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Schematic wanted for push-pull triode connected pentode amp with DHT front end

Hopefully others will comment on whether or not the Jensens are suitable or if there are other options. I'm sure there's more to it than simply being 1:1.

I'm curious how much the 1140-LN-Cs cost in Canada, where they are made. I bought one pair from a supplier in Chicago, which had the lowest price I could find in the US, and they were just over $100 each shipped. Then Andy suggested a dealer in England and I bought some more there. The crazy thing is that the cost, including shipping from England, was ~$45 each and they arrived in two days!
The best price I found is $132 CAD
 
The amplifier sensitivity is significantly better with a Hammond 124D on the front end.
A One Volt signal at the input results in 3.5 watts audio. 👍
 

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@andyjevans, the1140-LN-C has the CT only on the low impedance side, so you can use it as splitter only in 4:1 mode. If you want to use a concertina then the 1140-LN-A is a better choice , IMHO, but you will need a bit more gain that you can get from the 26 or similar.
 
The 1140-LN-C is 1:4 or 4:1.
In the forward direction the 1140 is 4:1, clearly step down, When turned around it does not support PP operation.
OTOH, the H124D specs tell us 10K : 90K impedance ratio, in voltage that is 3X in the forward direction.
Depending on the source signal available, either transformer will work. But as usual, no prediction of sound
quality perceived by the user is possible.
With care in construction the result should be much more than passable.🙂👍
 
@andyjevans, the1140-LN-C has the CT only on the low impedance side, so you can use it as splitter only in 4:1 mode. If you want to use a concertina then the 1140-LN-A is a better choice , IMHO, but you will need a bit more gain that you can get from the 26 or similar.
Yes - I only bought the 1140-LN-C because in the UK is was half price for some odd reason from KGA Enclosures, and it also does 1:4 which is what I wanted. But there are plenty of models in the 1140 range and I'd assume they are all of similar quality. It's a very good range of studio quality transformers and unjustly overlooked.

The 124 range is indeed listed as 150hz-15K and though there's more bass than that, the treble is indeed a little down compared to the 1140 range based on listening to both in the same setup.
 
Anyway, the 124B is 10K-to-90K CT with 49% nickel laminations. It has much better ratio between primary inductance and leakage inductance. The latter being a fraction of the 124D's anyway. It's 37 mH vs 125 mH.
 
The 1B5 is a DHT with a mu of 20. It’s a wimpy tube but it‘s curves a very linear. Assume 1VRMS input sensitivity, you could get a gain of approximately x15 resistively loaded, followed by a concertina you should have at least 12VRMS which is enough to drive a pair of EL84s. With the 1B5s biased at -3V you could possibly get up to or maybe more than, 25VRMS which would drive EL34s. I wouldn’t be scared of concertina’s, they operate with 100% local feedback so they’re rather transparent and with a gain of slightly less than 1 their input capacitance is low enough to mitigate the high output impedance of the lil’ 1B5.
 
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I will never consider DH triode at input stage same as input transformer , DH triode is good for some quality SET power amp , and input transformer can easy pick hum&noise ,
this simple front end never disappointed me when is used for GNFB-free PP power amps , it sounds just OK for me , it consist from one triode (v1) at input connected as cathode follower , which is actually one active impedance transformer with no voltage gain but with almost no distortion , further DC connected to differential phase inverter stage grids (V2a&V2b) , which further drives PP-OPS .
 

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this simple front end never disappointed me when is used for GNFB-free PP power amps , it sounds just OK for me , it consist from one triode (v1) at input connected as cathode follower , which is actually one active impedance transformer with no voltage gain but with almost no distortion , further DC connected to differential phase inverter stage grids (V2a&V2b) , which further drives PP-OPS .
V2 with a CCS replacing Rk works better for me. The Mullard style driver is one of my favourites in general.
However make no mistake, good input transformers have lower distortion than any standard cathode follower. They generally use mu-metal or other high permeability cores. Maybe the cathode follower distortion becomes the same or a bit better below 30Hz which honestly is a very modest benefit.
Their phase splitting performance will never change.
 
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For a colleague 45 ,
-Honestly I like more when V2- Rk is supplied from good regulated high voltage negative rail , without to use of any type of CCS ,
-Mullard style front end stage is mine favorite also , mine schematic from #74 is just mine old variation of that old Mullard concept ,
-Personally I try to avoid any transformer which transforms audio signals , even output transformers , (OTL) .