SET Asylum

Posted by aubrey@e-trade.ie (A) on August 29, 2005 at 06:25:55

In Reply to: SET Power Tubes and Music Preferences posted by Budrew on August 8, 2005 at 16:51:08:

Good and interesting discussion here and glad I stumbled upon it. I have a pair of 300b SET monoblocks using KR300bXLS, GZ37 and 5692 for Preamp. All the usual high quality internals, ASC Audio caps, pure silver circuitry, Piltron PTX & OTX etc. and when wired to a very good pair of Altec 604-8G's in Stonehenge Cabinets it sounds dreadful, empty, no Bass, and shouty. A bit like a transistor radio sound. However using the same Audionote source and cables if I use a NAD 3020a (sorry if this is off topic) from 1980 I can hear most of what I want. The Bass is there, the mids and the highs are there too but a bit synthetic but still listenable. What I am surprised at that so many match up the 300b and the 604 and are very happy. Has anyone tried and not been happy with the sound. I can't accept that a 50 dollar SS amp is better than a 3,000 dollar SET amp. Any pointers, comments or suggestions would be greatly received.
Thanks in advance
Aubrey Martin