It is not so much the volume that is a problem, it is the avant garde type of jazz/classical music I play.
 
IIRC the ATC SIA-150 dissipates about 100W when idling, so 50W/channel. The theoretical efficiency of a Class A amplifier is 25% if I remember correctly, which suggests possibly the first 12.5 watts or so might be class A (very roughly). This still means in practice for many users the amplifier remains in class A for much or all of the time.

Actually I'm wrong - just consulted the manual which says 230VA when powered (idling). This has had the effect of making me feel more guilty about leaving it on for most of the day.
 


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