SET vs OTL

David Berning Siegfried 300b SET/OTL. Probably as close as one will find. Presumably the best of both topologies.
Charles

@pani,
’Even a large instrument like Cello, when bowed has a very direct and focused sound, like it is speaking to you. Only SETs get this directness. Is it because it just amplifies without any further "processing" ? May be.’

Yep! Precisely my same reaction with initial listening exposure to a SET amplifier. In a nutshell,  more real, more natural.   Different people hear and are drawn to various things when listening to music via home audio. There is not a single topology that gets everything right, no perfection. So people resort to choosing what comes closest to sounding ’more’ right than other available alternatives. So it may be SET, OTL, class A solid state, class D or whatever. SET for me and something else for somebody else.
Charles

’Sorry Charles you probably have more experience then i do but being an audiophile for over 25 years and the budget to spend as much as i like on this hobby.’

@phantom_av , not a problem at all. You definitely have  very  broad experience with various types of amplifiers and OTL is your preference based on much listening . I’ve heard nearly every type of amplifier topology you can name but for me SET when all is considered moves me the most and is the best for listening to music.

Your findings parallel @audition_audio. Mine parallel @pani. I wrote earlier in this thread that both can be excellent choices and people have certainly move (In both directions) from one to the other. Depends on what you’re sonically seeking and hold most dear. I have no doubt that you are as happy with your OTL amplifier as I with my SET amplifier. As far as I’m concerned we both made the right choice. It turns out that SET just does more of what I like.
Charles

’In a nutshell, while I don’t doubt that you hear differences, its probably best if you know what those differences are as I’ve described above.’

For clarification my primary reason for agreement with @pani had to do with his finding, that single ended sound to be "it feels like a one sound" I get exactly what he means. This is what I recognized when I got my SET and listened compared to my otherwise very push pull amplifiers.

There’s an unmistakable purity and naturalness. If others haven’t had the same outcome I understand. I can only give an account of what I hear. So from my vantage point, subjectively  @pani "nailed it".
Charles

@pani wrote,
'The sound without the crossover distortion is a very continuous flow like a inner tissue connecting the whole spectrum of music. It feels like a "one" sound. Whereas Push-pull just feels disconnected pieces playing together.'

@pani, "it feels like a one sound". Yes true, and this has been pointed out before by other listeners. This purity and natural sound character is what makes SET unique and special in my opinion. I agree that high quality output transformers are paramount to achieve this.

This is why SET will always have its devotees. OTL will always have its own devotees as well for what it provides. It’s been stated many times that it all depends on what one is seeking. Both SET and OTL clearly have their specific strengths. What hidg quality SET does so well are exactly the sonic attributes I want. @panic you nailed it.
Charles

"In a nutshell you have to be really careful about making broad stroke statements; when comparing SETs and OTLs it can go both ways insofar as to which comes out on top."

Agree and it absolutely does go both ways. This topic has been discussed numerous times on this and other forums. I’ve compared SET and OTL directly and would choose SET just as @antigrunge2 did.

@audition_audio has done similar comparison and finds OTL superior. Okay fine, his experience and good for him. We don’t need proclamations, just choose what you conclude is better. I’d never declare SET universally superior to OTL, NOR would I do the converse.

Plenty of music listeners have made the choice for OTLs and plenty have done so for SET. Why do we need to draw lines in the sand and have turf battles when it comes to audio components and listening preferences? People have moved on from SET to OTL and from OTL to SET.
Charles

@antigrunge2,
It is interesting how people hear audio products and how it formulates opinion and decision making. Some OTLs may sound faster than some SET amplifiers. Some do not. Your experience with the Graaf and Wavac is similar to mine.Ive heard SET with as much "speed" clarity and transparency as fine quality OTLs. Some may experience "sweetened" or "lush" coloration with certain SETs but they all are not the same.

I would caution against painting with the proverbial broad brush. My SET is organic and full of tone/body, very natural and has an  emotionally engaging presentation. There is no sacrificing of nuance or natural detail. There are many variables that determine what works best for a given listener and their respective audio system. Many roads do in fact lead to Rome.
Charles

I don't really understand where the comparison of SET and OTL amplifiers really takes a person. there are members of this site who have owned Atmasphere or Joule OTLs and subsequently moved on to a SET amplifier.  Conversely there have been SET amplifier owners Who subsequently moved to an OTL.  This traffic clearly moves in both directions, there are simply many variables involved not the least of which is personal preference and taste. Various brands of OTL amplifiers sound differently, same is true for different brands of SET amplifiers. Change the brand of the output tube, again more variables and different sound, on and on it goes.

There is no definitive way to say one topology is superior to the other. Either can sound fantastic, or just okay. Design, The builder's talent and implementation tell the story.
charles,