Aric Audio Custom 300b PSET

I didn’t know it existed either and see that there is another album from a few years ago. I’ve decided to go through some of my favorites from their first album to their last. Yesterday I did the Beatles Please Please Me and Rush Rush. The remastered Beatles sounded so good through the new amp. Was really impressed. The Stones and Robert Johnson tonight! Everyone have an enjoyable and safe holiday. 

Glad to hear your enjoying your Aric equipment. I was seriously considering the push pull as well. I’m sure it really jams! Since I have a push pull already, I wanted to try something different. I have a buddy that has already booked a listening session!

Thank you. I definitely want another set of tubes. It would be interesting to hear the sound change but also comforting having a back up set in case of failure. Don’t want to be without music for too long! Reading about the WE’s and Sophia Electrics now. 

Aric put 4 Gold Lions, 2 Sylvania 6v6gt’s and 2 Hytron 6sn7gt’s in the amp. I asked Aric to suggest some upgrades and we decided on the Jensen Balncing transformers, Clarity cap power supply capacitor, Milflex Copper foil paper in oil and Takman carbon resistors and some other cool things! 
I will possibly get some WE 300b’s in the spring. Reading reviews now. 

Thanks for the reply Aric. I hope your enjoying the White Mountains. I’m sure it will. Like I said earlier, it’s only on some really drum bashing recordings. The amp sounds so good. It has taken my music appreciation to a level I never knew existed. I’m starting to understand the adjectives audiophiles have been referring to! Thanks for the excellent communication, patience and amp Aric. Greatly appreciated. 

I hope so! I remember the same thing occurring when I got my first tube amp. I listen very critically at the start. It’s not even that it’s a criticism, it’s just very clear and noticeable high end. I think you’re right, the Synthesis was just lacking there and now I have it. This weekend it will be on all day so I should get a good bit of regular listening in. 👍

What I’m finding so fascinating so far is the accuracy, I think is the correct term. To hear the multiple dimensions of a cymbal strike. Not just a monotone treble sound. To hear the differences in each of the drum strikes based on where it’s struck, guessing that’s what I’m hearing. Very enjoyable. Even cleaned up some rough Nina Simone recordings I have that were unlistenable at decent volume before. Fun rediscovering music again after all these years. Thelonius is on now!

I did a Thelonius Monk Essentials from Apple Music and also Monk and Sonny Rollins. Thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely check out Monks Dream. I love having access to just about everything through streaming. So much great music out there. 

Thanks guys. I will pay attention to the drummers for sure. 
As far as vocals go, thanks for the reminder tablejockey. I remembered Johnny Hartman needed to be put on. Smooth as silk. Lol

Thanks for the tube options sns. Need to order some during the Thanksgiving break for sure. I’d kind of settled on the WE’s, but see there are quite a few nice options out there. The Gold Lions in there now are my only reference. They do sound great. 

Funny. That’s the album I listened to. A great one! I like when Coltraine plays with Hartman. It seems to calm him down a bit. Nice and mellow, with a few jams mixed in!

Sorry to report at this time that even this wonderful Aric 300b amp isn’t good enough to make Pink Floyd’s Endless River sound any good. First time I listened to this album and wish I hadn’t. Lol. Recorded decently and sounds great on the system, but the music isnt their best. 

I love using these forums to discover new music that people recommend. Listened to The Wood Brothers-Way Not to Lose. Time to Stand Still really stood out to me on the first listen. Cool album with a couple of gems on it. Goes from a more narrow sound  stage on some singer centered tracks to very expansive on others. Enjoyed it 👍

Learned something new today, SET mode on the amp certainly has enough power to fill the room more than adequately! Going to listen in SET for a week before going back. Definitely less bass punch. Trying to listen to the midrange/vocals more closely. I do like that the amp meters are lower, which I’m assuming means it’s working less hard and will heat up less=nice advantage. I figure after a week or so, when I switch back, other pros and cons will become more apparent. Good times!😀

I am certainly in the market for tubes. It is quite a relief that I really don’t feel the need for 4. When I want to rock out, I will use the 4 Gold Lions. When I want sane listening levels, where I sit in front, then the “better” tubes will be used. Having read so many reviews, it will be the WE’s or Tataksuki’s. Aric do you have any suggestions for the other tubes? I want a spare pair anyway. Is there an upgrade to the 6v6 and 6sn7 tubes you like or stick with what I have? 

Thanks for the replies guys. Aric thanks for the tube alternatives. The Emissions Lab have come up in reviews as an excellent choice as well. I did a 5 hour SET session last night. I’m a lucky man!

Thanks Charles. You were one of my Emission Lab references from prior posts! It’s reassuring to have experienced 300ber’s sharing their experiences. These tubes, due to price, are not as easy to tube roll. I’d prefer to get it right the first time. The 5 year warranty is certainly a huge benefit and attractive option. 

Thank you. Aric figured the amp in SET had enough power to be sufficient to drive my AN-e/lx speakers at 94db efficiency. I’ve read posts stating the same for years and said no way. I stand corrected! 
By doing 2, it may temp me to try 2 different ones in the future. If I had done all 4 for $3200, that may have been it. I don’t want to over think it. Just good fun listening to a lot of music again. 

I pulled the trigger today. I purchased 2 Sylvania 6v6’s, 2 Linlai 6sn7’s and 2 Western Electric 300b’s. The 300b’s will be used in SET mode and I’ll use the Gold Lions in PSET. The other tubes are back ups for the amp, which already has the Sylvania’s but the Linlai would be different. Look forward to hearing the difference between the Gold Lions and WE’s. WE also promised, due to the price, that a naked lady jumps out from behind the amp!

