How to put together a Tube Hi-Fi System: 10 tips for sonic Nirvana!

[@karl-erikmoberg5668]

Hi, I agree with lots of your comments. Simple designs with good components is crucial. I use carbon resistors (as in the 1950) and copper foil and paper capacitors. One important thing is to use the same material throughout. I use custom made Jupiter caps with copper foil and copper legs. I have CARY amps one 211 push pull and one 805 SET. Both with no negative feedback! So, simple designs and good components. Regards Karl- Erik

[@ginovairo6487]

Hi Guido, I would be very keen for you to do a video on tube testing and tester options at different price points. I’ll keep an eye out for a future episode from you on this topic!! Ciao Gino.

[@fts81]

Gotta love tubes…. Great video, Guido!

[@sandrobuijs1123]

I have an Pathos TT, with old stock Mullard tubes. Oh man this amplifier sounds super great. On versus speakers 👍🔥

[@karellen00]

I have an OTL amplifier with point to point wiring for my headphones, truly amazing sound, especially with the military soviet tubes made for rocket computers! I would recommend others to start with headphone amplifiers, at least if you just want to try to see if that stuff is for you, since the power needed is much lower it makes it a lot easier on the wallet

[@gilesdavis6345]

Thanks again Guido. My amplifier journey went from class AB to class A ,(thought I found it there). Then to valves (I’m English), The journey took 40 years and quite a lot of components, but for a long while now it’s been valves with higher efficiency speakers.(but imho I think 90db is enough to open up the door to common valve amplification) All the best to you , Gary Oldman ❤

[@anadialog]

Thank you! With 90dB ai think you need at least 20W to really get all the juice out IMO. Just curious, are you by any chance the Gary Oldman actor? I assume not but you never know who may be a HIfi enthusiast!

[@gilesdavis6345]

I’m afraid not. But I am the lookalike with the jukebox and Mcintosh you showed in a recent video. All the best❤

[@kevinhamming4514]

one more comment about the Luxman CL 35 MK III . This is an all tube with MM phono input preamp for around $1,000.00. i highly recommend this tube preamp, there is a bunch of them for sale on ebay. Check out the specs on this amp. Also the very unique tone control. I bought mine refurbished. i dont really like the 12 ax7 but there are 7 of them and they sound extremely good. I replaced with JJ tubes with spiral filaments. Vintage made in 1978, mine,. refurbished sounds fricken awesome. wish we could add attachments here, would be cool way to easilly see peoples systems. I have denon turntable, homemade SUT (step up transformer with luhndals), into preamp to amps. All tube signal path. I dont know about reel to reel high freq specifically cymbals sound, but the turntable has got the best high freq response of anything else I own.

[@Laura_r53]

Love the videos, keep em coming. Always fun to see a video from you. Ciao from Zurich

[@anadialog]

Thank you very much!🤗

[@fabriziovigni4076]

Grande Guido! Il mondo delle valvole è affascinante ma richiede tanta attenzione. Un abbraccio da un fiorentino in Brasile. Maremma buhaiola!

[@NickP333]

Fantastic video, Guido! Huge fan of tubes here, especially when in the preamp. But….I do own some tube amps and have tried many others, 300B, 2A3, EL34, KT88, etc, My two main pairs of speakers (Pendragons and Fortes) are both around 95dB in sensitivity. The 2A3 with no more than 3.5wpc had zero problem driving both pairs with ease. IMHO, 100dB+, while it would be great, few people manufacture them, plus 100dB seems a bit excessive. They are out there though. 100% agree regarding point to point. Glad you brought up how hugely important transformers are. A PSU is the heart of an amplifier. Synergy is extremely important as well. Just because it looks good on paper, doesn’t mean it’ll sound good. My tube tester is also made by Hickok. Such a useful tool if into tube gear. Thanks, Guido. Another excellent video.

