In Reply to: SET regrets anyone, want to go back to SS? posted by astrostar59 on January 21, 2007 at 12:23:16:
Not me - going back because, at present, it would feel like a step back. However, this is very much dependent on having the right speakers for a SET or else, you'll sooner than later butt heads with the compromises. There are some very good solid-state amps that come very close to SETs, on speakers that are already copasetic with SETs. The Nelson Pass First Watt F3 comes to mind. Then there's the Red Wine Audio Signature 30 which actually works with speakers many SETs won't be ideal for. In which case, on those the Sig 30 will sound better. Or, by extension, any variety of superior transistor amps.But going back to appropriate SET speakers, even the best of SET-like transistor amps, in my book, come close but still fall short on doing certain things that tubes (still?) do better. For my tastes.
So, if that's your preference and you've got the SET amp/speaker thing happy-happy, there may not be anything to unlodge you from that place other than the unavoidable curiosity about the new. Which could be a single-ended push-pull tube amp, i.e. just one pair of output tubes per side. They use different transformers and sound different but, when well done, have their own strengths which you could favor. I personally, so far, prefer SET but I can clearly hear why someone else would go with the push/pull version.
Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right - I might change religion for that -:)
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Follow Ups
- Re: SET regrets anyone, want to go back to SS? - Srajan Ebaen 12:55:31 01/21/07 (15)
- "Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right - I might change religion for that " - kurt s 13:11:05 01/22/07 (0)
- Re: SET regrets anyone, want to go back to SS? - SETdude 12:36:30 01/22/07 (0)
- Re: SET regrets anyone, want to go back to SS? - Paul Folbrecht 20:32:10 01/21/07 (1)
- Re: SET regrets anyone, want to go back to SS? - Srajan Ebaen 23:43:51 01/21/07 (0)
- Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right . . . - Poindexter 17:45:37 01/21/07 (10)
- Re: Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right . . . - Srajan Ebaen 23:47:27 01/21/07 (9)
- Sounds of numbers crunching . . . - Poindexter 19:09:41 01/22/07 (1)
- Re: Sounds of numbers crunching . . . - Srajan Ebaen 00:30:26 01/23/07 (0)
- Re: Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right . . . - doughter 13:47:11 01/22/07 (3)
- Re: Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right . . . - Srajan Ebaen 00:44:06 01/23/07 (2)
- Re: Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right . . . - Srajan Ebaen 04:25:27 01/23/07 (0)
- Re: Now, a killer 45 push/pull amp done right . . . - doughter 03:30:56 01/23/07 (0)
- I am a 45 man too... - korneluk 10:31:20 01/22/07 (2)
- You could also ask George Wright... - JJ Triode 14:51:09 01/22/07 (1)
- I'm sure he could do it - boa2 08:49:04 01/23/07 (0)