Rectifiers for the GC

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Well, I'm planning to build the valve buffered inverted GC, so I'm making up my component list now. I got to the bridge rectifiers and got to thinking.

Right now i have an inverted gc, and i'm using two bridges, each made of 4 mur1520. Now, I know that peter likes the mur860s quite a bit, and there's a whole following behind it.

So before I build the bridges with the mur860 diodes, what is the general consensus on bridge rectifiers that are pre-made (i.e. instead of using 4 diodes, use the ready made bridge)? The only reference I could find (withouth spending hours looking) is on nuuk's website, but its not very explanatory. Any thoughts on whether i should just stick to 860s, or give the bridge a try.

(I know, experimentation is the key, however i'm low on money, so experimentation for now is out of reach .. even if it may be the purchase of extra several diodes which would be under $20, i'd still prefer to keep the extraneous costs down at this time).
 
Anybody got a specific recommendation for a bridge that has leads that are the 1/4" plate types? (not pins)

I know this usually only comes on the heaviest duty bridges, but I have an idea that I am working on.

Would there be any switching speed disadvantage to using a heavier-than-needed-duty bridge?

TIA

GnD
 
If you search through several threads on this subject, IMO, it comes down to the sound you like. ie: you need to try various types and decide yourself which sounds the best to you.
This is an area where there is no clear cut answer, one reason may be various users are using different xfmrs/Mains input circuits, which would effect the final output dynamics of the amp in question.
 
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elizard said:
So before I build the bridges with the mur860 diodes, what is the general consensus on bridge rectifiers that are pre-made (i.e. instead of using 4 diodes, use the ready made bridge)?

I would 2nd the view that it is a waste to use those ultra-fast types: most of them are engineered to be used as freewheeling diodes in smps. and I just cannot think of a reason those fast diodes can help. I suspect that some people use them because they sound fancy and are expensive.

I use normal gbu8 in my gainclones. They cost like <50 cents each and can take some serious abuses (like 100 or 200amp peak current ratings).

To be fair, I also tried some shottky types (mur860 and 2010 and a few fairchild types). I cannot say that I heard a difference.

If you are tight on money, you can go with the bridge for now and see if you can upgrade in the future.
 
Upupa Epops said:
To millwood : Right words - in all DIY exist many superstitions :) .
millwood has been proven wrong on many occasions, but this is not important here. I don't regard Madrigal as DIY and one hit wonder enterprise. With 30 years legacy, they should know what they are doing. Here's a reprint taken from ML380 upgrade literature.
 

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Peter Daniel said:

millwood has been proven wrong on many occasions, but this is not important here. I don't regard Madrigal as DIY and one hit wonder enterprise. With 30 years legacy, they should know what they are doing. Here's a reprint taken from ML380 upgrade literature.


Peter,

Do you use an ac filter in your new gainclones?
I think I saw one on some of your latest pictures
 
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Peter Daniel said:
millwood has been proven wrong on many occasions, but this is not important here.

that's indeed true. After all, it is only human to err. and I am not pretending to play God as some of us are.

Peter Daniel said:
I don't regard Madrigal as DIY and one hit wonder enterprise. With 30 years legacy, they should know what they are doing. Here's a reprint taken from ML380 upgrade literature.

yeah. I am sure all those marketing literatures should be published in Nature, and cherished and held true as Einstein's relativity theory.

and I am sure all of our golden ear friends can hear a mr860 from a 1n4007, :)
 
Bricolo said:



Peter,

Do you use an ac filter in your new gainclones?
I think I saw one on some of your latest pictures

I tried that type of filter in a GC, but didn't like the results. The sound became grey and lost dynamics. From my experience I wouldn't recommend those type of devices in power amps.

AC filter works great in digital circuits, especially DACs and I still don't know what difference it makes in a preamp.
 
and I am sure all of our golden ear friends can hear a mr860 from a 1n4007

Golden ears? Even the half deaf would hear it. Have you been exaggerating your hearing abilities? :)

More seriously i recently used an old power supply and was surprised it sounded better than the MUR860 feeding a preamp circuit. It turned out to use BYW95C - far from ultrafast at 250nS. In the preamp it sounded much more dynamic than the MUR without being harsh. Still haven't tried it in the GC.
 
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