Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems

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doorman

Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #20 on: 1 Jun 2012, 08:53 pm »
Having recently jumped from 3wpc to 8, I feel I could be in the wrong circle!!
Looking forward to some interesting discussions!
Best
don

MartinV56

Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #21 on: 24 Jun 2012, 04:15 am »
Tri-amping with single ended amps, electronic crossover

Bass: Sep amp 6550, BLR Horn 10"
Midrange: Set amp, 300B, Wood Round tractrix Horn  650 Hz ,1" compression driver
HF: Set amp 71A, Wood Round tractrix Horn 1" compression driver








2wo

Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #22 on: 16 Jul 2012, 09:39 pm »
Well I have an F5, which is a little over the limit. but other than that, I have a 300B SET, at about 8W, a 2A3, 3W, a couple of 6V6 P-P and SE and my favorite a Shunt regulated 45 SET, with Magnequest  Iron for a glorious watt and a half...John 

JLM

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Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #23 on: 6 Aug 2014, 09:29 am »
Finally read the Low Wattage guidelines and am surprised at the 25 watt limit (to "work well" and sound "moderately loud").

Grandma says anything over 75 dB is loud, so I'm not sure what the guideline really means, but don't want to get into an endless debate over it either.  And 25 watt limit opens the door to most tube amps, including virtually every push-pull amp in triode mode.

Anyway, my system does/doesn't qualify.  Just picked up a new tube amp (review forthcoming) that qualifies in triode mode and sounds fine with my "babies" (promise to post something on them in the speaker thread) and in fact haven't cranked it up all the way to see how loud it does get.  OTOH I have 100 watt digital mono blocks that also sound good (as good as depending on the tubes used).  Used to have a 7 wpc battery powered tripath that worked well, sounded moderately loud, and kicked some SET butt in terms of handling my speakers.

Freo-1

Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #24 on: 6 Aug 2014, 08:54 pm »
Finally read the Low Wattage guidelines and am surprised at the 25 watt limit (to "work well" and sound "moderately loud").

Grandma says anything over 75 dB is loud, so I'm not sure what the guideline really means, but don't want to get into an endless debate over it either.  And 25 watt limit opens the door to most tube amps, including virtually every push-pull amp in triode mode.

Anyway, my system does/doesn't qualify.  Just picked up a new tube amp (review forthcoming) that qualifies in triode mode and sounds fine with my "babies" (promise to post something on them in the speaker thread) and in fact haven't cranked it up all the way to see how loud it does get.  OTOH I have 100 watt digital mono blocks that also sound good (as good as depending on the tubes used).  Used to have a 7 wpc battery powered tripath that worked well, sounded moderately loud, and kicked some SET butt in terms of handling my speakers.

The guidelines were written to encompass and include products like the First Watt line of amps.  I consider all of the First Watt products (and other products like them) to technically qualify as low(er) wattage.  There are a lot of speakers that are 89 db/w and above (not quite high efficiency) that could benefit from use of a Class A type amp (tube or SS).  The idea was to be more inclusive, and not limit to flea powered SE amps (although some of those DO sound magical with the right speakers).

JoshK

Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #25 on: 6 Aug 2014, 11:41 pm »
My current thinking regarding wattage has more to do with questioning whether output impedance is more the limiting factor with flea amps then wattage.   I have used a lot of low watt amps and am surprised by how loud I can play in my apartment on <20 watts.   However the amps that have high Zout sound more coloured then the others.  Often they go hand in hand but don't have to.

WntrMute2

Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #26 on: 26 Oct 2018, 10:17 pm »


Deleted.  Posted in wrong area.
« Last Edit: 27 Oct 2018, 05:06 pm by WntrMute2 »

avahifi

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Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #27 on: 29 Oct 2018, 03:10 pm »
Gee, I could easily make a 25W/Ch version of our SET 120 amp and do it for about $499.

It would be unbreakable as the output transistors would be working at a tiny fraction of their capability.

Fully regulated power supplies and dead silent.

Anyone interested?

Frank Van Alstine

Freo-1

Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #28 on: 29 Oct 2018, 05:50 pm »
Gee, I could easily make a 25W/Ch version of our SET 120 amp and do it for about $499.

It would be unbreakable as the output transistors would be working at a tiny fraction of their capability.

Fully regulated power supplies and dead silent.

Anyone interested?

Frank Van Alstine


Frank,


Would it be Class A? 

rollo

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Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #29 on: 29 Oct 2018, 07:42 pm »
   Enjoying the pleasure of Lamm ML2.2 set mono blocks at 18W driving 105db Rethm Saadhana speakers. Digital front end is Aqua Formula xHd DAC and Aqua vida transport. Preamp Lamm L2.1 Reference. Come on over.



charles

avahifi

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Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #30 on: 29 Oct 2018, 07:56 pm »
Yes, I could bias a SET 50 on full Class A if somebody wanted that.

Frank

roscoe65

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Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #31 on: 29 Oct 2018, 11:13 pm »
The SET 50 is a 25wpc, Class A, SET amp?  For $499?  You should sell a few of them.  They go head to head with a Firstwatt F2, and that amp is on the short list of a lot of listeners.  A number of Omega speaker guys would likely be interested at the lower price of entry.

FullRangeMan

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Re: Guidelines for Low Wattage Systems
« Reply #32 on: 29 Oct 2018, 11:32 pm »
Yes, I could bias a SET 50 on full Class A if somebody wanted that.

Frank
Oh really a nice project, I would add a big laminated power transformer(not Toroidal) and dual volume control to CD player direct.