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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
amandarae
512 posts
 
Count me in for "Yes" stats.

Went planar, electrostatic, vintage, single driver, with both SS and tube amps not less than 30 watts and speakers as high as 94 dB efficiency. I was happy but still something was missing I thought per my preferrence.

I found my heaven on both DIY flea powered SET/High efficiency coaxial speaker(100dB) with a simple topology active preamp and so far still enjoying it. To me, speakers should be at least 97 dB and above, the higher the better. Power not more than 6 watts (I will not be surprised if I am oly using less than a watt on normal listening level. If it doesn't sound good at 1 watt, why need more?). Also, I found my preferrence on using DHT tubes with AC on the heaters for output tubes of the amp and old type DHT/IDHT tubes (currently using 76) on the preamp side.

To me, although it is hard for me to describe it, there is something about speakers with 98 dB and above efficiency, full range, using 45/2A3 tubes with AC on the filaments that 96 dB and below speakers cannot touch. But the trick is to make the amps quiet so that hum will not be an issue.

YMMV!
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marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
It depends. Believe it or not, Johnatan Swift described a detailed answer to your question in his "Adventures of Hulliver in the Country of Lilliputs"...
martykl
3,578 posts
 
I still own my Cary 300B monos and my Cary 805 monos, but the speakers I'm using at the moment (Ohm 100s) won't play nicely with either of these amps. Right now, I prefer the Ohm/ARC VT130SE combo to anything I can hang off of either Cary. So, SETs can be great, but you've got to find a suitable speaker you love.

Marty
sibelius
256 posts
 
I've been a SET convert for about a decade. I have no desire to go back to Solid State. While the limitations of SET are well known (low end frequency can't match SS, Need efficient speakers) I think their strengths (mid range magic, unbelievable presence, non-fatiguing sound) are worth any inconvenience. I have 3 SET amps (300B, 2A3, 45) and they each have their own special sound. I love using the 300B with Orchestral or more complex music, 2A3 with Jazz, and 45 with chamber music or simple vocals. SET amps are also very sensitive to tube changes so you can fiddle to your heart's content in tailoring the sound to your liking. I think everyone who loves audio should try SET out at least once. It's like a rite of passage.
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