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S.E.T. Amplifiers for Sound Reinforcement

Posted by rhing (A) on September 12, 2006 at 16:07:42

Has anyone ever heard of the use of Single Ended Triode (S.E.T.) amplification for sound reinforcement? I am an audiophile and I love how modern S.E.T. amplification works in home audio and even some studio applications. With highly efficient loudspeakers like Eastern Acoustic Works products, it seems that S.E.T.s in smaller venues could work (50'L x 16'W x 12'H). Movie theaters and auditoriums used Western Electric 91 mono amplifiers with 300B S.E.T. vaccuum tubes back in the 1930s and 1940s. These amplifiers have become cult classics in many audiophile systems.

I have heard my share of solid state amplifiers from QSC, Crown, Mackie and Yamaha. To me, they just get loud and drive inefficient, current-hungry speakers, but they sound very dry and lack good tonal balance. I have had sales reps at mass market dealers like The Guitar Center give me a puzzled look and then explain to me that tubes distort sound, and aren't fit for sound reinforcement amplification. To me, distrotion may apply to guitar amps and even some mic preamps, but why do acclaimed engineers like Steve Hoffmann use Wavac Wavac HE-833 S.E.T. amplifiers for monitoring purposes (http://www.symposiumusa.com/MonRoom.html)?

If pro audio S.E.T.s amplifiers exist, do they have balanced inputs? Please, no opinions. Just facts. Thanks.

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