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SET the best?

Is SET amplification where we should all end up? I keep reading posts where people tell of their journeys from plenty power to micro power, and how amazing SET amplification is 45 set 211 set 845 set otl, and usually, ....with the right speaker. I have yet to read of anyone who has gone the other direction from SET, to High watt beast class A amps or others.
If your speakers can be driven by minimal wattage, is this the most realistic, natural sound we can achieve? versus say, 86db sensitive speakers and a 1000w amp?
Is the end result solely based on speaker pairing? circuit? tubes?

I am in the process of changing my direction in my search for realistic sound, just because, and wondering if this really is the best direction to be going.
From what I have been reading I think it may be.

What do we get with SET? What do we give up?

What's you favorite color?
hanaleimike
pesky_wabbit's avatar
pesky_wabbit
1,183 posts
 
@atmasphere thanks, I’m lucky enough to have an old dog eared copy of RDH3. You are right, they knew an awful lot back then.

It’s surprising how often I have read that modern designers have discovered that upon further analysis, some ‘antiquated’ circuits have turned out to be far more sophisticated than appeared at first glance. Audio Note made significant improvements to their linestage shunt regulator through this process. Schade feedback was forgotten for decades.
clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 
NO
luisma31
516 posts
 
The destination should be contentment, not perfection.

Well said Markus
kind of energy that makes you want to throw a chair through the window or at least be able to get you excited

@bjesien remind me not ever to be on a listening session with you please

Well one would have to have heard each and every class A, AB, D, GAN, Tube push/pull, OTL, Chip and Hybrid amp produced to say only one or two amps. Right?! Hear them all in the same exact system. Right?!
We must be careful making sweeping statements that are always based on such little experience relative to all that is out there
.
@grannyring that's some good common sense, something scarce here on audiogon

I was about to post the other day but have been busy, I have listened a few SET, SS, PSET, OTL amps. And although some of these amps excel with almost every system there is always an Achilles heel you might say to the best in class amp.



atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 
Especially when we have solid COLBALT out put trans in the mix,
These powerful trans, are not cheap, I should add.
:)  or you could dispense with the output transformer altogether.


My speakers are 97.5dB, 16 ohms and flat to 20Hz. I've yet to hear an SET on that system that can make proper bass. I've got LPs I produced so I know how they are supposed to sound- I was there when they were recorded.


The thing is, SETs can be better than some PP amps but generalizations like saying they are 'better than all' usually don't work out. At the very least its like 'the fastest gun in the West', taken down eventually by the guy that was actually faster. 
antigrunge2
1,463 posts
 
@atmasphere,

AREN‘t you tooting your horn just a little too much? OTLs are great but only address a very small portion of speakers with high efficiency and high impedance. That may or may not be everybody‘s fare and your implied claim of superiority seems therefor to run precisely into the Western gun issues you profer.

OTLs are wonderful horses for courses
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