[@anadialog]

Thanks! Yes, of course, if you not looking to use say 45’s or low power tubes like that, then 95dB is ok.

[@kevinhamming4514]

Not many good speakers are made that dont have 100dB. klipsch do. thats why I have them. Thats because compared to Klipsch, none of the other ones are as good or advanced as they are. 4 speakers about 12" together combine all the area of them to reproduce 30 hz. same as a 48 " base speaker. They are not paper, made out of a thin metal and ceramic combination to keep their rigidity. Drivers are not placed close together like other manufacturers that contributes to intermodulation distortion.

[@NickP333]

@@kevinhamming4514 Yeah, there’s a reason Paul Klipsch and his speakers have lived on for so many years and are still made today. I love Klipsch. I personally won’t buy or build speakers under 95dB sensitivity or so. Klipsch do tend to overstate their sensitivity and efficiency though, and although they rate most of their speakers at 8 ohms nominal impedance, when measured, they are closer to 4 ohms. This will of course cause them to measure higher in sensitivity than if it were truly 8 ohms. I own a pair of the original Forte I’s, which I’d been tracking down for years, until my neighbor came by to say he was selling a pristine pair with consecutive serial #’s for a very low price. I bought em on the spot. I must say I prefer the tighter sounding 12” passive radiator to the 15” on all subsequent versions. The first batch of Forte I’s were also the last speaker in their now “Heritage Series” to use actual high quality ply and solid wood. The 12” radiators seem quicker and more agile sounding than the 15”s. After upgrading the X-over parts with Clarity caps, dampening the horns and woofer, and adding high quality OFC 16AWG wire, they sound fantastic. In my other system, I use Tekton Pendragons (95dB sensitivity) with an MTM / D’appolito bass reflex design. High sensitivity speakers just seem to have a certain effortless agility and sound quality to them, and are of course easily driven by lower wattage amplifiers, which makes them more versatile. Thanks for your comment. It’s always a pleasure talking about this stuff with someone who knows what they’re talking about, rather than a friend whose eyes start to glaze over….lol ✌️🎶😊💜🥳💨

[@kevinhamming4514]

@@NickP333 It seems spending money on the best MC cartridges and best speakers is the best place to spend the most money. I built my own SUT because I have a low output MC cartridge. So I have a Audio Technica AT OC9 II, SUT with Luhndal XFMR 's, luxman CL35 Mk III preamp (All tubes)with MM phono input. i have 2 mono push pull amps into Klipsch RF 7 -II (luckilly bought at half price). You can tell the difference between master recordings and regular ones. I like the unique tone control on the Luxman, you can here the cymbols on this preamp very well compared to other preamps because of unique tone control. I changed 12 ax7 to JJ spiral filaments. i have over 10,000 invested. kudos to your choice of speakers. Idont think they can be beat for quality.

[@danielgeiger7739]

Thanks for this clearly labelled opinion video. Re high sensitivity speakers, the presumes that power amp is necessary for tube experience. I'd argue that you can get good tube sound with tubes in pre-amps/PS (PrimaLuna EVO300 pre/EAT eglow petite PS), but go with solid state class A SS power amp (Pass XA25). Otherwise, you limit yourself in terms of speaker choices. Re new gear and new vs NOS tube, I have the opposite experience with Woo WA6 SE. New stock rectifier tube was VASTLY improved upon with old WE 422 (and any other NOS tube). Same experience with Vincent PHO701: stock OK, Brimar NOS much better. my 2c.

[@dimitrismanolakos8967]

Very good Quido. You must make a video with the sound of specific types of tubes. For example in push pull configuration the best tubes are ΕL34. Of course EL84 are great tubes with less dynamics. Thanks for the video.

