• WARNING: Tube/Valve amplifiers use potentially LETHAL HIGH VOLTAGES.
    Building, troubleshooting and testing of these amplifiers should only be
    performed by someone who is thoroughly familiar with
    the safety precautions around high voltages.

Edcor output transformer...very nice !!!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jump to Latest
#2
I've used a couple of Edcor interstage XFMRS and recently a 6.5K that I've had for a couple of years. The 6.5K is an SE type. They are all top notch from my perspective. You still need a good design and execution to make it work but at least the transformers don't get in the way.
There's many better but not for the price and you have to kick in much more cash to get a constantly noticeable difference.
Just my opinion.
 
#3
best transformer per price

zelgall said:
I've used a couple of Edcor interstage XFMRS and recently a 6.5K that I've had for a couple of years. The 6.5K is an SE type. They are all top notch from my perspective. You still need a good design and execution to make it work but at least the transformers don't get in the way.
There's many better but not for the price and you have to kick in much more cash to get a constantly noticeable difference.
Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

I think Lundshl, Tamura, Tango with prices out of reality...the Edcor is cheap and sound very nice per price...
My next project I will use a 814 in triode mode with a 15W Edcor...will destroy many 300B amplifier in sound quality !
 
#5
Thanks

tomchr said:
The CXSE25 transformers from Edcor are incredible value for the money. I have found other transformers that perform better (Electra-Print for example), but a comparable transformer will set you back over $200 versus $80 for the Edcor.

~Tom
Click to expand...

Tom

Yes, but for my applications I use GXSE10 or GXSE15.
The GXSE25 are for more power, using a 211 ou bigest tubes.
The sound is really fine for the price, a bargain...

Aldovan
 
#8
aldovan said:
Yes, but for my applications I use GXSE10 or GXSE15.
The GXSE25 are for more power, using a 211 ou bigest tubes.
The sound is really fine for the price, a bargain...
Click to expand...

Yep. The even smaller XSE series is pretty good too. Obviously, there's a big step up in sound quality from the $20 XSE to the $80 CXSE (I have no experience with the GXSE, sorry), but $20.... For a beginner who wants to try a few things without sinking too much money into the hobby, that's an incredible deal.

~Tom
 
#10
IMHO, compromise with the price of OT is not for tubes and
Hi End....
Click to expand...

In a perfect world financial considerations wouldn't exist and we could all pick the optimal part for any job. In reality most DIY designs, and most high end commercial offerings, are built with budget in mind. IMHO a product can definitely be high end if the design is elegant, well executed and budget split sensibly over the different component elements (and the results are great).

For DIYers working within a budget an $80 transformer offering 95% (estimate) of the quality of a $200 transformer can be the better investment, if the $120 difference can be used to greater effect in another area (tubes, caps, chokes etc.).
 
#11
My first two tube amps were built with inexpensive iron from Edcor and Hammon, and I was surprised (in a good way) at the sound.

These days, the Edcor iron is by far the better bargain. I paid $35 apiece for Hammond 125ESEs a few years ago, now they're close to $60 apiece. My first amp used the Edcor XSE series, then I switched to the GXSE for better bass.
The second used those Hamond 125ESEs.

BTW, the budget iron from Transcendar is also worth a look.
 
#13
What do you mean? I've never touched a 300B, Chinese or otherwise... The amplifiers I mentioned were 1) hybrid JFET/tube input, 1625 SE UL output (Edcor iron), and 2) 6JC6A input, screen driven SE 6CD6GA output (Hammond iron) - cheap all the way. Amp #2 is doing living room duty at present.

Transcendar 10W (honest 10W, with a big core stack, teflon leads, and good surface finish) iron in the 10W range is about $150/pair, and <100/pair for their smaller series. It's not anywhere near as cheap as the Edcor, but a step up in quality, for not much more than you would pay for some ugly Hammmond iron.

I have paid 200$ for output transformers (Hashimoto and Sophia Electric), but they are being reserved for someting very special indeed, still not involving any 300Bs. The best output iron I've used to complete a tube project so far was the iron from a Fisher 300B receiver, which went into a nice 7591A-based P-P amp that looks nothing like the original Fisher schematic.
 
#14
I have about 20 pairs of output transformers in my LAB.
I normally design the transformer and a company here in Brazil make for me.
I use big GNO cores and have nice results, with ait gap, too.
For me the cost is ridiculous, about U$30 for a 10W transformer.
 
#15
Very nice, some day I'll build some of my own transformers. My first will probably be a phase splitter XFMR for a push-pull triode project I have in mind. I have the bobbins, just need to take time to track down the laminations. They will probably be used with some Electra-Print output XFMRs I bought from a guy on E-pay.
I'm well-stocked with all manner of new and old iron, ranging from some of the expensive types I mentioned to pulls from old organ and guitar amplifiers. I wish the time to actually work wth all this iron was as easy to come by.
 
#16
When I built my first SE 6P6S, I told myself, excellent sound. When I built SE EL34, I told more excellent. Next my SEs 2A3 and 300B was the top of excellent. How many kind of excellent? Now I know, excellent is only one - big money.
Excellent sound from OT for 20$- congratulations, very interesting -for these money!
 
Last edited:
#18
azazello said:
When I built my first SE 6P6S, I told myself, excellent sound. When I built SE EL34, I told more excellent. Next my SEs 2A3 and 300B was the top of excellent. How many kind of excellent? Now I know, excellent is only one - big money.
Excellent sound from OT for 20$- congratulations, very interesting -for these money!
Click to expand...

The cost are lower for several reasons:
1) I use core manufactured in Brazil.
2) I make the design.
3) I use non-oriented iron as in old transformers, and is more cheaper.
4) I use insulation between windings with paper.
5) The Windings are not intertwined

See a vídeo with my DIY transformer with non-oriented iron and impedance of 2K5 ohms:
https://vimeo.com/69362715
https://vimeo.com/69362714

See a vídeo com Edcor with oriented iron and intertwined windings and 8K ohms.( the correct impedance for the 2E25 tube)
Edcor model GXSE10-8-8k Output transformer - YouTube
Hytron 2E25 with a Edcor Output transformer - YouTube

Both sound fine, but Edcor have a few more details...

Aldovan 😉
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom