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Transformer best wiring options

norriemal

Hertz and Minds
I have a couple of 26-0-26 toroidal transformers pulled from a 2 x 35w amp. Unfortunately I don't know the VA rating. I am planning on using some L12 amp modules to play around with active speakers. I am not looking for monster amps just enough to drive the speakers at normal listening levels.

My question is am I better to wire them in parallel and take the voltage of around 26V and ensure I provide enough power at that voltage or wire in series to get the higher voltage but risk clipping?
 
Some google-fu led to this rule-of-thumb for guessing VA


If you are talking toroids, rough ballpark figures;

<500VA => 2.25lbs/100VA
- 500VA => 2.00lbs/100VA
>500VA => 1.75lbs/100VA
 
ballpark a 26-0-26 toroid from a 2x35w amp looks right on to be enough to just maintain amplifier about 24vrms into 8ohms x 2 channels at 70-72w total output - it'd just meet the original claim (inspired guesses from experience/how these things are usu put together.). Unless it's exceptionally large, I reckon you are looking at something likely to be right about 100VA. As it is, I expect it'll be a lump what, around 100mmm dia, 30-4mm high? something like that..?

As a result - that's how I'd re-use it / them as a pair as you have: you could wire the two in parallel but better, use one per channel of the amp you want to build, separate rectifiers and reservoir caps per channel. That'll ensure you'll also properly, easily approach double that kind of power output into 4ohms per channel also, because the raw supply will deliver far, far better 'regulation' - lower ripple, and lower sag under transients*.

So -using one trafo per channel and the resultant quieter supply and also shrugging-off low impedance loads,one per channel - is likely much more useful in the real world into real speakers, and domestic listening levels - than stretching for higher peak power into only 8ohms and above. HTH.



* back of envelope - using the two trafos in seriesas one supply to power a pair of channels from higher VDC but single output would potentially have min 8x more ripple at idle; and at least the same 8x or worse 'sag' under sustained transients. No thanks.

This is because- the resulting 'two transformers in series' supply has twice the dc impedance; it is subject to twice the idle current demand / under 4ohm loads, twice the current demand - and there is only the one supply shared between the two channels (= twice the dc impedance, 'seeing' 4 x the current deamnd = 8x teh ripple/transient power 'penalty').

Using lots of reservoir capacitance might be a band-aid, to a small extent, but ..it's a worse solution than just using one trafo per channel, built as a pair of mono amps even if in the same case, and accepting lower 'on-paper peak potential power' output in return for a thing that will actually perform far far better, all of the time.
 
I run my six monobloc amps each with it's own 100VA 25-0-25V EI transformer. In an average sized room (40 M3) with average sensitivity speakers (88dB) I don't require anything more.
 
I actually have 6 of these trafos and my first post was a bit misleading. I was watching a test of two trafos with same voltage out but different VA ratings. The lower powered one started clipping quite badly. Martin is spot on with the size of 100 mm diam by 40mm high. So assuming it is 100VA and given the L12 is specified at 55V to produce 120W into 8 ohms if I use the 2 blue wires to get around 52V will this cause an issue. This was my original intention but not knowing the VA rating was a worry as I had come accross this

"If you listen to real music with a high dynamic range then you may get away with a '50W' amp being fed from a 100VA transformer. If you listen to modern processed music at high volume then maybe 200VA."

If I connected the brown wire and then the blue wires in "parallel" I would still get around 50W with more power on tap if required and less risk of clipping.

The third option is to use one trafo for 2 channels of 50 W which should avoid the risk of clipping but I had already decided not to go this way.

Given that I will be using one trafo per channel what is the sensible way to wire it up?
 
"If you listen to real music with a high dynamic range then you may get away with a '50W' amp being fed from a 100VA transformer. If you listen to modern processed music at high volume then maybe 200VA."

Surely it all depends on:

How sensitive your speakers are
Impedance of speakers
How reactive the load is
Active or passive or no crossover
How big your room is
How loud you like to listen
How close you sit to the speakers
What kind of music you listen to

Too many variables imo.

I have a small room, average sensitivity speakers, passive line level xover, don't listen loud. 100VA at 25-0-25 for each driver is fine for me (ymmv)
 
Both ends of the centre tapped winding go to the AC connections of the bridge rectifier. The centre tap goes a point (T spur) between the smoothing caps.
 
Thanks for that. It sounds like I should be safe enough going with my original plan. As you say, there are a lot of unknowns at this stage but you have reassured me that at least I am in the right ballpark.
 


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