@charles1dad @donsachs I will be at the Pacific Audio Fest Thurs thru Sunday. While I am currently listening to an Italian 300b with Sophia mesh tubes, my new custom AD1 based amp will be on display there before I bring it home.
Jerry
300b lovers
I have been an owner of Don Sachs gear since he began, and he modified all my HK Citation gear before he came out with his own creations. I bought a Willsenton 300b integrated amp and was smitten with the sound of it, inexpensive as it is. Don told me that he was designing a 300b amp with the legendary Lynn Olson and lo and behold, I got one of his early pair of pre-production mono-blocks recently, driving Spatial Audio M5 Triode Masters.
Now with a week on the amp, I am eager to say that these 300b amps are simply sensational, creating a sound that brings the musicians right into my listening room with a palpable presence. They create the most open vidid presentation to the music -- they are neither warm nor cool, just uncannily true to the source of the music. They replace his excellent Kootai KT88 which I was dubious about being bettered by anything, but these amps are just outstanding. Don is nearing production of a successor to his highly regard DS2 preamp, which also will have a unique circuitry to mate with his 300b monos via XLR connections. Don explained the sonic benefits of this design and it went over my head, but clearly these designs are well though out.. my ears confirm it.
I have been an audiophile for nearly 50 years having had a boatload of electronics during that time, but I personally have never heard such a realistic presentation to my music as I am hearing with these 300b monos in my system. 300b tubes lend themselves to realistic music reproduction as my Willsenton 300b integrated amps informed me, but Don's 300b amps are in a entirely different realm. Of course, 300b amps favor efficient speakers so carefully component matching is paramount.
Don is working out a business arrangement to have his electronics built by an American audio firm so they will soon be more widely available to the public. Don will be attending the Seattle Audio Show in June in the Spatial Audio room where the speakers will be driven by his 300b monos and his preamp, with digital conversion with the outstanding Lampizator Pacific tube DAC. I will be there to hear what I expect to be an outstanding sonic presentation.
To allay any questions about the cost of Don's 300b mono, I do not have an answer.
Showing 6 responses by carlsbad2
@charles1dad Not sure what speakers yet. While my new amp is AD1 based, I think its strong points are more the design and power supply than the tubes used. I'm sure it would sound great in 300b too. Wish you were going to be there. I will be there several days and plan to fully appreciate Don's stuff. Jerry |
@atmasphere great post. My new amp does use an interstage transformer and a larger driver tube. The 6SN7/300B amp I'm listening to in the mean time is darn good. Not great, but darn good. So lets not walk away with the understanding that all 6SN7 implementations in 300b amps are junk. but I agree a bigger driver is a good thing. Jerry |
Great discussion. My current amp has 3 heater voltages so I can use 300B, 2A3, or 45s. I've tried all 3, settled on some 2.5V 300b's because I found good tubes in stock. This amp is a 6SN7 driven amp so now I wonder is the 45s or even the 2A3s are easier to drive. I'll put my 45s back in for a while (kenrads) and re-evaluate them. Jerry |
The show mentioned in this thread is in 2 weeks. There was very little at the LA show this past weekend in the way of 300b. One that had promise was very nice japanese 300b paired with Songer field coil speakers. But the speakers were only 93dB and every room was playing very loud to keep up witht he volume in the other rooms and the amp was literally turned up to the stop. It didn't even sound like a tube amp to me. I would have loved to have heard it at 1/3 volume. Jerry |
@whitestix remind me, does Don use DC heaters as part of the strategy to get "dead silence"? thanks. |