I'm looking for something like these PP ultra linear transformers from triode electronics (22848ULT), but not having any luck getting in touch with them on the phone or by email.
I need roughly 4K UL for push pull into 4/8 ohms. anywhere from 20-50W size will probably do. Application is hifi/audio, but if there are inexpensive guitar amp transformers that are secretly broad band enough to get down to 40-50hz, and up to 20K or more, I'm open to suggestions. http://store.triodestore.com/22bastou.html
Edcor was my original go to, but the idea of waiting 3-4 months is undesirable. The hammond 1650N look good, and are what was used in the original builder's project, but they're a bit out of my price range at the moment. I found these others from triode at half the price of the decors, and they're probably only half as good, but would be fine for experimenting if they were available!
I also found a seller on the auction site, who has these 20W transformers, but they're more aimed at guitar amps. His stock of hifi grade stuff is out of stock at the moment: https://www.ebay.com/itm/154814463681?hash=item240ba93ec1:g:56sAAOSw9-ZeQqiX
I also don't think the 6.6K taps will work as 40% UL taps for.
Any other ideas of where to look?
I need roughly 4K UL for push pull into 4/8 ohms. anywhere from 20-50W size will probably do. Application is hifi/audio, but if there are inexpensive guitar amp transformers that are secretly broad band enough to get down to 40-50hz, and up to 20K or more, I'm open to suggestions. http://store.triodestore.com/22bastou.html
Edcor was my original go to, but the idea of waiting 3-4 months is undesirable. The hammond 1650N look good, and are what was used in the original builder's project, but they're a bit out of my price range at the moment. I found these others from triode at half the price of the decors, and they're probably only half as good, but would be fine for experimenting if they were available!
I also found a seller on the auction site, who has these 20W transformers, but they're more aimed at guitar amps. His stock of hifi grade stuff is out of stock at the moment: https://www.ebay.com/itm/154814463681?hash=item240ba93ec1:g:56sAAOSw9-ZeQqiX
I also don't think the 6.6K taps will work as 40% UL taps for.
Any other ideas of where to look?
That was my next plan of attack, but figured I'd ask and see if there were other affordable commercial suppliers that I am missing!
I don't need yet another hobby, but before I pay lundahl prices, I'd build my own winding machine and figure out the maths. And even the nearly $350 that the hammonds would cost once taxed and delivered is starting to get expensive enough that I'd try to learn how to wind my own.
Then you have to wonder about getting laminations, bobbins and the magnet wire delivered to your door taxed for less than what Hammond charges to ship one ready made. The “donor” transformers I use for winding power trafos cost next to nothing, leaving me just to come up with the wire, but the iron itself isn’t really suitable for making quality output trafos.
laminations I have a plenty, bobbins I can easily make. Magnet wire is another story. I have a number of output transformers I got cheap that aren't particularly suitable for my purposes but are/were perhaps decent output transformers. Hopefully it doesn't come to that 🙂
It's not that I am of the opinion that the hammonds aren't good transformers, but at some point if I spend enough money, I might as well go all out and get or learn to make the best. spending $100 on a pair of ok, relatively low end transformers is reasonable, given that they can be re-purposed when done experimenting and then used for instrument amps or the like. spending 3x that on some that I may want to replace, I might as well spend even more and buy ones I won't want to replace ever. Need to make proof of concept with the amp before I dump a ton of money into something.
Making quality transformers is not something that is achieved overnight. A lot of proprietary knowledge that is not handed out. To get to somehwat acceptable quality may take you a long time and will cost more than if you'd bought some top of the line now (potted Hashimoto - stay away from the non-potted, ISO (Tango), Tamura). Gery (Transcendar) has topped making, ISO is run by three geriatric gents who have stopped before so who knows how long that will last. IMHO "investing" in quality transformers is going to give better returns than "investing" in tubes. Quality tube sockets are also hard to find.
https://www.antekinc.com/mp-15w50-15w-output-transformer/
Are these antek torroidal output transformers any good?
Are these antek torroidal output transformers any good?
I bought CFB pp UL transformers for 1k, these where a door opener into what I always looked for in tubes. transformer half price just don't cut it.
There is a real problem with new hifi sounds and the tube world, old drivers in paper were perfect for the high Z 2 watts amps of the day. Now drivers have complex cross overs and they are requiring 10 times the power.
There is a real problem with new hifi sounds and the tube world, old drivers in paper were perfect for the high Z 2 watts amps of the day. Now drivers have complex cross overs and they are requiring 10 times the power.
I realize winding transformers would not be something one learns overnight, but isn't that half the fun?
maybe someday. for now, I need something a little more affordable. I have many tubes, many sockets, and so many other things. not any UL transformers that I know of. No way I'm spending $1000 on transformers any time soon! I'm sure they're great, but even better at the moment is affordable!
I'm looking to do 6as7 and make 10-15W. I have an interesting schematic from fellow forum member John L Stewart, that I've been meaning to build for a few years now.
Speaker options at the moment are small advents at 4 ohms, advent prodigy towers at 4-6 ohms, and large advents at 8ohms (I have multiples of the large, so could run two pair at 4 ohms if needed.
