Most powerful SE DIY design?

[Brisso57]

Hi from a toob noob.

Just idly wondering what sort of maximum usable power is available from documented DIY designs for single ended tube amps?

I'm maybe interested in constructing one, and it may as well have some "grunt".

*I'd also like to add the constraint that the transformer and tubes must be reasonably readily obtainable!

What can you suggest?

Thanks

Doug

[AlanL]

George got >200 watts - The 833A SE Amp Prototype

I would suggest efficient speakers with a few watts... much easier, safer and cheaper.

[devilsindetails]

Originally Posted by AlanL

George got >200 watts - The 833A SE Amp Prototype

I would suggest efficient speakers with a few watts... much easier, safer and cheaper.

+1...but high sensitivity ( 92 db/1watt/1 meter... or higher ) loudspeakers, not efficient.(loudspeakers are hardly efficient)

[Brisso57]

Originally Posted by AlanL

George got >200 watts - The 833A SE Amp Prototype

I would suggest efficient speakers with a few watts... much easier, safer and cheaper.

Yeah well ... "custom transformers" are definitely NOT on my parts list.

Let's all have cold shower and venture back to the land of something-that-may-not-blow-up-and-take-out-your-eye.

Anything slightly less hair-raising out there?

Doug

[Vinylsavor]

Hi!

When this should be easy to build and not use kilovolt B+ supplies, you will be pretty much stuck in the single digit Watt range.

Best regards

Thomas

[costis_n]

A GU50 will do (low) double digits, too. There is a thread about that.

[7N7]

Originally Posted by Vinylsavor

Hi!

When this should be easy to build and not use kilovolt B+ supplies, you will be pretty much stuck in the single digit Watt range.

Best regards

Thomas

Yes that's right, although there is one possibility that springs to mind.

The 13E1 is a large regulator beam tetrode - Pa +pg2 = 100W. Its gm is 35. I built a p-p amplifier with these which was successful = 33w at 1% THD with only 275V HT. Now run 13E1 at 400V and 200mA and I would expect to see 20W.

Paul

[cjkpkg]

There is power for power sake and then there are some simple SE designs that sound good.

I have a Tubelab SimpleSE cranking out about 7W running just shy of 500V and using the big honkin Edcor CXSE @ 5K impedance. At 3K it would put out more power (maybe 10W)but have higher distortion. I have some James OPT's with multiple impedance options and I tried 3K and 5K, I much prefer the 5K.

Input tube is a 12AT7 variant and power tubes are EH KT90s's a cousin to the KT88 and I am running each tube around 90mA (pretty hot).

This little amp really cranks and I prefer it to a 300b SE amp I built although I never got to fully debug it when one of the 300b's broke.

With good iron and "premium" coupling caps (I dare not say boutique) I am using Jantzen silver Z's which were like $20 each - you will build a very "high end" sounding amp. IMO decent $10-$30 film or PIO caps would be appropriate here.

Many builds are highly documented here and for such a simple little amp it is a good first tube build and the boards are very high quality although a few people have done this amp P2P wiring.

[Evenharmonics]

Originally Posted by AlanL

I would suggest efficient speakers with a few watts... much easier, safer and cheaper.

+2

Try horn loaded speakers.

[Palustris]

"it may as well have some "grunt""

In general, the concept behind the SE triode paradigm is to have a low wattage amplifier coupled to a highly efficient speaker. Let the speaker do the work! It is truly a change in perspective and one can accept the premise or not. Most DIYers will look at the speaker/amplifier as a unit that works in synergy.