2. amps-preamps
  3. 190888-134895

300B, 2A3 experiances wanted

I took the plunge and bought an Elekit 8900 which I plan to assemble later this year when the weather here in the Northeast starts to get too nasty to be outdoors. I have not bought the tubes yet and would greatly appreciate hearing from any of you who have direct experiance with this amp and the tubes it takes. It will be played into, at different times, Klipsch Heresy 1's, homemade open baffles featuring Lii Audio F15 full range speakers with no crossovers and maybe even my KEF LS50s on occasion.

I like detail, texture and tone as well as a sense of space and air. Generally listen to acoustic instruments in the jazz and classical traditions, 80-85 db being plenty loud for me. I'm interested in what you think are the best bang for the buck tubes as well as some that might be on the aspirational side.

My prior tube experiance included a Dynakit ST-35 amp i build last winter and a Decware Zkit SE84 I put together the year before that. I find the Deware strangely enchanting but a bit noisy, and the ST-35 is clean and clear but, perhaps because it is a push-pull design and and not a SET, sometimes not as magical as the SE84. Kind of hoping that the third tube amp, Elekit TU8900,  with the right tubes might be the charm. I might mention that I plan to build it stock initally but might consider investing in alternate caps and output transformers if the vaunted 300B/2a3 lives up to it's legend.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

bruce19

Showing 4 responses by bruce19

bruce19 OP
298 posts
 

@lynn_olson @jasonbourne71  The possibility of the 2A3 is one of the reasons I got this amp and I am enough of a contrarian to go this direction first. I have heard others say the same as you , Lynn. If that were to be the case do you have any recommendations on specific makes of the 2A3 to start with? Is the 45 synonymous with the 2A3? You got to love the naming mess for tubes. It is not unlike the case with pharmaceuticals or pesticides.

Jason, speaking of contrarians I always enjoy your takes on things here at the 'gon. I am not familiar with the 6C6, is it like a 6L6? can it run in the TU-8900? If not what amps use it?

bruce19 OP
298 posts
 

Lol, I was reading Joe Boyd and thinking he was the producer of the incredible string band and a bunch of other British folk rock type bands. Thanks for the clarification, of course there could’ve been more than one Joe Boyd, I suppose :-)

bruce19 OP
298 posts
 

Great input @glennewdick  on your tube experiences, I will be saving it for reference. The interstage transformer idea is a new one to me. I will be looking for examples of that implementation down the road if I fall under the 300B spell, but I have to be honest and say the cost of 300Bs is a deterrent, so I am liking what I am hearing about the 2A3.

Can I pose a broader question to you gentlemen of experiance with tubes? When considering the difference among different brands of a given tube such as the 300B or the 2A3 or Even the EL-84 would one reasonably expect to hear sonic differences closer to changing one's speakers or one's cables? In other words is the design of the tube more controlling of the sound produced or is it the execution represented by particular brands or models within a brand?

bruce19 OP
298 posts
 

@alexberger so you added an interstage transformer into a 300 B amp that originally did not come with it, if I understand correctly. What amp was it and what kind or what model transformer? Did you determine the specs for this or did someone else? I would like to learn more.

More to discover