Years ago (34 years, to be exact), I had an old Electro-Voice integrated amp (model number 1144, I believe ) with germanium outputs, based on the circuit from the GE transistor manual with class-A front end and interstage transformer. There were 3 devices per side in the power section - one medium power silicon transistor and two germanium output devices. Unfortunately, it sounded like doo-doo. I got a Scott LK-72B amp soon afterward that blew it away. Having said that, the interstage transformers used in the Electro-Voice amp were too small to be of much use, especially considering that they needed to operate with DC bias (noted in retrospect). I gutted the Electro-Voice later on and replaced its innards with an amp based on the old Motorola power darlington amp app note. I used compound pairs, as I couldn't get my hands on the Motorola darlingtons called out in the parts list. It sounded lots better then...
Thinking back, there were lots of issues with the Electro-Voice design, not least a simplistic bias scheme that invited drift and would have needed selected deviges to work at all. I have some old germanium power transistors in my kit still, including some 2N173s in the old TO-36 "doorknob" package. It would be interesting to do a design with them one of these days.
Thinking back, there were lots of issues with the Electro-Voice design, not least a simplistic bias scheme that invited drift and would have needed selected deviges to work at all. I have some old germanium power transistors in my kit still, including some 2N173s in the old TO-36 "doorknob" package. It would be interesting to do a design with them one of these days.
Re: thanxs
It's interesting to see that I found at least one company who's building a preamp with Ge's. How about your search, did you manage to find anything useful?
http://chandlerlimited.com/products/germanium_pre.php
/Hugo
seanmacss said:
It's interesting to see that I found at least one company who's building a preamp with Ge's. How about your search, did you manage to find anything useful?
http://chandlerlimited.com/products/germanium_pre.php
/Hugo
Re: Re: thanxs
Yeah. When I read " ..but you'll find a whole new world of smooth here as well as a sound that settles in perfectly to your tracks without fighting... I know enough.
Thanks for the link anyway.
Jan Didden
Netlist said:
It's interesting to see that I found at least one company who's building a preamp with Ge's. How about your search, did you manage to find anything useful?
http://chandlerlimited.com/products/germanium_pre.php
/Hugo
Yeah. When I read " ..but you'll find a whole new world of smooth here as well as a sound that settles in perfectly to your tracks without fighting... I know enough.
Thanks for the link anyway.
Jan Didden
We made listening tests with "vintage" preamps made about 1970, including Pioneer. Their proud owners came to test them against up-to-date design. We used Wilson Audio Maxx speakers and Classé CM-350 monoblocks. The result was always the same, old preamps could not compete in clarity, transparency, better say in nothing. Depends on gear you test on.
Hugo,
this is only technology what we speak about. The former designers made very good job, as we do now. But it does not make much sense, IMO, to call for old technologies and to try to convince that they were better.
P.S. Just for the record, I am 51 years old. And I do not cry for "good old times"
We do not live from are old credits.
Regards,
Pavel
this is only technology what we speak about. The former designers made very good job, as we do now. But it does not make much sense, IMO, to call for old technologies and to try to convince that they were better.
P.S. Just for the record, I am 51 years old. And I do not cry for "good old times"
We do not live from are old credits.
Regards,
Pavel
I have some ASZ41 TO3 transistors here, from an old PS. Do they sound good too? Then i should build a poweramp with it. (i have a philips schematic somewhere) But germanium (power)transistors are not the best for reliability.
Just looked in my garage: have a stereo amp lying there with all germanium transistors, has a powerstage of AD161 & AD162. Don't use it anymore but when i used it it sounded rather good, some tubelike sound.
Builded J.L.Hoods 10Watt amp with 2N3055's in monoblocks, this one sounds tube-like too, but not as good as my hybrid (E88CC & power Fet) amplifier, which stays in my chain now.
Just looked in my garage: have a stereo amp lying there with all germanium transistors, has a powerstage of AD161 & AD162. Don't use it anymore but when i used it it sounded rather good, some tubelike sound.
Builded J.L.Hoods 10Watt amp with 2N3055's in monoblocks, this one sounds tube-like too, but not as good as my hybrid (E88CC & power Fet) amplifier, which stays in my chain now.
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