And, unless I am mistaken, Tekton has a generous in-home trial period.
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YW, Schubert. Two watts normally would make no discernible difference but that's a 33% increase, so maybe so. IIRC, Atmasphere has pointed out that very important to get adequate power w an SET amp because because their distortion rises very rapidly as power output goes up. I have no independent knowledge of these kind of technical issues, so if I'm not remembering correctly, my apologies. |
Len, A few thoughts based on some of the recent posts. First, with respect to the Ref 3A deCapos, I found them to be a bit slow in the low frequencies when driven by the dynamo. I think they need more that 8WPC. Second, it might be worth waiting to see what gives with the Dynamo MK II that Mikirob mentioned. If it is a substantial improvement, it might be worth the wait, if only for the used MK 1's To hit the market. I'm using the Psvane Philips reissues, which are pretty good tubes but with some reliability issues. I bought a quad, and got two usable tubes (which is all I needed) plus a refund on the two duds. I'd try to snatch a pair of nos mullards before they are all gone. The extra 2 watts may or may not make a difference, depending on which speaker you choose. |
11-17-15: SwampwalkerYou're remembering correctly, Michael. Atmasphere has said in a number of past threads that to get the best sonic performance from a SET amplifier it should not be asked to supply more than a small fraction of its rated power (something like 25% if **I** am remembering correctly), because of the progressively increasing amounts of distortion SETs produce at increasing power levels (and the progressively smaller amounts of distortion they produce at decreasing power levels). However, neither the Almarro A205A nor the Coincident Dynamo is a SET, as the EL34 and EL84 are not triodes. And based on their power ratings and on the schematic and comments shown in this review of the Almarro A205A MkII I'm pretty certain that neither amp is even operating those tubes in the so-called triode mode. Therefore I'm not certain of the degree to which Ralph's point might be applicable to those particular amplifiers. Regarding the difference in power capability, the Almarro A205A MkII is rated by the manufacturer at 5 watts, with the review indicating 4.8 watts. The difference between 4.8W and the 8W rating of the Dynamo is 2.2 db, not a great deal but perhaps enough to be significant on some recordings. As we all know, though, specs commonly don't tell the whole story when it comes to subjectively perceived power capability, with distortion characteristics, power supply robustness, and other factors being involved. The one other comment I would offer at this point is that the multiple mentions on the second page of the Almarro review of hum, buzz, and the need for a cheater plug would definitely give me pause. I say that in part because in the photos of the unit there and elsewhere, and also based on the schematic shown in the review, it appears to me that the ground shells of the RCA input jacks, and hence the circuit ground of the unit, are probably connected directly to the chassis (although I can't tell with total certainty). Which would inherently create a susceptibility to ground loop issues, that may or may not materialize depending on the grounding configuration and other characteristics of the component(s) it is connected to. Best regards, -- Al |
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