Ron’s New System

[Ron Resnick]

If you must go push/pull then get something like the VAC Phi 70 used, if you can find them or the new Thrax 300B amp that is all 300Bs! To my ears, the best sounding Jadis I heard was their relatively affordable Defy 7 mkIII with siltech wiring...that made a nice sound!

A good hybrid, like a Sphinx Project 14 or 16 (true Class A) or the Conrad Johnson EVO2000 (sounded great on Duetta Signatures) would probably be preferable sonically to most PP tube amps.

I prefer not push pull. Why aren't you suggesting the NAT Transmitter Evo?

(80 watt SET is on target for my SET or PSET mission brief.)

 

[Atmasphere]

I prefer not push pull. Why aren't you suggesting the NAT Transmitter Evo?

(80 watt SET is on target for my SET or PSET mission brief.)

SETs of that power have severe problems making bandwidth! This fact is well known.

When you use a single power tube to make power (vs multiple tubes in parallel) the only access to the designer is to use tubes that use progressively higher plate Voltages. At some point this gets a bit more risky for the user, since a good number of transmitting triodes use a plate cap and run Voltages in excess of 1000V. Voltages that high tend to attract dust; over time if you were to open the amp up you'd see the dust clinging to the wiring like short hairs. In addition higher Voltage power tubes tend to emit X-rays.

I'm pretty sure you read my comments about what happens when SETs try to play bass; if you wish to get the most out of an SET its best to keep bass signals out of it so the load line of the power tube(s) remains a straight line.

If you are dead set (if you see what I did there) on using an SET then your best path is more efficient speakers so you don't need that kind of power.

Plan B (which might actually be plan A) is to look at one of David Berning's more powerful amplifiers, since his patented approach gets around the traditional problem of playing bass, making power and having bandwidth at the same time. Its very reasonable to say that David developed a breakthrough for SETs with his patent! Rick Brown commissioned a higher power SET version of his amp which you might consider.

 

[Ron Resnick]

SETs of that power have severe problems making bandwidth! This fact is well known.

Thank you, Ralph.

I do not care about bandwidth. I use the ~80 watt amplifier only for around 500Hz and above.

 

[Atmasphere]

Thank you, Ralph.

I do not care about bandwidth. I use the ~80 watt amplifier only for around 500Hz and above.

The more power you ask of an SET the worse the bandwidth.

There are problems in the bass of course but this affects the highs too.

If you don't have feedback, to prevent phase shift (which over a range of frequencies can be heard as a coloration, but also affects perception of the sound stage) you need bandwidth well up to 100KHz. Not happening with an SET; the exception being Berning's amps which don't suffer that problem.

 

[microstrip]

(...) Plan B (which might actually be plan A) is to look at one of David Berning's more powerful amplifiers, since his patented approach gets around the traditional problem of playing bass, making power and having bandwidth at the same time. Its very reasonable to say that David developed a breakthrough for SETs with his patent! Rick Brown commissioned a higher power SET version of his amp which you might consider.

You should tell Ron that Plan B has a RRP of $ 230, 000.

 

[morricab]

I prefer not push pull. Why aren't you suggesting the NAT Transmitter Evo?

(80 watt SET is on target for my SET or PSET mission brief.)

Because I haven’t heard it.

 

[Charles S]

Your room is similar to my previous room that had 32 feet length. In this room I had the XLF back 6 feet away from the front wall and listening distances comparable to yours.

The wall building technique is a fundamental aspect of speaker placement that few simulators can address - drywall can act as a bass trap, absorbing bass, thick stone walls reflect bass, creating peaks and nulls. My room had 2 feet thick stone walls - a real nightmare.

Microstrip, thanks a lot for the observation about my room. I have known for a long time that my room was a fantastic room for a high-end system, but didn't know about the drywall. I just know my bass and slam are amazing but perfectly balanced to my midrange and treble. My room is a full 40 feet from front wall to rear wall. When I go downstairs for the bathroom below, the amount of bass that I hear downstairs is surprising. It's actually close to what I hear in my listening position, but the quality is quite different. It's muffled. The rear door is always left open to let the bass flow downstairs.

I have almost limitless dynamic range. I would prefer my MC3500's to any of the amps mentioned in this thread. Run off the 2-ohm tap it easily handles the 1.2-ohm minimal impedance of my XVX. It never gets more than slightly warm. McIntosh has been making tube amps since the 1940's. Ron Evans who is the greatest of all the long line of great McIntosh engineers designed it and also designed the MC2.1KW. Both these amps are reasonably priced and will outperform the amps mentioned in this thread, for their designated responsibilities in my system.

My system sounds like the real thing. It pours forth a beauty that must be heard. I never tire of it. I can't turn it off. I hear something different in the same recordings most of the time when I turn it on. In the Fall when I have money to burn, I would like to replace my HC Hurricane power cord with a HC Firebird even though it will make no sonic difference. And replace my AQ balanced Wind IC with an AQ Firebird balanced IC to my Wilson ActivXO electronic analog subwoofer crossover, which might make a small sonic difference. Then my system will be absolutely finished. Nothing left to do.

Charles

p.s. In my "final" installation I specified Hurricane power cords for my new MC2.1KW An but received the much more expensive Firebirds at no extra charge. What could I say? So, I have the old HC Hurricane for one power module and the new Firebird HC power cord for the other. I have a source Firebird cord powering my output module. Firebirds are beautiful cords.

