I recently moved to Wilsonville Oregon and happen to live nearby this gentleman that designed and builds "Whammerdyne" amplifiers.
Best sounding 2A3 Single Ended Tube Amplifier | Class A Made in USA
I emailed him and set up an appt to go and listen to his system and see his setup. He designed everything in these amplifiers. He has the transformers built to spec. And everything else I believe. He offers several models of them at differing price points. All 2A3 amps. Go check out his sight. He can explain it all way better than I can.
I have been in the hobby most of my adult life. I have a fairly good ear and am able to hear very subtle differences in systems. Now granted his entire system is amazing but those amplifiers give you goosebumps from the first track. I could go on and on about the soundstage, the incredible effortless dynamics and rich tonal texture but I could not do come close to doing it justice. If you live anywhere near Portland Oregon you owe it to yourself to get a hold of him and go have a listen. I do not know him above that one meeting and buying some other equipment from him. And I get nothing for referrals or anything like that. I just wanted to share that what he has is something special and owns the best sounding system I have ever listened to. I am coming into some money here this summer from a long court thingy and I am getting myself one of his amps.
Seriously, go listen to it.. Its better than I am making it out to be.
Best sounding 2A3 Single Ended Tube Amplifier | Class A Made in USA
I emailed him and set up an appt to go and listen to his system and see his setup. He designed everything in these amplifiers. He has the transformers built to spec. And everything else I believe. He offers several models of them at differing price points. All 2A3 amps. Go check out his sight. He can explain it all way better than I can.
I have been in the hobby most of my adult life. I have a fairly good ear and am able to hear very subtle differences in systems. Now granted his entire system is amazing but those amplifiers give you goosebumps from the first track. I could go on and on about the soundstage, the incredible effortless dynamics and rich tonal texture but I could not do come close to doing it justice. If you live anywhere near Portland Oregon you owe it to yourself to get a hold of him and go have a listen. I do not know him above that one meeting and buying some other equipment from him. And I get nothing for referrals or anything like that. I just wanted to share that what he has is something special and owns the best sounding system I have ever listened to. I am coming into some money here this summer from a long court thingy and I am getting myself one of his amps.
Seriously, go listen to it.. Its better than I am making it out to be.
If the best way to the ears is through the eyes, then they must score highly just on that basis!
Not outrageously expensive either, when you consider the parts, and all of that machine work and final finishing required.
Not outrageously expensive either, when you consider the parts, and all of that machine work and final finishing required.
Since I can't hear it from here, how about a schematic? And some objective measurements. Good engineering will speak for itself.
Not to be unkind, however I think this forum requires a little more than subjective remarks about amplifiers not seen or heard on the other side of the world.
Not to be unkind, however I think this forum requires a little more than subjective remarks about amplifiers not seen or heard on the other side of the world.
All I get so far is "6DJ8/6922 input gain/drive tube is DC coupled to the 2a3". I only see one 6922 so presumably it's split between channels. What kind of circuit does this suggest - 6922 DC coupled to 2a3? Can anyone post a specimen schematic - this must surely have been done before in various ways? Here's a thread for example.
3 direct coupled 2A3 amps
3 direct coupled 2A3 amps
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They may have used some solid state inside, too. This would enable perfect conditions for the output tube without any more tubes than those three shown. The variations are so many, maybe their circuit is solitude.
Perhaps "A Direct Coupled Single Triode Amplifier" article by Ciro Marzio and Christiano Jelasi, Sound Practices Magazine, Spring 1994 issue was the originator. You can find similar schematic at IspraNet Audio: Direct Coupled Single Ended Amplifier.
Before performing a DIY carreer in audio (LOL), and with very deep pockets for that time, I auditioned many and much of those high end SS gear offered in the 1980s/1990s.
If I had to sum up the whole experience (with plus and minus minor improvement in sound, depending on the ingeniouity of the company of the amps manufacturer), it would read like this:
-most big buck (so called high end) amps sounded sterile, typical SS sound. Sterile, overdamped, especially in bigger rooms thin sounding, with always an overpronouncement towards the ability to audition any tiny detail in music, completely forgetting that music is much more than a resume of a lot of tiny details. They just completely failed in putting all those pieces together to what we call music. A random puzzle of meaningless details in music, which needs someone to be put together for a complete and meaningfull picture of the music. Life was mostly totally sucked out of those gears.
Or, in other words: Mostly my head hurts from the work needed by my brain to be done to put all those fragments of music together because the engineer has left this work for the listener, as he wasn't able to let it be done by his amps. At that time, I really thought to listen to music that way must be work, and a hard type of work in fact.
The relaxation came afterwards the listening experience, when the brain could recreate all those puzzle pieces to one music piece and I heard myself saying: this was an interesting experience and surely high end, because so much more was to listen to and my brain had to focus so much more than with low fidelity equipment.
