Hello all - I'm replacing the OPTs on a Chinese PP EL34/KT88 amp, and have been considering Silk and Lundahl, both are mid-tier in terms of price, the Japanese stuff is twice the cost so out of budget range for me. I'm replacing the stock iron, which is ridiculously meek in comparison, and really cheap stuff.
Lundahls are well regarded and there's plenty of stuff written about them but not so for Silk - has anyone used them and can you give me your thoughts/comparisons? For reference, the pair would cost about $450, similar to Lundahl.
Lundahls are well regarded and there's plenty of stuff written about them but not so for Silk - has anyone used them and can you give me your thoughts/comparisons? For reference, the pair would cost about $450, similar to Lundahl.
Theres a reason the japanese transformers are expensive. They sound gr8t and have reputation for sound quality. It takes time to make such items. The materials are better so you get what you pay for. They are an investment and will give you joy for years.never been a fan of lundal.
Here is a link to the page describing products and prices. They do look to be very attractively priced. The prices are for a pair, and 6000 Thai Baht is less than $200.
Silk/SAC Thailand
Silk/SAC Thailand
Well it took a little time but I looked into all of the above suggested, thanks guys.
@Michael C - I wouldn't argue a bit, I'd just like to keep this within budget, and have already dumped quite a bit of money into this amp, at this point replacing and modding 90% of the original material, including wire, taps, RCAs, caps, resistors, etc. If I had the dough I'd just get some Tamuras and call it a day. I love the way the Japanese approach solving challenges, in many arenas. But I'm making the assumption here that at $1200 vs $500, I'm well into diminishing returns territory and though I don't like to say this often, $500 is probably good enough, and miles beyond what's in there now.
@andyjevans - I'd never heard of NP Acoustics, those look very good, and in the same price bracket as Lundahl and SAC, so I'll look into them further, thank you.
@300-B - Old school Japanese goodness, another contender, I love their approach, look like nice little amps too!
Last but not least, @Flikoman - Wow, those are stunning and might be my top consideration for cost-no-object, absolutely gorgeous and from what I can read, excellent engineering.
So leaving Lundahl aside for now (mostly because they're not potted and more work to deal with), NP, Softone, and SAC/Silk all seem to be worthy and close in price. Any additional feedback on any of them would be welcome.
@Michael C - I wouldn't argue a bit, I'd just like to keep this within budget, and have already dumped quite a bit of money into this amp, at this point replacing and modding 90% of the original material, including wire, taps, RCAs, caps, resistors, etc. If I had the dough I'd just get some Tamuras and call it a day. I love the way the Japanese approach solving challenges, in many arenas. But I'm making the assumption here that at $1200 vs $500, I'm well into diminishing returns territory and though I don't like to say this often, $500 is probably good enough, and miles beyond what's in there now.
@andyjevans - I'd never heard of NP Acoustics, those look very good, and in the same price bracket as Lundahl and SAC, so I'll look into them further, thank you.
@300-B - Old school Japanese goodness, another contender, I love their approach, look like nice little amps too!
Last but not least, @Flikoman - Wow, those are stunning and might be my top consideration for cost-no-object, absolutely gorgeous and from what I can read, excellent engineering.
So leaving Lundahl aside for now (mostly because they're not potted and more work to deal with), NP, Softone, and SAC/Silk all seem to be worthy and close in price. Any additional feedback on any of them would be welcome.
Hello,
Tet holiday coming soon in Vietnam and then everything will be closed.
I am in Hanoi and you can feel it is coming.
I ditched facebook for obvious reasons but it is not unusual here for business to close pretty quick and leave without a trace
Greetings Eduard.
P.s Vietnamese audiophiles are very dedicated!!
Tet holiday coming soon in Vietnam and then everything will be closed.
I am in Hanoi and you can feel it is coming.
I ditched facebook for obvious reasons but it is not unusual here for business to close pretty quick and leave without a trace
Greetings Eduard.
P.s Vietnamese audiophiles are very dedicated!!
Since I was the OP here, I thought I'd just add that I did go with the NP output trannies on my EL34 triode strapped PP amp, and they are beautifully made and very high quality. I think I swapped them out in early April. In another league from the stock Chinese OPTs, much cleaner output to my ears, and they're robust and detailed. Great deal in transformers. I think he's pretty closely copying some of the Japanese designs, Tango/Tamura in particular. He uses Japanese amorphous cores too. Nice fellow, easy to deal with. I hope you can get in touch with him Marco.
Wow, unfortunately when I tried to get on the site I got a message that the email account has been suspended.
