DHT, SET, low power etc. amplifiers

NickMimi · December 18, 2022, 7:55pm

Generic thread to post in for your single ended triode and direct heated triode amplifiers when you just want to leave a comment or interesting experience. Any flea-watt or low power 2 channel amp is welcome though

Ugh… I got up really early this AM, like ass crack of dawn early, and I warmed up and played w/ the pair of Alan Eaton 45 monoblock amps i have on loan. At 1.5 wpc into 8 ohms these really are proper Flea-Watts.

I absolutely love the fact that they have gain controls and Hum pots, the hum pots being a new feature for me to play w/. The extreme level of control both features offer to fine tune things is appropriate for a proper high-end set-up. I can see folks getting away w/ less on systems that are not as detail oriented, especially if they have not bothered w/ speaker placement and some fine tuning of the room but as you climb up the chain, the ability to bring the left and right side exactly where you want it based on your set-up is amazing. The hum pots are absolutely necessary to tune the amp to the speaker sensitivity you are using.

I know that these low power systems are not for most folks, I just can’t get enough of the sound signature it’s intoxicating. Yesterday I was ohhhing and ahhing the big 300B amp pushing open baffles, this morning i was completely smitten w/ my single drivers and these tiny mono-blocks…Tomorrow I’ll be all over one of my box speakers.

I’m super impressed w/ the ST 45 tubes, they are cute little mini-coke bottles and the sound really does feel like it’s right between a great 300B and a good old 6A3/2A3. More meat and richness than the 6A3 w/ more detail in the middle than the 300B and no hint of bloat. I’m getting better at this hobby, slowly, and it’s painstakingly costly, but my knowledge and experience, at least in my preferences is building steadily. (It’s a bottomless pit of experience and knowledge, I’m so thankful for the little i’ve been able to figure out!)

I hunted down some old but fresh ST45’s and I’m still looking for some UX-245 globe type 45’s, because i love globes, for my Vinnie Rossi. I need to get them in that bad boy to satiate my curiosity.

So what do these sound like? Glorious…everything sounds glorious It’s fucking unicorns and rainbows in this house, i have no way of committing to any single piece or Sound signature even if forced to at gunpoint, just put the bullet in my head, it would be less painful than choosing a sound preference

Veritas · December 19, 2022, 12:45am

I can give you some direct comparisons if you are curious about this. They both have very similar traits, so don’t feel like you are missing a ton if you can’t hunt down some good condition globes. The ST is the cleaner and more “audiophile” of the two. The Globe trades off a touch of crispness for some warmth/bloom. I ended up keeping the globes on, but the ST are quieter and have a better sense of speed.

Both great tubes though.

NickMimi · December 19, 2022, 1:44am

Yes, unfortunately the hunt is for mesh plate globes…harder to find and they don’t ship well…fortunately i’m not stuck on any one type of tube. The New production EML PX4 are also an option. Maybe… it’s just a curiosity thing mainly… i don’t actually NEED any tubes

Souldriver · December 19, 2022, 6:27pm

@NickMimi is in DHT heaven right now. Now you just need more time to enjoy it all.

NickMimi · December 24, 2022, 12:17am

Hehehe, I moved the Lampi B3 into the small listening room to make sure tubes are being represented fully this holiday season, despite what @dB_Cooper would have you believe, low power, low volume dynamic listening is still represented strongly in my household

dB_Cooper · December 24, 2022, 12:24am

That little room’s got to be toasty with that all that tubery. lol

NickMimi · December 24, 2022, 12:29am

Actually, yes it’s the PERFECT winter listening room especially w/ this extra cold weather. As long as the power stays up I’m toasty warm and happy🤗

Souldriver · December 24, 2022, 1:46am

My room gets so cold i usually put the heat up before putting the tube stuff on so nothing gets too crazy of a quick temp shock.

NickMimi · February 6, 2023, 12:18am

Some combinations of equipment simply sound so much better than I would expect. It happens to me so very often, which is why I have such a difficult time settling down with any particular combo, or letting go of items that I should be advancing past.

