Kinda urgent... sherwood s-5000 vs. s-5500 iv OPt's
Kinda urgent need to know...
I have some s-5000 OPTs going into a DIY EL84 PP that started as a console pull . The original OPTs were not bad, but the s-5000s are much bigger and have an excellent reputation. The s-5000 OPTs are 4.5 pounds each.
I also have an opportunity to get some Sherwood s-5500 iv OPTs. Are they as nice as the s-5000s? I read someone say that Sherwood might have moved to smaller OPTs in the 5500iv, but I'm not certain that info is correct, so wanted to check with the experts. Seems kinda hard to believe given the 5500 runs 7868 tubes and the 5000 runs 7189s.
I have a 7591/6L6GC project on the shelf waiting for OPTs. Should I get the s-5500 iv OPTs?
Kinda urgent need to know...
I have some s-5000 OPTs going into a DIY EL84 PP that started as a console pull . The original OPTs were not bad, but the s-5000s are much bigger and have an excellent reputation. The s-5000 OPTs are 4.5 pounds each.
I also have an opportunity to get some Sherwood s-5500 iv OPTs. Are they as nice as the s-5000s? I read someone say that Sherwood might have moved to smaller OPTs in the 5500iv, but I'm not certain that info is correct, so wanted to check with the experts. Seems kinda hard to believe given the 5500 runs 7868 tubes and the 5000 runs 7189s.
I have a 7591/6L6GC project on the shelf waiting for OPTs. Should I get the s-5500 iv OPTs?
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The first version of the S-5000 used 7189s, so those OTs would work well with EL84/6BQ5s. The later versions used 7591s and 7868s as outputs, so the OT primaries would not be ideal for the EL84/6BQ5s. Sherwood model numbers can be confusing and counterintuitive. After switching to 7591/7868s, I believe they offered both the S-5000 model and the S-5500 at the same time. While most people would assume that something called an S-5500 would be a higher level product, and therefore have larger transformers, than an S-5000, with Sherwood the opposite was true - the S-5000 was the higher end model.
. . . Charlie
. . . Charlie
Thanks. Maybe more details will help.
The version of the 5000 I have OPTs from used 7189s and put out 24/ch.
The 5500 had 7868 tubes and put out 40/ch. So at least between these 2 version of the 5500 vs. 5000 models, the 5500 would probably be considered the higher end.
So, based only on the output power, it would appear the 5500 iv SHOULD have heavier OPTs but that's not always true, is it. Given I've only seen the s-5000's OPTs, I'm looking for someone who has seen both and can let me know how they compare OR, someone who has the 5500 iv and can tell me the dimensions of the core. Length, width and thickness. If they could weigh them that would be frosting on the cake, but not necessary.
And yes, I know size does not always mean bigger is better. But I'm willing to bet given both are made by sherwood, and pretty close model numbers, that unless sherwood was in a "making it cheaper" mode the quality, would be comparable. And of course, the size would be a good indicator of what direction they were trending. Hence my question.
The version of the 5000 I have OPTs from used 7189s and put out 24/ch.
The 5500 had 7868 tubes and put out 40/ch. So at least between these 2 version of the 5500 vs. 5000 models, the 5500 would probably be considered the higher end.
So, based only on the output power, it would appear the 5500 iv SHOULD have heavier OPTs but that's not always true, is it. Given I've only seen the s-5000's OPTs, I'm looking for someone who has seen both and can let me know how they compare OR, someone who has the 5500 iv and can tell me the dimensions of the core. Length, width and thickness. If they could weigh them that would be frosting on the cake, but not necessary.
And yes, I know size does not always mean bigger is better. But I'm willing to bet given both are made by sherwood, and pretty close model numbers, that unless sherwood was in a "making it cheaper" mode the quality, would be comparable. And of course, the size would be a good indicator of what direction they were trending. Hence my question.
oh. And I said in my original post, I'm not intending to use the 5500 OPTs with the EL84/7189 PP.
Rather I have a 7591/6L6GC project on the shelf waiting for OPTs. Should I get the s-5500 iv OPTs.
(and 7868 is pretty much identical to a 7591, so the 7868 based 5500 iv OPTs should be a good fit - IF the OPTs are good quality)
Rather I have a 7591/6L6GC project on the shelf waiting for OPTs. Should I get the s-5500 iv OPTs.
(and 7868 is pretty much identical to a 7591, so the 7868 based 5500 iv OPTs should be a good fit - IF the OPTs are good quality)
If you want to compare size, you should just ask the seller of the S-5500 IVs to measure them, I suppose. I don't own that model.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Sherwood often changed the specs and made design changes to their amps, sometimes in the middle of a production run, and without changing the model number. So it's possible that two model S-5500 IVs might actually use different OTs. I don't know if they went that far with changes or not. They certainly altered circuit design whenever they felt like it. Sherwood seems to have been one of those odd companies in which the engineers had more influence on things than the accountants and marketing department, at least at that point in the company's history. I would not be concerned about the general quality of any of their tube gear. The main thrust of their changes seems to have focussed on squeezing more power out of their amps. As a result, I imagine the output tubes didn't last long in their later models.
I'm sure the S-5500 IV OTs would work fine in your 7591/6L6GC project. If you want to compare them to other transformers, it would make more sense to compare them to ones that you were considering using in the same project. I guess cost would also be an issue. If you can get them cheap, it wouldn't hurt to give them a try. Whether or not they would be better than some other option, I don't know.
. . . Charlie
Another thing to keep in mind is that Sherwood often changed the specs and made design changes to their amps, sometimes in the middle of a production run, and without changing the model number. So it's possible that two model S-5500 IVs might actually use different OTs. I don't know if they went that far with changes or not. They certainly altered circuit design whenever they felt like it. Sherwood seems to have been one of those odd companies in which the engineers had more influence on things than the accountants and marketing department, at least at that point in the company's history. I would not be concerned about the general quality of any of their tube gear. The main thrust of their changes seems to have focussed on squeezing more power out of their amps. As a result, I imagine the output tubes didn't last long in their later models.
I'm sure the S-5500 IV OTs would work fine in your 7591/6L6GC project. If you want to compare them to other transformers, it would make more sense to compare them to ones that you were considering using in the same project. I guess cost would also be an issue. If you can get them cheap, it wouldn't hurt to give them a try. Whether or not they would be better than some other option, I don't know.
. . . Charlie
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