Home » Audio » Thermionic Emissions » SET 45
SET 45 [message #10638] Sun, 11 July 2004 19:42 Go to next message
akhilesh is currently offline  akhilesh
Messages: 1275
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
Hi everyone,
I bought a SET 45 on the web, used. It is awesome! I love the way the tube renders the sound. It has decent parts (james output trannies, good coupling caps). Anyone else here ever heard one of these? What do you all think?
thanx
-akhilesh

Re: SET 45 [message #10639 is a reply to message #10638] Sun, 11 July 2004 21:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18783
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
Lots of people swear by those 45's. I've heard some that I thought were terrible, and I'm not sure why. A single 45 can't provide a lot of power, but it should sound good if used right. But I've heard a few 45 amps that were pretty unflattering to the tube, to say the least.

Your amp sounds great. It sounds to me the way an amp should sound, so I'm giving it the nod for sure!

I think that there is something to be said of the active element chosen, but maybe even more by the configuration its used in. Your amp uses the 45 in a configuration that works very well. I know there are some that would say it's the 45 tube that does it. But I think it's the circuit your builder put it in as much as anything else.

You owned a lot of tube amps, and heard even more. What do you think?

Totally agree Wayne: it's the overall circuit that matters plus the parts. NT [message #10640 is a reply to message #10639] Mon, 12 July 2004 06:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
akhilesh is currently offline  akhilesh
Messages: 1275
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
nt

Re: SET 45 [message #10641 is a reply to message #10638] Mon, 12 July 2004 17:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (13th Degree)
Hi AK; Heard the Korneff 45 a while ago and posted on the PI forumn. As I recall there was quite a bit of discussion concerning that amp at the time so you might want to check the archives. It worked very well with Altec's of exceptional efficiency. They seem to be going for reasonable prices now and I assume that is due to their ultra-low power output. I personally would be interested in your opinion of the amp and if at all possible the design and implementation of the circuit. May I ask is this purchase a result of your ongoing experiments with single driver systems? The 45 seemed to me at the time to be very sensitive to which speakers were used. Even amongst the more efficient speaks there was an obvious connection when they agreed with each other.(I mean the amp and speaks!)

Re: SET 45 [message #10642 is a reply to message #10641] Tue, 13 July 2004 08:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
akhilesh is currently offline  akhilesh
Messages: 1275
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
HI John,
Mine uses the 417a input tube capactively coupled to a 45. I thnk Gordon Rankin (wavelength) uses the same circuit in his ultimate 45 amps.
The amp i got also has decent quality parts (not silver wired trannies or anything but good stuff). IN a nutshell: james output trannies (considered to be sleepers in the same league as the big boys like tamura) , stancor NOS power tranny (good ole usa), blackgate, panasonic & nichicon caps in the power, jupiter beeswax caps in the coupling, good quality resistors (mills, allen bradley & holco).
Why did i buy it?
Given my speakers (97 db & 104 db eff resp), i realized i was not really going over a watt or two. SO i looked around for the best first watt amp i could find (and afford). AS paul klipsch said, it's the first watt that counts, right? I read a lot about the resolving power of the 45, and this amp came up for sale online, so i bought it. It is very nice. I like the way the amp resolves the music. It's probably a little more distorted than, say, my zen amp, but i LIKE the way it distorts...in fact i can't even tell if it distorts. It just sounds more clear and realistic to me than any other amp i own.
Voices and instruments sound very well rendered.
It works very well with my homebrewed trusonic 80FR setup (wide range driver with tweeter at 15K and compensation network), and also wiith the klipschorns. But, yeah, it really needs at least 96 db speakers. ALso, my homebrewed setup was tuned for the zen amp (the compensation network i mean) which some people consider to be a bit weak in bass. WEll, all i can say is the 45 works very well with both my speaker pairs (to my ears). IF you have a nice set of horns or very efficient speakers, a 45 amp should work.

it may also work with a PURE single driver setup, but there may be problems...since most pure single driver setups are compromised in terms of frequency range. I think one would need a pretty decent horn loaded single driver setup to really appreciate a 45 amp. Another option (i think most people use it this way) is use it in a biamped setup.
SO, in a nutshell, you ar eright: i can see this amp being very sensitive to speakers. That's probably why they are cheaper than the 300Bs. One website to read may be Gordon Rankin's website at wavelength audio. He gives his opinions on the different tubes (300B versus 2a3 versus 45).
thanx
-akhilesh


Commercial speakers that would work well with a 45 SEt [message #10643 is a reply to message #10642] Tue, 13 July 2004 08:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
akhilesh is currently offline  akhilesh
Messages: 1275
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
I heard Wayne Parham's 3 way horn setup last saturday (www.pispeakers.com. I was very impressed. These should work well aith a 45.
So will a pair of klipschorns and some of the other older klipsch speakers.
According to wavelength audio, horn loaded lowthers work well as well, though I have never heard a lowther in any box.
thanx
-akhilesh


Re: Totally agree Wayne: it's the overall circuit that matters plus the parts. NT [message #10644 is a reply to message #10640] Tue, 13 July 2004 12:44 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (13th Degree)
AK, This makes how many amps you have owned since last year? You are the guy I am going to for anecdotal impressions from now on! I need to get some pics of the 211 amp project I am still contemplating and send them to you, I think you will appreciate that amp. 20 watts of triode SE power with mercury vapor rectifiers and vanishingly low 2nd order distortion.

Re: Totally agree Wayne: it's the overall circuit that matters plus the parts. NT [message #10645 is a reply to message #10644] Tue, 13 July 2004 13:28 Go to previous messageGo to next message
akhilesh is currently offline  akhilesh
Messages: 1275
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
Sounds cooL! Would love to see the project pics.
Yeah i have been going overboard on amps....no MORE!
:-)
-akhilesh

Re: Totally agree Wayne: it's the overall circuit that matters plus the parts. NT [message #10646 is a reply to message #10645] Tue, 13 July 2004 15:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Manualblock is currently offline  Manualblock
Messages: 4973
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (13th Degree)
No More; HMMM< I've heard that before!

Re: Totally agree Wayne: it's the overall circuit that matters plus the parts. NT [message #10647 is a reply to message #10646] Tue, 13 July 2004 17:29 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18783
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)


Previous Topic: Tube Pre-Amp Recommendation
Next Topic: Metasonix TM-4
Goto Forum:
  


Current Time: Mon Nov 11 05:02:08 CST 2024

Sponsoring Organizations

DIY Audio Projects
DIY Audio Projects
OddWatt Audio
OddWatt Audio
Pi Speakers
Pi Speakers
Prosound Shootout
Prosound Shootout
Miller Audio
Miller Audio
Tubes For Amps
TubesForAmps.com

Lone Star Audiofest