Custom 845 monos w/ Tango transformers

Unison845 · « **Reply #20 on:** 21 Sep 2010, 02:55 pm »

New equipment usually takes about 40 hrs break in period for the sound to stabilize. The most obvious improvement is in the bass region, where it seemed to get deeper as you spend more time, this also change the lower midrange character which become meatier. Another thing I noticed is that when I start to enjoy the music rather than listening to a newly built amp, the break-in period is basically over.

Watch this page in the future, I am in the process of building an all out attempt another a pair monoblock SE with high power tube using another round of top notch Tango transformers and some very surprising output tubes.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #21 on:** 21 Sep 2010, 05:38 pm »

Quote from: Unison845 on 21 Sep 2010, 02:55 pm

New equipment usually takes about 40 hrs break in period for the sound to stabilize. The most obvious improvement is in the bass region, where it seemed to get deeper as you spend more time, this also change the lower midrange character which become meatier. Another thing I noticed is that when I start to enjoy the music rather than listening to a newly built amp, the break-in period is basically over.

I can't imagine agreeing more with the part I emphasized with italics. It is an accurate and poetic expression of my experience.

Quote

Watch this page in the future, I am in the process of building an all out attempt another a pair monoblock SE with high power tube using another round of top notch Tango transformers and some very surprising output tubes.

Yummy!

James Romeyn · « **Reply #22 on:** 21 Sep 2010, 06:11 pm »

Quote from: Will2 on 18 Sep 2010, 05:10 pm

I must say, those amps in the OP are exactly to my taste aesthetically - and I bet they would be great with my Dream Makers. If I didn't already have Atma's I'd be feeling an irresistible itch. Anyhow - what a fantastic job - the owner is one lucky guy.

Duke LeJeune brought his Atma-Sphere 30W stereo to audition on my custom monitors he helped design (Duke gets a license fee; described at my website). The monitors have only one impedance peak above the bass range, about 20-Ohms at 2.2 kHz. When matched with the OTL there was a F.R. peak corresponding to the impedance peak. There was too much output in that range but it was otherwise close to perfect.

Duke engineered an impedance EQ device (parallel circuit only, nothing in series) to flatten the above peak. With the EQ device the OTL performance made an indelible impression, the proverbial match made in heaven. Spatial qualities were so vast and distinct, like fireworks, that it took time to acclimate. Not fatiguing, just such a remarkable improvement. (That was with only two stereo monopole monitors-the same monitors were upgraded to Duke's "vertical offset bipolar" technology and there are now three across the front with pure analog Trinaural processing.)

Anyone would be satisfied with the OTL power and dynamics in this 3300cf room, even more so now that the monitors are HP X'd around 150 Hz and Duke's best sub woofer system is added. The 30W OTL seemed about twice as powerful as a Plinius SA-50 Mk3 (final edition) 55 lb pure class A 50W, not a slouch by any metric.

Even my friend who built the amps in the OP swears by A.S. OTL on the right load. He employs active XO exclusively. I'm surprised he doesn't build his speakers around OTL.

Unison845 · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 Sep 2010, 06:33 am »

OTL with the right speaker (electrostat) can sound amazingly good. I still have a pair of OTL3 that drive the Stax ESL83, which other 100W tube amp failed to make them sing. I heard the Atma Sphere that drive the JBL Hartsfield with surprisingly great sound.

Just visit a machine shop that is working on a custom tube socket that I designed for my next amp!

Mariusz · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 Sep 2010, 06:49 am »

Is it an intro to new product line/custom work?
Or just a hobby?

Anyway - great looking amps, either thought I am more interested in how those sound

BTW: big fan of SET amps myself

Cheers
Mariusz

Unison845 · « **Reply #25 on:** 22 Sep 2010, 06:55 am »

Just a hobby. I never sell any amp that I build them with my own hand, too precious let them go. All my systems used active xover, which means 6 mono blocks for a 3 way system, that's why ... never enough!

My next amp is SET which will be used for experimenting some various output tube with output greater than 20W, .. in search of the holy grail .

Mariusz · « **Reply #26 on:** 22 Sep 2010, 07:00 am »

You are a .......scary character Mr.

Great looking system - would love to hear it play MUSIC.

(will be checking this post for updates)

James Romeyn · « **Reply #27 on:** 22 Sep 2010, 04:58 pm »

Quote from: Unison845 on 22 Sep 2010, 06:33 am

OTL with the right speaker (electrostat) can sound amazingly good. I still have a pair of OTL3 that drive the Stax ESL83, which other 100W tube amp failed to make them sing. I heard the Atma Sphere that drive the JBL Hartsfield with surprisingly great sound.

Just visit a machine shop that is working on a custom tube socket that I designed for my next amp!

W-O-W!!!!!!

HOBBY?

Sounds like someone saying they are into rockets as a hobby and they are flying to the moon next weekend!

Sweet.

I thought my buddy in CA was a fanatic till you came along!

Unison845 · « **Reply #28 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 05:58 am »

I dont know about rocket, but mounting one of these under the belly of an A10-Warthog, it sure looked like a guided bomb.

If all goes as planned, the number of different output tubes that can be used with this amplifier will be mind-boggling.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 03:55 pm »

So many tubes...so little time...

Unison845 · « **Reply #30 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 04:14 pm »

After two weeks waiting for metal plating, this is how it looks.

JakeJ · « **Reply #31 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 05:09 pm »

WOW!

Beauty! All the gold color metal parts, anodized or plated? I'm guessing from earlier shots they are aluminum, yes? What did it cost to have the parts treated?

Please keep the eye candy coming.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #32 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 05:19 pm »

How funny to talk to my friend on the phone a week ago and find out this IS the same person! I knew it was impossible for there to be two such fanatics!

Here's one of his several rigs. This speaker is about 7' tall.

Unison845 · « **Reply #33 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 06:02 pm »

Yes, they are Aluminum. I have them Anodized, they got the wrong darker gold color, I prefer the lighter gold like my previous amp. I would have liked the tube socket to have different color which would make better contrast, but that would cost another extra couple hundred. In Silicon Valley to have something anodized, it would cost $80 for setup fees, each aluminum item cost between $5 to $10 depends on size.

Jim,
The picture was 5 years old, I have 6 tube amplifiers driving the system now.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #34 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 10:15 pm »

ONLY six! That's AWFUL!

Unison845 · « **Reply #35 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 05:31 pm »

I always has a curiosity of the sound of 100W Class A tube amplifier, I mean a "real class A triode" at 100W, through low efficiency loudspeaker.
This is what I came up with, a Parallel Push Pull 845, chassis in "Bloodwood"

Unison845 · « **Reply #36 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 05:34 pm »

JakeJ · « **Reply #37 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 05:47 pm »

Amazing! I'm guessing you'll be able to heat the room nicely as well.

Unison845 · « **Reply #38 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 05:49 pm »

A pair of these would burn over 1200 Watts, winter is coming, hope it will snow in California.

James Romeyn · « **Reply #39 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 10:11 pm »

Quote from: Unison845 on 15 Oct 2010, 05:49 pm

A pair of these would burn over 1200 Watts, winter is coming, hope it will snow in California.

Hey, we get 61" of white powder here, on average! I need one of those on my center channel speaker! The house is really well insulated, but it still runs a bit colder in the basement sound room vs. upstairs....those tube sockets are just fantastic!