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Output Transformer - Silicon Steel or Amorphous?

Thanks Bud!

Bud,

Thanks for your reply.

My current speakers are Omega Loudspeakers Alnico 8" drivers in a largish ported box.

Amplifier is a single ended KT-88 amp in ultralinear mode using 6BC8 driver tubes tuned to produce just a bit of 2nd order distortion to sweeten the KT-88 a little. Output transformers are Hammond 1627SEA, which I think use M6 grain oriented steel.

Your input is appreciated.
 
Source Etc.

I should mention... all music is being played from a digital source. Maybe this is the biggest factor in desiring a fuller sound? The DAC is a Twisted Pear Audio Buffalo 32s fed from a music server using an E-MU 1212m sound card. The 32s really gets the groove of the music right... you get the sense of real musicians playing and communicating with all the subtle inflections a good band that has gigged together for a long time bring to the performance. Dynamics are good, but I'd like a little more solid sound if that makes sense. Sometimes digital - even good digital, can be a bit thin. You could also use the words rich but clear to describe what I'm looking for.

Thanks,
 
Tv Man,

Edcore, Silk, Tango, James and Magnequest should all be very affordable upgrades. I can provide you with a noticeable increase in performance over these, for roughly 50% more money. Your first good amorphous cores will be roughly 3X the price of those noted and detail and heft, though better, will be a bit thin and monochromatic sounding.

Unless you intend to take your driver to another level in downward dynamics I would not go beyond this level of expenditure. This is not a diss of your speakers, they simply have limits to their resolution and an information coherence floor about 40 db down from average signal level. Below this is the region where the expensive OPT's actually become worthwhile.

For better bottom end performance, get the most inductance you can, the KT88 is a hungry beast.

Bud
 
For something to aid in a more complete and full sound you might want to read this thread and experiment a bit with what you find within. A fairly cheap and easy aid. There are a number of applications toward the end of the thread, but you might as well upset your notions of "how things should be" and get a few laughs too by reading the whole thing.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1213239#post1213239

And, of course, there is always EnABL.

Bud
 
"The difference in sonic’s is interesting. An amorphous core OPT for PP will be very clear, have great transient response and excellent tonality. However, they are somewhat one dimensional in that most of the fine gradient detail that provides internal note structure and makes transient noises into musical events, has been stripped away"

Like listening to an mp3?
 
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Like listening to an mp3?

Umm, well I have yet to hear an mp3 that had any of those qualities.....

Seriously, there is nothing "wrong" with the sound of amorphous core transformers. Admittedly the systems they show up on are usually very high resolution, so you will notice the lack of internal gradient information, in a direct A/B comparison. However, that is what it is going to take for most folks, because it isn't like they don't have any.

The transformers from the folks I have named, and likely from some I have not yet encountered, once they get into the 5 to 6 hundred $ apiece range, are just very very good. A choice amongst them is more like, do we want the Ferrari, the Maserati, the Meybach or the Bugatti today.

Bud
 
rman,

And I heartily agree. I DO NOT recommend it, until you are off into some really serious exploration, into some really extreme resolution audio.

EnABL'd Fostex 127 eN's are just not going to do it. A pair of EnABL'd Fostex F 200A's would be right at home in this company. Either EnABL'd Lowther PM6 A 16 ohm silver voice coil or most any other that Jon Ver Halen recommends, on an approved open baffle, with 10 inch hemp cone Tone Tubby and a sub woofer would do the job. Quite a few multi way systems, once EnABL'd would be worth driving with iron like this. Most audiophile gate keeper magazine, recommended commercial systems, above $2K would benefit to some degree.

Of course, there isn't a single one of us who would refuse your dollars.

Bud
 
DSCF5440.jpg



why not considerate to choose full permalloy core. the sound was different as the silicon steel.( less Grained sound )more detail,atmosphere . If compare with amorphous core. more sweet and sense.
 
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Umm, well I have yet to hear an mp3 that had any of those qualities.....

Seriously, there is nothing "wrong" with the sound of amorphous core transformers. Admittedly the systems they show up on are usually very high resolution, so you will notice the lack of internal gradient information, in a direct A/B comparison. However, that is what it is going to take for most folks, because it isn't like they don't have any.

The transformers from the folks I have named, and likely from some I have not yet encountered, once they get into the 5 to 6 hundred $ apiece range, are just very very good. A choice amongst them is more like, do we want the Ferrari, the Maserati, the Meybach or the Bugatti today.

Bud

I think most of the money goes to a big car and quality time at the golf course.
There is no reason to justify this kind of money for a transformer unless there is much silver inside.
The best M0 c-core i can buy, "500" Watt cost at most €30,-.