Thankfully yes! Was quite the leap of faith. It’s weird how I was programmed to think of the big companies being the only ones to produce quality hifi. It really added to the purchase speaking to Aric and knowing I’m directly contributing to his company. Similar to Decware in that regard. People with a sense of pride in their product. NoT That those big companies didn’t start out that way but it’s a price they pay for growth I suppose. 

The day has come! The new WE 300b tubes arrived and have been installed. Obviously, too early to tell anything yet. The one thing that does stand out in the first 10 minutes is that they don’t seem rough. The Gold Lions definitely take a few minutes to get going and smooth out. The WE’s are smooth right out of the gate. 
Aric if you read this. The right channel meter is 1 line higher. I would not think this is of any concern but I’m new and worry about everything!

Awesome. Thanks Aric. 

I wish I could better describe the WE’s. They have the “it” factor. Their realism leaves me with a strange feeling. Almost awe in a way on well recorded material. On the Wood Brothers album, it seems as if you are in the recording room with them. All the drum stick taps, thumb plucks, inhalations, lip licking is there to hear. The Gold Lions sound like good music all around. There is certainly a level or 2 between them. Perhaps it’s the tone that really separates the WE’s. Not sure. Just love em!

They sound remarkably good. Here is my very pedestrian initial review of them. I only have Gold Lion 300b’s to compare to, so take this for what it is, a very inexperienced review. 
They vocals are remarkable. The Wood Brothers, Ways Not To Lose, is a great album to hear the vocal change. The GL’s are a bit grainier and the WE’s just really make his voice shine, very smooth. Also, the vocals are a bit more natural sounding with the WE’s. Overall the clarity is really stunning. The high end is crystal clear with no brightness. 
The bass is tighter with the WE’s. Here is where the Gold Lions may have an edge. I feel the GL’s have more bass. It a bit deeper and more pronounced. Could this be a result of the WE’s stronger, more forward mid range? Either way, perhaps the GL’s have a bit more balance that I like. Now does this mean I would choose the GL’s over the WE, no. The WE’s are so good at what they do. 
please take into to consideration, the GL’s have about 40 hours on them and the WE’s 10 hours. I’m sure things will change a bit. I was surprised how smooth the WE’s are right at start up. The GL’s definitely take a few minutes to reach their peak. 
I will definitely enjoy the GL’s on my rock and metal days and the WE’s for everything else. I really enjoy both tubes for different reasons. I will be ordering 2 more WE’s in the future though. 

Thanks for the link. I already discovered boomy and liquid are different than I thought. 👍

Had my first hiccup tube amp experience this week. Had a bit of static with slight pops creep in during startup, which diminished but didn’t disappear during play. Changed 4 of 6;tubes during the week and no change. Replaced the last 2, Sylvania chrome tops, this morning and bingo, dead quiet again. So psyched. New to this so not used to sound change or problems with tubes. Now I know a sick tube symptom!

Thanks Aric and thanks for your patience with a newbie! I will give them a clean up like you suggested and try them again. If the static continues I’ll let you know and we can swap them out. I am going to purchase a few new pairs of various tubes as backups. I will reach out Monday and see what you think as far as what else to try. Enjoy Sunday and thanks so much for being so supportive.

Btw, so wonderful to have that dead silence again. Awesome

Thanks markustheaimnut and ghdprentice. I have looked at the Takatsuki tubes and may give them a try next. 
of course the failed tube right out of the gate happens to the newbie! Lol. Good to get it out of the way and now I know what to listen for. Odds are with me now!

It is very helpful and comforting to know you can send an email with a question and get an answer. Tube gear is certainly not for the faint hearted. It’s not difficult but it’s good to have a bit of knowledge, or in my case, access to someone who does. Aric has been super supportive. 
Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete never sounded so good! I didn’t think when I started that I would tube roll, but I can see the appeal. I’ve found my 300b go to and now look forward to hearing other 6v6’s and 6sn7’s. Linlai sounds nice and the Sylvania as well. 

Thank you jonwatches1. It has been really fun. Just got my first set of new tubes, quite a bit more on order, and am doing some tube rolling. Cool to be able to change the tone and nuances of the music. Never thought tone controls would take this form! 

I just wanted to share my latest Aric Audio update. Picked up a Super 6sn7 Linestage today. Upgrades include the Khozmo motorized remote volume controller, Jensen input transformers and one set of fully differential XLR Inputs, ClarityCap TC series in the power supply and Jupiter copper foil output coupling caps. 
Aric matched what I had done upgrade wise with the amp and did what he thought would create the best synergy. He was able to use the preamp during the week so it’s not unused. Thankfully, he was able to shave off some of the breakin time. I’m off this week so will be able to put a lot of time in listening. 
My hopes were that adding the preamp would add a little more to the music. More meaning, “fullness”. Perhaps add just a little of what my push pull has but still keep the benefits of the 300b if that makes sense. 
First listening session appears to be just that. It seems to have more bass, although I am using the Gold Lions which have more than the WE’s. I also added faux walls so the Audio Notes have corner placement now. I’ve achieved the bass I was looking for when I was contemplating subs. 
I will put the WE’s in tomorrow and pay more attention to the clarity aspect of the sound which is where they have an advantage. 
Im sure I’m weeks away from full breakin. I will share my impressions along the way. 
Again, was great working with Aric to create this combination. He is so amenable to listening to what I am looking for and offering his thoughts. I’m truly lucky to own his gear and lucky to work with a man who is so passionate and honest about his craft. 

Thank you Charles. It’s nice to have access to knowledgeable people like Aric and forum members. I certainly would not have headed in this direction otherwise. It’s been quite the eye opening sonic discovery.