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The SET paradox per Robert Harley


tube fanatic

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6 hours ago, derrickdj1 said:

Nearfield is not just about power, take the room out of the equation as much as possibel! 

Excellent point!  It's amazing how different a system sounds when room issues like reflections and standing waves are greatly reduced.  Here's the discussion about using Cardas' method of setting up a nearfield system for those who may have missed it:

 

https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/162062-near-field-listening-using-the-cardas-method-with-low-power/

 

Maynard

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On ‎11‎/‎18‎/‎2016 at 5:47 AM, tube fanatic said:

The big issue here is how far from the speakers you sit when listening.  With near-field arrangements (which work great with LSs and CWs), even a low power SET can provide more than enough power for high level listening.  I gave up on large room systems a long time ago after experimenting with more of a near-field arrangement (typically 5-6 feet for me).  Being that close not only provides me with amazing musical involvement, but also makes it easy to keep even 20 db of headroom available for large crescendos while using very low power.

 

Maynard

 

Years ago I visited a guy up north of here who was at the time using bone stock Cornwalls (maybe with caps replaced) in roughly a 25'X30' listening room.

The Cornwalls were roughly at 12-15' apart, with the listening position at 12' feet back...but I'm guessing from memory. The CWs were 10-12' from the back wall, and about the same from the side walls. They were right out in the middle of the room.

This arrangement seemed IMO to place one far enough back from the CWs to allow a little more in the way of imaging, stereo separation, etc...a little more breathing room so to speak?

The room is too large for low watt SET amplifiers to really float his boat, among other reasons...remember, SET isn't for everyone. At the time, he was using PP EL-84 amplifiers of partially his design I guess, with pilfered Dynaco ST35 output transformers.

The overall sound characteristics of the system made myself realize when I got home, that I just have way too damn big speakers in a small room.

 

But I like my Cornwalls...and like you mention there are benefits to be had with near-field arrangements. Near-field leaves more options on the choice of low watt tube amplifiers/circuits to try. Being exiled to near-field makes the high zoot solid state amplifiers seem irrelevant...low watt SS amps OTOH like the Nelson Pass designs are worth noting. The rough ole Cornwalls ya know, born as a center channel for Khorns, in the days of vinyl and tube amplifiers.

There is something to be said playing old early '60's vinyl through a early '60's TT, with a integrated Scott 7189 PP tube amplifier. Emotiva? Whatever... 

 

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