DHT (direct heated triode) of the week: the 2A3

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mhardy6647
mhardy6647 Posts: 33,046
edited March 2018 in 2 Channel Audio
Since we've been chitter-chattering a bit lately about single ended triode amplifiers :blush: this seems like a good opportunity to leverage ;) a bit of synchronicity:
Tube guru Thomas Mayer's built a 2A3 amp recently, so he added a page on that venerable radio/audio direct-heated audio output power triode on his wonderful blog recently.

http://vinylsavor.blogspot.com/2018/03/tube-of-month-2a3.html

Hubba-hubba! I needed a cold drink of water and some fresh air after looking at the photos in that post! ;)

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My advice: Spend some quality time listenin' to a SE* 2A3 amp real soon now .
I am. ;)

26118877818_739b94e698_h.jpgDSC_0485 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
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* Or a push-pull 2A3 amp. That was Col. Paul W. Klipsch's amplification of choice. Heck, a 2A3 amp can even make his "Heritage" loudspeakers sound good! ;)

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https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/85297-paul-klipschs-favorite-amp/
https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/119884-what-was-the-small-tube-amp-paul-klipsch-liked-the-best-for-the-khorns/


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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,046
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    Here, thanks to the Wayback Machine, is a PDF copy of the late Chatrles Kittleson's Vacuum Tube Valley magazine (issue number 12), which features the 2A3 tube.
    https://web.archive.org/web/20131122141706/http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/VTV12.pdf

    N.B. I am unsure of the copyright status of this material, therefore I offer the link above strictly as is and FWIW. Use the contents prudently. :)

    According to that issue, the 2A3 was introduced in 1933. As far as I know, it has been in production ever since.

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  • megasat16
    megasat16 Posts: 3,521
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    Nice! I won't be in DHT game if I didn't accidentally build my Full Range Line Arrays 5-6 years ago. I was playing with 500-1000Watters back then.

    Then, I found out that 1.5W from 45 tube is plenty loud to piss off my neighbors and sounded good near field at night.

    Well, I am still game with 1000Watters but I love the 1.5W just as much with the high sensitivity speakers.

    Trying out Different Audio Cables is a Religious Affair. You don't discuss it with anyone. :redface::biggrin:
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,046
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    megasat16 wrote: »
    Nice! I won't be in DHT game if I didn't accidentally build my Full Range Line Arrays 5-6 years ago. I was playing with 500-1000Watters back then.

    Then, I found out that 1.5W from 45 tube is plenty loud to piss off my neighbors and sounded good near field at night.

    Well, I am still game with 1000Watters but I love the 1.5W just as much with the high sensitivity speakers.
    [emphasis added]

    Wait, what? ;)

    What happened -- some sort of terrible mishap with a Jasper jig & a plunge router? ;)

    avazchk7fvqv.png
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    (source: http://ratch-h.com/farm.html)


    ... and (in seriousness): Yes, the 45 is something really, really special -- but, as you say, quite low powered and 'spensive ('specially globe 45s).

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