2. amps-preamps
  3. 1257069072

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
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
I like SET but you will never resolve this with a post here on Agon because too many disagree. You can not get people to agree on SS or tube as the best let alone SET tubes which can have limited bass control (compared to SS especially) and only drive a handful of speakers.
calloway
874 posts
 
...i have a goldmund 29m amp..solid state which is superb...saying that...if you have had the opportunity to hear what a truely great SET sounds like, in my opinion , there is a naturalness to the sound that is addicting. the downside of most SETs is that they don't perform well with real world speakers with difficult loads or ones that are insensitive which limits the choices for those who like SETs.for a price..there are a handfull, or less, that can drive alot of the speakers that here-to-for could only be driven by solid state amps.the chalice audio ' grail' amps are in that 'handfull' catagory and are the best amps i have ever heard...but are also very expensive...but thats relative.!
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
1. you have a great system 2. never build a system around an amplifier (a carwreck) 3.no stereo plays every record or cd perfectly....and it never is 'like' live music, good or bad.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
unoear
141 posts
 
Favorite color...green WE 300b

Second favorite color...black Russian

Favorite beach...easy, just outside of Hanalei

Mike, as mentioned in the posts above there are some really cost-efficent ways to try out SET amplification. Visit 6moons for a few reads on the different flavors that are available. From there you will be off chasing speaker designs that are efficent along with easy loads to drive. SETs just love easy blowing trade winds...
larryken
537 posts
 
It is a matter of taste. I was a high current SS guy for many years and morphed into SET once I heard a nice setup....music sounds very natural and I found myself listening to the music rather than the equipment. Downside is tubes require a little bit of fussing and you are limited in your speaker choices. However, there are a lot of highly efficient speakers out there and if you are a "fiddler" then you enjoy biasing tubes, swapping out tubes to try different sound combos etc. I have a second rig for my tv and it's high powered SS.....yes it's more visceral but the highs are a little etched and it sounds a little artificial but still a good rig....I just can't listen to it for hours on end without some fatigue creeping in.
More to discover