Best output TXs for the money help

[colin.hepburn]

Hi All
Well I am getting there 12B4A headphone and hardwired Wad phono II planet 10s FE126e frugal horns in the making
I'm now looking at planning my winter Amp project build thinking along the line of an EL34 i.e Steve the shadows Rocky through to a 2A3 and some other valve types in between. I had planed this last year but my finances didn’t allow for it so starting to saving up now my inquirer is on the output TXs in which is the best choice of the two in my price range
And whether I should go for 2.5k or 3.5k
Hammond 1627SEA or 1630SEA total cost £246.00 pair or the
Ask Jane ATH38 2.5k or ATH38.3, 3k cost £144.00 pair plus shipping and duty
Can the boffins on here advice me on the best spec to use and most importantly best sounding of the two TXs
Thanks

[Darren]

Hi Colin,

I use a Pair of James on my 70W 833 amp and they have everything I could wish for.

I have a pair of SJS on my PX4 and they are also superb


Best wishes
Darren

[Nick]

Well this is all just my own view.

I think probaly the best TX you CAN buy (sweeping statment I know) are possibly Tribute or Bud Pervin's but I only have second hand experence of both of those.

For the money the AJF TX's are great, but maybe not the best, though, I believe on the basis of what I have heard, better than Hammond.

BUT.

I know I keep banging on about them, but I still haven't found better than AE for op TX's, ok, not everything I have had from them is perfect (ok, it was just a set of grid chokes, that could have lower interwinding capacitance), but if you can deal with their longish lead times (still a lot less than tribute), they are hard to beat.

I used to think that AE were good for the money, but now I just think they are good.

Paul has lent me a pair of the same James that Darren has, I used them to develope the GM70 amp Colin is building, We got AE to wind a pair of 140ma 7k:6R amorphous core TX's, and they are (to my ears much beter than the James). I was just playing with Colins GM70 amp, and the thing (at 5w output) has -3db points of 18hz and 55kHz and square wave responses that a PP amp would be happy with.

And the rearly sad thing was the AE's were cheaper than the James.

Ok, I am biased, but mainly because of what I have had from them.

[andrew Ivimey]

We are bound to be biased by our own experience - and we cannot be encyclopaedic because who, apart from the stinking rich, who would anyway get others to find the very best for them because they are too busy spending money.

Somehow, by posting honestly and finding our way through the trees we will get an idea about the right lay of the land.

I am all for calling a spade a spade. If I find something is rubbish I will say so.

difficult!

[Darren]

Well this is all just my own view.

I think probaly the best TX you CAN buy (sweeping statment I know) are possibly Tribute or Bud Pervin's but I only have second hand experence of both of those.

For the money the AJF TX's are great, but maybe not the best, though, I believe on the basis of what I have heard, better than Hammond.

BUT.

I know I keep banging on about them, but I still haven't found better than AE for op TX's, ok, not everything I have had from them is perfect (ok, it was just a set of grid chokes, that could have lower interwinding capacitance), but if you can deal with their longish lead times (still a lot less than tribute), they are hard to beat.

I used to think that AE were good for the money, but now I just think they are good.

Paul has lent me a pair of the same James that Darren has, I used them to develope the GM70 amp Colin is building, We got AE to wind a pair of 140ma 7k:6R amorphous core TX's, and they are (to my ears much beter than the James). I was just playing with Colins GM70 amp, and the thing (at 5w output) has -3db points of 18hz and 55kHz and square wave responses that a PP amp would be happy with.

And the rearly sad thing was the AE's were cheaper than the James.

Ok, I am biased, but mainly because of what I have had from them.

I would be very interested to do a comparison myself Nick, that's if they could be prised from your grasp...!!!!

In return you could have a go with those Japanese toroids I've just got hold of, 5K 4&8R, 250ma

If it interests you of course?

[andrew Ivimey]

This debate is going on over in WD - for what it's worth my posting is over there.

[Nick]

I would be very interested to do a comparison myself Nick, that's if they could be prised from your grasp...!!!!

Unfortunatly they are already prised, and bolted to Colins amp.

I have some AE 10k, 70ma ones you could try, but they are not up to what the James will do, in terms of current.

[Clive]

I'm certainly impressed with the James 6123-HS on the Bugle (45SE), to be more accurate I'm impressed with the amp so the OPTs must be fine.

I could be tempted into some AE Amorphous but this depends on the views about silver. I believe Andrew I's views are based on the silver version.

Nick, are your comments related to the silver version?

If I need to go to sliver to be sure they are substantially better than James then this route would be too expensive.

For a 45 SE amp the opts could be lower wattage, I could ask for a special although the price for a special would probably end up more expensive than a standard 25W pair.

[colin.hepburn]

Hi Clive
by Chance can you remember what the shipping cost was for you pair of the James 6123s

[andrew Ivimey]

about £30 air mail.

[Nick]

Nick, are your comments related to the silver version?

No, what do you think I am, made of money?

[Clive]

I'm relieved - not that you're not made of money, but that the standard versions are good!

Cheers,

Clive

[Nick]

but that the standard versions are good!

Again, just me, but from AE I would always go for amorphous over C-Core for audio TX's.

Colins amp has a pair of their 1:1 interstages but wound on amorph instaed of C, when we were playing yesterday, I had a quick measure of them being driven by a 300b. -3dB points were 9Hz and 155kHz.

[Darren]

I would be very interested to do a comparison myself Nick, that's if they could be prised from your grasp...!!!!

Unfortunatly they are already prised, and bolted to Colins amp.

I have some AE 10k, 70ma ones you could try, but they are not up to what the James will do, in terms of current.

OK, no worries, much better to be used than teased by me with some electrickery..

[colin.hepburn]

Hi All
Well I am getting there 12B4A headphone and hardwired Wad phono II planet 10s FE126e frugal horns in the making
I'm now looking at planning my winter Amp project build thinking along the line of an EL34 i.e Steve the shadows Rocky through to a 2A3 and some other valve types in between. I had planed this last year but my finances didn’t allow for it so starting to saving up now my inquirer is on the output TXs in which is the best choice of the two in my price range
And whether I should go for 2.5k or 3.5k
Hammond 1627SEA or 1630SEA total cost £246.00 pair or the
Ask Jane ATH38 2.5k or ATH38.3, 3k cost £144.00 pair plus shipping and duty
Can the boffins on here advice me on the best spec to use and most importantly best sounding of the two TXs
Thanks

Hi All
Thanks everyone for you help on theas TX things on which is the best sounding ones
Q1
What,s confusing me are the specs as I understand it the higher the mA the better and the more henrys the best which is why I lean too orbs the Hammond’s for valves El34/2A3 and in between as the James txs spec is lower

Hammond
1627SEA30W 2,500 160 ma 20 Henrys
1628SEA30W 5,000 120 ma 48 Henrys
James
6113HS - 3.5K/5K, 70mA 10W Pri.Inductance 12.2 @ 2.5K, 16.6H @ 3.5K
6123HS - 2.5K/3.5K/5K, 120mA 20W Pri. Inductance (60Hz 13.74H @ 2.5K
19.54H @ 3.5K
27.38H @ 5K19

Q2
A post over at WD it was suggested that 2k5 was to low for an EL34 and 5k/6k6 was recommended what would be the ideal matched TX for the El34 and 2A3s SE amp
Thank for you help