I have always heard good things about Silk. They do post a ton of testing info on the silk site, and they also manufacture real world amplifiers with said transformers, also on site. I think the other recommendations here are beautiful as well. Although I agree with you that you'd be chasing diminishing returns with anything "better". The ones I had, their PSE gm70 opts, the construction was beautiful.
Thank you for the suggestion @andyjevans
I was able to get in contact with NP Acoustic folks through Facebook, and they are going to send me a quote for a few transformers.
In the meantime I also received a quote from Monolith Magnetics.. a bit on the expensive side but, given the food reviews from everyone who used their irons, I might end up buying from them..
I was able to get in contact with NP Acoustic folks through Facebook, and they are going to send me a quote for a few transformers.
In the meantime I also received a quote from Monolith Magnetics.. a bit on the expensive side but, given the food reviews from everyone who used their irons, I might end up buying from them..
Hello,
Vietnamese people sometimes take their time to do things. They are very inventive .
I did use Google maps for NP acoustic but it said it was closed. But it happens a lot the owner of your building that you rent for your business decides to choose another tenant when your 5 year contract ended.
If you modify your lighter like this it will be easier to find.
Ooh , can still repair it
I hired a driver for a four hour drive from hotel central Hanoi to a homestay in the mountains. In a decent almost new car. Two ways about 140€ total so things are modestly priced.
Greetings Eduard
Vietnamese people sometimes take their time to do things. They are very inventive .
I did use Google maps for NP acoustic but it said it was closed. But it happens a lot the owner of your building that you rent for your business decides to choose another tenant when your 5 year contract ended.
If you modify your lighter like this it will be easier to find.
Ooh , can still repair it
I hired a driver for a four hour drive from hotel central Hanoi to a homestay in the mountains. In a decent almost new car. Two ways about 140€ total so things are modestly priced.
Greetings Eduard
NP Acoustics quoted $890 for a pair of their NP6SE50F40, which is a very good price for 50W SE beasts with amorphous core.
I still think I am going with Monolith Magnetics for the 300B reference I am building, because I want to absolut top for that amplifier.
Instead, I am going to order a different set of OPTs from NP Acoustic for a less critical EL34 push pull amp
I still think I am going with Monolith Magnetics for the 300B reference I am building, because I want to absolut top for that amplifier.
Instead, I am going to order a different set of OPTs from NP Acoustic for a less critical EL34 push pull amp
I am a bit late to this thread but I have some key information regarding the actual use of a Silk/SAC Thailand SE output transformer.
I ordered from SAC Thailand a S-12x SE output transformer (12K impedance) for my Wyetech Topaz 211 SE amplifier which has a pair of 10K impedance Audio Note SE output transformers currently installed. The Audio Note OPT's as most know are very highly regarded transformers. I have owned, loved and spent many enjoyable hours listening to this Wyetech amp with the AN OPT's. I have not heard another SE tube amp anywhere near the MSRP of the Wyetech which I felt bettered it. It is my end game amp. With advice from the owner, Kittipol and my goals he made my S-12x OPT with 0-4-6-8-12-16 ohm secondary taps. The reason being is down the road I wanted to convert/try this 211 based amp with a 572-10 tube. The schematic between wyetechs 211 and 572 amps are almost identical so in theory the change in output tubes would be relatively easy. But the 572-10 tube is best matched to an OPT with a 5-6K impedance OPT, the 211 tube best with a 10k or more OPT. My speakers ave. 6 ohm impedance so I would be able to connect the Silk OPT using a 12 ohm secondary tap to my 6 ohm speakers and effectively have a 6K impedance OPT for the 572 tube. When using the 211 tube I would use the 4 or 6 ohm taps depending on which tap measured the best.
When the Silk OPT's arrived I flipped my 211 amp over and placed the silk OPT's on a 2x4 across the chassis and de-soldered the B+ and plate wires of the AN and soldered the B+ and plate wires of the Silk OPT. I then connected the silk secondary wires to my outputs (4 & 6 ohm taps). First I measured the Distortion of the silk amps using Audiomatica's 8.52 Clio. The 6 ohm tap proved to measure a bit better than the 4 ohm tap, with 1% THD at 14.2 watts and 3% THD at 19.2 watts (the AN amp was 1% THD at 12.3w and 3% THD at 19.7w). Very good measurements for a 211 SE amp. I then fired the amp up to give a listen, immediately I was pretty impressed.
