SET vs OTL

Paulfolbrecht,

I have one of those Pavel designed Deja Vu PP 45 amps (it also can run 2A3's) built around two big Chicago circa 1950 output transformers and it is indeed one of the best if not the best amps ever made. And it can drive some pretty inefficient (89db) speakers such as Spendor SP 100s, DQ 10s, Soliloquy 5.3s Quad ESL 63 to name a few. I use vintage RCA and Cunningham 45s and RCA biplate 2A3's which gave me the best results although I also have used Sophia mesh plates, KR, Sovtek, and VAIC 2a3's.The amp uses 6sn7 input tubes.

Everyone says they have the best. In the English language, the meaning of the word requires that there can be only one. All the others are then 'better' but not 'best'.

This has been argued a lot elsewhere on this site. Any consensus on the idea of 'best in my experience'?? instead of merely 'best'?

Ralph,
Why let appropriate linguistic usage get in the way of a good hyperbole? Well... in other people's cases it's hyperbole. In mine, it's just plain fact (if only I could figure out which ones).

Lets be transparent with  OTL what is bad and what is good about it not just trying to promote your own product.I know that most all pre amp are OTL.Not all OTL are the same.I hope we can Blind test  otl out there

Every OTL I have heard had the quality of being very immediate and exciting sounding; the music comes alive to a degree I have never heard with solid state amps.  But, that is not to say that some pushpull and SET amps don't do the same, it is just not a common characteristic of other types of amps.  OTL amps, like amps of  any other topology, sound different from each other based on tube choice, voicing by the designer, choice of other components, specific circuitry, etc.  The Atmasphere amps, for example, are leaner sounding than the Joule amps I heard.  Which is better depends on taste and system matching.

I have no idea which form of amp is superior to the other.  I run fairly efficient speakers (@ 99 db/w), so I can use a pretty wide array of amplifier types, including low wattage SET amps.  I have two pushpull amps (45  tubes, and 249 output tubes) and a SET amp (parallel 2a3s).  I don't know if I really have a "favorite" between the SET and the 249 pushpull amp (I currently like the 249 and have it in my system, but, I like certain things about the 2a3 SET amp).  One of my all-time favorite amps, however, are OTLs that a hobbyist built that two people I know own.  Another great amp I heard is a Western Electric 59A (252 meshplate output tubes) which is a pushpull amp that is incredibly dynamic and exciting sounding (also insanely expensive).  So, I have no idea which approach is superior in delivering the sound I like, much less what anyone else would like.