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I'm in the process of building a tube rectified, LCLC PS Darling. My first tube amp. I want to put some decent 5K OPT's on this amp that can be recycled into a 45 or another "better" amp later on down the road. I would like to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $160 or less for the pair. I've thought of Electra-Print, Edcor, and Hammond for starters, but would like to hear some opinions of others who have more experience and to see what else is out there that I'm missing. If possible I'd like to have 4 and 8 ohm taps mainly for experimentations sake.
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Hello,I have a Double DC Darling, CLCLC PS, with Hammond 125ESEs. I have heard thre other Darlings with the 125ESE. This is a cheap and great iron, these amps sound as good as you can get around 1W. Upgrading to 45 you might find as a downgrade, though....
Reaslistically, the 45 is much better for everyday use, the Darlings hate when the line AC is polluted. That robs them of all power, the sound gets thin and weak. However, at times when the AC is not polluted, they reveal much more than higher power amps. The best double bass reproduction and best vocals I ever heard came from Darling - 125ESEs.
They might not be the best measuring iron, but certainly are of balanced tone, warm sounding units, with nice midrange. They might not sound as good as expensive iron if pushed hard, but in a Darling they operate very conservatively.good luck!
I have 5K Electraprint trannies (BEK5B) that I am not going to use.
Email sent. shanemmail-forums_at_yahoo_dot_com
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I use the James 10 watt transformers on my parallel se "Darling" amplifier(2.5K)They make a 5K version for a regular Darling version. My results have been excellent with these transformers, and I recommend them.Regards,
For another $40 bucks you should look at the Magnequest Robin Hoods.
'The beatings will continue until morale improves'
Just a note here. I've played with a few, and my observation is, you can't reliably predict the sound of a transformer at this impedance level unless you can actually hear it. Neither measurements nor price are a reliable indicator. I've found one that was great and very cheap, some that are crap and moderately expensive, and some that are very sweet and fairly expensive. (The great cheap one was a guitar amp unit which I got from Angela many years ago; it's been gone from their catalog for many years now. Too bad!)Either hear them yourself, or consider any forum comments very carefully. You may want to start cheap enough that you can upgrade later if you should fine something special.
Most of you know I'm a Bottlehead and a parafeed enthusiast. Do consider parallel feed as an option, if you should run across a suitable transformer.
Thanks Paul.I realize that OPT's are a thing of subjection, but at this point I'm not really in a position to listen to many in my area. I need to make one of the Lone Star BH meets one of these days so I can hear a parafeed amp. I'm basically looking for a step up from the 125ESE or cheaper Edcors.
We have used both Hammond and Edcor in the past, and both are respectable outfits with competent designs and fabrication. They deliver a good product at a very good price.As you may know, Bottlehead has a close relationship with Magnequest. Nevertheless, I assert (frequently!) that the reason is, Mike makes exceptional transformers. But because of that connection you must make your own estimate of my bias. With that caution, I assert that even though I have not seen or heard one of his Robin Hood 5K transformers, I would expect them to sound quite a bit better.
If you want more from me, it's best to ping me on the Bottlehead or Magnequest forums where I don't have to be as circumspect. This is not a forum for flogging one's own brands after all! In fairness, there are other forums with other commercial sponsors as well.
> I'm basically looking for a step up from the 125ESE or cheaper Edcors.If you have not heard either, or both, of these, I think they are your best option. They sound surprisingly good, and if this is your first tube project, things will go wrong, and when they do you will feel a lot better about the world when you have not done a lot of financial damage. Use these, breadboard the circuit, then look for something more expensive.
The reason I'm looking for "better" OPTs for this simple amp is because a friend of mine has gifted me many of the parts to build it including a PT, sockets, motor runs, chokes, coupling caps, etc... He really wants my first to be special and requested that in exchange for the parts that I spend the extra on good OPT's, so I will of course honor his request. His thinking was that I can use the better parts down the line for a more sophisticated amp.
I don't think this changes anything. I'd still get some edcors for use on a breadboard to at least know that you are not going to smoke your new expensive transformers, and that you have all the orientations right, etc.Anyhow, in your price range, I think you'll only get a single Electra-Print. Perhaps look at James at Euphonia.
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