[@JohnTaylor-ee7jm]

Love my Audio Note Cobra with my Klipsch Heresy IVs. Just beginning the tube rolling journey and it’s a lot of fun. Found a quad of Mullard 6AU6’s that I substituted for the stock GE JANs that came with the unit. Definitely provides a gain in definition and separation without losing the warmth overall. Next is a set of Ericsson NOS 5670’s. I’ve found the EH EL34’s that came with the unit quite satisfactory. Tried new Millard’s and they were too bright and lacked bass. Bottom line going to tube amplification with these speakers was a VAST improvement in sound quality and musicality.

[@davidhanna88]

Great video!

[@tothemax324]

Cathode bias is a tip for myself, I do not mis those fixed biasing days. I also like a good passive pre (relay type) feeding the driver and output of a tube amp.

[@timessquarerecordscom1469]

I just purchased my single ended six watt EL 34 amp ❤

[@wrenrover]

I have an EL34 push pull amplifier. 27 watts per channel. Over the years I learnt that with cd playback the output of the cd player was to way high for the sensitivity leaving no headroom. I added a volume to the power amp and have a vol pot on the pre amp. This way i can control the attenuation via the vol pot on the pre amp. Sorbathane under the feet make a big difference reducing microphonics generated in the valves. The engineer who built my amplifier for the past 12 years that i have known him , has consistently said valves hate silver either in cables or even solder. Sound will become overly harsh with silver in the system.

[@stimpy1226]

I highly suggest using a tube or FET preamp with the new Galion TS A-75 solid state amplifier. Never heard anything like it for $1500 not even $6,000 to $8,000 amps in most respects. There are a couple of inexpensive amplifiers on the market right now that are mind blowing! I just replaced my beloved Audio Research 100 watt amplifier with this Galion and I couldn’t believe my ears.

[@anadialog]

Yes, the stuff Thomas is putting out is very intriguing!

[@pietrochianese9308]

Sei un Grande ❤

[@Thestereosteve]

Thank you

[@timessquarerecordscom1469]

The mystery of vacuum tubes

[@Justas-M]

Nice video, thank you!

[@sergiokwitko]

Hi Guido, excellent video as usual! What do you think about Shindo Aurigies preamp and Shindo Montille amp? I use B&W 802D2 speakers, and they have a sensitivity of 90db … I’m currently using Luxman M-900u amps in vertical amplification, with a Conrad Johnson ET-5 preamp, and love this setup!

[@anadialog]

Thanks! I have only experienced in depth a Shindo Masseto which was very good. Great set-up there…more efficiency will disclose amazing opportunities and sonics! ;-)

[@beatprocess]

I’m new to this. I ordered Avantone planar headphones and I’m looking for a day amp for mixing music. It has 250mw 32ohms.

[@stimpy1226]

I would suggest the Pure Audio Project Open Baffle speakers. You can use a 2 to 3 W amplifier to drive these babies to musical Nirvana.

[@anadialog]

More than once configured them and then dropped it because IMHO they are not efficient enough.

[@slowestrider4918]

Love SET. MusicShare X9 300B 8W with CW IV 102 dB + REL HT 1508 rock my house. The ARC LS2B+Parasound A21 gave more dynamic and imaging but SET makes everything more realistic with singer and instrument players in my house. Source Blue Node 2i and Pontus II.

[@kevinhamming4514]

How long do your tubes last in a SET? Mine are 25 years old and still going strong with 2 3.5 watt monoblocks push-pull.

[@slowestrider4918]

@@kevinhamming4514 I witched out the original 300B with Linlaitube 7330B back in 09/2021. It is sounding better as time goes on.

[@kevinhamming4514]

@slowestrider4918 change them to Tesla, I always buy Tesla with JJ on tubes. They sound better than anything else to me, worth a try

[@slowestrider4918]

@@kevinhamming4514 I have JJ on my Willsenton R8. I changed only the power tube to 6550. All tubes on that amp are still great after 4 years. I haven't played that one much for it is in the bedroom. The X9 got a lot of usage in the living room.

