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In Reply to: RE: SE Pentodes? posted by hifipaul on February 27, 2016 at 17:48:20
"The biggest drawback is the need for negative feedback, even when triode wired."
Triodes allow one to experiment with NFB, starting with none. The inherent distortion level of pentodes doesn't permit that luxury.
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
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Also very importantly, SEP amplifiers need NFB to lower the output impedance (raise the damping factor) to levels permitting adequate woofer control. The bass frequency extension may also be inadequate without feedback.
nada aqui
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
I had kind of figured a true SET was better. So, what manufacturers do you recommend (I don't know of many) or would I need to build my own, which I am not sure if I could pull that off
Bob
"So, what manufacturers do you recommend"
The heart of a SET amplifier - tubes aside - resides in the quality of the output transformers and power supply. The former are very expensive if done right, and because they're key to overall sound quality, it's important to know who made them. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend any amplifier manufactured by a company that doesn't use a brand of known, high-quality transformer. This eliminates all Asian manufacturers as far as I know, with the exception of a few in Japan. It may also eliminate a few Western companies that don't publish the source or specs of their transformers. If I was in the market for a new amplifier, I'd probably start by contacting transformer manufacturers like Magnequest, Lundahl, Sowter, etc. to ask for a referral.
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
seems like alot of power for 300b's, didn't also make a 2A3 version?
Sorry, I don't know how Cary qualifies their transformers or the operating conditions for specifying output power. Those are good questions to ask them. :)
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Buy Chinese. Bury freedom.
Thanks to everyone for all the input. I will most likely buy American made maybe from a smaller manufacturer, or possibly British. Also good point about checking on sources for parts.
I used to have a push-pull made by George Wright but sold it and I really want to try single ended
Bob
Since you are new to this you are likely to be best off with a 300b amp. If you want to build something, go with a kit: Bottlehead is a good place to look first. As for manufacturers; you'd be best to read a bunch of reviews and learn about this whole SET thing. Even having a great amp is no guarantee of great sound. Speaker matching, tube swapping, and component matching are important issues with SETs. When you get it all "right" It's really nice to listen to.
Hello rws,
You have gotten some very good and wise replies. At this stage you're in, educate yourself via reading articles and reviews of SET amplifiers. Be patient and you'll steadily develop a fund of basic knowledge. The biggest factor for success with SETs is selecting the proper speaker match. Wrong speaker and you'll just experience failure and frustration.
With the right speaker match the listening experience and long term happiness can be superb. IMO any of the true DHT tubes can sound wonderful. This will depend on the builder/designer talent, part quality(particularly output transformer) and of course implementation. Take your time and read. Despite the relatively small genre of SET amplifiers, there are many good choices available, patience is an asset.
Charles,
I can run a pair of home built 89db/1 watt speakers, with my home built 8wpc EL34 SEUL amplifier.
It can certainly get loud....but....not 'blow out the windows' loud.
Steve
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