a thread on Tranformers quality
The intent of this post is to make a list of good tranformers.
I got up till now to the following brends:
- Plitron
- Avel Lindberg
- Toroidy
Since i'm from Italy it's quite of a bit difficolt for me to gather plitron's parts 'cause the high shipping cost.
I would like to know if anybody here had the opportunity to compare different brands of transformer and in case, may share its experience here.
I'm actually choosing the transformer for my aleph P1.7 and for the next incoming Aleph AX.
As far as i know and read, i believe there was a post from Nelson stating this, that the plitron is way far up ahead of every other brand on the market.
If so, i would try to make it possible
and try to get this parts somehow.
I was just wondering if this plitron are so special only on the the low noise version and the standard toroid are not that great.
The low noise catalogue doesn't have enought range.
Hope to see this 3d growing up and became up-building for everybody who wants to choose a transformer for his project.
Best,
Stefano.
The intent of this post is to make a list of good tranformers.
I got up till now to the following brends:
- Plitron
- Avel Lindberg
- Toroidy
Since i'm from Italy it's quite of a bit difficolt for me to gather plitron's parts 'cause the high shipping cost.
I would like to know if anybody here had the opportunity to compare different brands of transformer and in case, may share its experience here.
I'm actually choosing the transformer for my aleph P1.7 and for the next incoming Aleph AX.
As far as i know and read, i believe there was a post from Nelson stating this, that the plitron is way far up ahead of every other brand on the market.
If so, i would try to make it possible
and try to get this parts somehow.I was just wondering if this plitron are so special only on the the low noise version and the standard toroid are not that great.
The low noise catalogue doesn't have enought range.
Hope to see this 3d growing up and became up-building for everybody who wants to choose a transformer for his project.
Best,
Stefano.
http://www.toroid.se/english/index.html
They make pretty much the best trafos I have had my hands on so far...
So far I have tried a bunch of the less known brands, and most of the well known ones :
- Amplimo
- Plitron
- Avel Lindberg
- Toroid
- Noratel (now owner of toroid international)
- Talema
+ a lot of others that just didn't make the cut.
The above mentioned are all good, Talema makes second to none <200VA toroids, Plitron, Amplimo and Toroid are close though, but I have yet to hear a Toroid international buzz.
Magura
They make pretty much the best trafos I have had my hands on so far...
So far I have tried a bunch of the less known brands, and most of the well known ones :
- Amplimo
- Plitron
- Avel Lindberg
- Toroid
- Noratel (now owner of toroid international)
- Talema
+ a lot of others that just didn't make the cut.
The above mentioned are all good, Talema makes second to none <200VA toroids, Plitron, Amplimo and Toroid are close though, but I have yet to hear a Toroid international buzz.
Magura
unfortunatelly they seem to not make transformers over 600VA, WHY?
For the preamplifier all i need is a 200VA to be aboundantly over the hill but for the aleph AX i will definitely need something much bigger than the available 600VA (which is the component inside my Electrocompaniet).
So, Do you think that a 200VA toroid is better sounding than the other mentioned brends, Plitron included?
Are the prices lined up with the other copanies?
Amplimo, for the standard parts, has very cheap prices, what do you think!
For the preamplifier all i need is a 200VA to be aboundantly over the hill
but for the aleph AX i will definitely need something much bigger than the available 600VA (which is the component inside my Electrocompaniet).So, Do you think that a 200VA toroid is better sounding than the other mentioned brends, Plitron included?
Are the prices lined up with the other copanies?
Amplimo, for the standard parts, has very cheap prices, what do you think!
Stefanoo said:unfortunatelly they seem to not make transformers over 600VA, WHY?
For the preamplifier all i need is a 200VA to be aboundantly over the hill
So, Do you think that a 200VA toroid is better sounding than the other mentioned brends, Plitron included?
Are the prices lined up with the other copanies?
Amplimo, for the standard parts, has very cheap prices, what do you think!
For a preamp, I'd go for a 120VA from Talema. They are cheap and available from RS components.
For bigger trafos, I'd send an email to Toroid International or Noratel, they usually have something useful. I had some 1000VA 2*18V custom made at Toroid some time ago. Absolutely stunning quality! Fair price as well...
Magura
I just had two 800VA 2*15VDC made by schuro .
Potted, thick wiring, the works. And no humming during try-out. (still building the Alephs)
Schuro does not always reply to your mails, and I know Wuffwaff complained about mechanical noise in his. Mine are running 7A, and are doing just fine.
Harry
Potted, thick wiring, the works. And no humming during try-out. (still building the Alephs)
Schuro does not always reply to your mails, and I know Wuffwaff complained about mechanical noise in his. Mine are running 7A, and are doing just fine.
Harry
Magura said:
For a preamp, I'd go for a 120VA from Talema. They are cheap and available from RS components.
For bigger trafos, I'd send an email to Toroid International or Noratel, they usually have something useful. I had some 1000VA 2*18V custom made at Toroid some time ago. Absolutely stunning quality! Fair price as well...
