The OTL breakthrough: not tubes but speakers?
 

It seems to me I recall somone having a site which showed an enormous SE
transmitting tube amp that could actually fill the room with sound directly
from the tube alone...no speakers at all. He described how the whole amp
acted like a giant room ionizer. Does anyone recall this? I'm talking like
8-9 years ago.

Andrew


Andre Jute wrote in message
...
I gave up the idea of direct tube drive of Quad ESL63 years ago as too
hot and too dangerous. But my recent experiences with Stax
electrostatic earphones driven by small OTL tube amps makes me wonder
if the next breakthrough in tube amps will not be a combination set of
a tube amp directly driving the associated fullsize electrostatic
fullrange speaker.

Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Amps at http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/
"wonderfully well written and reasoned information
for the tube audio constructor"
John Broskie TubeCAD & GlassWare
"an unbelievably comprehensive web site
containing vital gems of wisdom"
Stuart Perry Hi-Fi News & Record Review

The OTL breakthrough: not tubes but speakers?
 

On Nov 24, 12:00 am, "dre7" wrote:
It seems to me I recall somone having a site which showed an enormous SE
transmitting tube amp that could actually fill the room with sound directly
from the tube alone...no speakers at all. He described how the whole amp
acted like a giant room ionizer. Does anyone recall this? I'm talking like
8-9 years ago.

Andrew

I remember that. It was a sort of reverse theremin. I imagine all that
ionization will make you feel clammy, kill you cats with electrostatic
discharges, and eventually fry your brain if you mobile phone doesn't
get you first.

It was a very impressive show though, a huge purple corona around the
tube.

Do you remember the principle on which it worked. "Reverse theremin"
sounds far too glib to have much relation to physics but that is what
I remember someone saying.

Andre Jute
Nothing beats a good Irish gloom


Andre Jute wrote in message

...

I gave up the idea of direct tube drive of Quad ESL63 years ago as too
hot and too dangerous. But my recent experiences with Stax
electrostatic earphones driven by small OTL tube amps makes me wonder
if the next breakthrough in tube amps will not be a combination set of
a tube amp directly driving the associated fullsize electrostatic
fullrange speaker.

Andre Jute
Visit Jute on Amps athttp://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/
"wonderfully well written and reasoned information
for the tube audio constructor"
John Broskie TubeCAD & GlassWare
"an unbelievably comprehensive web site
containing vital gems of wisdom"
Stuart Perry Hi-Fi News & Record Review