I was going to suggest using reverb transformers, like these https://www.tubesandmore.com/products/transformers_chokes?filters=Type%3DReverb%20Driver but I don't see any frequency specs.
Or 22921 Fender Reverb Driver Transformer MADE IN USA and they mention use in a headphone amp, but again no mention of the frequency range. Guitar amp transformers are likely more limited than hifi ones...
Or 22921 Fender Reverb Driver Transformer MADE IN USA and they mention use in a headphone amp, but again no mention of the frequency range. Guitar amp transformers are likely more limited than hifi ones...
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I'm curious about something.
Building a tube headphone amp, which is way more complex and expensive than going SS with some chipamp, or even an Op Amp (think NE5532), should at least in theory be justified by better quality in some aspect.
But reverb driver transformers are cheap narrow bandwidth, poor quality designs
, designed to drive narrow bandwidth, poor audio quality reverb tanks
Am I missing something?
Building a tube headphone amp, which is way more complex and expensive than going SS with some chipamp, or even an Op Amp (think NE5532), should at least in theory be justified by better quality in some aspect.
But reverb driver transformers are cheap narrow bandwidth, poor quality designs
, designed to drive narrow bandwidth, poor audio quality reverb tanks Am I missing something?
There's some choice.
Sowter makes special transformers for headphones: see here
Electra-print has experience with winding transformers for headphones, according to your specs.
If you go parafeed, there's a lot more choice... I used cheap little edcor PCW10K-7K/300-32 in a recent build and they're very decent.
Sowter makes special transformers for headphones: see here
Electra-print has experience with winding transformers for headphones, according to your specs.
If you go parafeed, there's a lot more choice... I used cheap little edcor PCW10K-7K/300-32 in a recent build and they're very decent.
I'm looking at using 6E5P for finals, maybe even as a unique active element. Nothing is set in stone, yet.
I'm also considering using a cathode repeater as a final stage which would allow me to eliminate the transformer. This would make the circuit cheaper but especially much lighter.
So far I've found Edcor tranformers to be reasonably priced:
https://www.edcorusa.com/gxse5-8-5_5k
https://www.edcorusa.com/xse10-4-8k
Both weigh 1.2 lbs, which means that my headphone amplifier would weigh 2.4 lbs in output transformers alone !
They are both very oversized for a headphone amplifier: 5 and 10W.
If possible, I would like smaller and lighter ones.
https://www.edcorusa.com/gxse5-8-5_5k
https://www.edcorusa.com/xse10-4-8k
Both weigh 1.2 lbs, which means that my headphone amplifier would weigh 2.4 lbs in output transformers alone !
They are both very oversized for a headphone amplifier: 5 and 10W.
If possible, I would like smaller and lighter ones.
Edcor PCW10K-7K/300-32 is a good suggestion as it is smaller, cheaper and most importantly only weighs 0.4lbs!
Sowfter seems to be much more expensive, so it's out for the moment.
It works... see this post
Sorry for the shameless promotion.The little edcor are btw cheap in the US (11$) but quite expensive in Europe (29$ at Don-Audio).
If you use a cathode follower as output, the hammond 119da is used at good effect by Mappletree
I wouldn't use them in serial feed for hifi, but in parafeed the frequency response is flat from like 10 Hz all the way up to bat territory.
Also general sound quality of the OT improves drastically in parafeed, since there is no DC.
For you it is not an issue with the parafeed. Just making a point for fireworks that in a standard SE design those transformers are not hifi.
I don't have much experience with parafeed but I have heard you can have low frequency problems if the parafeed capacitor is not chosen with great care.
I don't have much experience with parafeed but I have heard you can have low frequency problems if the parafeed capacitor is not chosen with great care.
Because it's absolutely conventional, and single-ended, transformer in the plate circuit is in some ways both considered the best performer and the most likely to deliver that characteristic valve sound.
I'm not trying to start an argument here, I'm just pointing out that that topology is considered attractive in some quarters. Parafeed and hybrid are somehow second best, with OTL acceptable if it'll work with your phones.
I confirm: I used the same Hammond transformers in a parafeed D3a amp, and surprisingly, they sound VERY good with my Sennheiser HD650 headphones!
I also drive bookshelf speakers with it.
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