SET Asylum Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream.

---

[ Follow Ups ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ SET Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ] [ Edit ] [ Delete ]

---

A well beat-up subject, yet questions remain

69.12.241.189

Posted by bobbyj on December 10, 2006 at 11:35:33

Hi, DIYers. I've spent considerable time now reading many posts regarding PSU design in this forum. Aside from the personality conflicts, there's a lot of good info. I still wish to "rest" some
conflicting or confusing points.

"low DCR" is "always better" and high DCR chokes and large caps are "bad". Yet, especially with SE , low ripple or very low ripple is usually "cleaner sounding" and is much more necessary in SE circuits, because of the lack of cancellation occurring in PP circuits.....yes/no???

This makes me think why not a series regulated supply, with a "medium" size "audio quality" cap at the end, sorta like JD Verdier's (French)
designs or later creations by Thortston L. Especially if you are using an "ultrapath" cap on the cathode of the final tube, which "some" say
bypasses the PSU (and it's imperfections) ??? yes/no??? But, yet there must be some reasons why this angle is frowned upon ??? what is it?

Now, there seems to be a recent and interesting discussion about using extremely low DCR chokes, with carefully chosen small value caps to create an "organic non regulated" PSU with ultra low DCR, like 20 ohms! But how could we also have "sufficiently low ripple"??? What is sufficiently low ripple?

I've also noticed a relatively common view that specific relationships between choke and cap values as they "stack up" can be "better" than others that seem to be just a version of overkill. For example: A popular SE amp uses diodes 470uf - 10H - 470uf, which seems sort of dangerous and overkill to me, yet is an easy way to get low ripple.
Another view likes for example: 4uf - 10H - 8uf - 10H - 16 uf, which has a "progressive" filtering sequence that apparently has "better"
wave form or other desirable features, but kinda has to have higher DCR, unless you're using 10H/700ma transmitter chokes (with low dcr and "normal inductance") weighing 40 lbs each to run a 3W amp. ??? is this the clue?

To make things worse, I read on an interesting Japanese website, about using an equal size choke or chokes on the bottom (negative) side of a typical Pi filter, as you did on the top. Claims were made as to why this was "much" better, improving bass accuracy and "quality". I haven't tried that. There seems to be something worth looking at here.
yes/no? ??

I guess we're all just trying to find a "do-able" way to elegantly support a simple SE circuit with a PSU that will give it the best chance to show what it can do. Without getting into a way higher and complex technology to support a relatively low-tech circuit, what boundaries should be considered "the best you can do" , and what is an example of this "least compromised as possible within reason" PS design?

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Signature Sound

[ Signature Sound Lounge ]

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---