Later, many years and decades later, I learned that this kind of listening is worth nothing to me, because I don't intend to work, just want to enjoy listening instead of working through it. And that leads exactly in the opposite way, towards tube amps.
I don't think and never have heard that this has been changed in the last three decades, because solid state amps technology is not being changed in its structure and fundamentals.
After auditioning of the first SET 300B amp with high eff. speakers, I know that a new world of audio had just opened for me. Never in my whole life I would go back. Had to blame myself of believing all those charlatans in the magazines that just wanted to sell their mags and the ads within those.
If I had to sum up the whole experience (with plus and minus minor improvement in sound, depending on the ingeniouity of the company of the amps manufacturer), it would read like this:
-most big buck (so called high end) amps sounded sterile, typical SS sound. Sterile, overdamped, especially in bigger rooms thin sounding, with always an overpronouncement towards the ability to audition any tiny detail in music, completely forgetting that music is much more than a resume of a lot of tiny details. They just completely failed in putting all those pieces together to what we call music. A random puzzle of meaningless details in music, which needs someone to be put together for a complete and meaningfull picture of the music. Life was mostly totally sucked out of those gears.
Or, in other words: Mostly my head hurts from the work needed by my brain to be done to put all those fragments of music together because the engineer has left this work for the listener, as he wasn't able to let it be done by his amps. At that time, I really thought to listen to music that way must be work, and a hard type of work in fact.
The relaxation came afterwards the listening experience, when the brain could recreate all those puzzle pieces to one music piece and I heard myself saying: this was an interesting experience and surely high end, because so much more was to listen to and my brain had to focus so much more than with low fidelity equipment.
Later, many years and decades later, I learned that this kind of listening is worth nothing to me, because I don't intend to work, just want to enjoy listening instead of working through it. And that leads exactly in the opposite way, towards tube amps.
I don't think and never have heard that this has been changed in the last three decades, because solid state amps technology is not being changed in its structure and fundamentals.
After auditioning of the first SET 300B amp with high eff. speakers, I know that a new world of audio had just opened for me. Never in my whole life I would go back. Had to blame myself of believing all those charlatans in the magazines that just wanted to sell their mags and the ads within those.
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They surely use some solid state driving circuitry - they claim 4.2 watts from single 2A3. I think this will not be obtainable in pure A1 operation
Some of the models apparently have a lot of power supplies, so seems likely these have a "stacked" B+ type design to achieve DC coupling. Very low noise specs coming from all regulated and well isolated supplies. The very low distortion spec for the DAA3+RAM model would indicate the loading of the 6922 driver has been tuned to null out the 2nd harmonic from the 2A3. Then some very $$$ OT options.
If I were going to do a lower cost DIY "clone", the changes I would make would be to use an UnSet (Tubelab) TV Sweep tube device for the output for more power and tuneable 2nd harmonic. (adjustable 2nd H between a 211 to 2A3/45 level or further to 300B or beyond, below) This would be cheaper, more power and less worry of cost for 2A3 tubes in the future) One could lower the 2nd H of the 6922 with a low cost curve tracer selected 12HL7 in triode mode. (pics below) (fixed up 9KC6 can do similar with a Mu 35) (6LQ8 Pent. can do Mu 50) (selected 6JC6 can do similar Mu 60) All of these were $1 tubes a few years back.
(tuneable 2nd H by pot and Mosfet follower for driving the grid 2 in the range between an attenuated plate V and a fixed Vg2.)
1) 12HL7 in triode (Mu 25)
2) "new" series Schaded 21HB5A (UnSet, CED at Tubelab) set up for minimum 2nd Harmonic (211 like)
3) 21HB5A set for maximum 2nd Harmonic (rather more than 300B)
4) 6LQ8 pentode in triode mode (Mu 50)
5) 6197 in triode mode (Mu 24) $0.35 tube
If I were going to do a lower cost DIY "clone", the changes I would make would be to use an UnSet (Tubelab) TV Sweep tube device for the output for more power and tuneable 2nd harmonic. (adjustable 2nd H between a 211 to 2A3/45 level or further to 300B or beyond, below) This would be cheaper, more power and less worry of cost for 2A3 tubes in the future) One could lower the 2nd H of the 6922 with a low cost curve tracer selected 12HL7 in triode mode. (pics below) (fixed up 9KC6 can do similar with a Mu 35) (6LQ8 Pent. can do Mu 50) (selected 6JC6 can do similar Mu 60) All of these were $1 tubes a few years back.
(tuneable 2nd H by pot and Mosfet follower for driving the grid 2 in the range between an attenuated plate V and a fixed Vg2.)
