Can any one throw some light on this, does changing the transformer of an amp with the same companies transfomer change the previous quality of the way it sounded? if yes would it be better or the same.
Transformer
- Thread starter jasbirnandra
- Start date
There are some oddities at times with transformers for example making mechanical noises, vibrating and such when another unit like them would not. As far as changing the sound directly, the most likely answer is that it cannot.
If it is the power transformer, then Amir is right. It needs to be good enough to do its job without humming or vibrating or creating excess heat.
But if it is the output transformer of a valve amp, then absolutely yes. The job of the output transformer is to match the output impedance of the amp to the loudspeaker. Low quality transformers are responsible for much of the coloration of valve amps.
But if it is the output transformer of a valve amp, then absolutely yes. The job of the output transformer is to match the output impedance of the amp to the loudspeaker. Low quality transformers are responsible for much of the coloration of valve amps.
Does this mean that as long as the power transformer provides sufficient power for the amp's design without humming or vibrating or creating excess heat that it has no effect on that amplifier's sound?
Tim
transformer quality
I would strongly suggest asking the guys who actually make them: Careful, you get quite a few answers, where they claim, that you cannot hear a difference. Audio Consulting are the ones who made a name because of their knowledge of transformers. I can vouch, that you can hear a difference if you put an AC transformer in front of a, lets say CD-player, or a DAC.
One of the reasons Serge Schmidlin states, is that their transformer are made up to way higher standards than anybody elses.
Whatever the claim: Why don't you ask him personnally, the guy makes a living out of transformers.
egidius
ps. http://www.audio-consulting.ch/
pps. no affiliation, happy owner..
I would strongly suggest asking the guys who actually make them: Careful, you get quite a few answers, where they claim, that you cannot hear a difference. Audio Consulting are the ones who made a name because of their knowledge of transformers. I can vouch, that you can hear a difference if you put an AC transformer in front of a, lets say CD-player, or a DAC.
One of the reasons Serge Schmidlin states, is that their transformer are made up to way higher standards than anybody elses.
Whatever the claim: Why don't you ask him personnally, the guy makes a living out of transformers.
egidius
ps. http://www.audio-consulting.ch/
pps. no affiliation, happy owner..
There's not much point in asking if that's the kind of answer he gives. That's about as meaningful and substantive as "Why does it sound better?" "Because it's better."
Tim
If you want an answer try to find out by yourself, try to put a big isolated transformer in between wall plug and your amp to see if there has a different with or without
tony ma
tony ma
@Tim:
..on the contrary: My background is not so that I could give you tech-guys a meaningful technical answer: I am a professional violinist. I can judge my ears (without ever making that an absolute value ;-)
I know, that one of the values of a transformer, the so called saturation point (something electromagnetic ;-) is one of the usual deviations in an industrially wound transformer. Because Audio Consulting uses metal of the highest quality, and has them handwound, and has a careful quality control, they can claim the "because it's better" (your words..). My advice to ask the guy who makes them is based on the fact, that he could explain why this is so.
Anyway, anybody reading my first post CAN get this without second explanation.
..on the contrary: My background is not so that I could give you tech-guys a meaningful technical answer: I am a professional violinist. I can judge my ears (without ever making that an absolute value ;-)
I know, that one of the values of a transformer, the so called saturation point (something electromagnetic ;-) is one of the usual deviations in an industrially wound transformer. Because Audio Consulting uses metal of the highest quality, and has them handwound, and has a careful quality control, they can claim the "because it's better" (your words..). My advice to ask the guy who makes them is based on the fact, that he could explain why this is so.
Anyway, anybody reading my first post CAN get this without second explanation.
I thought the question was replacement of a transformer with the same one, not adding another or changing to a different one.
A replacement transformer that is OEM should make no difference. I have run into cases where a replacement had changes, sometimes subtle, that could affect performance (good or bad). Examples are heavier gauge wire (good) or smaller wire and core so the transformer saturated sooner (bad); somewhat more interesting might be a transformer that had slightly output voltage -- might provide a little more power from an amp, but stress the components more leading to premature failure.
I know in the guitar amp arena, there is a company that sells aftermarket transformer kits for all sorts of amps, can't remember whether they are only power transformers or also output transformer kits. Mercury Magnetics, as I recall. Not that the needs of musicians have anything to do with hi-fi , but they apparently change the sonic performance of guitar amps.
I'm not a technical guy, and I don't have an answer myself, but I sure would like to have one. My question is, and I apologize that it is somewhat tangential, is there a point at which a good, quiet power supply is delivering the power an amplifier needs to achieve its peak performance, and beyond that point, can a more powerful power supply make the amp sound different? Follow-up questions: How? Is there an upper limit or does more power = better sound infinitely?
Tim
Tim
Yeah, this is about sag generating lots of harmonic distortion and making amps very touch sensitive -- the harder you attack the string the more sag, the more crunch and grind. None of this would be desireable in hifi.
Tim
So the selling point of the Mercury stuff is 'crunch'? I have a handwired Marshall that is tube rectified, and a repro Vox, but left them stock.
We've talked about tube sag in connection with rectifiers in another thread.
tube or solid state? if the maufacturer is making his own they might be the same. if he is outsorcing tio spec they might be very different. In any event this sounds like a question for the manufacturer.
greg
I don't know the Mercury, but if it does what hifi would do, which is limit the generation of harmonic distortion relative to input volume, it would limit the dynamic interaction and "feel" of the amplifier. Not a good thing in a guitar amp. There are times when - you know this if you're a guitarist - when we may want a bit more headroom. I've spent most of my life playing Deluxe Reverbs, and in some rooms they don't stay "clean" (a relative term in this context if their ever was one) quite loud enough. I've used tube choices, speakers and extension cabinets to adjust that a bit. I suppose you could get affect that with a transformer as well, but damn...that would be the hard way. But an amp that doesn't "give" when you play hard or turn up the guitar's volume - an amp that is "hifi" is not desireable in the electric guitar world. If it was, solid state would rule. So I can't imagine that the goals of a replacement transformer in a Vibrolux have anything to do with what you want transformers to do in a hifi amp.
Most electric guitar players think the ultimate is an old amp that's on the verge of death, not one with a high-end transformer replacement
.Personally, I've moved on. I've still got an old Deluxe, but I don't gig with it anymore. I use a digital modeling amp. The thing "gives" just like a tube amp and has a ton of models in it. Does it do BF Deluxe exactly like my BF Deluxe? It's really close. And it weighs maybe 30 lbs and gives me a BF Deluxe, BF Twin and Vox AC-30 TB right there, in the foot pedal.
Tim
Tim
Mono block sound better than stereo in one case because there are two power supplies for mono block, if the amp can have a power supply for each stage ( like tube amp each tube has one power supply for itself) will be a perfect idea but will cost too much
tony ma
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