[@natnanatna100]

Not gonna talk about reference level tube gear. The most realistic solution for average music lovers is Tube preamp or tube buffer + decent discreete or chipamp. And tube rolling untill you find your favorite sound. I have a cheap 5670 tube buffer. From the start I changed the Pot with a blue Alps one and the cheap stock caps with decent vfm Wima or branded film ones. Stock current production Chinese tubes gave cold and heartless sound. Military Russian NOS, almost the same. NOS GE5670 a bit better. Used GE5670 5***** = Warm bliss!!! I know average tube gear is not gonna measure decent for SINAD or Dynamic Range. I don't care... As long as noise/hum is controled enough. It's only the warmth and sweet treble that most of us seek in tubes. That's what we love in music recordings from the 60s and 70s... And that's why I never bother with remastered versions.

[@gramophonea]

Great video! I only disagree with the speaker part. Minimum 100db gets you horn loaded ones only. Between 92db and 100db you can find amazing sounding speakers that works fantastic with low watt SETs.

[@anadialog]

Thanks! No not minimum for all only if you want explore all tube tubes. Otherwise you an go lower of course, say with a 15-20W, 90dB is good but when you hit 4-8W then you have to go higher to at least 95dB. It also depends from the signal. CD/DACs are very strong and you can go down to 90dB. But if you are using a tube phono preamp, absolutely not. You are getting half the experience and a lot of people ignore this because they never experienced a 100dB speaker.

[@jasonsmith2032]

I have Quicksilver Horn Monos (20 watts push pull) with KT88 tubes and Cornwall speakers. It's probably time to start rolling so I am thinking EL34s for a change and hopefully less expensive. I'm looking for recommendations for a great brand with great bass and a wide soundstage. I mostly listen to rock. Thanks!

[@AnthonyToth-t5v]

Valves work on high voltage and low current a transistor amp runs on very low voltage and high current this is why speaker sensitivity is crucial concerning loads and ohms and inductance from someone who’s built a few from scratch

[@jukingeo]

Actually, when it comes to speakers, you should be fine with 90db efficiency or above. There are not many speakers that can do 100db, save for some horn speakers like Klipsch. Commercial or PA speakers can reach that figure too, but don't expect much with soundstage and imaging with those speakers. You can even go lower on efficiency if you don't need to, or expect to listen at high volume levels. In terms of SET vs Push pull, I definitely agree all around. SET is way better to go with. SET stands for Single Ended Triode and triodes generally sound better for audio amplification. There are some exceptions to the rule and cases where you might need to have a SEP (Single Ended Pentode) or SEU (Single Ended Ultralinear). The latter can be pretty good sounding and yield more power. Reason for the SET's good sound is that it is, first off, class A, as pointed out, but many designs do not use negative feedback as it isn't needed in such a design. No feedback will preserve dynamics and also the harmonics. SET amplifiers have a very strong 2nd order harmonic and this is what makes the magic. Push Pull is not a good choice for a first tube amplifier (as pointed out). It is a more complex design (for starters) and there are some disadvantages to push-pull if you want that all important tube sound. First push pull amplifiers cancel out even order harmonics, so there goes the musically inclined 2nd order harmonic right out the window. Next, push-pull amplifiers have global feedback. Depending on the amount of feedback determines how the amp sounds. Too much and the amp will sound very clinical and lack life. In fact, there are many push-pull tube amplifiers that don't sound much different from a solid state amplifier. These designs usually have lower distortion and more power than an SET amplifier, but it is at the expense of that tube sound. Also, tube rolling doesn't affect a push pull amp as it does on an SET. I had learned the hard way and started out with Push Pull tube amplifiers, and I found them disappointing. The difficulty in fixing them is increased as well as they require many more parts. Not to say that push pull amps are all bad as there are cases where the more power is desirable and a tube push pull amplifier is definitely simpler in design than a solid state push pull amplifier. Also, push pull tube guitar amplifiers are a mainstay mainly because of the high power they produce and when driven into overload, tubes compress before clipping. You don't have this with transistor amplifiers as they go into hard clipping, and that sounds awful. Hope that helps to add additional information about tube amplifiers.