1) 12HL7 in triode (Mu 25)
2) "new" series Schaded 21HB5A (UnSet, CED at Tubelab) set up for minimum 2nd Harmonic (211 like)
3) 21HB5A set for maximum 2nd Harmonic (rather more than 300B)
4) 6LQ8 pentode in triode mode (Mu 50)
5) 6197 in triode mode (Mu 24) $0.35 tube
Attachments
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Im I right with saying, that you are trying to replicate a device which is un-replicateable? We really dont know what is in their amplifier. We see an E88CC, some black box, then a 2A3 with output transformer and maybe couple of more black boxes around.
So probably we will not be able to replicate it. More like doing it our way (which will probably wont sound the same way as theirs 😀😀)
Idea that I made is to use SRPP driver directly coupled to the output tube. It will have better drive than resistor loaded plus it automatically serves as an delay on start, and if you unplug the input tube, the amplifier (esp. output tubes) will not be damaged. Ive used it in my 4P1L dc coupled amp. focused, transparent and dynamic sound at the same time. Whats your opinion on this?
So probably we will not be able to replicate it. More like doing it our way (which will probably wont sound the same way as theirs 😀😀)
Idea that I made is to use SRPP driver directly coupled to the output tube. It will have better drive than resistor loaded plus it automatically serves as an delay on start, and if you unplug the input tube, the amplifier (esp. output tubes) will not be damaged. Ive used it in my 4P1L dc coupled amp. focused, transparent and dynamic sound at the same time. Whats your opinion on this?
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Two things; 1. Hooray for the thread starter for mentioning 12 in Audio Nirvana speakers (they can really sound like you are there or they are here in the right set up) and 2. while it's hard to accept anyone who claims to be the best sounding anything (after all its sooooooo system related) I do like the steam punk aesthetics of those 2a3 amps, they would fit right in with Jules Verne's listening room (maybe I should paint lightening bolts on my EL84 amps)
Why bother with speakers? Just develop a USB port for the brain so you can just plug the music into it in digital. 😀
Seriously though, tubes include the heatsink and run at a higher temperature. When running the same voltage and current (and topology) using tubes or transistors, the amp will actually be larger with the transistors because of the thermal management requirements unless you use fan cooling but who wants to listen to a fan?
At least for the output devices anyway.
Seriously though, tubes include the heatsink and run at a higher temperature. When running the same voltage and current (and topology) using tubes or transistors, the amp will actually be larger with the transistors because of the thermal management requirements unless you use fan cooling but who wants to listen to a fan?
At least for the output devices anyway.
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Ampliier Without Rs & Cs
About 20 yrs ago Steve Bench did some interesting design of both amplifiers & Power Supplies with no Rs & Cs. This link goes to one of the amplifiers.
Comparison of Diode Biasing with other methods
The entire web site can be accessed here, many interesting off the wall projects.🙂
Steve's Tube Pages
About 20 yrs ago Steve Bench did some interesting design of both amplifiers & Power Supplies with no Rs & Cs. This link goes to one of the amplifiers.
Comparison of Diode Biasing with other methods
The entire web site can be accessed here, many interesting off the wall projects.🙂
Steve's Tube Pages
4W from 2A3
"they claim 4.2 watts from single 2A3. I think this will not be obtainable in pure A1 operation"
I think that a 23W or 40W 2A3 can produce 4W roughly if the 23W 2A3 is pushed. (You can probably start yelling that neither of those is a TRUE 2A3, but they are out there.)
"I built many valve amps in the days when speakers were more efficient and watts expensive, and I recognise their merits at that time, but now, and with the high maintenance, loss of performance with time, and high energy consumption, I would never have a valve amp."
"I built many valve amps in the days..., me too and I enjoy it still. I build my speakers as well. Obviously, that time has ended for you and it will happen to me sooner rather than later as well(age). Tubes, I might add are a hell of a lot easier to deal with for old eyes(presbyopia) than transistors IMO.
"they claim 4.2 watts from single 2A3. I think this will not be obtainable in pure A1 operation"
I think that a 23W or 40W 2A3 can produce 4W roughly if the 23W 2A3 is pushed. (You can probably start yelling that neither of those is a TRUE 2A3, but they are out there.)
"I built many valve amps in the days when speakers were more efficient and watts expensive, and I recognise their merits at that time, but now, and with the high maintenance, loss of performance with time, and high energy consumption, I would never have a valve amp."
"I built many valve amps in the days..., me too and I enjoy it still. I build my speakers as well. Obviously, that time has ended for you and it will happen to me sooner rather than later as well(age). Tubes, I might add are a hell of a lot easier to deal with for old eyes(presbyopia) than transistors IMO.
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Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with Diy. Without design detail, it is just another sales pitch among many that we are all so familiar with. Happy customer raves notwithstanding. How can one be unhappy if you paid thousands for it? This belongs to Audio Asylum fora were inmates meaninglessly juggle with brand names.