John's original design used hammond 1650N, which seems overkill on the size of the iron, but those seem to be the lowest impedance transformers they make without getting even bigger. I've poked around on a load line calculator, and depending on the plate voltage, I can make it work with 5K or use 4 ohm speakers on 8 ohm tap and have 2.5K transformers out of the antek 15W torroids.
Antek claim very flat low end response, and for this particular transformer claim phenomenal high end response. I don't need this amp to probably go much below 40HZ, due to the speakers on hand, and not having a huge room to use it in, but am interested in the high end response extending out, in order to get good transient response from the amp. For about $120 delivered, this seems worth the risk to try. I can't help but think that their spec sheet for this is honest, as they show some pretty nasty stuff in the frequency response curves for their 60W and 100W units. They, of course, don't mention at what power output these curves are made...
Speaker options at the moment are small advents at 4 ohms, advent prodigy towers at 4-6 ohms, and large advents at 8ohms (I have multiples of the large, so could run two pair at 4 ohms if needed.
John's original design used hammond 1650N, which seems overkill on the size of the iron, but those seem to be the lowest impedance transformers they make without getting even bigger. I've poked around on a load line calculator, and depending on the plate voltage, I can make it work with 5K or use 4 ohm speakers on 8 ohm tap and have 2.5K transformers out of the antek 15W torroids.
Antek claim very flat low end response, and for this particular transformer claim phenomenal high end response. I don't need this amp to probably go much below 40HZ, due to the speakers on hand, and not having a huge room to use it in, but am interested in the high end response extending out, in order to get good transient response from the amp. For about $120 delivered, this seems worth the risk to try. I can't help but think that their spec sheet for this is honest, as they show some pretty nasty stuff in the frequency response curves for their 60W and 100W units. They, of course, don't mention at what power output these curves are made...
if the design is 1650N use them... you can run into a lot of problems with different transformers that you might not even know... such as radio interference with too much bandwidth, GNFB ringing and saturation, motorboarding, and feedback problems due to saturation or bias imbalance killing low end response....
I found a few years after building amps that I needed a good scope, 2 or 3 signal generators, sound cards, test gigs resistors, test loudspeakers, Thd analysors etc to just get an idea of what was going on in all the stages of the amp. Like at clipping which stage is clipping? which stage has distortion? where is that 'nasty stuff' created in the amp stages, which tube and what happens when you play with voltages, bias, balance of each of the stage....
Otherwise you are like shooting in the dark after a fly.....
The Hammond are very good, but you wont get that wow like 5 or 10k brand new gear sound, it will sound good, however a better transformer like plintron, amplimo, lundhal could help, but I built a lot of amps with Hammond and they are easy to work with, high tolerances to feedback which would have caused instability in other amps too.
I found a few years after building amps that I needed a good scope, 2 or 3 signal generators, sound cards, test gigs resistors, test loudspeakers, Thd analysors etc to just get an idea of what was going on in all the stages of the amp. Like at clipping which stage is clipping? which stage has distortion? where is that 'nasty stuff' created in the amp stages, which tube and what happens when you play with voltages, bias, balance of each of the stage....
Otherwise you are like shooting in the dark after a fly.....
The Hammond are very good, but you wont get that wow like 5 or 10k brand new gear sound, it will sound good, however a better transformer like plintron, amplimo, lundhal could help, but I built a lot of amps with Hammond and they are easy to work with, high tolerances to feedback which would have caused instability in other amps too.
toroidy ive found to be a great value, I still can't believe they can ship them for $9 flat rate to me.
https://www.tme.eu/en/katalog/toroidal-transformers_100028/?id_category=100028&mapped_params=2:1081;
Heybauer, Triode and other guitar outfits also have hifi units if you ask. Then there is a plethora of Chinese sellers on eBay, I wondered if I'd get lucky after a few buys there and stumble into a sleeper winder. Electraprint really is a great value for the quality and expertise, not overpriced at all IMO. Edcor and Hammond fill out a big vast middle line. Japan seems to be the land of great transformers, I can imagine being there and not have to pay the shipping. Here is a list I put together a few years ago but many may be out of business by now. My biggest disappointment is OneElectron finally selling out their production.