[@anadialog]

Thanks for adding that. Can’t cover everything and getting into technical aspects in a starter guide is always risky but adding this in the comments is perfect. The 100dB claim is to cover all tubes out there. If you have a 20W amp for example yes, a 90dB speaker is ok but I must say that the vast majority here are reappearing this without direct experience say with a full range speaker or a high se sensitivity one like 100dB and more. It’s just another world!

[@jukingeo]

@@anadialog An amp around 10 watts will do it too. An area of concern would be a 2 watt and under amplifier and you want to listen to it at a distance. Yeah, you will need something in the neighborhood of 100db then. Sadly, this usually means a very large set of floor standing speakers as I doubt many bookshelf speakers can reach that. Although they are out there. I have a pair of Infinity SM82 speakers that are bookshelf speakers that hit about 98db at 1w/1m. Sadly though, even with an 8" woofer, the low end response only goes to 70hz. So you definitely need a sub.

[@middleearthltd]

I only use SE Tube amps, point to point, so we are in 100% agreement on this Low power and my amps vary from 3 watts max to 8 watts max of useful power But where I disagree is that my experience is that you can use 90 db sensitivity speakers but I don’t listen loud and if you are 85 db listening or less you may be happy as I am Crazy talk but I can get by with six watts and 88 db sensitivity speakers So I absolutely disagree with only 100 plus sensitivity speakers I have “Pro” DIY speakers that are 110 sensitivity but that just puts me at less than a single watt The legendary first watt I DIY all my speakers and favor full range speakers and blending in a couple subwoofers Stay away from cheap Chinese tube amps as they have janky wiring but there are some nice Chinese tube amplifiers but you pay as much as you would for a build from Japan, North America, or Europe

[@anadialog]

As explained in other comments and stated in the video, that is if you want explore all tube types including the 1.5/2 watts. But can’t go too far from that for full expression. It clearly depends from the crossover, number of channels of your speakers and the output signal (digital is stronger than analog) as well as the amount of watts of the amp. As stated, I have also my Triton reference that are 92.3db and they need at least 15/20W. Also, I have a 45 tube amp (2Wpc) and they can’t drive my ALTEC 19s with an analog signal. Digital much better but still not optimal, and the ALTECs are 99/100db.

[@stimpy1226]

OTL amplifiers… Thank you Julius Futterman.

[@anadialog]

Well, a Futterman combo, especially with my Quads 57, would definitely bring me to Nirvana

[@stimpy1226]

My Pass Labs preamps and headphone amp are always in standby mode and they’re not tube components. It does make a big difference in SQ.

[@anadialog]

As you probably know I had an XP22 and a XA30.8. Very nice sound but absolutely not comparable to my recently purchased Sony VFET and my tango transformers Japanese 2a3 amp.

[@Darrylizer1]

Problem with SET amps is that they are very underpowered. I'm talking from 2 to 8.5 watts. Push Pull gives you more options in that you can have speakers with 83db in sensitivity because the power for Push Pull generally from 35 to 100 watts per channel and I've seen higher, though that's not as common. SETs sound fantastic btw, but I've got 60 watt per amp monoblocks and a hot rodded Dynaco ST70 that puts out 35 watts and they too sound fantastic and they're push pull so my speaker choice is wider.

[@anadialog]

Indeed…but we said Nirvana! ;-)

[@Darrylizer1]

@@anadialog Haha, true!

[@Kowinaida]

You don't need speakers with at least 100db efficiency unless you're only considering low power tube amps. I use my class A tube amp with 89db speakers & it's perfect.

