no frills cheap PT

[lowell]

Amen!

[Wilder Amplification]

However, we should try to think about the PT and OT, not as "black boxes", but as elements that do something to our sound. If our power section is high impedance, and therefore sags a lot during load, that might be just what we are after! A larger PT from some well known brand will not make it sound "better", if what we are after is the sound that we get from that high impedance power supply! In the same way, the OT we like might shunt certain frequencies, or saturate at a given volume - a bigger one will again not make that "better", if that isn't what we want.

IMHO, I don't care about brands, as long as the quality is good!

Jake

They are not just "black boxes" nor are they just "tonal elements"! They are THE most important part of any amplifier!

The POWER TRANSFORMER supplies the very power that the load draws (i.e. the speaker). After all...the "power" has to come from somewhere right?

All this being said...valves don't draw anything. The power supply draws current through the load (i.e. the OT primary) and the valve just as it would in any other circuit, while the valve acts as a metering device that controls this current (hence the name "valve" as it acts as a current control valve). However...the current has to be there in the first place.

Contrary to popular belief, amps are not "all tone" and "zero electrical". It's a matter of achieving the proper balance between "tone" and "electrical reliability".

[jimboyogi]

Is that close? Not sure but think I can only get about 1.3 of half of that 290 (145) once rectified. ??

Using a bridge rectifier you can get ~1.3 * 280V once rectified, so ~ 364VDC

See The Valve Wizard - http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard/bridge.html

[greekie]

They are not just "black boxes" nor are they just "tonal elements"! They are THE most important part of any amplifier!

The POWER TRANSFORMER supplies the very power that the load draws (i.e. the speaker). After all...the "power" has to come from somewhere right?

All this being said...valves don't draw anything. The power supply draws current through the load (i.e. the OT primary) and the valve just as it would in any other circuit, while the valve acts as a metering device that controls this current (hence the name "valve" as it acts as a current control valve). However...the current has to be there in the first place.

Contrary to popular belief, amps are not "all tone" and "zero electrical". It's a matter of achieving the proper balance between "tone" and "electrical reliability".

I agree completely with you Jon. English is my foreign language, so my meaning might not have come through completely.

The point I was trying to make was, that "best" is a subjective opinion that neither Mercury Magnetics nor some other firm own through their products.

I am very much interested in the electrical, believe you me! I have bought some equipment to "fool around with" the next time i have more than 2 days of vacation in a row. I will try to do spectrum analysis, analysis of harmonic content and distortion, etc. in an old Marshall 1987 with the old Mullard's in them, as well as with some of the newer tubes, as to try to find the physical difference that is affecting the tone we hear. EVERYTHING will be measure! Fun for the whole family :-)

Jake

[lowell]

Nice! Ok perfect. Exactly what I need. Physically small and affordable! Thanks for the tip!

[jimboyogi]

You're very welcome Lowell, glad to finally offer some help, instead of me being the one helped all of the time!

I've been using the 100VA Antek toroids, and have been very happy with them. Think I'll have to get one of these 50VA's for one of my upcoming projects.