Charles Updated System: Wilson McIntosh Audioquest

Amps: McIntosh: MC3500MKII (2); MC1.25KW (2); MC2.1KW An
Preamp: C-12000 An
Sources: MCD12000 An; MVP881; MVP851; MR87; Marantz 510LV; Lenovo Yoga laptop
Speakers: Wilson Chronosonic XVX
Sub-Woofer: Wilson Thor’s Hammer; Wilson ActivXO Stereo Electronic Crossover
Cables Main System AQ: WEL Signature speaker cables; 24’ balanced IC; balanced 1-meter Dragon IC ; WEL Signature digital, Coffee digital coaxial cables; Diamond optical (2); Diamond USB; Dragon (5 HC, 3 source cords); Thunder & Monsoon power cords
Cables Subwoofer System AQ: Redwood speaker cable; Wolf balanced subwoofer IC; Wind balanced IC to ActivXO; Hurricane HC; Firebird HC; Firebird Source; Dragon HC, power cords
Power Conditioners: AQ Niagara 7000; Niagara 5000 (3); (4) dedicated 20-amp lines.
Isolation: Wilson Pedestals; Bassocontinuo McIntosh Ultra Feet; X-material plinth
Cabinet: Double Custom Woodwork & Design (CWD)
Acoustic Treatments: Room and Echo Tunes

 

[morricab]

Thank you, Ralph.

I do not care about bandwidth. I use the ~80 watt amplifier only for around 500Hz and above.

Please note two things: 1) The 2nd order distortion at 10 watts is 0.3%, which is lower than nearly all other SETs at that power. The higher order harmonics are progressively lower in level from that due to design and lack of feedback. 2) The bandwidth at 80% max power (52 watts) is 8Hz-110Khz! So, the amp is very wide bandwidth even pushing quite a lot of SET power.

 

[adyc]

Sorry, I asked for something with quotable numbers versus frequency, not an opinion. Easy do drive is too ambiguous.

In another forum, Clarisys mention that they are now using autoformers in every models. The owner Florian is in this forum. You can PM him for more info.

 

[microstrip]

In another forum, Clarisys mention that they are now using autoformers in every models. The owner Florian is in this forum. You can PM him for more info.

Interesting. I remember that in the early 90's Atmasphere also sold some autotransformers packed in a nice wood box that increased impedance, allowing us to use the lower power M50 OTLs with speakers of low impedance.

 

[Folsom]

I have concluded that I might not need the sidewall absorption panels anymore.

(Although it's a bit puzzling because I have always thought it was standard audiophile acoustic practice that first side wall near reflections and first side wall cross reflections should be diffused or absorbed.)

It's always been lower priority for dipoles, especially higher directivity panels.

 

[Folsom]

Professor, please explain to class how low, negative feedback 12 output tube 6550/KT88 amp approaches sounds of zero feedback, 2a3/45/300b/211 etc with 2 to 4 output tubes, the latter with much less components (allowing each component to be a much higher quality). Just because a switch changes it from Pentode to triode? And which speaker did you use the Siegfrieds on for this insightful assessment?

There is no rule that using less parts means you can use better parts. Tubes are always related because of how they work with linear distortion. Negative feedback is not off/on and can be very varied amounts.

 

[bonzo75]

There is no rule that using less parts means you can use better parts. Tubes are always related because of how they work with linear distortion. Negative feedback is not off/on and can be very varied amounts.

Of course with less parts you will be about to get the best parts more easily.

Are you saying 12 KT88 or 6550 will sound similar to two 300b?

 

[Ron Resnick]

My Qobuz service was interrupted again today. A friend suggested that it might be due to some algorithm which suspends accounts after detecting that the subscriber has played the same group of five songs more than 100 times.

 

[bonzo75]

My Qobuz service was interrupted again today. A friend suggested that it might be due to some algorithm which suspends accounts after detecting that the subscriber has played the same group of five songs more than 100 times.

Just open another account so that you can play the same 5 songs

 

[andromedaaudio]

My Qobuz service was interrupted again today. A friend suggested that it might be due to some algorithm which suspends accounts after detecting that the subscriber has played the same group of five songs more than 100 times.

A good balanced stereosystem should play all material acceptably well .
This 5 song trick is common at dealers distributors to show of a system.

This Qubuz algorithem interruption might be a blessing in disquise lol.
Play something different and learn more about the system

 

[Ron Resnick]

 

[Kcin]

Nice, I had one here for about a month on trial.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Nice, I had one here for about a month on trial.

What are your detailed impressions?

To which preamp did you compare it side-by-side in house?

Why didn't you keep the Incito S?

Incito S versus Aesthetix Callisto would be a fascinating comparison, too!

 

[microstrip]

My Qobuz service was interrupted again today. A friend suggested that it might be due to some algorithm which suspends accounts after detecting that the subscriber has played the same group of five songs more than 100 times.

Interesting. I can see why they do so in terms of management - but it can be a problem to audiophile testing. Or probably it is simply an analog founded conspiration to prevent your ears to become used to digital distortions.

Fortunately most of my evaluation listening tests are carried with SACD's or CD's - at the time I started using these recordings I did not have Qobuz!