SET for Orchestral , Big Band etc.


I've always heard how suited SET amps are for vocals, chamber music, jazz ensembles, etc. And, I listen to this type of music a lot. Which is why I've decided to move to this type of system. However, after reading those opinions, I'm inferring that people are implicitly saying that these amps would NOT do as well for large orchestral or big band jazz music which I also listen to a lot of. Currently, when I listen to a symphonic piece and there is a large crescendo punctuated with a tripple forte accent, I can feel it with a big umpf! It's chilling. Will I hever have that with a SET system? Will I need a small sub-woofer? I thought sub-woofers were not very musical and used largely in HT setups. My new speakers will be much smaller than my current ones due to my small room (approx 11x13). Thanx for your thoughts.
pawlowski6132

Showing 2 responses by c123666

All things being equal (power, class A, good components) a similar powered push/pull tube amp will have a bit more "slam" than a comparable SET amplifier. A quality 300b push/pull interstage coupled hard wired amp with quality trannies will make your heart sing on complex orchestral works with the right speakers.
A quality SET does not sound mushy or bloated; it simply has a bit less "slam" than a comparable push/pull design. The SET has a bit better/lusher midrange than a push/pull.

If I wanted a quality tube amp making at least 20 watts with good dynamics the 300b push/pull interstage coupled dual monaural design would be at the top of the list. A 211 based SET designed to run up to 30 watts would also be on the list but it is more expensive to build than the push/pull due to transformer requirements.