One major problem with Single End-amps is the low output power. My ECL82SE outputs some 2-3W, the Darling 3/4W and the (now retired) GU50 and 50CA10 amps some 6-7W.
A way to get around this obstacle, if power is needed, is to use exotic and letal tubes like 211, 845 or 813. I have a pair of 813 for the future when or if I will feel suicidal.
Another idea is to run tubes in parallell; but I'd rather finish the 6L6 hybrid-PP that use my Russian 6L6s in a low power PSE.
So what to do then? Well, I started looking for tubes requiring modest voltages to operate and that could produce some extra watts and ended up with ... nothing at all. Except EL156. Maybe there are other tubes out there; the 6S33S is quite powerful but needs loads of current and a special transformer.
What I did was simply aiming a shot from the hip. I found some notes how to bias the EL156 and had an idea of a good driver, the Russian 6Э5П, for which I had some recommendations for setting up from a Russian book on tubes.
So this is the schematic I went for.
I will share some more photos, but I assembled a protype yesterday and had it play some bars from a Supertramp CD. That sounded good. Wrong, that sounded REALLY GOOD!! I have never heard any of my tube amps sound so .... "precise". Especially the bass was to dry and non-rumbling. The drums suddenly sounded "Thud!" not "Thump!". And I also got the feeling (I had so far been running my speakers from an ECL82-SE) that the extra power gave so much more dynamic headroom.
Now I have to decide how to pack the amplifier. Would like to build a pair of monoblocks, but as that would require two of many components I am also considering assembling the two channels (that have separate PSUs) in one chassis.
Then I will do more listening tests.
More pics to come.
A way to get around this obstacle, if power is needed, is to use exotic and letal tubes like 211, 845 or 813. I have a pair of 813 for the future when or if I will feel suicidal.
Another idea is to run tubes in parallell; but I'd rather finish the 6L6 hybrid-PP that use my Russian 6L6s in a low power PSE.
So what to do then? Well, I started looking for tubes requiring modest voltages to operate and that could produce some extra watts and ended up with ... nothing at all. Except EL156. Maybe there are other tubes out there; the 6S33S is quite powerful but needs loads of current and a special transformer.
What I did was simply aiming a shot from the hip. I found some notes how to bias the EL156 and had an idea of a good driver, the Russian 6Э5П, for which I had some recommendations for setting up from a Russian book on tubes.
So this is the schematic I went for.
I will share some more photos, but I assembled a protype yesterday and had it play some bars from a Supertramp CD. That sounded good. Wrong, that sounded REALLY GOOD!! I have never heard any of my tube amps sound so .... "precise". Especially the bass was to dry and non-rumbling. The drums suddenly sounded "Thud!" not "Thump!". And I also got the feeling (I had so far been running my speakers from an ECL82-SE) that the extra power gave so much more dynamic headroom.
Now I have to decide how to pack the amplifier. Would like to build a pair of monoblocks, but as that would require two of many components I am also considering assembling the two channels (that have separate PSUs) in one chassis.
Then I will do more listening tests.
More pics to come.
