45 SET driving Orpheans? (BD-Design)
by samoore 
, Thursday, August 11, 2011, 17:58 (4636 days ago)
Hi all,
I am considering buying a Don Garber Fi X 45 SET integrated amplifier to drive my Orphean horns. I really want to hear what the Orpheans can do with a low output SET amplifier. 
Does anyone have experience driving the Orpheans with a 45 triode? Bert, do you think that a 45 based SET amp with good transformers would have a problem driving the Orphean MkII crossovers? I just wanted to check in before I pull the trigger on having Don build one for me.
Thanks all!
Steve
45 SET driving Orpheans?
by Bert , Friday, August 12, 2011, 13:10 (4635 days ago) @ samoore
Hi Steve,
Bert, do you think that a 45 based SET amp with good transformers would have a problem driving the Orphean MkII crossovers?
I do not have any experience with a 45 based SET but the impedance variations of the Orphean MkII should not give any problem.
You'd better ask the designer of the amplifier how it reacts to impedance changes, he ought to know... 
Cheers,
Bert
--
BD-Design - Only the Best!
45 SET driving Orpheans?
by blghorn , USA, Friday, August 12, 2011, 17:21 (4635 days ago) @ Bert
Hi Steve, I used a pair of Cary CAD45SE monoblocks to drive my Orphean horns with spectacular results. I have since sold the Orphean's. I still use the Cary amps on the Oris 150's with PM4A with AER cones and Oris 200's with AER MD3's. I enjoy both going back and forth between the different drivers plus I prefer the smoothness of the paper drivers. I hope you will enjoy your 45 amps as much as I have. Happy listening, Blair Gardner
45 SET driving Orpheans?
by RobsterD , UK, Sunday, August 14, 2011, 22:47 (4632 days ago) @ blghorn
Hi
Should sound very sweet had a Yamamoto A08S that sounded fab.
2A3,6A3 and 6B4G would also be great,an Ecofan 6A3 sounded superb with my Oris 250 and AER's.
I have gone active though with the low power SET just driving the Oris 250,have a big meaty solid state driving the BD15's..
Thomas Mayer is also another amp designer that should be considered using 45 and 46 valves with great results.
45 SET driving Orpheans?
by Bert , Monday, August 15, 2011, 09:49 (4632 days ago) @ blghorn
Hi Blair,
Hi Steve, I used a pair of Cary CAD45SE monoblocks to drive my Orphean horns with spectacular results. I have since sold the Orphean's.
I am not sure if you have had the Orphean MkII's, these are a lot smoother and natural sounding than the initial release.
Bert
--
BD-Design - Only the Best!
45 SET driving Orpheans?
by blghorn , USA, Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 01:49 (4631 days ago) @ Bert
Hi Bert, My Orphean's used the MKII crossover which I bought from Cappy. I tried them for a year but went back to the AER MD3's in the Oris 200. Even though it is less detailed I find the MD3's easier to listen to.
45 SET driving Orpheans?
I'm driving the 200/Aer MD3's using either a Yamamoto A08-s or a homebrew 45 SET to good effect. REF2010s are being driven by BD30s
I'm sure the Fi will cope no sweat.
It all sounds pretty fabulous to me, and I owe Bert some photos (and a follow up with RobsterD). Trouble is that, since getting everything up and running work has been so crazy busy that I've barely had time to listen to the system, let alone get the camera out.