Single-ended triode stereo amplifiers: SET-Amp Owners/Opinions?*

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by VinylSoul, Sep 14, 2011.

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  1. VinylSoul

    VinylSoul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lake Erie
    Once you went SET did you stay or return? and what amp did or did not do it for you?
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I have an SET amp (a really nice one) and it's just sitting right now because it won't power any of the speakers in my house with anything that resembles dynamic drive. I guess if I had some Altec midrange horns or something it could work but really, a normal speaker and 10 watts just won't cut it, sad to say. Every now and then I hook it up for some exercise and give it a spin though.
     
  3. jcmusic

    jcmusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Terrytown, La.
    Once I went into the SET world I never left!!! I started with an intergraded
    2A3 amp, then moved into deeper waters with a 300B; and finally arrived at what some consider the pinacle of the SET world the 45 tube!!! I will never leave the SET world!!!
    Sorry I forgot to list the amps, the 2A3 was the (Orchid) by Antique Sound Labs, the 300B (MKII) by Sophia Electric, and then came the ultimate 45 type by (Jeff Kroneff).

    jay
     
  4. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    Are you referring to the Woo Audio WA5? You should do yourself a favor and try that with proper speakers.
     
  5. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I was referring to my Wavac EC-300B single ended triode.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    I have to agree with that. I know that we both have some fairly efficient speakers (Tannoy) and the SET amps still don't really have quite the control for them. I have even tried them with big, super-efficient Klipsch and other large horn speakers and really enjoyed that even less. Way too much coloration going on. having efficient speakers just adds yet another coloration to it overall.

    In my experience, a push-pull tube amp sounds better for the most part and works better with a wider variety of nice speakers. I did enjoy the sound of a 2A3 amp for a while but it wasn't ever going to be a keeper.
    -Bill
     
  7. VinylSoul

    VinylSoul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Lake Erie
    Shot down by the "King of Pentodes" the KT88.
     
  8. rockitman

    rockitman Forum Resident

    I bet that would sound great with these speakers. Keep in mind, the SET would only be powering the midrange and tweet. Bass cabs each have their own internal 1000 wpc amps.

    [​IMG]

    http://evolutionacoustics.com/mmthree.html
     
  9. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Could be. Send me over a pair and I'll try it out.
     
  10. My SET (845s) was at the heart of my main system for almost ten years, I now have a pre and large mono blocks in my main system but the SET will soon go back into action in my second system.
     
  11. TONEPUB

    TONEPUB Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Liking the sound of that "second system!"
     
  12. BigE

    BigE Forum Resident

    That's like putting your Porche in storage because the roads around your house are s**tty. :shake:

    Give that SET some love. Heck, set it up in the garage if you don't have anymore room in the house. Buy a pair of those high-eff Zu Audio wonder boxes and cut loose man.
     
  13. Will need to find the right speakers but it's further down my Hi-Fi to do list right now.
     
  14. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    That's pretty much my take on it too. There is always an application for a low powered amp. Driving a set of desktop speakers for a PC would sound amazing and really not have any difficulty as you'd be only a few feet away max. I've used these with a little push-pull amp on my desk for a while and they sounded awesome:

    [​IMG]

    I also have a small Single-ended amp that I built many years ago which sounded really sweet in the same application. I haven't dragged that out in many years though. It looks like crap. I guess I should rework it to look nice and try it again for a more extended run as a PC speaker amp.
    -Bill
     
  15. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    Wow!:love:
     
  16. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    I'm easy to please - my Bottlehead 300Bs sound great with the Triangle Tituses (with a sub to augment the bass). I've had this setup for many years.

    Of course, eventually I want to try other amps/speakers (MM deCapo i with the 300Bs, McIntosh MC252 with Sonus Fabers immediately come to mind ...).

    I would think with the 'right' speakers, the WAVAC should sound sublime.
    http://www.dagogo.com/View-Article.asp?hArticle=236 maybe the Ikonoclasts?
     
  17. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I use one in my bedroom every day, the Decware SE-35 1.2, a great six watt per channel amp. I use them with the Turning Point Audio HR-1 omni-directional/directional speakers. In the small room it's a wonderful combination. I used to have a small dedicated listening room and run a Zen Select SET amp driving Decware RL-1 speakers, but when I moved the main system into the living-room/dining-room area, I needed more power and nwo I'm using a Decware Torii Mk III am with the Decware ERR speakers. The Torii is push-pull but darned if it doesn't sound like the Decware SET amps in very many important ways.
     
  18. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I have 18w SETs now.

    It's a step up from the 8w 300B-based SETs. My speakers are Coincident Super Eclipse II (94 dB/w/m sensitivity, impedance never drops below 12 Ohms) which are a friendly load. I had the 300B-based SETs in play for close to 10 years and loved the sound, but inserting the Lamms with more than double the power added dynamic extension that is very pleasing. And it's obvious at the lowish levels I listen at.

    I would not have thought this.
     
  19. vinylkid58

    vinylkid58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Victoria, B.C.
    Not a pentode, but a "beam tetrode" or "kinkless tetrode".

    jeff
     
  20. inperson

    inperson Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    Are you using the tubes it came with or switched them out with NOS tubes? Just wondering.
     
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    It came with original Western Electric 274s and some Japan made 300B (sounded very nice). I switched out to reissue WE 300Bs from first batch. I've also tried 1930s Etched base WE 300Bs as well but the tube guilt was just too great and I went back to the reissues.
     
  22. kevinsinnott

    kevinsinnott Forum Coffeeologist

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    I have a pretty low end SET amp (Audio Electronic Supply SE-1), and I use it only to power my mids and tweeters, but I do enjoy the sound. When tried to power my loudspeakers using it, I found them underpowered.
     
  23. inperson

    inperson Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    I got a bonus this year and I am considering purchasing this.

    8 watts. With a switch on the back it can use 2A3's. Either this or a KT88 by Line Magnetic but it is PP and no rectifier tube.
     

    Attached Files:

  24. Burt

    Burt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kirkwood, MO
    I've built a couple of SET amps (at the urging of friends) and listened to maybe a dozen others. The bottom line is they don't have the power, nor the damping factor, and the low end suffers bigtime. Push pull ultralinear or regulated screen beam power tube amps with reasonable feedback satisfy me perfectly, as do some well built solid state amps.

    They are a reasonable first time electronics project for those that don't want to build a guitar amp or a regen shortwave radio. If you use budget parts you can use it with a set of small speakers for computer audio or something like that and it looks cool.
     
  25. Burt

    Burt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kirkwood, MO
    What kind of speakers are these?
     
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