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In Reply to: RE: DIY options posted by Ralph on August 08, 2019 at 10:58:06
I think that I actually read a good part of it, and there was a lot of information provided - not sure there was ever a final schematic.A scratch build certainly would be an option. I have built a SET amp from scratch, but I did find that milling of the top plate and the construction of the case was extremely time consuming (perfectionist), and a big aside from putting the actual amp together. The upside is that you can get the transformers and other structural parts you really want and custom fit the case.
My going in preference is for the Futterman, just because of the history and I would like to hear one. It would require careful replication, as there must be things there that contribute to making it work (like the tall rising wires out of the tube sockets). It would be fun and highly educational. Hopefully it would also work at the end of the day....
regards -- Roger
Edits: 08/08/19Follow Ups:
not sure there was ever a final schematic.
Its on page 3.
The Circlotron OTL has a history too. Although we were the first successful company selling one, a Circlotron OTL was patented around 1955. It integrated the driver tubes into the Circlotron which IMO was tricky to set up.
Historically the Futterman sort of dead-ended with Julias. There were other amps based on the circuit- NYAL, Fourier and (to a lessor extent) Counterpoint, to name a few which really cemented the idea in audiophile's minds that 'if its an OTL, its going to blow up'. Futterman didn't help that much- according to Harry Pearson of The Absolute Sound, Julias showed up at his house with a pair of monoblocks, one of which promptly failed, taking a loudspeaker with it. After his death, the only serious evolution of the Futterman idea was Transcendent Audio; the latter seem to hold together rather well.
Atma-Sphere is the oldest OTL company in the world (43 years we've been around much longer than Futterman was) and the simple reason that is so is because we were the first to figure out how to make OTLs reliable. That's important, especially if a vintage and possibly rare loudspeaker driver is involved- our amps aren't known for eating speakers (if they were, we'd have been gone long ago).
Ralph, You forgot "KSS" and Non Pareil, two of the most unreliable and short-lived amplifiers ever. Those two products alone were enough to smear the reputation of all OTLs. The Counterpoint and the KSS were direct-coupled and relied upon a servo mechanism to zero out the DC. (Not sure about the Non Pareil.) As if.I briefly owned a Non Pareil, having been influenced by glowing reviews. It was the cheapest made piece of c**p I ever saw and sounded awful.
PS. I could be wrong, but I think it's "Julius", not Julias.
Edits: 08/14/19
Just to clarify, I am interested in the Futterman on a purely arbitrary basis. I have heard nothing negative about the other options you mention, and I am sure they have their merits (and perhaps stronger ones).
I have never heard an OTL before, so rebuilding the Futterman will be fun and allow me (hopefully) to hear something that I really would like to experience. I am expecting that it will not be able to beat out my SET amp, but who knows.
Perhaps I will not be able to locate a reasonably priced Futterman H3, and may have to forget it or select a different option. I am just starting my search, and research, so it is too early to know.
Nt
Interesting option - did not know something like this existed. Thanks
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