300b/GM70 Amp
There seems to be a shortage of ongoing projects these days - and
those that are fettling are too busy to write about it:-)
Could be - I'm building my best amp yet for a client. Or to be
precise, two monobloks. Outputs are 2a3 into O-netics iron. Amp is
balanced right through the three stages. First stage is a diff pair of
01A with constant current sink, direct coupled into a 26 driver stage
which is in push-pull into a Lundahl LL1660 interstage. Lots of solid
state in the low voltage supplies for the filaments of the DHTs and
the CCS, - LM337, LM1084, BC549 etc - and lots of Schottky diodes.
Power supply is 47uF electrolytic, 10H choke, 80uF polypropylene, 10H
choke, 40uF polypropylene, 1.5K resistor, 40K polypropylene. Quite a
complex build, including designing the layout in a pair of 2U
rackmount chassis.
As for valves, the 26 globe just beat the 112A gobe as a driver -
fuller and more mellow. But there were a few good input choices - 30
globe, 201A globe, 112A globe. even the humble 31 didn't disgrace
itself.
Sound is extremely nice - full and mellow but with air and good
treble. Very detailed. Client is very pleased, and now I have the
design (which took WEEKS to finalise, research and build) I can build
more rather more quickly. However, the parts count is pretty
frightening and you don't get much change from ?1000 quid. It could be
built cheaper with cheaper iron and coupling caps instead of the
interstage, and cheaper valves - those globes are hard to find and
match and they all have to be imported from USA with the appropriate
customs charge and handling.
Just a bit different from the average Chinese amp!
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