[@anadialog]

Yup! We said that. Only to explore all tubes but I do know that most people out there haven’t really tried a super efficient speaker. Even with 5 or 8w I would go down no more than 95dB. But it’s hard to say because there are a lot of factors at stake, the crossover and the source for instance. As I mentioned in several comments a signal coming from a digital source is very strong and you can go down to 90dB. With tube gear like a phone preamp the signal is very weak.

[@ampheat]

by tranformers, do you mean output transformers mainly?

[@anadialog]

Good question! Both, but yes, mainly output transformers

[@Gmac215-tg5xe]

I think 100db+ speakers are only really needed on flea amp's.90db speakers are fine with my 300b monobloc amp's 2*8 watts.

[@anadialog]

That is if you want to explore all tube types but optimal performance isn’t that far from 100db. Besides my ALTECs I have a pair of GoldenEar Triton Reference which are 92.3db and they need at least 15/20W to really shine.

[@hoselrocket2001]

Tubes don't just love high sensitivity speakers, but equally as important to have high impedance speakers. Preferably nominal impedance 10 ohm+ and not dropping below 8 ohm.

[@anadialog]

True! Thanks for underlining that

[@anonamouse5917]

I used to have a Luxman LV 104U. I thought it sounded great. Now I wonder what that would have sounded like with my HiFiMan Sundara headphones. I had crap headphones back then.

[@anadialog]

Luxman is one of the few big corporate brands that has state-of-the art transformers.

[@sitomdd]

Single Ended is not always Triode, right?

[@anadialog]

Of course not but we are focusing on SET

[@masterazlan6999]

My oldies is 304B by GE...is it gd?...Peace!

[@holytiger89]

rocking longines legend diver eh

[@anadialog]

Good eye. What a watch!

[@jeffbrooke4892]

I've been a tube fan for nearly four decades but at times I think people these days have elevated tube amps into something that is unreal. I tire of hearing things like "warm", "airy" and "holographic" when describing their performance. Really?! When I got into tubes in the 1980s you could pick up amps like Fishers, Dynacos, Heathkits and Scotts every day of the week for less than a hundred bucks. Which made them a bargain and very appealing to the college student's budget. And, at that time, tube amplification seemed to me to be much more dynamic and three dimensional than solid state amplification had been able to achieve. But that was four decades ago and there are solid state amps that do damn good work these days. And while I am a fan of tube amps and will likely remain so for the rest of my days, let's be careful to not cover them in too much maple syrup and honey. It's just another form of sound amplification that you either like (and tolerate their comparative demands on maintenance) or you do not. Either way is fine but enough with the overwhelming gooey talk on their so-called warm and airy characteristics. You can leave that kind of talk to the HVAC guys.

[@anadialog]

After experiencing high-end solid state models of past and present I am confident in stating that tube amplification is better, when components are top notch and you have capable speakers. I agree with the dynamics but soundstage and a 3D representation vs a more flat one of SS is absolutely true. Warm may be translated with rich and colored and engaging so yes, they are. Let’s not close ourselves to prejudice simply because too many people have used some therms probably in an incorrect way. I agree that some descriptions are redundant and out of place but that doesn’t mean that we must exclude them. For the record I recently fell in love with a hybrid V-FET Sony amplifier so I am completely open and ready to experience and recognize great sounding equipment, regardless the technology. Can’t say the same for many other HIfi enthusiasts and pros out there.

[@stimpy1226]

You realize that you have just limited most of the speakers on the market by suggesting at least 100 dB sensitivity.

[@lewiswaddo5045]

Here here! I run a 6W homemade EL34 liner tube amplifier pushing some speakers that are rated at 90.5dB sensitivity. I guess he is referring to very low power linear tubes. My homemade setup pushes my full range floor standing speakers just fine.

