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
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,629 posts
 
Especially when we have solid COLBALT out put trans in the mix,
These powerful trans, are not cheap, I should add.
:)  or you could dispense with the output transformer altogether.


My speakers are 97.5dB, 16 ohms and flat to 20Hz. I've yet to hear an SET on that system that can make proper bass. I've got LPs I produced so I know how they are supposed to sound- I was there when they were recorded.


The thing is, SETs can be better than some PP amps but generalizations like saying they are 'better than all' usually don't work out. At the very least its like 'the fastest gun in the West', taken down eventually by the guy that was actually faster. 
antigrunge2
1,346 posts
 
@atmasphere,

AREN‘t you tooting your horn just a little too much? OTLs are great but only address a very small portion of speakers with high efficiency and high impedance. That may or may not be everybody‘s fare and your implied claim of superiority seems therefor to run precisely into the Western gun issues you profer.

OTLs are wonderful horses for courses
luisma31
516 posts
 
LOL @antigrunge I have yet to see a post from Ralph's claiming he makes the best amps or any superiority claims. If you can find it post it here

For the record I owned a pair of MA-1's that Ralph makes and these work with a very wide range of speakers, as a matter of fact better than some solid state and SET amps, the horses for courses comment IMO doesn't apply to his amps

The only ever small compromise I found was with low impedance speakers with an impedance dip under 60 Hz 2 ohm or so, here an SS would handle better at the expense of mudiness and distortion at all the other frequencies
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,885 posts
 
SET are known for their glorious midrange  depth and             sound staging but a bit soft at the extreme highs and lows ,the Bass is not as fast or has as much slam as quality solid state Bass which has much more current I have owned both , your speakers need to be very efficient , and a good powered sub is a good plus to have .
tubebuffer
417 posts
 
Atmo is daddy Mac.
More to discover