Tube Power Amp Reviews

Berning EA-2100 power amplifier Specifications

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Description: All-tube stereo power amplifier. Rated power: 100Wpc (20dBW). Frequency response: 20Hz–50kHz, +0/–3dB at full power.
Dimensions: 5¼" H × 19" W × 17¼" D. Weight: 40lb.
Price: $2995 (1984). No longer available (2021).
Manufacturer: The David Berning Company, 11007 Candlelight Lane, Potomac, MD 20854 (1984); 12430 McCrossin Lane, Potomac, MD 20854 (2021). Tel: (301) 926-3371. Web: davidberning.com.

COMPANY INFO
The David Berning Company
12430 McCrossin Lane
Potomac, MD 20854
(301) 926-3371
davidberning.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
NIkos Razis's picture
Submitted by NIkos Razis on October 15, 2021 - 1:39am

J. G. Holt was obviously describing a form of switching power supply. It is strange that he does not name the thing since these had been invented decades before and the term SMPS was introduced in 1976 by IBM. Switching power supplies had been used in digital systems long before the 80s. Was it the first time he encountered one of these?

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on October 17, 2021 - 4:20pm
NIkos Razis wrote:
J. G. Holt was obviously describing a form of switching power supply. It is strange that he does not name the thing since these had been invented decades before . . . Was it the first time he encountered one of these?

As far as I can ascertain, the Berning EA-2100 was the first high-end audio amplifier to use a switch-mode power supply.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

hahax's picture
Submitted by hahax on October 17, 2021 - 7:17pm

Actually David used switching power supplies earlier on his Audionics BA150 amplifier and later on his 1st preamp produced by Precedent Audio in 1979.

It's too bad you didn't test the EA-2100. Knowing David his ratings are super conservative. The BA150 was rated at 150 watts per side but that was in an artificial brown out of 100 volts AC. The BA 150 amp really put out about 225 watts a side in triode. It was similar to the EA-2100 except instead of a tube the BA150 driver stage was a transistor which could put out much more current than the EA-2100 tube driver and the output tube was screen drive to make it into a triode but the tube driver couldn't delivwer enough current to fully drive the output stage.

Jack L's picture
Submitted by Jack L on October 29, 2021 - 9:35am

Hi

Switch Mode Power Supply SMPS for audio amps ?

Thanks but no thanks.

Yes, SMPS is already a standard for powering all our digital devices at home: cellphones, cordless phones, labtop, computers, CD/DVD players etc etc etc.

But NOT for analogue audios, my friends. SMPS emits RFI/EMI noises into our amps.

That said, I still use small SMPS wallwarts to recharge the batteries inside the headamp of my MC cartridge & the bias batteries for all the tubes used in my design/built all-trioide class-A SET power amp. Needless to say, these SMPS are totally switched off from inside the amps after recharging.

Yes, SMPS is efficient & handy & cost dirt cheap to buy. Why not use it for recharging. But never ever used INSIDE any auidos, IMO.

Jack L

sa122's picture
Submitted by sa122 on January 10, 2022 - 3:05am

I think Benchmark, manufacturers of the AHB2 power amp, would disagree with you there. It's one of the quietest amps you can buy at any price.

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