maxg Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 I am not sure this counts as a small set amp - but it could solve all the percieved problems: http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/687/ 211 based / 22 wpc (passing the Paul minimum) and single ended. What more could you want? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painful Reality Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 I am not sure this counts as a small set amp - but it could solve all the percieved problems: http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/687/ 211 based / 22 wpc (passing the Paul minimum) and single ended. What more could you want? High power SET comes with some problems. You'll have to use a large airgap in order to deal with the high standing current going through the OPT (unless you use OPT the size of a battleship). Having a large airgap will greatly diminish the inductance of the primary winding. This will result often is a rather weak bass. There is no free lunch. I think that if someone wants/needs (whatever...) more than 10 W, he should go PP. In my case, I still have to hear a high power SET that I 'll like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 A good rebuilt or modded low-watt 6BQ5 console PP amplfiers can sound rather good, kinda close to a single-ended sound I guess..... The OPT's are usually small, and don't have the strongest bass, but the mids and high are nice. I took a Admiral 6BQ5 PP console amp, that had the cathodyne splitter with 12AU7 drivers. I listened to it stock, it had ratty almost sibilant sound, no image at all. I parked it. I used the front end from this schematic, stuck with the stock supply, which is almost the same as the schematic, and use a 5Y3 for more voltage drop (5U4 is stock). Stock Admiral screen supply circuit, the OPT's are not UL, 6K primary I think... I used the same values for the feedback loop as in the Dynaco schematic, A silver mica compensation cap is used. I'm running Amperex orange labeled 12AX7"s, with RCA 6BQ5's and a GE 5Y3. It sounds way better than it did, I listen to it quite a bit. The line/hum level is really low for a CRC supply, really low. It images now, and sound rather good on the Cornwalls. The bass isn't the strongest, but seems to cruise on down on the low end, it's good for rockin'. It's not without it's faults..... Fire-up hammers that 5Y3 pretty hard. I usually use a variac and just ramp it up slow. Edit: That's a older pic with EI EL-84's and Mullard 12AX7's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 This Schematic...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted December 8, 2006 Author Share Posted December 8, 2006 I am not sure this counts as a small set amp - but it could solve all the percieved problems: http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/687/ 211 based / 22 wpc (passing the Paul minimum) and single ended. What more could you want? 20W minimum recommendation is that of Paul KLIPSCH, not Paul PARROT. Paul Parrot thinks anything over 1/8W and you're risking permanent ear damage. That is why I believe a small SET amp is too powerful for anyone and everyone. We must find something lower powered, for the children. The amps in question didn't test well on the bench. Stereophile's John Atkinson: Its poor high-frequency linearity, incipient ultrasonic instability, and the presence of supply hum in its output are all factors that would rule the ATM-211 out for me, even if I had speakers that were sensitive enough and had a high enough modulus of impedance to minimize its measured problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 distortion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizRotus Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Colin, you answered, "YES. Mine are. Beyond the 10:00 posistion on the volume dial, my 3.5 watt 2A3 tube Paramours (6-watt max) driving the mid and upper horns on my Khorns in a small, but open, room are TOO POWERFUL. The C rated, slow, SPLs in the mid-90s are too LOUD." I respectfully suggest that you have answered the third and/or fourth alternative (posted above) to Parrots original question in the affirmative. An amp is not too powerful just because it will play louder (with or without tolerable distortion) than your desired listening level. If your statement above genuinely supported a yes answer, it would mean that maximum desired listening level would be at maximum available volume (gain). Who among us would seriously want an amp that played just loud enough only when the volume (gain) is pegged? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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