Also, Douglas (Tnuctipun), here and over in the Group Build forum, has contacts with another transformer winder. I don't know much about the details, but I understand that the quality is very good.

However; the issue of transformer quality boils down to one of simple economics. They are labor intensive to build; they require large amounts of material and extensive attention to quality control. Not to mention they are heavy and expensive to ship. They are design dependant; ie. they are usually specific to each design so as a result they are small batch items. They have an inordinate effect on the sound of tube circuits, poorly regulated and constructed examples result in poor sound period. Well constructed units are expensive. Quality units are big and heavy and rely on the quality of the raw materials used to construct them for their sound.
There are no exceptions to this rule. With transformers; Quality=money. And you can't design around poor transformers. Cheap trans are not good; good trans are not cheap.
My point was the cost of good iron prohibits designers from making money on inexpensive amp kits. So by definition they must compromise on the transformers and no amount of tweaking passive parts can overcome that limitation.

For example NC winders v. 'by hand'. let alone the antics of what must be built like an electronic card shuffler to stack the lams v. 'by hand'. THe NC machine can be told how to handle TFE wrapping, or what ever the wire gage is, and it will do it quite well. Contrast this with soe knuckle-head who has either run out of pot the day before or has been indulging in the weed whilst winding your TX. I think I'll stick with the NC machine. Just need to tell it how to interleave, so get a good model and take it apart if you're in a big hurry. The R&D which would have to get spent on a new design makes things more expensive again.

Anybody have a Harman Kardon Citation II with a toasty opt? Think Homer SImpson's cloning hammock, put the bad one in( along with some money for the winder ) and out pop two new copies. Or one of the properly useful UTC Linear Standard series....name your fav, it can be copied and modified for new circuits. Put the tap for U-L just where you need it for what ever vlave you decide to use...
regards,
Douglas

Did you happen to see that Stoetkit John and I were talking about? It's a UL P-P amp that develops 9 watts. The transformers are nice and they come with attractive metal covers, mounted on the chassis. This little amp looks great and sounds great too. As entry level tube amp kits go, it's definitely one of my favorites.

Wayne

Bottom line, i think output trannies matter only in the direct coupled mode SET config...the good ones sell for about $600 a pair!
Even the James trannies in my custom SET 45 sell for about $200-$250 a pair.

The output trannies in a parafeed config like the bottleheads would sell for much less (they are much less critical and their mfg requirements are much less)..my guess would be $20-$50 a pair.
thanx
akhilesh