PrestonTom Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 There is a Sumo Nine (not the plus version) advertised on A'Gon for $300 (something). Has anybody used this on Klpsch Heritage? The amp is class A and has ample power. It was designed by reputable engineer, but they are getting a bit older now (probably built in the early 1980s).. So it might need some fresh caps etc. I have no idea whether the output devices are available or would require matching. I bring up the issue since the price is cheap and I once heard these with some Altec speakers. The sound was quite good, especially the lower octaves. Thoughts? -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 Mark: You have a better memory than I do. I can never remember how to spell his name. He was certainly involved with a number of great amps. The price is right, but I do not have a good sense on how aggressive one should be when re-freshing an older amp. It could be a fun project for someone. Sadly, my garage is currently filled with an incomplete speaker building project. Most folks in New England would like to park their cars in a garage during the Winter. However, I prefer the idea of power tools and plywood all over the place instead. -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I have the Sumo Electra pre-amp, which JB designed, and the Sumo Polaris power amp, which he didn't. The Polaris is an FET Class AB amp. I used it on my Corn IIs briefly, and I liked the combination. My HT system now uses a Yammie HT receiver. I still use the Electra & Polaris connected to the system in my study, driving Dahlquist DQ-10s. BTW there is a Yahoo group for these amps, I think is called the SAE group, since JB worked for them for a while. JB is good to answer questions posed there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 Yes, those are interesting combinations. Of course, the Dahlquist will present a very different kind of load to an amp then the Klipsch Heritage and the Polaris is a different topology then the Sumo. Sometimes there are certain combinations of amps and speakers that are just the perfect mix. I had forgotten about the SAEs. Apparently some of those sounded very good ( I never had a chance to listen to any of them however). -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 The Sumo 9 sounds pretty good for an amplifier based on a not-so-hot opamp (LF353). They used so-so caps and could stand a real upgrade. If you break one you are kind of SOL, as they require a matched set of ten output transistors (per channel) that are no longer available and have no substitute. Having said all that it is a real good sounding amp on Klipsch (I was a Klipsch and Sumo dealer), I also own a Sumo 9. The Sumo 9+ was a newer model with different outputs (still available), but not designed by Bongiorno. I've seen them sell with box and owner's manual on eBay for $500 in mint shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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