Is anyone running a Type 46 SET on their ALTECs, 604 / VOTT?

**LowOhms** · February 15th, 2017, 01:05 AM

Hi, is there anyone out there running a Type 46 as a Finals tube on ALTEC 604's or VOTTs?

What else have you tried, and what is your opinion, description, of how the Type 46 plays the ALTEC speaker?

Thanks in advance. I am thinking of soon building a two-stage Direct Coupled 46 amp, have it designed. Didn't care for 45 SET on my A7-800s, as the 45 tube exhibits a shallow ( but very broad ) sucked-out midrange. A tube problem, that the JJ 2A3-40 very solved nicely.

Thanks !!

Jeff ... Low Ohms.

**mah** · February 15th, 2017, 04:01 AM

Moderator, please remind members about the not so obvious OT rule which is buried in a moderator decision in an old post. Most more-recent members wouldn't be aware of such. High-time for the promised forum rules be delivered and posted as a 'sticky'.

**bowtie427ss** · February 15th, 2017, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by mah

Moderator, please inform Jeff Medwin about the not obvious OT rule which is buried in a moderator decision in an old post. Most more-recent members wouldn't be aware of such. High-time for the promised forum rules be delivered and posted as a 'sticky'.

Also, what is your view of 'thread-bombing'?

Mah, your post here is counter-productive, and mean spirited. It lowers the quality of the Altec User Board experience. It's a borderline personal attack, and it speaks volumes about you. But, thanks for giving me something useful to post about. Here's a big smile for you.

Neither the owner, the members, or the moderation should tolerate this for one second. Wake up people!

**Elitopus1** · February 15th, 2017, 11:13 AM

I'm curious what the OT rule is. I assumed from reading other's posts that if you wanted to make an off topic thread (not directly about Altec) you just put OT in the thread title.

**endeeinn** · February 15th, 2017, 11:58 AM

Actually I'd like to hear any responses to the question. Thanks.

**LowOhms** · February 15th, 2017, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Elitopus1

I'm curious what the OT rule is. I assumed from reading other's posts that if you wanted to make an off topic thread (not directly about Altec) you just put OT in the thread title.

Heck, Thanks for your posts Elitopus. This IS very much "On Topic" . The worst part of the ALTEC's audio chain, is not the speaker, but its the poor sounding , poor performing audio amplifier, which the speaker reflects back to one's ears. Every Flaw.

I know of one highly-respected Father-Son audiophile team, that uses Type 46 tubes in 2017, on their High Efficiency speakers, ALTEC and / or similar. That is none other than David Vorhis and his audiophile son, Michael. Nice folks, and plenty smart too, audio-wise. Davis is an attorney. Decades ago, he wrote " The Last PAS " a Dyna PAS-3 preamp modification article in, I think it was " The Audio Amateur ".

What I was wanting to see, is, if anyone else has ALTECS and is using Type 46 SET amps on them.

LOL, it MAY be one of the two or three very best sounding / performing tubes to use on these speakers. Doesn't THAT have " everything " to do with owning ALTEC speakers???

I won't know about 46s directly, 'till I build a pair of such amps and give it a listen. But, if someone has done it before me, using ALTECS, I'd love to hear their input. I've designed a two stage, all direct-coupled circuit this past weekend, which truly looks beautiful to me, on paper.

In 2015 and early 2016, I used Type 45 SET amps on my VOTTS, and I can NOT recommend Type 45 tubes at all. They have a shallow but broad suck-out, throughout the entire midrange, that never made my VOTTs sound great, until I "popped" in JJ 2A3-40s into the Type 45 amp 's tube sockets, and let her rip !! It is a flaw of the " highly regarded" Type 45 tube, and not my amp or speaker.

WE all have the right speaker...NOW, its a question of HOW do we best implement it ?

Thats what this post was about. Thanks, someone may have direct experience and will comment.

Low Ohms Jeff Medwin

**BigScottinVA** · February 15th, 2017, 12:58 PM

Jeff, I have a 45 SET made by Rankin @ Wavelength Audio running my A5's and it sounds really good.....BUT.....I actually haven't tried another amp....SO I'm very curious about your proposition and may have to try a few different amps.
I really always wanted to use the 845's that Stronzer (sp) used at BelCanto in a write up in SP years ago....don't quote me on any of that, but that was my recollection.

I did build the Hiraga X over - they make A5's sound well balanced.

**je2a3** · February 18th, 2017, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by LowOhms

I know of one highly-respected Father-Son audiophile team, that uses Type 46 tubes in 2017, on their High Efficiency speakers, ALTEC and / or similar. That is none other than David Vorhis and his audiophile son, Michael. Nice folks, and plenty smart too, audio-wise. Davis is an attorney. Decades ago, he wrote " The Last PAS " a Dyna PAS-3 preamp modification article in, I think it was " The Audio Amateur ".

David Vorhis' "Last PAS" article in TAA is what got me started sniffing solder fumes back in grad school in the late 80s. I'm happy to hear that he is still in the hobby and is now a father and son team!

Anyway, back on topic, building a Type 46 SE amp is on top of my "to do list". I'm eager to hear it through Noguchi Finemet OPTs

JE