Magura
Ah ok...But i really lik the Toroid internetional for both Pre and Power Amp just because, as i said, i have one on my electrocompaniet and it's dead silent and good sounding.
About your custom made trafo, i would like to go for that but the secondary is too loooooowww
I have sent an email to Toroid ....like... 2 days ago asking information on a 1.5KVA 2KVA trafo but i haven't received any reply yet.
Can i ask where do you usually sent your emails for info and where do you usually purchase this parts from? do you buy them directly from the factory or from a local dialer?
Speaking of custom made transformer:
What is that you usually customize on a trasformer other than the voltage at the seconday and the power rate?
In other words.... what are the parameter that really matters on a transformer?
Stefanoo said:
Ah ok...But i really lik the Toroid internetional for both Pre and Power Amp just because, as i said, i have one on my electrocompaniet and it's dead silent and good sounding.
About your custom made trafo, i would like to go for that but the secondary is too loooooowww
I have sent an email to Toroid ....like... 2 days ago asking information on a 1.5KVA 2KVA trafo but i haven't received any reply yet.
Can i ask where do you usually sent your emails for info and where do you usually purchase this parts from? do you buy them directly from the factory or from a local dialer?
Speaking of custom made transformer:
What is that you usually customize on a trasformer other than the voltage at the seconday and the power rate?
In other words.... what are the parameter that really matters on a transformer?
I usually ask for quotes of 10 pcs. or more, then they actually might even want to deal with you
You have many options when ordering a custom trafo. There are a few types of shielding to choose from, you decide if you want single or dual primary, how many secondaries and at how high voltage. How many amps each secondary must be able to deliver, how hard you will let them push the core....the type of insulation, if the trafo should be enamelled to the core....the list goes on. Most people are better served just buying a trafo off the shelf.
Magura
oh well!! Interesting!
For my aleph X i will need 27V dc.
Since each output mosfet is biased at 1.45 and since i have 8 mosfet per quadrant, therefore i will need, if i use a simple capacitor filter network (large one) i'll need a 2KW 22+22V.
Indeed, if l'll use an inductive power supply with a 2.7mH coil, then i'll need a rail voltage of about 25+25V.
What i'm concerned is...... since the power supply will have to deliver a huge amount of current i don't want to end up having at the output of my power supply a low rail such as 20V or so cause losses of the core under heavy load.
What i'm also concernerd is how to get such a trafo like this.
i might really need a customized one and since just one, i' sure, is preatty expencive, if i have to get 10 of them in order to build my prototypeeee
Suggestions??
For my aleph X i will need 27V dc.
Since each output mosfet is biased at 1.45 and since i have 8 mosfet per quadrant, therefore i will need, if i use a simple capacitor filter network (large one) i'll need a 2KW 22+22V.
Indeed, if l'll use an inductive power supply with a 2.7mH coil, then i'll need a rail voltage of about 25+25V.
What i'm concerned is...... since the power supply will have to deliver a huge amount of current i don't want to end up having at the output of my power supply a low rail such as 20V or so cause losses of the core under heavy load.
What i'm also concernerd is how to get such a trafo like this.
i might really need a customized one and since just one, i' sure, is preatty expencive, if i have to get 10 of them in order to build my prototypeeee
Suggestions??
Stefanoo said:
You're thinking of ordering custom 18VAC-2KVAs and you do not know ?
300-350 buys 4 standard 500VAs, a custom 2KVA will cost a lot more.
Patrick's 500 Euros each is a close call if you need only 2, imo.
Example of a metal screened custom item, UK manufacture as the right bottom corner of the picture shows.
These toroids have been GB made longer than i can remember, after the mid-1980s as Amplimo and before that under the ILP brand.
Attachments
I think your biggest problem, even if money were not a issue, is to find someone who has a machine to wind 2kV toroids, and then at such low voltage -> very high current per secondary and hence VERY thick wires.
I would suggest you to consider using 2 1kV transformers for one channel, one to supply the positive rail and one for the negative. Even then, you would probably end up having to have 2 secondaries of the same voltage per transformer, which you then need to parallel to make up the current rating.
If you do succeed in finding someone who can wind 2 pieces of 2kV, each with 2 secondaries at around 20 Vac, please let us know. (I mean I do know companies who can do 2kVs, but they have a minimum quamtity of 300 pieces for custom designs !!!)
Speaking from my experience, I doubt you will get anything for less than 500 Euros at 2kV, assuming you want electrostatic & magnetic shields, and what not .....
Patrick
I would suggest you to consider using 2 1kV transformers for one channel, one to supply the positive rail and one for the negative. Even then, you would probably end up having to have 2 secondaries of the same voltage per transformer, which you then need to parallel to make up the current rating.
If you do succeed in finding someone who can wind 2 pieces of 2kV, each with 2 secondaries at around 20 Vac, please let us know. (I mean I do know companies who can do 2kVs, but they have a minimum quamtity of 300 pieces for custom designs !!!)
Speaking from my experience, I doubt you will get anything for less than 500 Euros at 2kV, assuming you want electrostatic & magnetic shields, and what not .....
Patrick
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