The caps are 150uF/400V made by Suntan (6 in parallel with 6 in series for each bank)
Wavebourn, have you read the following article by Eduardo de Lima?
"Why Single Ended Tube Amplifiers?"
The focus is on second harmonic distortion cancellation in the system (amp+speaker). Truly a must read.
AUDIOPAX - Technical Articles
Thank you, but it is one more funny story. 😀
The only thing that matters, how well distortions are being masked by own distortions of human perception. It is impossible to reproduce sounds without distortions. The less of them we hear, the better is the sound. But our own perception distorts, and amount and character of distortions depends on loudness. So, if distortions added by audio equipment mimic spectrum of distortions of our perception, they are being ignored, i.e. they are inaudible. Let me stress again, in dynamics. The louder is the sound, the higher percentage of distortions we do not hear, with wide spectrum. But when sounds decay, our perception distorts less and less, and order of distortions is getting lower and lower. Dynamic matters, while THD is a number that explains nothing. And single ended amplifiers usually in dynamics add distortions that are being ignored by our perception. They do not sound as distortions, they sound as if increased loudness.
When we try to "compensate distortions" we inevitably damage this dynamics, so remaining distortions sound alien, they are being heard. That's why solid state amps "sound" even when measured "better", that's why push-pull amps "sound" worse even when they should sound better due to measurements.
Signals of amplifiers and speakers when they generate sounds do not sum. They multiply. If you take some transfer curve of an amplifier and multiply by a transfer function of a speaker, would you get any compensation of distortions? No way! It is a simple math versus musings of audio-gurus. It is your right, what to believe in. I prefer math, that's why my amps "do not sound". They reproduce clean, transparent music, even when approach saturation that is visible on an oscilloscope.
Speaking of compensations of 2'Nd order distortions of speakers, I experimented with isobaric speakers. Indeed they compensated 2'Nd order distortions, but on the same loudness sounded worse than just 2 speakers near each other on the same panel.
Thanks Wavebourn.
I think there might be something to what Eduardo de Lima put forth, keep in mind he was not an audio guru. He was an EE and a professor and there is actually math and measurements in the article (I have not reviewed the math though).
Cancellation of 2nd is definitely possible at the lab with sinewaves, what matters is the phase of the second harmonic distortion (amp and speaker distortion in anti-phase). Of course this is not a real world situation.
But I think there might be usefulness to the concept and De Lima might actually have been right that this is happening to a degree with SET amps in combination with full range speakers especially.
I think there might be something to what Eduardo de Lima put forth, keep in mind he was not an audio guru. He was an EE and a professor and there is actually math and measurements in the article (I have not reviewed the math though).
Cancellation of 2nd is definitely possible at the lab with sinewaves, what matters is the phase of the second harmonic distortion (amp and speaker distortion in anti-phase). Of course this is not a real world situation.
But I think there might be usefulness to the concept and De Lima might actually have been right that this is happening to a degree with SET amps in combination with full range speakers especially.
I am an EE as well, and also used to teach students, so his musings have no superiority over mine. Does he make amps and speakers better than mine? That's the main question. Does he make SET amplifiers and speakers? Let's compare then his SET amplifiers to my SE pentode amplifiers with nested feedback loops in a listening tests, and if his amplifiers sound better, I will admit that I am wrong.
What is common between my pentode SE amplifiers with SET amplifiers, is a saturation curve. They both being overdriven similarly increase gradually amount and order of distortions. What is different, on normal listening levels my amplifiers have less distortions, and output resistance is not high like in SET but contrary, even negative. Sound of SET amplifiers depends pretty match on selection of tubes. Even tubes from the same manufacturer sound differently. In my amps 6L6, EL34, KT88 sound equally clean and transparent. My designs prove my math, at least until I hear an example of a single ended triode amplifier that sounds better.
What is common between my pentode SE amplifiers with SET amplifiers, is a saturation curve. They both being overdriven similarly increase gradually amount and order of distortions. What is different, on normal listening levels my amplifiers have less distortions, and output resistance is not high like in SET but contrary, even negative. Sound of SET amplifiers depends pretty match on selection of tubes. Even tubes from the same manufacturer sound differently. In my amps 6L6, EL34, KT88 sound equally clean and transparent. My designs prove my math, at least until I hear an example of a single ended triode amplifier that sounds better.
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BTW I posted here because Spartan might find it interesting, other than you.
My regards to everyone.
My regards to everyone.
Calm down, I know (I actually have a high regard for you for all I read in this forum). I simply think De Lima´s hypotheses are worth exploring by those who are capable.
I calmly exploited his hypotheses, at least read his articles, and I believe I am capable to do that, and answered your question regarding my signature: it is one more fairy tale, no worse, no better than others about "Tube Sound". I even revealed the secret of my "tube sound", so it is up to you what to exploit in your own research. 🙂
Good luck! 😀
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