2019 300B tubes that are worth the money?

Hi @shkong78,

Did you compare Psavne Acme 300B and NOS WE to other 300B tubes?

I had WE reissue from 2000x. There are very average overrated tubes. 
(I know that old WE is a different story.)
I have TJ "mesh plate" 300b. They where really not expansive but for my test sounded better compared to WE reissue.
I also have EML  "mesh plate" 300b. They sound significantly more refined and warmer compared TJ  "mesh plate". But now EML increased prices.

Regards,
Alex.

The number of 300b tubes available today is remarkable (I have not seen a complete list); it is a daunting proposition to try them all. When I got my 300b SET nine years ago, almost to the day, I started with Psvane, then Shuguang BT, then Sophia RP, then EAT, then Takatsuki. Each had a different sound although the Psvane and Shuguang were more similar than different; similarly for the EAT and Sophia. Either the Sophia RP/EAT was better than the Psvane/Shuguang, and Takatsuki was better than the Sophia RP/EAT. I have used the Takatsuki exclusively since 2012 so I have not tried any of the newer Chinese WE clones, Elrog, or re-released WE. The Takatsuki were ridiculously expensive, but when amortized over 7 years (so far and counting), not too bad. My amplifier does not drive them too 

thanks for all the input, folks.  though in truth I'm feeling as confused as ever.  These things are so expensive, I'm just afraid of shelling out 500-1500 dollars and not being able to tell the difference.  maybe I'm happy and should just leave well enough alone.  :-)  wish there was some way to audition tubes in my amps...  need a local LA audiophile club...

I once proposed to the US Takatsuki distributor that there should be a way to audition his 300b tubes - perhaps one pair that circulated for a week at a time to prospective customers. He did not appreciate the suggestion. He also lost the sale since I bought a pair on my next visit to Japan. 

Argonsteele,
If you’re really happy with your current 300b tubes you may just want to leave things as they are. I can tell from actual ownership experience the premium level 300bs are worth their cost.

Takatsuki a superb sounding Japanese 300b. However I’ve had two of them fail in my amplifier over a 6 year period. Other owners I’m aware of haven’t had this problem.

EML XLS, Czech Republic, is a very rugged design and is exceptionally reliable and has a reputation for an ultra long lifespan. Just a terrific fit for my amplifier and the sound quality is superb.

Elrog 300b, German, another superb sound quality 300b. Unfortunately I had the early production versions and had three tube failures. It’s been reported that the current production has solved those issues.

I tried the W.E. Reissue 300b (1990s production) and they were disappointing and completely outperformed by the 3 tubes above. Perhaps the latest version Will be better this time around.

Keep in mind that certain 300bs will sound/match better in some amplifiers than others.
Charles