Hello all.
I have a Sugden integrated amp which runs pure Class A.
The specs show 40 watts into 4 ohms and 30 watts into 8.
My question is do you think this amp will run the KEF Reference 1. It’s rated 85-86 db sensitivity with nominal impedance at 4 ohms.
They will be placed in a relatively small room and I generally listen at about 80-85 decibels.
I understand the amp is underpowered in a technical sense but does Class A even the playing field.
P..S. This amp creates more than enough power for my Merlin floorstanders which are 89 db efficient.
Can I ask which Sugden amp you have? I ask because their Masterclass FPA-4 was amongst the dozen amps I home demo'd with my own speakers when I was moving from tube amps to ss. Although I was expecting a Class A to win me over, sadly the Sugden was one that seriously disappointed, though your amp may well be better with your speakers.
My own view is that the primary item that needs careful selection to suit your room and listening preferences is speakers, and only then should you be looking for the ideal amp to power those speakers. That's why I was demo'ing all those amps. These included other Class As (Accuphase A-36, etc) and a number of Class AB and D. The best Class A was the Accuphase, but it was just a little too "polite" so I reluctantly sold it after a year or so.
Whether Class A is likely to get the best from the KEF, I would suggest unlikely in my view, although the only Sugden I've had first-hand experience with is the FPA-4. Do you really like Class A or the Sugden in particular?
Have you bought the KEFs yet? If so, you can answer your primary question (is the Sugden powerful enough) without our help, but I suspect it will be. However if you are still deciding on your speaker purchase, I would suggest you give preference to this decision over the suitability of an existing amp.
PS - The only KEFs I've owned were the big Reference 107s (from the mid 1980s) and great speakers they were. Sensitivity was 90 dB and impedance 4 ohms. I had 100 watt mono amps at the time, but I learned (after selling the speakers) that those speakers needed an amp with greater current delivery than my AVIs could deliver. So I probably never heard the speakers at their best! This experience has contributed to my view that speakers need to be chosen first, then get the best amp to power them.