I admit it, I have a strong addiction to 45 SET amps.
They can be simple and clean along the less-is-more tack, can be relatively hum free even with AC filament heat, and their antique simplicity means even a hacker like me can build one that sounds pretty good. And a 45 SET can sound SO good...
But 1.5w of output – what good is that?
My Altecs apparently eek out 100db with the first watt, which you’d think would make the 45 just fine, but I’ve always found that the 3w from a 2A3 is much more appropriate for my musical tastes, so the 45s usually go back on the shelf, and I live in 2A3 bliss.
But things change, and since a 45 hit is as close as flipping a few switches in my current amp, I keep going back for a fix, and I’m slipping, I’m becoming resigned to the fact that this tube is now ‘the shit’ for me.
Changes. I now use a separate pair of Altec 416As as helper woofers to the 604s; similar tone and speed with the modern shine of digital EQ and a nice SS amp. All the well integrated bass I need, while leaving the 604 mojo as-is and un-compromised in all their full-range analog glory, without the need to squeeze out that low bass.
So the 604s came out of the corners for even better imaging and the SET amp doesn’t need to plumb the deep bass depths anymore. Power is less of an issue and coupling caps, passive components and tubes can be more focused on optimizing the upper bass on up, especially the mid-range, tone, presence and imaging. All the stuff the 45 excels at.
It’s winter, we’re covid locked-down, no on-ice sports for the kids, no business travel, lots of time to relax, pour a dram and just listen for a change. Most of my listening these days is Americana, Blues and jazz, all stuff friendly to the 45, but the 2A3s were sounding pretty nice so I forget about the audio stuff and enjoyed.
On the weekend, I wanted to try some new things with the digital front-end; over-clock and push the player PC running HQplayer to get to PCM 16/44.1 > DSD256, ASDM7EC, poly-sinc-ext2 into the DSD direct DAC. This is purported to play dividends in the imaging, presence and smoothness – again, the stuff where the 45 excels. I was jonesing for a fix, so out with the 2A3s and in with the Tj-45s.
They can be simple and clean along the less-is-more tack, can be relatively hum free even with AC filament heat, and their antique simplicity means even a hacker like me can build one that sounds pretty good. And a 45 SET can sound SO good...
But 1.5w of output – what good is that?
My Altecs apparently eek out 100db with the first watt, which you’d think would make the 45 just fine, but I’ve always found that the 3w from a 2A3 is much more appropriate for my musical tastes, so the 45s usually go back on the shelf, and I live in 2A3 bliss.
But things change, and since a 45 hit is as close as flipping a few switches in my current amp, I keep going back for a fix, and I’m slipping, I’m becoming resigned to the fact that this tube is now ‘the shit’ for me.
Changes. I now use a separate pair of Altec 416As as helper woofers to the 604s; similar tone and speed with the modern shine of digital EQ and a nice SS amp. All the well integrated bass I need, while leaving the 604 mojo as-is and un-compromised in all their full-range analog glory, without the need to squeeze out that low bass.
So the 604s came out of the corners for even better imaging and the SET amp doesn’t need to plumb the deep bass depths anymore. Power is less of an issue and coupling caps, passive components and tubes can be more focused on optimizing the upper bass on up, especially the mid-range, tone, presence and imaging. All the stuff the 45 excels at.
It’s winter, we’re covid locked-down, no on-ice sports for the kids, no business travel, lots of time to relax, pour a dram and just listen for a change. Most of my listening these days is Americana, Blues and jazz, all stuff friendly to the 45, but the 2A3s were sounding pretty nice so I forget about the audio stuff and enjoyed.
On the weekend, I wanted to try some new things with the digital front-end; over-clock and push the player PC running HQplayer to get to PCM 16/44.1 > DSD256, ASDM7EC, poly-sinc-ext2 into the DSD direct DAC. This is purported to play dividends in the imaging, presence and smoothness – again, the stuff where the 45 excels. I was jonesing for a fix, so out with the 2A3s and in with the Tj-45s.