AntekTorroids for power, chokes and audiohttps://www.antekinc.com/Antique Electronic SupplyHammond distributerhttps://www.tubesandmore.com/Audio Feasthttps://theaudiofeast.com/Audio Maintenancehttp://www.audiomaintenance.com/CarnhillBroadcast quality audiohttps://carnhill.co.uk/CinemagBroadcast quality audiohttps://www.cinemag.biz/Custom Magneticshttps://www.custommag.com/DynakitDynaco reproduction transformershttps://www.dynakitparts.com/EdcorEI core wide selectionhttps://edcorusa.com/Electra PrintHandmade custom EI corehttps://www.electra-print.com/HammondA staplehttps://www.hammfg.com/HeyboerCustome independant winderhttps://www.heyboertransformers.com/tubeamps.shtmlInglothttp://inglotelec.com/ISO (made by former Tango employees)https://isotransformers.tokyo/Jameshttp://jamestransformer.com/en_index.htmlJensenAudio line level transformershttps://www.jensen-transformers.com/LundahlHigh qualityhttps://www.lundahltransformers.com/Magnequesthttp://magnequest.blogspot.com/Magnetic Componentshttp://www.magneticcomponents.net/Mercury Magneticshttps://www.mercurymagnetics.com/Monolith Magneticshttp://www.monolithmagnetics.com/Musical Power SuppliesLow budget stuffhttps://www.musicalpowersupplies.com/One ElectronHigh qualityhttp://www.one-electron.com/Plitronhttps://www.plitron.com/PW Dahlhttp://www.pwdahl.com/SAC ThailandHigh qualityhttp://www.sacthailand.com/Sophia ElectricHigh qualityhttps://sophiaelectric.com/collections/transformersSowterQuality custom or stock unitshttps://www.sowter.co.uk/Talemahttps://talema.com/TAMhttp://tamtransformers.co.uk/ToroidyTorroids for audiohttps://sklep.toroidy.pl/en_US/indexTranscendarEI core reproductionshttps://www.transcendar.com/Triad MagneticsMass producerhttps://www.triadmagnetics.com/Triode ElectronicsSupplier of many transformershttp://www.triodeelectronics.com/VVeberhttps://tedweber.com/amps/transformers/VVThttps://vvttransformers.co.uk/
https://www.tme.eu/en/katalog/toroidal-transformers_100028/?id_category=100028&mapped_params=2:1081;
Heybauer, Triode and other guitar outfits also have hifi units if you ask. Then there is a plethora of Chinese sellers on eBay, I wondered if I'd get lucky after a few buys there and stumble into a sleeper winder. Electraprint really is a great value for the quality and expertise, not overpriced at all IMO. Edcor and Hammond fill out a big vast middle line. Japan seems to be the land of great transformers, I can imagine being there and not have to pay the shipping. Here is a list I put together a few years ago but many may be out of business by now. My biggest disappointment is OneElectron finally selling out their production.
AntekTorroids for power, chokes and audiohttps://www.antekinc.com/Antique Electronic SupplyHammond distributerhttps://www.tubesandmore.com/Audio Feasthttps://theaudiofeast.com/Audio Maintenancehttp://www.audiomaintenance.com/CarnhillBroadcast quality audiohttps://carnhill.co.uk/CinemagBroadcast quality audiohttps://www.cinemag.biz/Custom Magneticshttps://www.custommag.com/DynakitDynaco reproduction transformershttps://www.dynakitparts.com/EdcorEI core wide selectionhttps://edcorusa.com/Electra PrintHandmade custom EI corehttps://www.electra-print.com/HammondA staplehttps://www.hammfg.com/HeyboerCustome independant winderhttps://www.heyboertransformers.com/tubeamps.shtmlInglothttp://inglotelec.com/ISO (made by former Tango employees)https://isotransformers.tokyo/Jameshttp://jamestransformer.com/en_index.htmlJensenAudio line level transformershttps://www.jensen-transformers.com/LundahlHigh qualityhttps://www.lundahltransformers.com/Magnequesthttp://magnequest.blogspot.com/Magnetic Componentshttp://www.magneticcomponents.net/Mercury Magneticshttps://www.mercurymagnetics.com/Monolith Magneticshttp://www.monolithmagnetics.com/Musical Power SuppliesLow budget stuffhttps://www.musicalpowersupplies.com/One ElectronHigh qualityhttp://www.one-electron.com/Plitronhttps://www.plitron.com/PW Dahlhttp://www.pwdahl.com/SAC ThailandHigh qualityhttp://www.sacthailand.com/Sophia ElectricHigh qualityhttps://sophiaelectric.com/collections/transformersSowterQuality custom or stock unitshttps://www.sowter.co.uk/Talemahttps://talema.com/TAMhttp://tamtransformers.co.uk/ToroidyTorroids for audiohttps://sklep.toroidy.pl/en_US/indexTranscendarEI core reproductionshttps://www.transcendar.com/Triad MagneticsMass producerhttps://www.triadmagnetics.com/Triode ElectronicsSupplier of many transformershttp://www.triodeelectronics.com/VVeberhttps://tedweber.com/amps/transformers/VVThttps://vvttransformers.co.uk/
I have a decent tektronix scope, and an 11 bit USB scope that can do spectrum analysis up to about 200KHZ with a dynamic range of about 60db. A bunch of big ceramic power resistors to make a dummy load for full power testing. analog signal generators, computers that can make signals, etc.
The original design is pretty flexible, and he used a number of different transformers in his testing of the amp/concept. He tried it out with 4 different transformers, and a number of different output tubes with some minor changes. There's even a version where he used a string of power resistors across the primary winding to mimic the UL taps in order to provide for bootstrap feedback to the drivers, but it wastes some audio power in those resistors, so I wanted to build with UL transformer. The whole concept was interesting enough that I want to try it out, and it seemed like a viable way to successfully drive 6AS7 and perhaps 6336 tubes without having the drivers work as hard. I'll make a build thread once I get started. I need transformers first!!