What's the greatest bargain in SET these days?

Rebbi, thanks for calling attention to the Dynamo review. I haven't received my copy of that issue yet, but I'm particularly struck by the mention of the amp's high output impedance. A 10.2 ohm output impedance/source impedance on the 8 ohm tap will cause the resulting sonics to vary DRAMATICALLY as a function of the impedance vs. frequency characteristics of the particular speaker that is being used. The most neutral behavior being likely to occur with speakers having impedances that are both relatively flat as a function of frequency and relatively high. That is true of most SETs, but to a considerably greater degree than usual in this case due to the uncommonly high output impedance.

The 4 ohm tap will have a lower output impedance, most likely around half of that value, or 5.1 ohms, which is still quite high.

I assume, btw, that since those numbers aren't specified at the Coincident website that they were told to him by Mr. Blume, as TAS (in contrast to Stereophile) doesn't usually perform such measurements.

On another note, like the others I am very much enjoying following your extremely well done blog.

Best regards,
-- Al

P.S: My post just above went up within a few seconds of the one just above it by Tubegroover, and was composed and submitted before seeing his. Great minds think alike!

Best regards,
-- Al

10.2 ohm output caught my eye as well. That would make for some varied and possibly interesting results. Hard to see how that would perform well with most speakers, but again optimal performance and what one considers to be good sound are often not the same.

I wonder what accounts for such a high output impedance of the Dynamo. The Frankenstein has an output impedance of 1.8 ohms, quite a difference. Tim Smith found good speaker matches in his review despite this seemingly obvious limitation of the Dynamo.

Ok, I'm sick in bed today, reading, listening to my Dynamo right now, playing Capitol's Great Gentelmen of Song, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Dick Haymes, Sinatra, Martin, Bennett, well you get the idea.

I usually enjoy Dick Osher; but he is way off base here. Something was definitely out of kilter with his set-up. I have the Primaluna and the Coincident beats it out in nearly ever parameter. Consolidating what Charles stated from Olsher, the review is wacky. Believe Tim Smith from 6 Moons and the Enjoy the Music, reviews you can trust that were thorough and used better mached speakers. And I am not impugning Dick Olsher something was wrong.

Remember my comments: the Dynamo was used. It had Gold Lion KT77s, a Phillips 5R4GYS rectifier (not recommended for use by Blume) stock Shuguang 6SL7. The sound was ok with that set-up, my wife did not like the bass, nor did I.

So, being the tube roller that I am since experience has taught me that you
can almost always improve the sound with different tubes, especially NOS (part of the fun of tubes), I rolled. This is what I did: the first thing I did was replace the rectifier tube with a NOS Mullard 5AR4 from 1960s. Wow! Significant improvement. I also had in my tube stash some NOS Military Sylvania 6SL7s. Boom! Another leap forward. Then, I purchased NOS RFT Siemens (Tim Smith, 6 Moons liked these best of EL34s, 6CA7s), "fatter, fuller, better bass". I prefer the Shuguang Black Treasure 6CA7s.

I still have some experimenting to do (going to try the RCA Red Base, a couple of of other rectifiers).

My system as currently constituted sounds remarkable. Purity of tone, natural and organic, the music flows with ease, great textures, big, well defined soundstage (wall-to-wall), deep, coherent, lovely midrange, bass tight and fast, PRat, highs that are never fatiguing (Tekton speakers), rich, full, smooth, neither Yin or Yang, just right to me in my room. This amp will play anything, rock, classical, chamber, Jazz, Louis, Ella, in the room,duke's piano never sounded better.

I'll mention that I was a professional musician and have listened to all types of systems from great to small. This is an amp that most everything tight. Must have sensitive speakers, you will enjoy the music.