Hi there,
I'm thinking about an custom SET amp. I use headphone and I owned several high end amp like Woo WA5 maxed, DNA Stratus, Eddie Current Super 7, Balancing Act 300B and 2A3MKIV.
Currently I own an Moth S2A3 with Electra Print transformer and Vishay resistor.
The amp which I like the best is the Balancing Act 300B (liquid, organic and very smooth) but sounds a bit flat and the Moth S2A3 but lacks liquidity.
The sounds I like is relaxed but with heft when required, super smooth, rather thick with euphonic medium and liquid. I prefer a more 3D soundstage rather than huge/ethereal soundstage.
It doesn't implies that I want dip on the frequency, I prefer rather flat response frequency and no shouty or upfront frequency.
I don't want to build the amp, I want advice that helps me to ask to DIYer what I want exactly in terms of shematic and components.
My budget is 3000 dollars.
Thanks in advance
Regards
I'm thinking about an custom SET amp. I use headphone and I owned several high end amp like Woo WA5 maxed, DNA Stratus, Eddie Current Super 7, Balancing Act 300B and 2A3MKIV.
Currently I own an Moth S2A3 with Electra Print transformer and Vishay resistor.
The amp which I like the best is the Balancing Act 300B (liquid, organic and very smooth) but sounds a bit flat and the Moth S2A3 but lacks liquidity.
The sounds I like is relaxed but with heft when required, super smooth, rather thick with euphonic medium and liquid. I prefer a more 3D soundstage rather than huge/ethereal soundstage.
It doesn't implies that I want dip on the frequency, I prefer rather flat response frequency and no shouty or upfront frequency.
I don't want to build the amp, I want advice that helps me to ask to DIYer what I want exactly in terms of shematic and components.
My budget is 3000 dollars.
Thanks in advance
Regards
Sorry , couldn't resist . Have you ever tried plain vanilla, archetypal 6SN7 cascade 300B amp? Something like Audio Note Quest , JE Labs (Angela , Derek Walton) , Jc Morrison , Reichert ? Hardly any advanced DiYer builds those but they really can sound business and may have the quality you're looking for . I'd just search for Audio Note Quest on used market. I think you could find it in your price range.
rgrds
rgrds
Hi,
Sorry I'm not native English speaker. I'm from France.
I tried to describe which type of sound I like.
To sum up in a few words : smoother, thick, euphonic mids and liquid, no shouty.
I didn't try the achetypal, I'm more engaged on DIY amps because I can work with the builder in order to have the amps which I like.
If I understand, for this kind of sound it's not necessary to have more exotic schematic like an 300b driven by an 300b ?
Sorry I'm not native English speaker. I'm from France.
I tried to describe which type of sound I like.
To sum up in a few words : smoother, thick, euphonic mids and liquid, no shouty.
I didn't try the achetypal, I'm more engaged on DIY amps because I can work with the builder in order to have the amps which I like.
If I understand, for this kind of sound it's not necessary to have more exotic schematic like an 300b driven by an 300b ?
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Hi,
Thank you.
I read several informations on Internet.
The Balancing Act I owned use
"external power supply, which in addition to dual power transformers, two 6X4 rectifier tubes, and dual regulated B+ supplies, features an 18 watt 40kHz discrete power amplifier with current limiting that drives the filaments of the direct-heated output triodes with high frequency AC,"
Vapor rectifier tubes can be better than others ?
Thank you.
I read several informations on Internet.
The Balancing Act I owned use
"external power supply, which in addition to dual power transformers, two 6X4 rectifier tubes, and dual regulated B+ supplies, features an 18 watt 40kHz discrete power amplifier with current limiting that drives the filaments of the direct-heated output triodes with high frequency AC,"
Vapor rectifier tubes can be better than others ?
http://www.neurochrome.com/300b-set-amp/
Have a look at this amp. It very well documented. It can also be replicated very well because of all the circuitboards...meaning that it will almost certainly perform as advertised. And was very highly regarded by several headphone users that heard it at a headphone meet.
It also use high frequency circuitry which powers the filaments of the 300b.
I do no know about vapour rectifiers...since I've never tried them. But they are not so easy to find and quite expensive. (Plus dangerous if they break)
The only drawback of the Damn Good 300b is perhaps that some of the boards and parts may be out of stock.
Have a look at this amp. It very well documented. It can also be replicated very well because of all the circuitboards...meaning that it will almost certainly perform as advertised. And was very highly regarded by several headphone users that heard it at a headphone meet.
