I tried various transformers on my amp and larger ones seem to sound better. Is it the amperage that makes them sound better? If they have several outputs and most of the coils are not the one used in the amp, do the unused coils contribute to the good sound?. If I had a transformer that only had two outputs which are the ones I'm using and it's not quite so big but it has The highest amperage of all the transformers I have. Is that going to sound the best out of the transformers that I have to work with? Is there a certain size of transformer or it just sounds great and there's no point in going above? Thank you!
Last edited:
I recently read that a power transformer really doesnt like an imbalance between the + and - current draw, if it's a single bridge, +/- arrangement. That's on a transient basis too.There's a way around it using two bridge rectifiers and I believe the solution is in the thread I read, here.
One would think that the heftier transformer would be more tolerant to such imbalances, If that's in fact to blame for what you're hearing.
I'd hazard a guess the unused coils contribute nothing, either way.
One would think that the heftier transformer would be more tolerant to such imbalances, If that's in fact to blame for what you're hearing.
I'd hazard a guess the unused coils contribute nothing, either way.
Sometimes a bit larger core than necessary can be good, in other cases its possible to go too big. If you listen carefully there may be a sweet spot. Other factors such as electrostatic and or magnetic shielding, etc., can also have some effect. Some people even say that experimentation with the relative connection order and or phasing of primary and or secondary windings may provide some further optimization opportunity (just be very careful you know what you are doing so you don't effectively cause an accidental short circuit inside the transformer).
using a slightly larger than needed can be a good idea. It will run cooler, gave a smaller magnetic field due to not being maxed out, and you have some headroom when needed. Too big and you won’t have good efficiency and regulation.