Fast forward a couple of weeks of listening to the Silk OPT which now is mounted to the 211 amps chassis and the Audio Note OPT's sit in a corner of my listening room on the floor. The Silk OPT is clearly a superior transformer to the Audio Note OPT sonically. It does, in my opinion, almost everything better than the AN's which until I heard the silk I thought were SOTA OPT's. The silk is more transparent, the stage size is also larger than the AN, both are excellent tho. Details at the edges and back of the sound stage have more clarity and presence, sounds that maybe blended in with the music with the AN's have much better definition and presence with the silk's. Images are more tightly focused with the Silks, dynamic contrasts are more discernable with the silks. The Humanness factor, palpable presence have you, is better with the Silk. Humans sound a touch more real, instruments have more air around them allowing the primary and harmonic sounds to fully develop. I am more engrossed in the musical presentation with the silk OPT than I was with the AN OPT. The speakers totally disappear with the Silk's, it is like I am at the musical event where with the AN's it's like listening to the musical presentation on an excellent system. The Silks transport me to the event. and keep my focus and attention better. The highs are more open with the Silk, the bass is faster with sharper leading edges with the silk. Totally non-fatiguing sound. I thought my Wyetech 211 amp was excellent before, it took another significant step forward with the Silk OPT's.
I paid $850 for the Silk S-12x OPT plus shipping to the USA. Considering what top line OPT's now go for I consider that a good deal, based on sonic improvement it is a steal. I highly recommend the Silk OPT's. BTW the silk OPT weighs 15.6 lb's each.
I ordered from SAC Thailand a S-12x SE output transformer (12K impedance) for my Wyetech Topaz 211 SE amplifier which has a pair of 10K impedance Audio Note SE output transformers currently installed. The Audio Note OPT's as most know are very highly regarded transformers. I have owned, loved and spent many enjoyable hours listening to this Wyetech amp with the AN OPT's. I have not heard another SE tube amp anywhere near the MSRP of the Wyetech which I felt bettered it. It is my end game amp. With advice from the owner, Kittipol and my goals he made my S-12x OPT with 0-4-6-8-12-16 ohm secondary taps. The reason being is down the road I wanted to convert/try this 211 based amp with a 572-10 tube. The schematic between wyetechs 211 and 572 amps are almost identical so in theory the change in output tubes would be relatively easy. But the 572-10 tube is best matched to an OPT with a 5-6K impedance OPT, the 211 tube best with a 10k or more OPT. My speakers ave. 6 ohm impedance so I would be able to connect the Silk OPT using a 12 ohm secondary tap to my 6 ohm speakers and effectively have a 6K impedance OPT for the 572 tube. When using the 211 tube I would use the 4 or 6 ohm taps depending on which tap measured the best.
When the Silk OPT's arrived I flipped my 211 amp over and placed the silk OPT's on a 2x4 across the chassis and de-soldered the B+ and plate wires of the AN and soldered the B+ and plate wires of the Silk OPT. I then connected the silk secondary wires to my outputs (4 & 6 ohm taps). First I measured the Distortion of the silk amps using Audiomatica's 8.52 Clio. The 6 ohm tap proved to measure a bit better than the 4 ohm tap, with 1% THD at 14.2 watts and 3% THD at 19.2 watts (the AN amp was 1% THD at 12.3w and 3% THD at 19.7w). Very good measurements for a 211 SE amp. I then fired the amp up to give a listen, immediately I was pretty impressed.
Fast forward a couple of weeks of listening to the Silk OPT which now is mounted to the 211 amps chassis and the Audio Note OPT's sit in a corner of my listening room on the floor. The Silk OPT is clearly a superior transformer to the Audio Note OPT sonically. It does, in my opinion, almost everything better than the AN's which until I heard the silk I thought were SOTA OPT's. The silk is more transparent, the stage size is also larger than the AN, both are excellent tho. Details at the edges and back of the sound stage have more clarity and presence, sounds that maybe blended in with the music with the AN's have much better definition and presence with the silk's. Images are more tightly focused with the Silks, dynamic contrasts are more discernable with the silks. The Humanness factor, palpable presence have you, is better with the Silk. Humans sound a touch more real, instruments have more air around them allowing the primary and harmonic sounds to fully develop. I am more engrossed in the musical presentation with the silk OPT than I was with the AN OPT. The speakers totally disappear with the Silk's, it is like I am at the musical event where with the AN's it's like listening to the musical presentation on an excellent system. The Silks transport me to the event. and keep my focus and attention better. The highs are more open with the Silk, the bass is faster with sharper leading edges with the silk. Totally non-fatiguing sound. I thought my Wyetech 211 amp was excellent before, it took another significant step forward with the Silk OPT's.
I paid $850 for the Silk S-12x OPT plus shipping to the USA. Considering what top line OPT's now go for I consider that a good deal, based on sonic improvement it is a steal. I highly recommend the Silk OPT's. BTW the silk OPT weighs 15.6 lb's each.