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In Reply to: RE: Classic Magnetics posted by TheBob on February 14, 2012 at 16:26:05
The stuff from MQ and Plitron, along with some other winders, is quite good. It's the creme de la creme "vintage" stuff that gets the accolades.
A case can be made for the H/K Cit. 2 having the best O/P "iron" ever. Those trafos exhibit both large power handling and phenomenal bandwidth. Plitron offers toroidal models with either of the attributes, but not both at the same time.
The unity coupled stuff Frank McIntosh used is also revered for good reason. Saul Marantz would have nothing to do with anything remotely mediocre.
FWIW, I think some current designs engage in complexity for its own sake.
Eli D.
Follow Ups:
I regard the Cit II transformers highly, but the Peerless transformers in the Heath W-6 are at least the equal and, in my opinion, superior. I own both units.
How did you compare the two OPTs? Since they are used in entirely different (and different sounding) circuits I wonder how you found one to be better than the other - and how you are able to narrow that down to a difference in the output trafos? Did you put the H-K units on the Heath or vice-versa?
I also maintain that at a certainly level "better" by and large is a matter of personal taste unless you have specifics to quote.
Both are wonderful pieces of vintage iron!!
John Atwood did an exhaustive comparison of vintage OT in 1990 using the identical driver circuit and no feedback around the transformer. The upper -3db point for the Cit II was 108K versus 129K for the W-6; the latter's 10K square wave performance was also superior. The Peerless transformers measured better than the Cit II or any other transformer under test. I also prefer the sound of my W-6 to my Duece (with updated power supply, coupling caps and resistors--but stock circuits). In addition to John Atwood's objective tests, Bruce Thigpen and Julius Futterman both touted the Peerless 16431 as the best output iron they had ever come across. To quote Julius, "the Peerless in the W-6 has no peer".
Edits: 02/22/12
That's what I thought Jim. The only way to tell! I bet they are much the same.
New stuff can sound great, Until it breaks and you have to send it back to the factory for repair. Personally I'll take an old to-300, A Mullard circuit and my basement work shop over new any day of the week. Hell, Dynaco st35's are pretty damm easy to build or fix. I guess I just like Vintage from a Hobbiest standpoint.
WE ARE THE THE BORG! Resistance is Futile.
Eli,
When you say ..."current designs engage in complexity for its own sake" are you speaking of the design of the transformers or the design of the supporting circuitry?
Excess complexity in the circuitry, not the magnetics.
Eli D.
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