In the winter time, my small listening room is absolutely my preference space. It’s warm and cozy and in the furthest corner away from the master bedroom so i can get early morning listening sessions in without waking up my sweetheart.

I wasn’t sure where to put these comments so safest bet is here under low power amplification. I want to make myself clear, I am talking about low wattage, low volume, high dynamics listening in a quiet environment. Combinations of gear like this are NOT for everyone.

As promised in a different post under the Spatial Audio speaker thread I stated I would eventually try pushing my joint owned Spatial audio M4 triode master speakers with as little as 1.75 wpc and this morning I did it and enjoyed myself immensely .

The star of the show should have been the speakers but instead I’m giving a shout-out to the amplifiers. A pair of Alan Eaton 45 SET mono-blocks. I want to rave about the build and quality of the amps, I can’t, they are almost cheesy looking and build is not much to speak of. Components are OK I assume, I’m not technically educated enough to tell what components are top notch and what aren’t, I just know they are not particularly impressive looking or hefty. The amps are pretty flimsy and lightweight, completely the opposite of anything else I own, even the less expensive items. What I do know though is that Mr. Eaton has been building well regarded audiophile equipment for 51 yrs, he will be retiring soon and if you don’t own one of his amps jump on something quickly before he retires from the hobby. Find a used one or commission him to build you one, it doesn’t matter how you get a hold of one but get one. Yep, the performance really is that impressive.

This amplifier really has me itching for higher and higher end efficient and high sensitivity speakers because it does what it does with such authority. What these little lightweights do with 1 single watt is so damned impressive, it’s so very difficult to put the experience into words because I simply lack the knowledge and experience necessary but my ears are telling me they are special, and just flat out better than many other pieces.

I feel like a broken record, every time I mix and match a bunch of pieces together i wane on and on about how good things sound, I can’t help it though, I’m a cheap date and easy to please . I’m starting to think the big money items are wasted on me, I don’t have any issues w/ particular frequencies or the musical characteristics of most components. As long as i get a nice pleasing soundstage and can’t isolate the speakers i get lost in the show and fall in love w/ the music. If it weren’t for some ADD and boredom of having the same pieces looking back at me daily, i might actually be able to settle down with any one of 2 or 3 dozen combinations of gear

ROON > SoTM triple pack (Streamer, USB, LPS) feeding > Lampi B3 > LTA MZ3 > Alan Eaton 45 monoblocks > Spatial Audio M4 Triode Masters. (No subwoofer)
Mostly using easy listening music genre’s, nothing complex or too modern.

NickMimi · February 6, 2023, 3:50am

I know damned well This is the least usefull decription of any piece ever given, my apologies, but a certain “sense of musical quality” is so very difficult to capture with words.

The amplifiers themselves (Alan Eaton monoblock 45 SET) have hum pots installed to quiet them down and appropriately adjust to the speakers you run, they are not particularly quite, neither is the background black and devoid of noise. This alone would be a factor that should negate my words BUT i swear it does NOT. Once you dial in each speaker to each amplifier they are relatively noise free, nothing at all that you should hear beyond having your ear right up against the speaker, head touching the transducer. This goes against what we would usually consider a “better” piece of equipment, but follow along, these small lightweight, open bottom amplifiers have tricks up their sleeve… The music is palpable, it has such great weight once playing. What these tube based amplifiers add to the music is a sound character that will touch your soul. I have to assume between the actual design of the circuitry and character of the 45 tube, the single 1.75 watt being produced has got to be very close to what my ears judge as beautiful.

I have some experience with wattage under 3 watts, I own and am familiar with 3 other amplifiers that I have used that produce less than 3 watts. These mono-blocks have the grunt and playback of a full sized, full power amplifier. They are not dainty, delicate, little flea-watts that require a subwoofer to help me fill in the bottom end. After a full day’s worth of listening, i never once felt the need to add my sub into the system. This has been true of 3 speakers that i have thus far played w/. These amplifiers have full range ability, weight, heft and power despite the diminutive wattage produced Their midrange texture is sublime and they have air and top end I personally find exquisite. The speakers come alive, every pair i have tried. At no point did they run out of steam, dynamic range, push or gain at higher volume levels than i would usually play. I have enjoyed playing with 1 or 2 watts with various pieces but i have always been cognizant of their limitations and always note that volume levels are subdued and more moderate. These little mono-blocks play as if they were “Big Boys” and they back up that ability with proper heft, weight and grunt to the music.

