Hello WBF,
Aries Cerat is working on a new design to be released sometime in 2016 that will leverage single ended circuits married to transistors for a heavy hitting performance combination. This combination and design is intended to beat any amplifier at the same price or double in the SS or SET market. However there are some challenges with the go-to-market strategy I would like to get feedback and a consensus on if you will indulge me...
The power of this design is right around 25W class A and that presents a big challenge on two fronts:
1) Most who shop for low powered amps typically are not from the SS camp who want SS for the higher 100-200+ Watts per channel and avoid tubes for their maintenance and "microphonics"
2) Most who shop for low powered amps typically are wanting to stay away from any SS influence and leverage a SET design without finding any value of adding benefits from our friend the transistor.
So where does a low powered hybrid fit? Not in either camp, but the design is ready to prove its metal. Pass labs released the First Watt SIT1/2 to no real commercial avail for the same challenges I would imagine we are facing releasing this design.
There is an alternative topology where we can release this in a higher watt variant but that would necessitate adding double the heat sinks and would be much heavier (and more costly).
Curious to know what y'all think about this and if we should consider the higher powered model or stick with the original design and why (this is key).
All feedback is appreciated. On a side note I cannot comment on pricing for it as final designs have yet to be finished.
-Joshua
Aries Cerat is working on a new design to be released sometime in 2016 that will leverage single ended circuits married to transistors for a heavy hitting performance combination. This combination and design is intended to beat any amplifier at the same price or double in the SS or SET market. However there are some challenges with the go-to-market strategy I would like to get feedback and a consensus on if you will indulge me...
The power of this design is right around 25W class A and that presents a big challenge on two fronts:
1) Most who shop for low powered amps typically are not from the SS camp who want SS for the higher 100-200+ Watts per channel and avoid tubes for their maintenance and "microphonics"
2) Most who shop for low powered amps typically are wanting to stay away from any SS influence and leverage a SET design without finding any value of adding benefits from our friend the transistor.
So where does a low powered hybrid fit? Not in either camp, but the design is ready to prove its metal. Pass labs released the First Watt SIT1/2 to no real commercial avail for the same challenges I would imagine we are facing releasing this design.
There is an alternative topology where we can release this in a higher watt variant but that would necessitate adding double the heat sinks and would be much heavier (and more costly).
Curious to know what y'all think about this and if we should consider the higher powered model or stick with the original design and why (this is key).
All feedback is appreciated. On a side note I cannot comment on pricing for it as final designs have yet to be finished.
-Joshua