All,

I put a post about an amp I'm building in the DIY forum. Check it out if you are an SE fan.

Rob

Look what John started, DIY amps poping up everywhere! I'm interested in your experience with SET. What amps, tube types have you used / familiar? Why did you settle on the 805? Do you really need THAT much power? Have you heard a 45 SET amp? What speakers are you using? How many amps have you build? How much $$$ was invested? TIA

MikE

Mike,

I just built a full range (to 50Hz) pair of bi-radial exponential horns. I posted about them in DIY and also Home theater, see: "My new homemade full range horns" and "No room for surround".

John didn't start my interest in tube amps. I am using these horns with a P-P ultra linear 6CA7 stereo amp I hand crafted 27 years ago and the combo is absolutely outstanding. I am however interested in seeing if I can better this amp, and at the same time would like a little more power available to firm up the bass. I have compared my Sansui 9090 with 120 watts/ch with my 20 w/ch tube amp and I think the tube amp sounds noticeably smoother and more transparent in the mids and highs, the 120 watt SS amp has more kick in the bass. Not a fair comparison because of the 7.78 dB power advantage of the SS amp, but I want to develop some very, very good commercial amplifiers and that was in part why I built these horns and an anechoic listening suite with which to evaluate them. I figure John could use some healthy competition. ;)

Why did I pick the 805? Because it ought to work well and it is sized right for 30-35 watts SE, plus I have stock....plus it is 125 watts plate dissipation VS the 100 watts of an 845 and it isn't as 'trendy' so you don't have to pay $600/pair.

The best deal in the world for triode power is the 833A if you want to make a 100 watt RMS SE amp. This popular transmitting tube is used in the $40 grand Wavac and can be had from www.rfparts.com for about $125.00 a copy! I'll never buy a 300B at market value as long as I live.

Rob

Rob...Have ya asked any questions at http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/tubediy/bbs.html or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thunderstone_audiophile/messages about your tube amp project? Also...try AA's chat...there are a couple people there that design their own tube amp designs.


best of luck....and keep us posted!

Originally posted by gonefishin
Rob...Have ya asked any questions at http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/tubediy/bbs.html or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Thunderstone_audiophile/messages about your tube amp project? Also...try AA's chat...there are a couple people there that design their own tube amp designs.


best of luck....and keep us posted!

gonefishin,

I don't think it is morally acceptable to sell other peoples ideas obtained possibly under false pretenses. I am an experienced design engineer, and would have no pride in offering a design I could not say was my own. I won't generally pester a forum for tough technical answers at first blush.

My question 'Does this get your mojo runnin', was not meant to be a tough technical question. :)

Thanx for the links though!

Rob

Rob...you may have misunderstood what I was suggesting. I was just saying you may find some people that have some experience into what drivers they have used and/or tried with the 805. Just a couple places to share your experiences with others,regarding a specific tube, while they do the same.
I don't doubt your technical experience or your ability...hope it didn't come out that way.


well...take care...Hope ya still keep us updated on your progress:D

Gonefishin,

Don't worry I knew you didn't mean it that way and I wasn't taking any offense at all. As I implied I do appreciate the links.
Of course forums are good places to bounce ideas around, it just gets a little harder when potentially proprietary ideas or patents may be involved. The amp I showed here is just for my own personal use and interest. I can't imagine manufacturing such a beast. You'd have to charge a king's ransom to recoup the parts cost alone. There have to be easier and far less expensive ways to make a 12 x 17 x 12 inch space weigh 150 lbs. Don't worry, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Rob