Aric Audio Custom 300b PSET


Hey guys. I just wanted to share my initial impressions regarding Aric Audio Custom 300b PSET I just plugged in. Posting here because of the numerous discussions regarding Aric’s equipment I read that convinced me to take a chance on a small company’s, handmade amp. 
I’m coming from 25 years of solid state and very recently a Synthesis el34 50 watt push pull amp. The Synthesis sounds great and I didn’t buy the new amp because I was displeased in any way. I’d purchased it while waiting for some Decware gear, which after 7 months couldn’t do anymore. I wanted a handmade, point to point amp, so I researched around and came across Aric Audio here. Gave him a call, discussed what I was looking for and Aric gave his recommendations. I was a bit nervous when he suggested the 300b. I’d never heard them before and those tubes are pricey! Many good reviews later, I decided, F*ck it! I’m in. Placed the order and added some upgrades. 
After 4 or 5 weeks, got the call and picked up the amp. It sat for a day and I plugged it in today. I stream through a Cambridge cxn v2 and Topping d90le dac. Speakers are Audio Note-e/lx, AN Lexus speaker wire, Black Dragon interconnect and xlr’s. 
Listening was really surprising. I’m amazed how different the sound is from the Synthesis with el34’s. The sound is much more powerful. You feel it more. The vocals are a bit more forward. Staging is far better. Probably the weirdest is the blackness. Just so quite and yet I hear so much more. Texture to instruments, if that’s a proper way to explain it. I’m new to this world so proper words escape me. Fullness, sharp instrument strikes and naturalness come to mind. The clarity of the music is striking. I almost feel like I’m hearing things I shouldn’t in the music, like feet tapping and inhalations for example. Very cool. 😀

I look forward to hearing how the amp improves. I do hope the cymbals settle just a bit. They don’t glare and aren’t bright, just very clear and more prominent compared to previous amp/tubes. I’m sure my brain and ears need an adjustment period as well. Each equipment change I do freaks me out! I look forward to sharing developments and hope to hear your comments. 

earthbound

Showing 5 responses by ghdprentice

Thanks for the post and review. 300B amps really have a special sound. Don’t worry, the treble will calm down. Classic new amp sound.

Thanks for your comments. Keep listening. Maybe, look over the glossary of terms from Stereophile’s glossary.

 

http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/bbs/stereophile_audio-glossary.html

 

This is the way I slowly learned the terminology. You are doing great. Thanks.

OP,

 

Glad you found the problem. Tubes are not tremendously unreliable, but they do occasionally have problems. If you have a pop, hiss, whisle… or other strange issue, then that is the place to look. By keeping an extra set of tubes, it is easy to quickly trouble shoot.

While, tubes occasionally have problems, the infrequent issue is really worth it. For instance my current Audio Research Reverence 160m monoblocks have over 2,000 hours on them and my Reference 160s has over 1,600 hours, without any variation in sound or tube failure. Also my ARC REF 6se and Ref CD9 DAC / CD player have over 2,000 hours without variation or tube problem. I had a whistle in my ARC Ref 5SE preamp after a couple thousand hours… I quickly found the tube and replaced it. Problem gone.

OP,

 

“ the failed tube right out of the gate happens to a newbie…”,  one of Murphy’s law corollaries I think.