EL84 driving EL84 SEP

[Andrewbee]

To be fair, the EL84 does not need much in the way of a driver. Blow across G1 and it will probably amplify

 

[tinitus]

Tin,

I don't have the knowledge to comment on that but I have seen standard designs where the author has decided that a pentode tube run in pentode mode offered the best sound for that application.

yes, yes, its probably a fine amp, simple and cheap to build

and maybe I have misunderstood what I read about the distortion cancelling of triodes
maybe it meant that the Sakuma principle has more effect on genuine triodes, distortion wise
meaning that pentodes have a more effective principle of their own to lower distortion, UL(ultra linear)

I might suspect that one reason this amp was found to sound better in pentode, could be power related
I dont know if there are any standard SE opt with UL tap, but might have been worth a try
one reason why I suggested to make it pushpull
but as you said, not in the cards

just for your 'study', this one is equally simple http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Leserbriefe/Jochen-Wankmiller-Trion-Amp/Trion34MKII.htm

 

[Mosquito]

, but they need to survive in the real world as well.
- Frank.

Better a day of Lion that hundred years as sheep