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Sonic qualities of SET output tubes?

Can you readily identify a 300B, 2A3, 805, 211, etc., amp’s sound with your eyes closed most of the time?


If so, I’sure would like to hear from you.


Amplifier design and the technology utilized within its confines decides the ‘voice’ or influence it will yield as much or more so than merely the output tubes the designer has chosen to use.


I get that part emphatically. One must hear the amp regardless the type of output tube technology on hand.


And yes, some Pentodes and Tetrodes are used as Triodes but are not indeed triodes by their specific architecture. That’s OK, just focus on their use as Triodes herein, please.


There are however certain tube types, irrespective of vintage which have basic undeniable sonic colors or characteristics, apart from their electrical aspects which keep attracting people to amps which use this or that tube in its output stage.


Some love 211s. some adore 300Bs. Some love EL34s configured to run as Triodes. I have an affinity for the latter. So far anyway. This topic could change my mind.


Has your own experience informed you what this or that output tube’s natural flavor regularly announces itself to be so you can have a reasonable expectation of its general presentation?


What sonic attribute continually attracts you to a particular SET tube design, 300B or some others?


Or, conversely, what is it about the sound that would bring you to covet a 211 amp over a 2A3, for example.


Why as another example, would you pick a 2A3 amp over one using 805s or 300B, 211, etc. or vice versa?


Removing ‘vintages’ and electronic or electrical qualities from the argument, what sonic attributes for the more popular S.E.T. amp output tubes have you determined seem to persist in their particular DNA?


I’m asking for input from those SET tube devotees to lend their experiences and knowledge on the subject of what tube sounds like what irrespective of the SET application, generally speaking.


My goal is to try getting a better feel for which SET Tube amp design, if any, I’d want to pursue and possibly invest heavily into going forward as the soul of a new system.


Tremendous thanks to all!

blindjim
thom_at_galibier_design's avatar
thom_at_galibier_design
729 posts
 
Directly heated triodes are quite linear devices, and they tend to take on the characteristics of the driver circuit.

The larger transmitting triodes (211, 845, GM70) are particularly difficult to drive, which is why you see some of the esoteric Japanese designs employing power tubes for the job.

The 300B is an interesting animal. It has a stereotype of being lush to the point of sounding bloated and slow. Again, this is a driver tube issue (let’s not forget about adequate power supplies, of course). You’d be surprised how "quick" a 300B amplifier can sound when driven correctly and I’ve heard very few 300B SETs that get this right.

Everyone has their opinion about various architectures (DHTs vs. pentodes, OTL vs. transformers, etc.).  My stance has always been that there's a convergence in architectures as the designs get better and better.  While I'm a big DHT/transformer coupled fan, I recognize that this is personal preference (no accounting for taste), and not an expression of superiority of one architecture over another.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier Design
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,794 posts
 
Number of tubes would not be a problem for me unless each cost $1k and lasted only for a year. It's a bit more difficult to do amp first approach than speakers first approach. But with Atma-Sphere and LAMM I would still do exactly that.
We warrant the tubes in our gear for a year and they are relatively inexpensive.

The only real worry is as said, clipping. Its when a driver is starved for power predominately. Usually it’s a tweeter. Ordinarily clipping occurs when running the spkrs at higher levels and the power a driver asks for can’t be provided appropriately or comes intermittedly. That’s when actual . damage to the loudspeaker can take place. It happened in a pr I had bought preowned. His INT did not have the power to satisfy those speaker’s demands and one of the four blew out. Quit working. The factory fixed it eventually. Once I paid for shipping and so forth.
The mechanism for this is when the amplifier clips, the distortion generated is high enough in frequency that the crossover allows it through to the tweeter(s), which usually only handle maybe 2 watts or so. With solid state amps in particular, overloading the amp is a good way to toast the tweeters.

This is considerably more rare with tube amps because they generate less higher ordered harmonics when overloaded (which is usually caused by bass notes) but still can happen.

If you see tweeters blown and nothing else, its a sure sign that the speaker was exposed to an amplifier that was clipping. Most manufacturers would not consider that as a warranty claim as it is clearly abuse of the speaker.


blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 
thom_mackris > huge thanks tom.

Blindjim > the design topology I irrefutably decree best, is the one that sounds the best, can drive the speakers I like, and is within reason, affordable.


Blindjim > atmosphere thought you might clear that clipping item up better. Thanks.
I am ever grateful to VSA for bailing me out on damaged spkrs sold as working properly. That was quite the learning experience all in all.

in fact VSA changed out both left and right associated tweets, not merely the bad one. I ran them in properly and sold them so I could get higher Eff spkrs. And use tube power for a change.

It was the worst decision I’ve made to date. Its like going into the ‘big room’ at a dealership first, instead of just dealing with what you can actually buy instead. Trying to remain intent on the lesser goods then sure is harder. I often lose interest and become quite depressed.


atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,794 posts
 
You get used to the increased performance that is available! Going back to ’lesser goods’ can be a bit depressing. But I find that if you are careful, good sound can be had on almost any budget.
inna
7,296 posts
 
We are chasing great sound not good. Good is easy.
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