NAIM NAP 140 CLONE vs JLH 1996 Class A (30W per Channel (4ohm))

[sreten]

Originally posted by thanh1973

Could you please come to the defence of this amp .....

Hi,

You have already committed so why ask ?

I have an Audiolab 8000A which I cannot play loud as I live in a flat
and effectively have 5 neighbours. I have tried 2 similar amplifiers
to the JLH, The Sudgen and a Kelvin Labs.

They sounded sublime at low levels but gave up the ghost on bass
heavy material at modest levels. Doubling the output current might
take them from not really usable to just passable, +3dB is not much.
(FWIW the bass quality was excellent / superb at quiet levels).

The design does not need defending, it is what is is.
As is the Sudgen and as was the Kelvin Labs.

They all struggle with bass heavy material, for the same reason.
Which I have tried to explain, but it seems you want to be told
that they will be OK. They might be... , they might not be .... .

/sreten.

[Melon Head]

Thanks for the reply Sreten
I have only bought the PCB's so I have not committed myself. It is just that I have spent a lot of time reading about class a amplifiers, and I suppose I have grown attached to the idea of building a Class A amp.
Anyway, I the only way to know is to build it. So I will build the JLH first, and if that does not work out. I will swap out the JLH amplifier PCBs for Naim Clones.

[john65b]

Why not try the Krell KSA-50 Clone? Plenty of power and still class A. Bass is one of its strong points. I love mine.

I have a NAP140 kit that I still have to build it.

[MikeW]

Build the JLH. It is a good amp. There is plenty of help. You will not be disappointed. Bias it up to fit your speakers.

[Melon Head]

Just an update for every one.
It is going to be 40W per channel, similar to the JLH for Quad ESL amp.

[Williams Audio]

Hi all,
Self Douglas has an amp that can answer to your task, it is public for all.
is about 20 watts in class a for a 8 ohm load, there are pcbs for sale from "signal"
and the most important is that i built it and it sounds super, it has a very good driving pwr to most normal speakers, I am using it some times to drive my acoustat
best regards,
Williams

[sreten]

Originally posted by Williams Audio
Hi all,
Self Douglas has an amp that can answer to your task, it is public for all.
is about 20 watts in class a for a 8 ohm load, there are pcbs for sale from "signal"
and the most important is that i built it and it sounds super, it has a very good
driving pwr to most normal speakers, I am using it some times to drive my acoustat
best regards,
Williams

Hi,

Douglas Self's "Power Amplifier Design" book should be bought
by anyone contemplating building a power amplifier of any sort.

It does contain a Class A design that is push pull, it does not
current limit, instead it enters class B for the highest currents.

As I've alluded to elsewhere in this thread a Class A version
of the NAP140 circuit is a very straightforward proposition.
This would also be push pull and be able to do high current.

See Self's book, see NAP clone circuitry.

/sreten.

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/ampins/dipa/dipa.htm