Vacuum tube audio transformers

bitencrypt said:

Hi

Is it possible to use vacuum tubes in place of the input transformer for a power supply, to remove all inductors from the circuit?
Is it possible to use a vacuum tube in place of the audio transformer on a pair of electrostatic speakers?

regards

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This sounds like something for 'Atmasphere' a member here...you might try to PM him from here. Good luck.

+1 to pinging Atmashpere.

Replacing the input transformer requires a special type of power supply circuit, like a switching design, and somehow you have to generate heater (filament) power from the line to get the switching circuit working. Strikes me as very challenging and I would not do it. However, using tube rectifiers in place of SS diodes after the input transformer works.

A number of us have built and/or used direct-drive ESL designs that bypass the output transformer and modulate the HV directly. Fairly easy but I have often questioned if the results were worth it. You must also have a decent knowledge of electronics as high voltages and lots of energy are involved. I do not know for sure but suspect they will not sound as good after you are dead from shock received during the rework...

BTW, there are OTL (output-transformer-less) tube designs for preamps and power amps that work with conventional speakers as well.