What amp to build? Push Pull, SE? thoughts?

[dhaen]

You must remember to rotate the mains transformer 90 deg compared with the opt's, otherwise hum will be magnetically coupled.

[brucetassin]

$60 bucks a pop is not cheap. EDCOR has better for $27.00

[tipetu]

Originally Posted by dhaen

You must remember to rotate the mains transformer 90 deg compared with the opt's, otherwise hum will be magnetically coupled.

Yeah, I`ve seen that on other builds. Similar to the school project linked to in the beginning of this thread

[tipetu]

I will make a thread when I get around building it in a while.

[sulcorebutia]

Originally Posted by Wavebourn

4P1L

Wavebourn, I have plenty of China made 4P1L laying around. I want to make a simple SE too.

Which topology will you suggest for it? triode strapped? Schaded? or ultralinear?


In addition, do you know where we can find the ltspice pentode model of 4P1L?

[scott17]

Originally Posted by tubelab.com

I like both so where does that leave me???????? The SE amps do favor detail and have a unique sound signature, and yes the 45 SE does sound the best, but a perfectly good SE amp can be built with EL84's. The P-P amps favor dynamics and yes, I can get real loud with 125 WPC and 96db speakers. Those who know music choose the right amp for the task at hand.

I'm humbly retracting my statement about SE vs. PP and knowing music. I recently built a 6CA7 push-pull amp, and yes, it is more dynamic than my SE.

[tubelab.com]

If I want Norah to sing for me in my living room, I use a 45 SE through full range speakers. If I want to fend off the bassers in the neighborhood, Metallica through 125 WPC of P-P power into 96 db speakers does the job.

For the best all round compromise, a P-P 300B amp with a touch of intentional imbalance will sound a lot like a DHT SE amp until you crank it, then its P-P punch and dynamics come through.

None of these are good choices for a first amp, especially when the builder has tubes and transformers for a SE EL84 already. An SE EL84 can be made to sound quite nice too.

[Shoog]

My preference is always with a good Class A PP amplifier.
Schade is a good compromise between SE & PP. Generally far more punchy than a traditional SE. I will not recommend the RH84 as I consider it a poor implementation of the concept - but something along those line should do nicely.

Shoog

[Cassiel]

I recently built a 6CA7 push-pull amp, and yes, it is more dynamic than my SE.

For the best all round compromise, a P-P 300B amp with a touch of intentional imbalance will sound a lot like a DHT SE amp until you crank it, then its P-P punch and dynamics come through.

My preference is always with a good Class A PP amplifier.

Yes, yes and yes. There are very bad sounding push pull amps out there and I believe that's the reason for the popularity of SE designs. I have nothing against SE amps, some of them sound really nice but after many builds I've found in class A push pull triodes my personal nirvana. The female voice not as ooooohhh as in a good SE amp but, as Tubelab says, very close if the amp is not perfectly balanced (who is anyway?) .

[Shoog]

Class A PP triode zero feedback is definitely the minority option for PP. I dare say that most of the popularity of SE is directly due to the fact that almost all PP amps are heavily biased into class B and use pentodes. Apples and Oranges as far as I am concerned.

Most people endlessly paw over details of every single component in their SE builds and then declare them superior to the Williamson or Mullard PP amp made from crappy parts !! The worst thing is that most of them don't even understand why the comparison is so unfair.

Shoog