Transcendent Sound Message Board

GG upgrades

Brett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:08:29 GMT

I have read many many posts here about different upgrades. Since I have completed my GG kit I have found it to sound a little bright on my Klipschorns and I am thinking Film/foil Caps may help the sound to be more to my liking. I have made these same mods on other tube gear I had with pleasing results and was wondering if anyone has a recommendation on this?

If you feel this would be worth while what brand would you suggest?

Thanks

Rocker switch connections

Steven Freeman — Thur, 05 Nov 2009 00:15:36 GMT

I had purchased a used T-16 three or more years ago and it was supplied with a 120vac bulb located just above the on/off rocker switch. Although it was small it stuck out and interfered with the rocker switch. Recently I bough a new front panel from Bruce and plan to put a lit rocker switch in to replace the old setup.

When I opened up the amp and tried to figure out how the previous owner had wired the bulb I must admit I became confused. From the power cord outlet located on the back 3 white wires run from the two terminals (the ground is clear and easy to see where it goes). However 3 wires run to the rocker switch on the front where there are only two terminals. I'm sure this should be obvious but can someone tell me where each of the three wires connect.

If also notice a slight hum in the right channel and wonder if the wiring of the rocker switch (previously) may have been the cause. If tries swapping tubes but the hum remains.

Thanks in advance for any help.

available tubes

kevner — Thur, 22 Oct 2009 10:25:36 GMT

Mr. Rosenblit If I were to buy one of your OTL amps ,what will be the availability of the Russian tubes over the years? As you know Good tubes are depleting rapidly

Crossover

bigfishe — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:17:09 GMT

I want my damn Crossover!!

Seriously considering the Beast kit

tropicalcb — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:05:48 GMT

I've had a good look on the net for reviews & detailed user comments/impressions of this OTL but there's not a lot, apart from a few scattered impressions & comments here. Can anyone who has built the kit give me an idea of their impressions relative to some known high end amps, particularly valve/tube power amps of similar output power.
I'm seriously considering buying the kit mainly because I just don't have the time any more to source everything .... and as someone commented on the forum, layout & chassis building take up a lot of time & there's always something that either isn't quite how you wanted it or was not designed in & requires major surgery to include. So if its been done its worth the money.
My main concern is the weight & bulkiness ie: freight cost to Australia. I could save weight on Tx's but custom torroids woud end up more expensive than the supplied I reckon.
if there's anyone from this part of the world who has been through the exercise I'd appreciate some input.

cheers ... cb

Step Up Transformers

Brenton — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:06:00 GMT

Greetings one and all.

I know this topic has been discussed quite a few times, but having read everything I can find on the topic, I'm a little baffled.

I have the Transcendent Phono and GG Pre amp. I want to add a Moving Coil cartridge, so, will need a Step Up Transformer.

I understand Bruce recommends placing the SUT after the Phono output, and before the Pre amp.

My understanding (correct if wrong) is that it's usually placed before the Phono input stage.

This article appears to confirm that explicitly.

http://www.vinylengine.com/step-ups-and-mc-cartridges.shtml

I wonder how placing the SUT after the Phono stage affects the components in the SUT. That is, wouldn't impedance, or something, be different depending on whether the SUT goes before the Phono in put, or after the Phono stage out put?

Thanks for any guidance on this confusing matter.

What's with the silence?

gw — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:00:55 GMT

Chinese got your keyboards too?

Biamp with Beast

jwcullison — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:51:32 GMT

I was waiting to hear if there was going to be an active XO by Bruce but there doesn't seem to be anymore chatter with this.

I have some power hungry McIntosh speakers in which I have a big solid state amp pushing them. However, I would like to have the Beasts pushing the HF....which for this speaker is 250Hz and up. I can use the SS amp to push 250Hz and down.

The manufacturer states biamping using the internal passive XO is fine....but afraid to do this with a tube amp w/o an active XO in front of the Beast. They recommend with a tube amp, to put an active high pass in front of the tube amp set to one octave lower than the XO point. Then connect to the HF speaker terminals using the internal XO.