They are NOT big power amplifiers, do not mistake my enthusiasm for what they are capable of in the appropriate environment and with the appropriate speakers as a recommendation that these can fulfill more than the niche they reside in. They won’t and can’t, BUT they are very capable in their ability to give you a watt (1) of power that in the proper setting will “feel” like 100 watts of some of the nicest amplification, so musical, that you have ever experienced.

Ok, i feel better now, my lackluster explanation earlier was bugging me. It only took me about 12 hrs to get the words out of my mouth…

NickMimi · July 29, 2023, 12:26am

Lance Cochrane, Miss Scarlet VII, 24 wpc, push-pull, 2 channel speaker amplifier. This particular model is set up w/ 8 Ohm & 16 Ohm taps. It is self biasing and capable of using a variety of tubes, input tubes are 6SN7, For outputs, with the 6L6 the plate voltage is about 380v with a bias of 25 to 26v. Good 6V6 like those Ukranian ones are very nice. You can also use most any 6L6 but be leery of old 6L6G or metal ones. They just can’t take it. Others you can use include 5881, 7581, KT66, 350B or 6BG6 tubes. Just plug in what you like. No adjustments needed.

Nice things cost money but not all nice things need to cost allot of money and amplifiers built by Lance fall in the latter category of great performance that don’t require a King’s pile of gold to purchase Lance is a great guy to interact w/ and his signature is to build somewhat industrial looking, lamp chord using amplifiers that are affordable (usually under $2k).

I had been looking for an EL84 based amp that would give me roughly 25 wpc when i stumbled across Lances 6L6 based amp w/ the basic specs i wanted but using a still fairly affordable wide variety of tubes. I had read about Lance’s amps and jumped on the opportunity to purchase and experience this one for myself. My 15 ohm Falcon LS3/5A’s and Decware Tube Tots were in for a treat and I was spot on w/ my assumption . Great tone, imaging, beautiful width and height, easy tube rolls and most importantly quiet using both speaker models.

I managed to quickly get my hands on 7 various quads of output tubes, i already owned several various matched pairs of quality input tubes. All in I’ve spent less than $2.5k for many hundreds of hours of experimentation and musical listening joy, Expenditure is varied and relative to your own personal lifestyle and abilities, to me though this is very high value relative to what my expenditures are on some of my other tube based amplifiers.

I’ve been using this amplifier for a few weeks now, Innuos PhoenixNet > Innuos Pulse streamer > Berkeley Alpha Reference DAC > Miss Scarlett VII amp > Speakers. The amplifier, not including tubes is the least expensive of the components listed. You too can choose to build a system and spend your money in various ways, there really are no hard, “set-in-stone” rules. Some common sense, listening experience, basic understanding of electronics, a tiny bit of luck and desire to have fun will take you a long way in this hobby In all honesty I can’t find any glaring flaws or sound character issues with the amp. The attached lamp chord power cable makes my skin crawl BUT, has thus far worked just fine Someday i will order a flexible power cable from Cardas or someone else fancy and swap out the dammed lamp chord , that’s just my OCD though and YMMV.

I’m linking some articles by a fellow whose musing I have been following for a few years now on some of Lance’s other creations, they tend to each be unique. His work is solid, you can pay a whole lot more and well, you’re gonna get allot more amplifier and quality parts nice stuff tends to perform well. I’m plenty satisfied having spent allot less on this piece and I’m thankful for the folks like Lance that make great affordable pieces for us to play with.

M0N · July 29, 2023, 1:10am

Looks pretty cool , agreed on that power cord though lol. Have you messed around with different dacs or preamps on it yet?

