Linn 500 Solo - Manual (Page 18)

10
The arguments about the relative merits of tubes, MOSFETS and bipolar
devices have filled many technical journals, and needless to say, most are
over stated and over simplified to try to win the argument! It’s possible to
design a good amplifier using any of the available technologies. Turning it
into a great amplifier takes more than just a good argument. In the Klimax
we chose bipolars running in Class AB and put in the essential circuitry to
take maximum advantage of the inherent linearity of bipolars (unlike
MOSFETS), and to manage their potentially slower switch off characteristic.
Many MOSFET designs neither adequately linearise the MOSFETs, and in
the assumption that ‘they are easy to drive’ don’t put in adequate circuitry
to take advantage of their potential switch off speed. However, if we ever
decide to make an amplifier above 500 Watts we would most probably use
MOSFETs.
To run a system of amplifiers of the Klimax power in Class A would heat a
house, very expensively, after laying in a high current three phase mains supply
to the house. So we chose to use Class AB with the circuitry necessary to
control precisely the handover from one power device to the other.
To avoid having capacitors in the audio path the Klimax is direct coupled
with a dc servo to minimise output offset voltage.