Zoom Audio Labs A20

A20 is our smallest amplifier. It has very similar design and sound to upper level amplifier, and the main difference is that with more demanding acoustics it would not have as much dynamics and punch as a more powerful model. A20 is very well suited for higher sensitivity loudspeakers, and we also recommend to use it with speakers impedance of 6 or 8 ohms.

Current lineup consists of two integrated hybrid Class A audio amplifiers, meaning that preamp is based on vacuum tubes and output stage is based on power MOSFET. This design allows us to have full and rich, slightly warm tube amp sound, while maintaining high drive capability of MOSFET output stage.

One of the feature of these amplifiers is that they doesn’t use any negative feedback. Negative feedback is simple way to improve performance, however, without negative feedback amplifiers are more musical, and everything sounds more as a one, not just as a different sounds placed in space. In order to achieve high performance without negative feedback we had to use high current circuits.

These amplifiers are designed in a way that they have no inductors or capacitors in direct sound path. This means, that audio signal goes only through resistors, vacuum tube, and transistors. We came to this design, as each capacitor and inductor has its distinctive sound character, and when using them it is always a compromise. Also these components usually creates high impedance circuits, which reduces damping factor, and increases noise. These effects could be mitigated with negative feedback, but as we are not using it, it was very important for design to have this solution, and in that way achieve highly dynamic sound, yet maintaining that full bodied and warm sound signature.

SPECIFICATIONS