Propeller Head Plaza Technical and scientific discussion of amps, cables and other topics.

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Re: Spreads

Posted by Steve Eddy on August 15, 2004 at 10:28:25

In Reply to: Spreads posted by toxicport.e on August 14, 2004 at 21:37:39:

I can draw the basic setup

Could you? I'd appreciate it. I'd like to see just how they're approaching it.

I think il just stick to transistors and mosfets, tubes just arent my thing(price or practicality wise)

I can relate. I like tubes, but had a few uh... shocking experiences as a child and that rather put me off dealing with high voltages so I've never been very keen on designing with tubes. :)

I just think that trying to design a solid state amp to sound like a tube amp is something of a folly. Rather like trying to get oleoresin to taste like butter and it rather presupposes that nothing else can possibly sound better than a tube amp.

I've always designed with the goal being the most pleasurable listening experience at the end of the day rather than trying to recreate one kind of amplifier using completely different elements.

My present amplifier, which uses transistors, isn't like a tube amp so much as it's like a tube amp turned inside out. With a twist. :)

Instead of using tubes to amplify the signal (voltage gain) and output transformers reduce output impedance (current gain), I'm using input transformers to amplify the signal and transistors to reduce output impedance.

About the only thing it shares with a tube amp (more specifically a SET amp) is that it has a rather high output impedance compared to typical solid state amps.

Yes thats true the transfer functions are different,+ output transformer which i forgot about!

:)

am now reading the zen amp files.

Those are fun. Though I started losing interest once Nelson started down the "variations" path and began making the Zen more and more complex. I think the pinnacle was reached with Zenlightenment and went downhill from there. :)

Are you familiar with Jean Hiraga's Le Monstre? Another elegantly simple amp which inspired me back before Nelson came up with Zen.

If not, the original articles (in French) can be found here:

Jean Hiraga Class-A Amplifiers

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