• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

300b with single stage driver, C3M or?

The old stuff you see (my own collection btw) is used when the recording is made not afterwards. So then it is up to the producer what flavour he would like to give a recording (like a cook creating the meal) So adding Ketchup will destroy this creation.
 
The main advantage of an audio signal transformer is to completely decouple the amp from the speakers.

That`s not an advantage. The first paragraph of the article says that forces shall be tightly coupled, not decoupled. Sadly, in audio amplifiers, the forces have the inclination to be loosely coupled.

I would never come to the idea to swap an audio transformer out of the amp, because thats what gives music its energy, spirit and dynamic contrasts.
For me, this is an essential part of a tube amp and its sound quality.

Yes, the output transformer is a badly needed component of the tube output stage.

Good luck with your OTL, Zotl or whatever audio designs!

Good luck, you will need it. Find a lucky charm.
 
Ever since the amplifier was invented a way to get rid of the OT, for the obvious reasons, was the challange to solve. OTL was invented with their own issues we all know about. Finally with fast switching devices that can draw eneugh current (non tube, sadly for the tube religious people) we now can create linear wide band tube amps. Transformers are best in line stages to isolate ( like in mixing consoles and other pro equipment) and to provide symetrical signals for PP amps.

But true fidelity asks for non transformer designs. Everything else is adding a taste.... wantingly so. So yes, some issues still need to be solved to get rid of the last bits of veil, but that is why we discuss things here...

Best regards, Frank
 
Fact is, the most "true fidelity" records that I own from the early ages were recorded and mastered with dozens of audio signal transformers in the signal chain.
Later, transistor mixed and recorded records, doesn't sound that good. More sterile, I think. Typical transistor sound.
That is contrary to the ever and always repeated theory of the bad and ugly audio signal transformer.
You may have your theory about audio, I have mine. So we can only agree to disagree at this point.



Gray, dear friend, is all theory and green of life's golden tree.
Faust 1, Studierzimmer. (Mephistopheles)
 
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This is true, however the transformers are not why they sound as good but because no transistors were used. That's all...
Using transformers in transistor amps does not make sound them better do they?

BTW, I used my mixing console as preamp (V77b preamps) as i needed ballanced signals. But after replacing the console with a transformeless preamp the system became more transparent.
 

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Love this old studio tube gear so much.
The best tube amps I auditioned always had transformers and iron, the more the better for me.
But this may be a simple question on preferences and taste in audio. All is subjective, as audio is art for me. Fortunately it isn't handled as art, but as profane engineering.
But to construct gear real perfect is kind of an art, isn't it?
Audio transformers do have a main disadvantage to me. They need a very long time to break in. Actually I listen to a new MC transformer and after some months it still improves. Otherwise, I can't imagine for a better match to this cart like a SUT. The result is pure magic. No active MC amp will play music this way. But I know, its just a suboptimal solution when it comes to theory.
 
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Look from the industrial side of the production costs of audio gear.
A heavy transformer is the most expensive part, a tube needs heater current and couldn't be produced fully automated, audio signal transformers are even more expensive when done real good, free wiring in gear is handmade, too.
The industry got rid of all those labour intensive, time and money consuming procedures and therefore expensive production methods and parts.
What's been left and is the gear today more cheap compared to the old days?
Well, it depends. The so called high end gear has even increased in prices.
There are cheap amps today, mostly build on PCB's and inside looking the same as my computer PC boards. Those amps have become partially cheap. Mostly the asian stuff.
But there is enough stuff outside that looks real cheap on the inside, but it isn't.
Thats a big success for the industry, because where will this additional profit go to?
Transistor technology is the cheapest of all audio gear and most often not the best sounding one. But they managed to sell it to the consumers. A great victory for the marketing department, I would say at least.
 
For me building audio amps is also art (maybe more modern ha ha). Transformers are very difficult to make if these need to be wide band (good tubes are easier to find then good transformers). I have some of the best made here and still can here if i remove them (Danner/Malotki). The V77b are one of the best preamps ever produced for recording and broadcast. They have a signature and i do not like signatures in reproduction. I like it in production. It is like a musical instrument. You do not build loudspeakers in a guitar body do you?

Also the way these old pro gear is produced (all handmade) is a work of art. I collect Tek oscilloscopes just because they are build so nice. This is just sentiment but has nothing to do with the quality we are looking for now. I use a Philips oscilloscope in daily life as it is just better...

Sorry Francois !
 

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Those 300B output transformer look real tiny to me. Once I got a pair handmade for 4W output, they had the same size, but it was for AD-1 tube. I think a real good 300B transformer has to be other dimensions, more iron isn't the wrong way. Maybe that was an economy version done by Tribute. Economy by price and core size. I know they could have done better.
 

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Those 300B output transformer look real tiny to me. Once I got a pair handmade for 4W output, they had the same size, but it was for AD-1 tube. I think a real good 300B transformer has to be other dimensions, more iron isn't the wrong way. Maybe that was an economy version done by Tribute. Economy by price and core size. I know they could have done better.

This is a fine sounding core, IMHO it beats amorphous. If you own it, be a happy user!
 
For me building audio amps is also art (maybe more modern ha ha). Transformers are very difficult to make if these need to be wide band (good tubes are easier to find then good transformers). I have some of the best made here and still can here if i remove them (Danner/Malotki). The V77b are one of the best preamps ever produced for recording and broadcast. They have a signature and i do not like signatures in reproduction. I like it in production. It is like a musical instrument. You do not build loudspeakers in a guitar body do you?

Also the way these old pro gear is produced (all handmade) is a work of art. I collect Tek oscilloscopes just because they are build so nice. This is just sentiment but has nothing to do with the quality we are looking for now. I use a Philips oscilloscope in daily life as it is just better...

Sorry Francois !

Strange that I see Chinese newspaper . Lol