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Now that I'm goofing with Zu Omens and Tekton Lores, I'm curious about SET again. I'd prefer a triode-connected pentode to a pure triode for tube rolling cost reasons but I'm wide open to suggestions up to $1000
Follow Ups:
I have this and I bet this would work for you, single ended EL84 output and 6922 driver tube.
I do it all in the name of music!!!
Now that could be a really sweet sounding amp. There are some amazing El84s out there and the supply of 6922 drivers is quite good. hmmm. must dwell on this
Edits: 09/25/12
Yes it sounds really sweet, but this one I have is better and is what i'm currently using to drive my Omega MaxHemps.
I do it all in the name of music!!!
I got the Lore too and also thinking about getting my first budget tube amp. Considering the Almarro 205A MKII or Line Magnetic Mini 218. I live in HK so I can get the LM Mini 218 at the local price. Some guys is selling his Almarro 205aMKII at US$695 , so its a good bargain as well for you to consider.Ha, I'm new to this forum and just realized you bought the Almarro already.
Edits: 06/06/12
6W6GT or 12W6GT or 25L6GT in triode mode are "the tubes"...
45 quality sound per a bargain...
Use a Edcor transformer, good and cheap !
A high transcondutance pentode in triode mode in input, the 6W6GT in triode mode in output and a Edcor output transformer will destroy the best chinese 2A3 amplifiers...
Aldovan
Parts cost under $500 with Allied power and Transcendar output iron and dead-easy even for a beginner. Mine has replaced my 45 for everyday use.
Buy a board and get excellent manual at George Andersons Tubelab site in Diyaudio.com
Errrr,
6BQ5 unseats 2A3? I have DIY many 6BQ5s amps both SE & PP, upgraded many 6BQ5 vintage amps also both in PP & a few SE. As lovely as a 6BQ5 sounds, it ain't no 2A3.
I ordered a Decware Mini Torii but still have 2 months to wait. It is a SEP but is a tube rollers delight or nightmare.
If *I* were going low budget on a DHT amp *I* would get an assembled Bottlehead Stereomour with all the upgrades. Nice American made amp.
It should be well under $1000 for you, and you get a tertiary wound special transformer for cathode degeneration and VERY LOW high order distortion. Just a 2nd and and a third shows up on the SA with slightly dominant 2nd. Kinda looks like MacIntosh amp windings but with SE design. And so you get real power too at 10W/ch, more than a 300B, but cheap tubes: 6N1P and EL-34 are inexpensive to obtain. There is distortion cancellation going on like the Mac amps did, and it looks clean in the photo of the measurement.
I would like to hear it. 6 week's lead time and is fully built. I have an interest in perhaps buying it, but it is an integrated amp only and I don't want a preamp switch and volume control in the path, so modifying I would do myself for my purposes eventually. Or make a special request to jumper over.
Sounds like a nice amp...need to look it up:> )
Stuben
DanL
I does not appear to be from AA sponsor DIY Hi Fi.
Yo Dude
SAC Thailand MAKES the amp.
DIY HiFi just sells the amp
and their transformers - SILK.
I use a pair of 5Ks in my amp.
Excellant Iron
DanL
Dan, I could not find the amp on the DIY Hi Fi site.
Dude
You are right, I never looked.
"Commentary" is the one that said they had it.
I knew they carried their transformers
so I assumed they had the amps as well.
I would imagine they can order them though.
DanL
DIY Hi-Fi Supply is a listed distributor for all Silk Audio's products, according to "SAC's" website. Silk Audio is also a factory direct manufacturer as well I just learned from looking around more on the website. In my short time talking to Silk Audio, they indicated they are a build to order only maker of amps, all kinds of amps including custom pieces.
DIY Hi-Fi Supply doesn't seem to list all they might sell for them it seems. But DIY Hi-Fi seems more set up to take orders conveniently, yet it might have a bit different total for you depending on where you decide to order. I would probably do a bank transfer over a credit card because of convenience issues with Thailand's banking methods. Silk appears to be taking best precautions for them, but it might not suit your peace of mind the way they want it. Silk Audio has had a long term good reputation internationally after a long relationship with DIY Hi-Fi. Silk has been around for a few years and doesn't seem positioned to fail, by doing low cost manufacturing assembly in Thailand.
But also Silk lately is going more factory direct and bypassing DIY Hi-Fi in many or most cases perhaps. Please email them from their website's listed email addresses for latest information on ordering if you're interested in further information. I will next time as I was told it's their preferred method of communication. Sales, Management, and Engineering I suspect all speak and write English very well.
They look like they know what they're talking about and their engineering seems solid and knowledgeable. But they are not reviewed frequently and audition seems tough. That's the problem of all factory direct low volume products.
If anyone has experience with, or a real review of the 2010 Minute amp, or the 2006 Minute amp, I would like to request your findings.
From all appearances, this is probably not a lush SET amp, but could be quite detailed and microdynamic. I would like to know about that.
The price I got quoted was about USD $670 for this 2010 version, depending on exchange rate. It's not a toy.
