Need help evaluating 2A3 transformer coupled designs

[Eric]

Andrew,

I'm familiar with the Afterburner project, I have looked at that as an alternative to the Super 12s.

You left me hanging at the end there

Would I be correct to interpret your comments (sometimes dangerous) as an indication that you like your gainclone better than the tube amp?

Is there some reason that you would not recommend this particular 2A3 amp?

Thanks!
Eric

[Andrewbee]

[IMG]Would I be correct to interpret your comments (sometimes dangerous) as an indication that you like your gainclone better than the tube amp?

Short answer is yes.
Long answer is the gainclone is better overall from lows to highs. I am presently using Jerico horns so you know the speakers being used.
Gainclone excels in bass solidity and control, the mids are I think more real or accurate and the highs are there and sweet unlike many SS amps I have heard. The gainclone "sound" is very smooth yet very detailed at the same time. It likes easy loads like single drivers and no crossovers. It played okay on the afterburners but it did not sound as "happy" I also tried it on my Scanspeak monitors which use a Scanspeak 9900 Revelator and 18W8545 (I think it is) which uses a simple second order crossover and some resistors to balance the tweeter output and it did not like those either.
The 2A3 had no problems with the afterburner but of course had fits on the monitors as to be expected.

The 2A3 amp excels in the midrange and in imaging especially, it has (had) bass but not with the control of the chip amp and the highs were not as extended or clear but the mids are very "rich or creamy".
The imaging is my favorite part for that amp, its unreal, sometimes you hear an image 8 feet above a speaker or way out on the side almost surrounding you. I will look for an old picture of it on my HD and post it so you can see. i thought it was very beautiful to look at and listen to.

Is there some reason that you would not recommend this particular 2A3 amp?

On the contrary, I would recommend this 2A3 amp, it is the favorite of all the valve / tube amps I have built. A 5V6 U.L. S.E.
is a close contender though.
I have found like with most things in life as we get older our tastes change, presently I am really enjoying my gainclone and will most likely find something else at some time in the future. I want to try a OTL amp. I believe in listening for myself first otherwise I would not know personally but depend on the opinions of others and my opinion is the one that counts

Many people will probably say I am nuts to say I prefer a gainclone over the I.T coupled 2A3 but I only care about what I think and hear.
You could always build a gainclone as well just to see if you think I am nuts
Here is a pic of it
http://www.decdun.fsnet.co.uk/gcgallery4.html

Look for Andrew in the Cayman Islands.

Andrew

[Andrewbee]

Eric here is a picture of he 2A3 & 5V6 amps

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ajb...tos.yahoo.com/

[Eric]

Thanks for your comments, Andrew! I would imagine that the 2A3 amp would not like the SS monitors...

I tried to look at the pictures you posted of your tube amp, but yahoo says the page doesn't exist.

[Andrewbee]

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ajb...c=ph%26.view=t

I tried it after posting and just now and it works for me. I just cut & paste the web addy again.

[fdegrove]

Hi,

No idea about the rest of us but it doesn't work for me either.

Could it be you have right on that folder but it isn't share to everyone else?

If so you could probably create a new share on it and provide us with a username and password.

Cheers,

[Andrewbee]

Hmmmmmm.
I have no clue as to what is happening here so i just re did the sharing. They are in the my photos album and not the misc

here is the latest web addy
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ajb...tos.yahoo.com/

[fdegrove]

Hi,

I have no clue as to what is happening here so i just re did the sharing.

Still not working but can't you post them in the Project Photo Album thread?

If you want help resizing them I don't mind doing that for you.

Cheers,

[Andrewbee]

Okay Frank, good idea but how do I post pics here.

[fdegrove]

Hi Andrew,

Okay Frank, good idea but how do I post pics here.

Whenever you reply to or start a new post you see a browse button at the bottom. This allows to brows your local hard drive(s) for the pic you want to post.

The are format limitations, I think BMP, JPG and GIF are accepted.

There are size limits as well, 800 x 1000 or something like that, can't quite remember.

The thing not to do is use the preview option as that somehow loses the links to your pic.

Don't worry once the local forum accepts them they will be stored on the host here.

As far as I know you can only post one pic at a time too.

As you have a server service running you could link the images there directly as well but in your case I think Yahoo won't let you somehow, I've seen that happen before.

Hope that helps you out,