g0ldl10n
500+ Head-Fier
Ya, I have noticed a lot of transformer options aren't headphone specific which is a bit depressing.. the OPTs I have are marketed as "nickel-based amorphous C-type output transformer"I don't have a ton of experience with budget transformers to be honest. TubeLab did an article some years back about various budget options.
https://tubelab.com/articles/component-testing/budget-output-transformers/
Probably Edcor would be a good choice for a budget headphone transformer. Unfortunately a lot of transformer winders don't make headphones specific output transformers. You can use speaker transformers but they are a little less than ideal. Lundahl is a good mid-range option.
If you want to go big, custom transformers for Monolith Magnetics are near the top with their Finemet amorphous core line. The Audio Feast also makes a Finemet core headphone transformer for a pretty reasonable price.
I like the 49% nickel core transformers from Intact Audio, but they are pretty pricey at over $1,000 a pair and Dave is not always available to wind them.
Primary DC resistance: about 274 ohms
Working current DC: 70mA
Secondary DC resistance: 32 ohms about 3.6 ohms, 300 ohms about 27 ohms
Leakage inductance: about 13mH 1000hz
Distributed capacitance: 2000Pf 20kHz measurement
Frequency response: 5Hz-49KHz -0.5Db 58KHz -1Db.
I would love to compare them to something else.. ill give that article a read and make a determination.. SAC/Silk transformers have caught my eye too and it says most of their orders are custom, so I wonder if they will wind headphone focused transformers, i will have to contact them and see as their prices arent bad at all.