One thing I found out in my journey with SET amps is that pentodes like the EL-34 like local NFB, but not for real triodes.
nt
It is Ultra-Linear according to the site.
Also at 10W per EL34 it can't be triode strapped.
DanL
This must be an older model!
CB
I am thinking of building a one with KT120s
and the Lundahl LL1620CFB good for 20W in UL.
Maybe a 6GK5 for a driver.
DanL
Dan,
I don't think those LL1620 OPT's will have UL.. I bought some used SE 50 mA LL1663 thinking they would have it , but no. They may not make any SE OPT'S with UL.
Randy
Randy
They all do if you want to use 50% UL since
they have 2 or 4 equal primary windings.
(1663 has 2 primaries so 5/11 pins are UL tap)
BUT the LL1620 splits one pair of primaries
with half going for the Cathode Feedback
so you are left with 2 "normal" windings
and 2 half windings so you can wire it
as 33%, 50% or 66% UL if you want.
With 2 CFB windings that can be wired
in parallel for 25% CFB
OR in series for 50% CFB.
BTW The LL1620 is not a stock item
so a special order is necesary.
And they normally are PP (see link) so a
LL1620CFB gapped for SE is even more so.
DanL
I bet you could get Edcor to wind a 20 watt output transformer with an 8 ohm speaker winding and a 64 ohm cathode feedback winding.
BTW - you can get 20 watts out of a 6550 single ended pentode, I'd imagine the KT120 could net a little more!
Dan,
What is a bit odd is that the seller wants a copy of the front and back of your credit card faxed with the order....I don't think so. ;-)
I would look at the Line Magnetic mini 218.
The Zu Audio dealer in Hong Kong carries Line Magnetic and from looking at the factory tour of Liner Magnetic they also use Zu Audio speakers for testing (assuming they're not actually built there). You can see that they use Zu Audio at the bottom of the link http://www.hitaudio.com/reviews/201009_1.htm
The 218 Mini is $800 and is a SET headphone amplifier and integrated of 3 watts - but Zu is dead easy to drive. I am considering it for my Audio Note AX Two speakers which are only 90db sensitive. The added bonus is that EL 84s tend to last longer than other tube types and are far cheaper to replace.
The downside of the amp is no phono stage and only one input. I'm going to try it out over the next few weeks as a headphone amplifier as well.
I own the LM Mini and am running it with Blumenstein Orca speakers...great combo!
Decware
Bottlehead
They're all good products. I built a strapped EL84 amp similar to the Decware product (inspired by) Sounds good, much better power supply than the Decware offering . If you have the right speakers, you'll hear the magic.
You can roll a lot of EL84s. This little Power Tube is a winner as far as it's potential...The Decware offering runs a Russian SV83 which is a real Pentode. Steve set the amp up to run all EL84/6bq5 variations.
If you go with the 2A3 option, you're more limited on the rolling front but more flexible with the speaker choice.
I personally don't like a strapped EL34. Maybe I haven't been exposed to a good amp using this approach. The price for a new Decware EL34 strapped option is probably over your budget...you can probably a used Torri that accommodates your budget.
I personally prefer my own designed Pentode amps with output stage feedback to a strapped approach...much faster with similar linearity...
Stuben
Hi Greg,
I would highly recommend the Decware offerings to match your budget. I have had both the Zu Omen Defs and the Tekton Lores and now the Pendragons. For the Zu the Decware Torii and Mini Torii were my favorites over several much more famous and much more expensive Set amps. I do think $1000 is a sweet spot for set amps, especially if you do your research and find a good amp.
I am currently running a Dodd EL-84 amp with my Pendragons and it sounds almost as good as my Don Allen 45 while outputting many more Watts and much better bass.
For you, I would suggest calling Decware and talking to Steve, or going to their classified section and watching for a used amp. The Mini torii is a tube rollers delight and has amazing tone and timbre. I will be selling my Torii soon as it doesn't mate well with my Pendragons, but it seriously outperformed its weight on the Omen Defs.
Good luck,
Morgan
Bottlehead Stereomour are affordable real 2A3 power triode SE amps designed & built in the USA. I see no advantage to a triode connected tetrode. A power triode is a superior tube IMO for SE amps and many 2A3s are available in NOS or new manufacture. Do not want a kit? The Stereomour is available wired at your budget for a plug & play option.
Just my opinion of course, but I hear much more difference between a triode and a triode-wired pentode than between any two tubes of the same type. Especially directly-heated triodes.
The screens are not tied together internally. I think they are wired together on most (all?) power pentodes.
I'm not particularly fond of the EL34 in class B/AB PP, but have never tried them as triodes in all-class A PP.
Observe, don't think
Interesting question. I have no experience comparing true pentodes triode wired with the suppressor connected to the cathode vs. to the plate/screen.
Technically, I'd expect (when triode wired) the screen to capture any dislodged electrons so the suppressor would not have a big effect. But listening always beats theory for relevance, even though it has a poor record for repeatability. Anybody out there who has done a comparison?
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