Deang Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 ... and just couldn't bring myself to do it. I called Jeff in Quebec yesterday, and after a great talk, figured why not go for it. I had the the whole order lined up -- "ultimate" everything, and all I had to do was push the Enter Key. For two hours the screen sat there, and everytime I walked over, I froze. By midnight I knew it was going to be a no go. No DRDs for me. Eventually, a used pair will pop up on Audiogon, and maybe at that point it will be easier. If not, I'll probably end up with some Wright's. However, I can't seem to force myself into paying that kind of money for a pair of amps that have less parts than a table lamp. I was thinking Journey might sound pretty good on a good old Adcom 555. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 as kelly likes to say..."you loon"...I think it is serendipity that you did not buy the DRDs...I think you are destined for PP power...DHT maybe put push pull non-the-less. regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBusa Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 whats a drd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodj101 Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 tube amps made by wright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 A drd is the new SET tube Monoblocks made by Welborne. DeanG - I'm not sure why you are ruling them out. Have you ever heard them? They may be something that you might hold on to awhile. FWIW - I ordered a pair of DRD45 Monoblocks, just to sample the 45 tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Do let me know how you like the DRD 45. Been mulling over that amp myself. Did you get tube rectification? Which tubes you going with? - tb ---------------- On 10/14/2003 6:44:46 PM Cut-Throat wrote: A drd is the new SET tube Monoblocks made by Welborne. DeanG - I'm not sure why you are ruling them out. Have you ever heard them? They may be something that you might hold on to awhile. FWIW - I ordered a pair of DRD45 Monoblocks, just to sample the 45 tube. ---------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Pic of the 45, you can see remaining AA thread including Ron running them thru new and improved Oris 150 horns by clicking on image.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Take your Wright Pick Ole Dean. There are 2 different Wright 2a3s SETs on Audiogon, one Wright 300b, and a 2a3 PP mono 10. This has to be a new record. Heck, just get them all and sell the ones you don't like. - tb ---------------- If not, I'll probably end up with some Wright's. However, I can't seem to force myself into paying that kind of money for a pair of amps that have less parts than a table lamp. ---------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 tb, I got them with SS rectification, as recommended by Ron Welborne. I have not decided what 45 tubes I'm going to use with them. Considering some New TJ Mesh 45's or rounding up some RCA Nos 45s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuber Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 DRD = Direct Reactance Drive An amp. cct . by Jack Elliano The driver tube is connected to the output tube without the usual cap or transformer, a choke also known as a reactor is connected in parallel with the output tube. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 They are tube amps and kits made by Welbourne Labs. I dont agree with Tony here totally on the PP2A3. You see, I was going to go that route myself but have decided to stick with a PURE SET solution and various PP amps, possibly experimenting with PP directily heated triodes. But I will always have a SET amp, because there is nothing that sounds like it. Zero. Zip. (so far) Even the BEST push pull I have ever heard doesnt have the same direct communication, see-through, you are there, they are here, sound of the low power SET amp. People here dont like the word "MAGIC" and I guess I dont blame them. But low watt SET is in a league of it's own in most ways but ultimate power. The signal is not split... in a non-parallel SET, it doest even go through two power tubes. And the idea of not buying something with so few parts makes NO SENSE To ME. You buy a preamp and other comonents with the SAME theory (crossovers too). In talking to Brian Cherry and others that have OWNED PP2A3 and SET, they say it's a good compromise. On the other hand, the admitted it still didnt have the special qualities of SET. Dean, I dont know why you are so hesitant on firing the button there. You could surely sell them if you didnt like them. I imagine you would keep them but that's just me. Ironically, I probably have more hard rock music in my house then you do, cheech! heh... This is for Cut-Throat and others that have argued with me about SS vs Tube rectification. Please take a look at the DRD 45 amp that Ron is running as his personal amp and the amp he choose to bring to the show to exhibit his gear and show the SOUND of the DRD amplifiers.... WHY, LOW and BEHOLD.... it's a TUBE RECTIFIED DRD 45! Ultimately, it's the way to go, especially with SET, at least in my opinion. I guess Ron wanted to bring the "more expensive" and less good sounding tube rectified DRD for its main tube show debut. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Disc Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 As fate would have it Dean, if you had in fact clicked the "send" order button. It would of failed. Ron is asking for all orders to be faxed in until the problem is resolved with his ISP. - tb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Mobile, Yes, I noticed that Ron W. did bring a pair of tube rectifed amps with him to the show. I thought I'd ask him on the Welborne Forum. My guess is that he'll probably say that those were the only units that he had built up. I would not guess that he'll say 'I lied - I really prefer tube rectification' I'll post his reply, when and if. