You could also wait until I find this thread :)
I'm not sure what you mean by 'OTL amp get its power'... of course the power comes from the wall :) seriously though an OTL amplifier is able to make its power in a way that is
not unlike a transistor amplifier. A lot depends on the type of tube used, some tubes are vastly more suited than others, mostly due to a low plate resistance and high transconductance.
The primary advantage of an OTL is that without an output transformer, distortion is reduced and bandwidth is increased. A less obvious but still important advantage is that an OTL can be a simpler circuit, as with any output transformer the output voltage of the tubes has to be stepped down to loudspeaker voltage, whereas in an OTL this does not happen, so you don't need as many gain stages in the amp. In our case, that means there is only one stage of gain, making for a fairly simple signal path. The less stages of gain, the more bandwidth and lower distortion.
Anytime you reduce distortion, the result is a more detailed sound that is simultaneously smoother. Increasing bandwidth can have the effect of increased impact on the bottom with greater low frequency extension (although right here I will interject that so-called 'tight bass' does not exist in the real world and is a phenomena of excessive negative feedback in an amplifier design), and an obvious increase in speed on top.
The heat is a function of the the class of operation, just like with any other amplifier. A class A amplifier will run hotter, regardless of the technology.
Clipping is a function of the power of the amp. Some OTLs can be unstable at clipping, but that can be true of many conventional amplifiers too. We have built OTL guitar amps that are intended to be overdriven and they work quite well. I believe that any proper amplifier design, regardless of technology will have instantaneous overload recovery and will be unconditionally stable- that is to say it will be stable regardless of the input signal or output load.
'Reserve power' is a term that refers to the class of operation- by definition a class A amplifier will have 0 db of reserve power. IOW, the better the amplifier (regardless of whether it is an OTL or not) the lower the reserve power figure will be (FWIW this term is counter intuitive on purpose to make less expensive AB amplifiers look better).
OTLs can drive JM Labs speakers quite well. This has more to do with the power of the amplifier rather than its technology. JM Labs speakers, IMO, have traditionally been tube-friendly, but they do need some power.
I'm not sure what you mean by 'OTL amp get its power'... of course the power comes from the wall :) seriously though an OTL amplifier is able to make its power in a way that is
not unlike a transistor amplifier. A lot depends on the type of tube used, some tubes are vastly more suited than others, mostly due to a low plate resistance and high transconductance.
The primary advantage of an OTL is that without an output transformer, distortion is reduced and bandwidth is increased. A less obvious but still important advantage is that an OTL can be a simpler circuit, as with any output transformer the output voltage of the tubes has to be stepped down to loudspeaker voltage, whereas in an OTL this does not happen, so you don't need as many gain stages in the amp. In our case, that means there is only one stage of gain, making for a fairly simple signal path. The less stages of gain, the more bandwidth and lower distortion.
Anytime you reduce distortion, the result is a more detailed sound that is simultaneously smoother. Increasing bandwidth can have the effect of increased impact on the bottom with greater low frequency extension (although right here I will interject that so-called 'tight bass' does not exist in the real world and is a phenomena of excessive negative feedback in an amplifier design), and an obvious increase in speed on top.
The heat is a function of the the class of operation, just like with any other amplifier. A class A amplifier will run hotter, regardless of the technology.
Clipping is a function of the power of the amp. Some OTLs can be unstable at clipping, but that can be true of many conventional amplifiers too. We have built OTL guitar amps that are intended to be overdriven and they work quite well. I believe that any proper amplifier design, regardless of technology will have instantaneous overload recovery and will be unconditionally stable- that is to say it will be stable regardless of the input signal or output load.
'Reserve power' is a term that refers to the class of operation- by definition a class A amplifier will have 0 db of reserve power. IOW, the better the amplifier (regardless of whether it is an OTL or not) the lower the reserve power figure will be (FWIW this term is counter intuitive on purpose to make less expensive AB amplifiers look better).
OTLs can drive JM Labs speakers quite well. This has more to do with the power of the amplifier rather than its technology. JM Labs speakers, IMO, have traditionally been tube-friendly, but they do need some power.