NickMimi · July 29, 2023, 1:51am

Unfortunately, i got it in just before i injured my arm and had surgery. I managed to set it up in the main 2 channel, and i have even had a chance to enjoy it with the Vinny Rossi L2iSE doing pre-amp duty. (I friggin love my VR.) In my opinion, which means little, the VR as a pre-amp has simply worked flawlessly on everything i throw at it. It’s ability to take a wide variety of DHT tubes means i can slightly lean out the sound w/ some SV811-10’s, or bring out some thickness w/300B’s, maybe go in-between with 45’s, or play into some air and midrange w/ 6A3’s…Heck, i can even completely bypass the tubes, w/ a tiny bit of effort, which I have done once, results were fine, but defeats the purpose to adding a small bit of harmonics which i much prefer always, further down the line

Anyway, unfortunately only having use of one arm, has me stuck using whatever components were in place before i injured myself. Thus NOTHING in the house has been swapped out since early June i have been forced to actually listen to the same component combinations for almost 2 full months now. Just last week i managed to swap between my Falcons and the Tube-Tots, the Lance Cochrane has really great synergy w/ the Tube-tots, and a good variety of output tubes.

The PhoenixNET, Pulse, Berkeley combo is solid. As long as i don’t constantly fiddle with the volume, the Berkeley direct to the Lance Cochrane really sounds good and allows me to better understand the traits of the various tubes ive been swapping. When i throw the VR in the mix, i have to account for the tubes running in the pre-amp and it’s never a proper representation of what the amp is doing and basically slightly wasted effort. I really like this DAC, and i genuinely feel it helps me get the most resolving performance of my speakers possible which has me very satisfied currently at the price points i’m playing in. At some point you need to realize you have hit monetary limits and just enjoy what you have.

Currently i’m of the opinion that once you have implemented a front end you are comfortable w/ you can get away w/ allot of leeway on the amplification. A good circuit design, and good to fair components in the amp will output great sound and allow you to spend even more on transducers. Eventually you need to upgrade past a certain point but you can get away with allot and have much fun playing around at this level.

I have swapped minimal components with the Lance Cochrane and run a very simple and highly resolving front end to it all to my enjoyment and great pleasure. I did try it with my Klipshorns and @ 104db sensitivity that’s when i got to hear some hiss out of the tweeters. The amp is not quiet or clean enough to use with speakers that sensitive. Fair enough

Texture, i forgot to mention texture. I’m getting a really great sense of texture on the instruments,. That fine fine detail you can hear at low volume coming off each individual instrument. I think its called texture, i’m not sure🤷‍♂️ others are much better at these detailed descriptions than i.

karangovil · July 29, 2023, 2:32pm

Cool and clean looking amp, I always love seeing those blue globe tubes.

That’s interesting, my Leben has the same restriction.

NickMimi · July 29, 2023, 3:01pm

Interesting, the warning and tube recommendations are direct from the builder himself, they know their circuitry best and I am a stickler for following direction to maximize my enjoyment and minimize financial pain

Souldriver · July 29, 2023, 3:03pm

Usually an additional letter behind the tube name means a better binned or beefed up version. The NOS 6L6B seems to break this. I know from guitar stuff that a new 6L6B used in fender amps is normally a 5881.

For the beefed up NOS 6L6 look for GCs, most should be a drop in replacement. But for anything tubes always double check as each manufacturer did their own thing. Looking at you Wester Electric 350Bs!

dB_Cooper · September 17, 2023, 7:49pm

LineMagnetic 219 IA

Anyone with thoughts on this integrated? From what I understand, it scales phenomenally with better tubes. Figures I’d ask here if there is was any first hand knowledge before I continue to research.

NickMimi · September 17, 2023, 8:32pm

Tubes are gonna cost you more than the amplifier itself. It’s a very well known amplifier used on many systems with speakers costing in the tens of thousands. It is built like a tank and i know my dealer has customers who use them even in the heat of Arizona. BTW, it is a source of heat, i would be careful using that amp in a small room

NickMimi · September 18, 2023, 10:57am

You can also call Arizona Hi-Fi and ask if LM is servicing amps still in the USA, which models are official US models and not grey market imports, and also ask which models are of the premium line? Possibly ask if he has any for sale currently? Glen and Bill are great guys.
I know they are restricted at times on sales and dont do much across state lines but a telcall could not hurt

http://tubeaudio.com/