[@TriAmpMyFi]

. Most of the speakers on the market $@%&, so that's really not an issue. It's also the ole-switceroo going on here too. All speakers used to be "high" efficiency but were never called that. It wasn't until Low efficiency sub-woofers, home theater stand-mounts etc. came along that they were later called high efficiency because the marketing departments did not want a "Low Efficiency" speaker moniker depressing sales. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊

[@CollectingRetro]

The impedance curve should be mentioned also. You don't want dips down to 2 to 4 ohms with an 8 ohm speaker for example. I'm running 92db speakers that match well with my 2A3 SET. Plenty of power if you are listening responsibly and the room isn't too big.

[@anadialog]

That is the ideal and if you want explore ALL tubes but can’t go too far from that especially with vinyl and tape. Digital has a stronger signal and will deliver with less efficient speakers.

[@AllboroLCD]

Can someone, anyone, help me find info on my Dynakit ST-70A amp, NOT ST-70. Need to get it biased properly and I aint takin no chances.

[@alexandrequesnel912]

Nice tube..vitage sounds better ,psvane art, mids🕊 tweet🐚🎻🎺🕯.mist in the falls.

[@Keith-ux9ku]

Beware high sensitivity speakers and tubes. Hissssss

[@anadialog]

True…that is always around the corner. You really need to take control of the power quality and PSU of the components.

[@davidwald2938]

My Doge7 dac sounds amazing with the 6 NOS Telefunken 12ax7s and 2 NOS GEC 12 at7s I put in it. Much better than the cheap chinese tubes that came with it. My only regret is....once there gone...there gone and I'll never be able to get the sound again.

[@kevinhamming4514]

I disagree that SET is the way to go. Bigger tubes cost more money. Its better and cheaper to use smaller tubes like I do. They cost $6 each and two are used; for my amps which are 3.5 watts , 2 monoblocks. Push pull reduces output impedance, reduces distortion, and two tubes put out more than the twice the output compared to single ended. My amps are pretty small because the tubes are small. I have effecient speakers. 7 watts form the two amps is loud enough to not hear what somone says when they are talking in the room. Tube life is doubled for each tube because each tube works half the time. this, in my opinion, beats SET. The tubes will last twice as long as a SET.

[@anadialog]

You’re talking efficiency and convenience , while I am all about sonics. Which SET amp have you tried?

[@kevinhamming4514]

@anadialog The only way I can try a SET is to build one. I'm building a 300B push pull of 20- 25 watts. I don't think I will get the chance. I'm so impressed with the quality of what I have. If I had one that's would I would use. As far efficiency, I would choose sonics over that. The main disadvantage of single ended is the size of the transformer needed which is larger than push - pull, which has better low end response, unless you want a large output transformer. Actually a push pull has a single ended 1st stage! Voltage amp. For 3 reasons I believe it's better. 1.) Smaller tubes can be used compared to the size of a bigger, single tube, ( more costly)and smaller output transformer. 2.) longer life , also more cheaper. 3.) distortion cancelation of even harmonics. If I were doing single ended I would parallel 2 output tubes for longer life and more power.

[@kevinhamming4514]

@@anadialogI apreciate your commment. For my case, I wont ever do a set. Ive built my own little amps, not too big push pull. I gaurantee you cant build a set as cheaply as my 3.5 watt push - pull. 2 tubes for $12. They sound better than my onkyo M506RS 140 watt transistor amp. Im not saying I wouldnt try one, but I build my own amps is why it wont happen. I use an oversized output transformer. Try that with a SET, if you want response 3dB point at 20 Hz, you will need a very large output transformer if you only have 7 watts. I see too many advantages of push pull compared to SET. However if you have response even at 30 hz would be surprised. Not many speakers get down to even 30hz. my klipsche do.

[@anastasiosgoumas]

Decware.....

[@michaeldelorenzo6827]

kzbin.info7S3yxDP1dS0?si=RxLB12zQnPTAKVee Does this work for you ? Dynaco st-70 series 11 , Conrad Johnson pv-7, Thorens td 125 , and a pair of klipschorns

[@anadialog]

Seems wonderful!