Now I use an active Ashly XO with my custom horn system and using a T16 to run the HF section with good success. But really wasn't wanting to use standard "pro equipment" to use with my McIntosh Speakers (XRT1K's).

If there is any possibility to use the Beast for the HF of my Mcintosh speakers w/o an active.......please someone tell me how to do this safely.

jc

Want to biamp with Beast

jc — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:50:40 GMT

SE OTL Speakers

J Smith — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:56:24 GMT

Does anyone have the specs on the Hedlund Horns? Ohms? Sensitivity? Recommended amp power?

Is there any particular speaker that matches exceptionally well with the SE OTL without much limitations?

Something like a Tannoy Westminster Royal at 99db sensitivity?

Thanks,

Fostex FE166E in

Alan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:56:49 GMT

cfa output transformers

Rick B — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:13:53 GMT

Hi Im new at this and just purchased plans for the cfa
I was curious if anyone knows why toroids arent or cant be used for the output transformers? any info greatly appreciated, Thanks

SED EL509 ?

ken ambrose — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:04:11 GMT

Is it any good?

Here's the link:

http://www.sed-usa.com/index.asp?strType=Content&strPage=EL509

From the web site:

SED EL509 High Performance Beam Power Tetrode

The SED EL509/6KG6 is a beam power tetrode intended for use in class A, AB or B audio amplifiers and for class B or C RF amplification. Close manufacturing specification tolerances and improved high voltage processing provides improved reliability and superior performance. The SED EL509/6KG6 features: Increased peak cathode emission from new cathode materials; Stable operation from extended processing and aging; Gold-plated grid; Precise grid/screen alignment; Extra-heavy glass envelope for ruggedness; Improved vacuum processing; Comprehensive testing before and after aging.
The SED EL509/6KG6 is manufactured in Russia at the SED SPb factory and is designed to be a direct replacement for any 6KG6 or EL509

--ken

OTL SE Power Line Noise

jim bailey — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:09:44 GMT

I am having a noise problem. The source of the noise is a dimmer switch. I am certain of this because the noise I hear coming out of the speakers goes away when the dimmer is off and varies with any change in the dimmer setting.

I have a P/S Audio Power Station Premier that is connected to a dedicated 20 amp circuit that supplies the OTL, pre and CDP. The dimmer switch is on a different circuit. Given the Power Station and the dedicated circuit I am both surprised and disappointed by the noise problem.

The dimmer is in the same room with the my system. Could this be an RFI problem rather than a power line problem? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jim Bailey

Questions about OTL in Audio Reality

Chris Pope — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:20:38 GMT

Hi,

I'm gearing up to build the Transcendent OTL design in Audio Reality (25W+25W).

In the schematic, all tube heaters run from the same power supply. But the maximum heater/cathode voltage for 12AX7 and 12AU7 is 180V, and for JJ EL509-S it is 150V. Since the lower set of output tubes have cathodes at -170V, this would seem to mean the heater supply needs to be at below -20V, while one of the 12AU7 tubes has its cathode at +375V, which would seem to mean the heater supply needs to be at above +195V.

I know the heater supply is floating, but whatever it floats at, it can't satisfy the conditions of being below -20V and yet also above +195V at the same time! This seems to mean that at least some of the tubes are getting well above their maximum allowed heater/cathode voltage. Are those heater/cathode max. voltages in the datasheets very conservative, so that they can be safely ignored, or is there something to worry about here?

I was thinking about using a separate heater supply for the output tubes (could be AC, I suppose?), held at about -85V, and then a regulated DC supply for the input and drive tubes. But even for the input and drivers, it seems to be stretching the limits to run them all on the same supply. (Cathode voltages range from a few volts on the 12AX7 up to +375V on one of the 12AU7 drivers.) It almost seems like V1 and V2 need a heater supply held at about +75V, and V3 needs yet another heater supply, held at about +370V. Again, am I worrying too much about the maximum heater/cathode voltages given in the tube datasheets?

One other question concerns delayed B+ on startup. In many tube amp designs the turn on of the B+ is delayed by a minute or two, to allow the cathodes to warm up. There is no provision for this in the OTL design in Audio Reality. Is this because experience suggests delayed B+ is unnecesary?

Thanks for any replies!
Chris