SET vs OTL

Larryi,

First of all I acknowledge that this is something of a matter of taste and also system-matching - as you pointed out, a ripe, bloomy mid-bass *can* be an attraction!

It isn't in the systems I've put together.

EML makes very good tubes but their 300B retains the tube's bass characteristics IME. They may go somewhat lower than most but it is not an tight & controlled, nor as linear in the midbass region, as the 45 - especially the EML 45.

Not sure if you heard an HE version of the AN/E but if not you're talking about 3 dB lower - right about the power difference of SET vs push-pull.

What were the PP 45s you heard?

Paul & Larry,

Thanks for the input.

Marty

PS Paul, I have a different view of crossing subwoofers, but I'm really interested in trying a 45 SET full range, anyway. I'll explore the Audionote further.

Said I owned over 35 SET amps 6 of them-45 SET, 4-OTL. Not that I'm 35. Would happily trade to be 35 again. I will leave this thread nothing worth while here. All I do is design hi-eff loudspeakers mostly for small power amps like SET what the heck would I know about driving loudspeakers with small power or OTL.

Paul,

The pushpull 45 amps were built by a Russian guy named Pavel and were sold through a Washington, D.C. area dealership (Deja Vu Audio). These amps used Acrosound TO-330 output transformers (the feedback taps not employed, obviously). The wiring was all point-to-point. In fact, Pavel laid out the amps so exquisitely well that there was almost no wire used in the amp (lead-to-lead connections).

I have one of these amps, though mine uses solid state rectification (most of Pavel's amps employed tube rectification). Some versions used big Chicago brand transformers.

I like the sound of these amps very much. But, my current amps (Audionote Kagekis) are, better to me (at a HUGE price premium).

Deja Vu Audio is an interesting store. They will run almost any speaker with low-powered tube amps which "conventional wisdom" says are way too underpowered. The store sells Quad speakers, and even the 2805 is connected to a fairly small tube amp. The one solid state piece in the store is a Halo JC-1 amp. I asked about it and was told that it is used purely for comparison -- Vu, the proprietor, wanted a decent, high-powered solid state amp for a reasonably fair showdown.

I know someone who says those PP DevaVu 45s are the best amps ever made.