ECC83 Power Amp

[jazbo8]

Interesting, but to my ears, the 0.3W sounded really clipped, not sure if you re-adjusted the levels after it was recorded but the 30W sounded cleaner, smoother and transparent, without sandy artifacts

[Steve Conner]

The Youtube video soundtrack came from the camera's own mic which has an automatic gain control. The page also has a link to an MP3 that was made at the same time on a separate recorder using the same level throughout. This gives a better impression of what it really sounded like in the room.

As you might expect, the 0.3W setting has no clean headroom whatsoever.

[jazbo8]

Sorry, missed the Hi-Q link earlier... Sounds even better now It's indeed a versatile amp.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Anyone hear the Quilter Labs solid state amp? Founder of QSC and builder of my first custom amp in the 60s Pat Quilter is back at it trying to make SS sound like we all want them to. I haven't heard them. Little bitty amp 8lbs? and 200 watts.

Quilter labs? One of my customers got one and he's happy as a clam. But . . . his ears are shot and he admits it. Brought the little booger over here so I could have a listen. It's very portable, I'll give it that. And it needs 200W of silicon power to push its tiny inefficient speaker. I was unimpressed, let's leave it at that.

[Steve Conner]

At 200W and 8lbs it might well be a Class-D amp, not my first choice for guitar.

I think the one improvement I would make to my hybrid amp would be a bigger speaker. The 8" doesn't have the midrange wallop of a good 12" guitar speaker, and I had to roll off bass in the circuit to prevent it being farted to death in high power mode.

[teemuk]

At 200W and 8lbs it might well be a Class-D amp, not my first choice for guitar.

Well, the cork sniffer boutique guys at The Gear Page are currently all over hyping the "Unleash" ... which is nothing but a generic OEM SMPS module + OEM hypex class-D amp module reamping an attenuator.

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Ironically, if someone would have suggested them such an idea few years ago they most likely would have loathed it.

[Steve Conner]

Ah, le sniffage de corque... I'm pretty sure my system works better than the Unleash.

[soundmasterg]

Anyone hear the Quilter Labs solid state amp? Founder of QSC and builder of my first custom amp in the 60s Pat Quilter is back at it trying to make SS sound like we all want them to. I haven't heard them. Little bitty amp 8lbs? and 200 watts.

I've heard a couple at a local jam. They compete there with a custom amp I built and some custom amps from Conrad Sundholm, the co-founder of Sunn back in the day. Bottom line...the Quilter amps can't hold a candle to good tube amps....

Greg

[Steve Conner]

So where would you say they fall short?

[walkman]

I bought a bad cat unleash.

Previously I used a Art DST 830 or a yamaha g100-210 to reamping a 2 watt push pull amp, with resistor load when no speaker is connected. A line out from the secondary on the OT to the power section of either via fx return or on the yamaha via the reverb return. The Art features variable damping switch.

The unleash however is much more portable and a simple package. Have used this with a HK redbox for recording and while the redbox doesn't sound great it benefits a lot from the reactive load.

Also very recently picked up an axetrak that when paired with the HK and unleash in parallel sounds the best I have found for silent or near silent recording. The unleash sounds great turned up loud plugged in to a quad box.

This is not an all in one solution like the vox or Steve's amp but give me a lot of options and sounds quite good.

If I could easily and cheaply build an unleash device well maybe that would be great.

[Steve Conner]

The Unleash is just an attenuator with a line out, connected through a volume control to a solid-state power amp. The power amp happens to be Class-D but that isn't essential to the functioning of the thing. Maybe you could build that cheaper than you could buy it.

[jazbo8]

I'd think much cheaper, some power resistors, a SMPS and a Class-D amp module - all of them combined probably cost less than the chassis itself

[walkman]

I'd think much cheaper, some power resistors, a SMPS and a Class-D amp module - all of them combined probably cost less than the chassis itself

Yes that's the kind of thinking I had when i started to muck around with valve amps. Pulling a part old radiograms etc, problem is i'm noob compared to many of the very experienced people on this forum. Chassis work is an issue for me. I'd probably have a much better chance if I knew of DIY re-amp project and had adequate metalworking skills and tools.

That said i'd be interested to give it a go. The unleash has a reactive load built in too as far as i know.

Cost of raw parts is one thing however time and effort is another.

I've seen a documentary on a guy who built his own light bulb and made all the parts, including the glass and the metal...