Any mid priced SE transformers around?

[tubelab.com]

I have used Transcendar transformers available on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pair-3K-Audio-Ou...QQcmdZViewItem

I bought a pair of his earlier design "300B transformers", I liked them well enough to buy 10 more pairs! I just put a pair in a SE KT88 (triode wired) amp. I also built an identical amp with the Hammond 1628SEA transformers (triode or UL switchable). The transcendars win hands down for the ability to resolve details that are missed with the Hammonds. The Hammonds are the transformers to use if you want to play rock music loud (in UL with cathode feedback). The Transcendars are less than half of the price of the Hammonds.

Another choice is the One Electron UBT series (available from Antique Electronics). They are priced near $100 each though. I did a listening test a while back comparing them to the Transcendars. One person in five could tell the difference, but could not reliably pick a winner. The UBT's have a slightly better HF response when measured, but it doesn't show up in listening tests.

The $18 Edcors will surprise you if you have efficient enough speakers so that you can run the amp at low enough power to keep the transformers out of saturation on strong bass notes at high volume. They also work well if your speakers can't produce any sound below 70 Hz, or you use a subwoofer. I have Yamaha studio speakers in my lab. Big expensive transformers are wasted on these speakers because they don't have any response below 70Hz.
The $75 Edcors don't have the best measurements, but they sound reasonable. I would rather use the UBT's or the Transcendars unless you need the power capabilities below 40 Hz that only larger iron can deliver.

[Fuling]

I made an amp with 372JX (IIRC) and 1627SE transformers a few years ago. Nothing wrong with the output irons, but the power TX buzzed mechanically.
A friend of mine made something with a pair of 1628SE and found out that their HF behaviour left alot to wish for. The same guy also recieved different Hammond units with a variety of strange manufacturing faults like different colours, horrible paint jobs and stuff like that. He even got one completely smashed up transformer in an undamaged box.
For me, that tells something about Hammonds quality control.
They might have straightened thing up since then though, this was a few years ago.

[tubelab.com]

A friend of mine made something with a pair of 1628SE and found out that their HF behaviour left alot to wish for.

I have a 3 year old pair of 1628SE's that have a 5 to 6 db rolloff at 20KHz. They are not as bad as others have seen. I got a new pair of the 1628SEA's. They are about 2 db down at 20KHz. Neither of these make their claimed 30Hz to 20 KHz +- 1db. I don't know how they measure their transformers, but I measure them in a real (trioded KT88) amp with a resistive load and zero feedback. Other transformers make 44KHz (the $18 Edcors) so my system can measure good HF.

There was a long thread about Hammond OPT's here a while back with some measurements:

Why are Hammond SE OPTs dissed? Heavier than the competition...

There was a thread on the $18 Edcors that also referenced other threads:

Cheap SE output transformers

[RockysDad]

Originally posted by rdf
You didn't mention impedance or power level, but at 5K, 10 watts and <$150 pair you can't go wrong with the James 6115HS. Finding a place to buy them however might be a challenge.

http://euphoniaaudio.netfirms.com/ea...bdf346fbcd8bf3

FYI, I was looking for 5K and 10W is fine. I'm using Gary Kaufmans's 6EM7 directly coupled amp and I like it a lot. Its a bit low on power but I don't play it to load. Its driving a pair of Fostex 167E in a ML-TL boxes that need a bit more low end then what they are receiving now.

These guys in the link are in the US. Hopefully they have a stock of these...

Thanks for the link!

[rdf]

You're welcome! I'm using these in a little 9002-6CW5 SE and they're terrific, flat to 50 kHz and revealing of any upstream changes. Euphonia appears to have closed shop last October, you may need to contact James directly or buy from one of the Asian mail order houses.

[RockysDad]

Originally posted by rdf
You're welcome! I'm using these in a little 9002-6CW5 SE and they're terrific, flat to 50 kHz and revealing of any upstream changes. Euphonia appears to have closed shop last October, you may need to contact James directly or buy from one of the Asian mail order houses.

What!?!?!

Bummer, no wonder they went out of business. They were selling these at a lost! Got to start looking for these now...

[rdf]

I heard Euphonia's prices weren't anything special. You could try direct:

http://myweb.hinet.net/home3/jianshin/

Jianshin have been very responsive and courteous to my inquiries in the past.

[dsavitsk]

Originally posted by RockysDad



What!?!?!

Bummer, no wonder they went out of business. They were selling these at a lost! Got to start looking for these now...

I have a pair of these (in black) that I used very briefly in a breadboard headphone amp. I'd love to use them for a speaker amp, but realistically I am not going to get to any projects that would use them for months, if not years. So, I could probably stand to part with them for a decent price -- which means not as much as I paid at Euphonia, but not necessarilly a lot less either

You can see them at http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=210871 One has a very slight scuff on it that was there when I got them. It wasn't enough for me to complain. I still have the original boxes and all that.

Contact me through the board's email system, or at dsavitsk at ecp dot cc for more.

-d

[RockysDad]

Originally posted by dsavitsk


Contact me through the board's email system, or at dsavitsk at ecp dot cc for more.

-d

Email sent...

[dsavitsk]

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