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SET the best?

Is SET amplification where we should all end up? I keep reading posts where people tell of their journeys from plenty power to micro power, and how amazing SET amplification is 45 set 211 set 845 set otl, and usually, ....with the right speaker. I have yet to read of anyone who has gone the other direction from SET, to High watt beast class A amps or others.
If your speakers can be driven by minimal wattage, is this the most realistic, natural sound we can achieve? versus say, 86db sensitive speakers and a 1000w amp?
Is the end result solely based on speaker pairing? circuit? tubes?

I am in the process of changing my direction in my search for realistic sound, just because, and wondering if this really is the best direction to be going.
From what I have been reading I think it may be.

What do we get with SET? What do we give up?

What's you favorite color?
hanaleimike

Showing 2 responses by amfibius

amfibius
282 posts
 
I went the other way - from a Cary CAD-805AE SET to the CAD-211AE push-pull amps. The reason for the switch was because the SET was underpowered for my new speakers. With the old speakers (ProAc D38's) the SET sounded magnificent with certain types of music - vocals, lieder, violin solos, string quartets. But the SET's could sound muddled when given something a bit more full range, like heavy orchestral. The symptoms were poor seperation of any instrument from the midbass down.

The CAD-211AE is an improvement in almost every aspect, mostly with dynamics, midrange weight, and almost unstoppable drive. But the top end is nowhere near as good as the SET. I was bi-amping for a while (see my sig) before I was forced to return the SET to pay the bills! If I could afford it, I would buy another pair of CAD-805's and bi-amp again.
amfibius
282 posts
 
I think he is talking about the missing fundamental effect. If the fundamental frequency is f, there will be harmonics at 2f, 3f, 4f, and so on. Even if your system can not produce the fundamental (as has been pointed out, the bass note on a piano goes as low as 27.5Hz), it can definitely produce the harmonics which is how you perceive the bass note. Your brain fills it in.

I can listen to piano on my iPod earphones which definitely don't go as low as 27.5Hz, but I can still "hear" bass notes on the piano.

There are products out there that take advantage of the missing fundamental effect by boosting the harmonics, giving the sensation of more bass.
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