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Chirag wrote:

It seems the 6e5p is driving the transformer directly. I've used various versions of even simple mosfet followers to good effect at the headphone level, but never considered using a speaker level transformer.  Did you and Dmitry consider scaling down the SS version of the Milq you showed us in a different thread?  I'm trying to understand the thinking behind the approach and how it correlates to your desired end result.

Hey, Chirag, long time no see. My thinking behind the approach was very simple. I feel that 6E5P has own very interesting “puss” as Tony Soprano would describe it. This “puss” has something to do with dynamic viscosity and with its ability to sound “dynamically inelegance”. There are some other interesting things about this tube but to enumerator then would be a different subject. Anyhow, the Melquiades’ Sound is primary determined by the sonic idiosyncrasy of the 6E5P. Some people see Melquiades as a 633C-base amp but I see the Melquiades as two stages SET with 6E5P driver and grid’s current comforter. Dima use to bult two stages amps with 6E5P driver using SS, GM70, 6L6GC, KT66 (if I am not mistaken about those PP) and he clamed that all of the amps, though sound differently still were able to express the 6E5P’s signature. Since he discovered this tube for sound I have no reasons to down in his hints. So, the idea was to see if the 6E5P, driving a headphones directly would preserve it’s contribution to Melquiades. And since the 6E5P has quite a lot of own power (8W plate dissipation) then it asked to try it….

Chirag wrote:

I do have a need for a headphone amplifier and quite a bit of my music has been heard through various and mostly unsatisfactory methods.  The current amp uses a very simple and fairly regulated triode driving a mosfet follower.  I was considering trying a few collected pentodes (7721, EF86 etc) to drive a headphone transformer for my beloved grado phones...this loudspeaker transformer method is making me rethink some of my output plans.

Well, I have ordered LL1623 amorphous transformer from Lanhale gaped for 50mA. This would give over 50H primary inductance and well below 10Hz low frequency roll off. I hope the trans arrive near the end of the year or in the worst case in January. I will let know how it would turn out to be. So far I have primary ~8H with roll of at 63H and it sound quite badly across the entire range. Still it has some “signs” that it preserver the 6E5P’s puss. I will be able to say anything defiantly when the magnetics will be here.

Still I do not know if I would be an objective judge in your case as I did not research the subject of headphone amplifies dearly and do not have a lot of experience with them. I have home a few of “class A” SS amps that were unshakable crap. I heard out there a few headphone OTL amps and a few “the best headphone amps ever were bult” - I meant those high-end many thousands dollars amps with shiny chassis and high attitude sales people behind them. The sound of those amps did not impress me. What whatever reasons people out there are trying to make the headphone amps to sound like electrostats and I find it very repulsive. From different perspective I used their headphones, thier crapy consumer front ends and this disgusting music. So, it would be from very difficult, to imposable to say anything objectively about those headphone amps. 

If the 6E5P amp would not "do" then I would try in some way the similar amp replacing the 6E5P with 6C19P...

Rgs,
The caT

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