Grid chokes
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| Posted on April 6, 2016 at 15:57:06 | |
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Posts: 195
Joined: June 18, 2002 |
My past experience with grid chokes was via one of the original versions of DIY HI FI's LadyDay 300b monoblocks. I had been modifying them for a couple of years changing out PS caps, installing a CCS on the driver tube and a shunt regulator (with VR tubes), etc. I decided to remove the grid choke as an experiment. The amps IMO sounded less muddled, cleaner and more open without them so of course I left them in my parts box. Well in the intervening years I have built a 20b/300b pair of monoblocks. After running them for a couple of years I switched from a CCS to a choke loaded input stage. Since using more iron worked very well with an increase in musicality without losing any resolution or drive I started giving grid chokes another look. I was thinking that since I had a very good driver stage it would probably not make too much of a difference. Bass drive was really not much of an issue but as usual, one must(?) experiment. My first step was to open up the big cans my old units were in to see what was in them all those years. The cans were about 2" in diameter and 2.5" in length. Inside there were toroidal chokes surrounded by gobs of silicone. No brand names or such to be found. Perhaps not the best representative to make the case for grid chokes. So, after installing the Lundahl chokes I was not expecting much. I first tried them in my headphone amp which is a hybrid amp with a 20b feeding an Electra-Print OPT. Well, even there I could hear a positive difference. Better bass, "soundstage" etc. Into the main amps they went. The results were disappointing. I was disappointed that I had not put them in years ago! Certainly better bass which IME always leads to a better soundstage with more clarity, layering and focus of instruments. This translates into more realistic portrayals of instruments and voices. Vocals are clearer and more concise which besides making them seem more realistic, allows you to hear more of the nuances and emotion of the perfromer. The bass exhibits more control and grip than before. I am not a bass freak but if I can get it without the normal compromises then I will be more than happy to have it. This upgrade ranks VERY high on the "bang for the buck" scale especially in the tube amp world. Transformative is not overstating the case IMO & IME.
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