Both amps are very transparent, both have great bass and excellent highs. Both are very open. Both have wonderful sounding midrange and very palpable and natural. But I find the single-end amp is more focused in the midrange. The push-pull sounds wider in its soundstage.
Would You Rather Own A Good SET Amp, Or A Great Push Pull Amp?
Throwing this out there because I would appreciate the viewpoints of the many knowledgeable, and experienced audio people here. I'm really torn about a decision I am considering in this regard. And no, sorry, I cannot name the amps involved. I could lose one or both options if I publicized them here. And honestly, only the tiniest fraction of forum members would ever have listened to even one of these options.
The speakers they would be used with can equally accommodate either of these choices per the designer/manufacturer, who I ran it by.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
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- 97 posts total
Speaking in broad generalizations, SET (or single-ended amps in general) tend to be more lifelike, transparent and have fantastic mid-range. Push pull amps, on the other hand, tend to be more dynamic, have better high/low extension and way more versatile due to their higher wattage. A person's taste in music will also be a big factor. I tend to be a mid-range guy, so I prefer single ended amps, but I can get down with a good push pull. |
@sns - thank you so much for your thorough replies : ) - kevin |
If you prefer the SET sound, but want to use less sensitive speakers, such as Magnepan, SET amps are so simple to design and build that you do not have to spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to add an 833A triode gain stage. I couple the globe 45 output through a Lundahl 2765 transformer to the grid of the 833A. I use a Hammond 1642 output transformer which is more robust than far more expensive transformers that are built the same way. I put 1000 Volts on the plate of the 833A' and bias the grid at zero Volts. I also use polypropylene capacitors in the power supplies and run the pi-filter chokes on the ground negative side for safety. This gives me a sound that closely matches what I hear in live performances in the opera house, which has good acoustics. |
- 97 posts total