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Kevin, I was just giving you a hard time. Seriously, I am sure the SS rectified units sound very good. I just dont like any hint of that in my amps, and to me, it makes the difference between excellent and sublime. It's that sublime area that is so hard to achieve. We all have different takes on sonics. You just sent a pair of KR-2A3 to Erik and he loves them to death. I listend to KR2A3 for almost two months and neither my wife or I liked them enough to spend a little over 100 for the pair. Ultimately, a lot of this is choices, preferences, and sensitivity to things. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted October 14, 2003 Author Share Posted October 14, 2003 I'm very pleased the SET Crew didn't "slam dunk" me. Very classy. I was haunted by a multitude of thoughts, and the one that kept creeping into my mind was the money. I don't how much the transformers are, but push them off to the side -- and you have almost nothing. Also remember, I haven't bought anything new in almost forever, and it's a sizeable investment for me. If they didn't do it for me, selling them would mean incurring a loss. I was talking to Craig, and we are considering building a pair using just the schematic, and building piece-meal. We would split the cost, and both live with the amps for a time. Eventually, we would come to some agreement as to what to do with them. Either the pair would be sold, or one of us would take them, paying for the other's investment. Incidently, the design is not Jack Elliano's. The DRD circuit has been around since 1932, and Jack Elliano simply resurrected the circuit. Also, Jack Elliano's design uses higher voltages, and he squeezes 12 watts out of the 300B in this circuit. Welborne's version is lower voltage -- and the 300B DRD puts out 7 watts. Ron Welborne walks a fine line. He probably wants to do different things, but most of his customers are pursists. If I'm in his shoes, I use tube rectification when I show them. As for me, there is one more thing I want to try out of the push-pull domain. I do want to try a pure Class A DHT push-pull amp. Mostly, just to see if I can get away with one amp. I went over some numbers Leo sent me last year, and if I'm understanding things correctly, I should be able to reach a clean 95db with 20 watts. I may be able to teeter on the razor's edge, getting enough transparency at low listening levels, and sufficient grunt at the higher levels. This means 300B push-pull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painful Reality Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 ---------------- As for me, there is one more thing I want to try out of the push-pull domain. I do want to try a pure Class A DHT push-pull amp. Mostly, just to see if I can get away with one amp. I went over some numbers Leo sent me last year, and if I'm understanding things correctly, I should be able to reach a clean 95db with 20 watts. I may be able to teeter on the razor's edge, getting enough transparency at low listening levels, and sufficient grunt at the higher levels. This means 300B push-pull. ---------------- Would this be your "one amp only" dream... This amp is actually a rare breed. BOTH SET and PP (high and low power alike) diehards usually agree to say that it sounds incredibly good. Personally, it might end up on my my to long term "to try list". Mind you it's only 5 W though! Try to get Craig interested in building it! One amp only wonder??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted October 14, 2003 Author Share Posted October 14, 2003 Where's the beef? Even with a nice chassis, since it only goes 5 watts, I'd just as soon do 3.5 2A3. What the hell was that guy smoking. Sometimes I think you guys outsmart yourselves. I was thinking of something more like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Being the least knowledgable on such things as SET and PP designs, I can say I'm proud of Dean's restraint on ordering the DRDs. After much consideration, he chose not to go this route at this time...finances can play an awful big part I'm afraid. I surely know how that goes. But all's not lost if Dean and Craig decide on building their own DRD circuit for a pair of interesting monoblocks. I for one would love to see the progression of their creation if in fact they decide on doing this! You know that they'd sound wonderful, and Dean's interest in obtaining quality SETs would be totally realized. Go for the DHT PP amp...there's no sense on stopping where you've left off. It seems the sky's the limit concerning great PP valve designs, and who better to appreciate their full potential better than ol' Dean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painful Reality Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Well, I can't say the aesthetic aspect of his amp get me hot personaly... But you do what you want to do with the schematic, from the Bud box horror to the Electron Luv audio sculpture. This schematic is, in my humble opinion of course, much more inspired and interesting than most ultra linears you will see out there. This 47 PP amp, as ugly as it is, is the only amp I have ever seen to reunite the PP and the SET clans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Dean, You could try a SET amp just to hear for yourself the supposed magic of it. But if you do, and agree with me that there actually is no magic in SET, you still aren't going to get any SET fans to change their minds or believe you. They're all going to insist that you didn't get exactly the right model, or the right configuration of the right model, and they'll still try to talk you into trying other SETs until you get that special magical piece and agree with them. The fact is, you're not going to be happy with a few watts maximum power, I don't care who makes the amp or what kind of line the seller talks. There's simply no headroom, and I defy any SET advocate to demonstrate otherwise. But if you think you'll enjoy buying one, and then reselling it, what the heck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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