It also use high frequency circuitry which powers the filaments of the 300b.
I do no know about vapour rectifiers...since I've never tried them. But they are not so easy to find and quite expensive. (Plus dangerous if they break)
The only drawback of the Damn Good 300b is perhaps that some of the boards and parts may be out of stock.
I'm not a native English speaker either. You are fluent enough to be perfectly understood . Just you have to understand that desirable sound characteristic you describe are rather subjective and will mean different things to different listeners. I think what you described is a typical sound of 300B amp which usually gets bad rap here. Hence my recommendation for old 6SN7 cascade front end with self (automatic) bias 300B. The level of euphonic coloration will depend on the type of output transformer and parts used. Carry Audio 300B amps are also blamed for that kind of sound . As far as I know Jadis 300B amp is of the same topology. I really like Audio Note UK output transformers but they tend to be very expensive.
Rgrds, L
300B amps
There are several important parts of a SET amp which affect its sound quality. The input/output tubes, the power supply, the output transformers the bias supply, the filament supply and other aspects of the overall layout are all important.
All these are discussed on this forum and the Audio Asylum blog pages. It would take a lot of work to review these pages. If you are familiar with tube amps, then I suspect that it is more about finding what others have done which works to achieve the sound that you are looking for.
One reason why the Cary amps sound the way that they do is because of the coupling capacitors they use. The are paper in oil caps which sound slow and sluggish. I have a PP Cary amp and they marketed these caps as upgrades. When I tried them, I took them out faster than they went in.
There are several important parts of a SET amp which affect its sound quality. The input/output tubes, the power supply, the output transformers the bias supply, the filament supply and other aspects of the overall layout are all important.
All these are discussed on this forum and the Audio Asylum blog pages. It would take a lot of work to review these pages. If you are familiar with tube amps, then I suspect that it is more about finding what others have done which works to achieve the sound that you are looking for.
One reason why the Cary amps sound the way that they do is because of the coupling capacitors they use. The are paper in oil caps which sound slow and sluggish. I have a PP Cary amp and they marketed these caps as upgrades. When I tried them, I took them out faster than they went in.
This is a DIY site, and mostly pertaining to technical discussions not subjective descriptions. Have all the amps you are describing been listen tested in the same room with the same speakers? Also the one 300B amp you like the best was described negatively as "flat", usually flat is good for audio reproduction, if you are into lumpy bandwidth then just place a 10 band equalizer (50Hz-25,600Hz) before it and adjust until you find your sound you like.
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You must be aware that most DIY'er folks are only vaguely interested in music and help you're going to get here will be mostly related to strictly technical issues which can be actually invaluable. Try to find and listen to a 300B amp which you like and forum will be useful to dissect it and explain what makes it tick. Personally , I don't want, flat , neutral amp either.While it is a good tool I'd rather have more pleasure from listening to music these days and if a little EQ helps than I will welcome it.
The problem is that in SET amps with low component count, parts affect the sound almost as much as topology so it's almost impossible to address the specific demands such as yours . There is too many variables also related to auxiliary equipment.
When somebody says that an amp sounds flat, there's two very different things they might mean by it.
It could be flat in the sense that EVERYTHING sounds flat thru it; even music that should have great dynamics in expression.
It could be flat in the sense that dry sounds dry and warm and mushy sounds warm and mushy. And black metal sounds extra brutal, just like it's mixed.
Terminology gets in the way.
Transparent (good HIFI) gear doesn't sound flat. Unless the material is flat, but never when it's not.
It could be flat in the sense that EVERYTHING sounds flat thru it; even music that should have great dynamics in expression.
It could be flat in the sense that dry sounds dry and warm and mushy sounds warm and mushy. And black metal sounds extra brutal, just like it's mixed.
Terminology gets in the way.
Transparent (good HIFI) gear doesn't sound flat. Unless the material is flat, but never when it's not.
Like you, I prefer a 300B amp with body and richness, not delicacy. I would recommend two possibilities:
1) Thorsten Loesch's Legacy 300B, with a single EL84 pentode driving the 300B. This is a simple but very good-sounding design. Fast but with weight and clarity.
2) A three-stage design with a triode-wired EL34 driving the 300B. The input stage would be a 12AT7 or something similar. I do not have any links handy but check Claudio Bonavolta's web site for sample designs, I seem to recall one there. (Google "bonovolta tube amps")
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