@jimintally Somewhat similar setup in that I drive Khorns with Volti horns and other mods with custom build 300B's using Acme, no desire to further upgrade with either of these components.
The 300B World
Disclosure: I am not new to Aric Audio, but I am new to the 300B.
I took delivery of my Aric Audio 300B PSET a couple of months ago. Since then, every listening hour has been different than it would have been were I new to both. I want to know who is responsible for what I'm hearing. So, the overriding question every observation is passed through is simply "Was that the 300B or was that the 'Aric Audio Heft'?" Over the years I have purchased a number of different amps and preamps from Aric and have come to identify certain characteristics that can be expected from all of his builds. That's why I keep going back. Examples include the "dead black" background, the solid signal strength delivered by his preamps, the ease with which the soundstage can be mapped, and the raw power resulting from the overbuilt approach he takes in his design work: "The Aric Audio Heft." Knowing what I would get from any Aric Audio amp is instrumental in being able to appreciate the magic of the "show off tube."
I've heard it said that people who go to the 300B never really come back and I've been intrigued by that ever since. It invites critical listening across the broadest spectrum of music one can tolerate. It's here that observations are bagged and tagged, the first being the kind of music I listen to matters much less because I find myself listening differently and hearing so much more. One of my favorites is the leading edge of the lower frequencies and the way every beat reminds me that I'm listening to a 300B. The way I would characterize the sound profile would be to say it's as if the veil has finally been lifted and the distance between the performance and my listening chair closed. You know it immediately even if you can't quite define it yet and it commands your attention.
For some reason I'm surprised by how closely the tonal qualities of SET and PSET modes align. Somehow, I thought there would be more of a "sonic cost" for that extra power. I'm still cautious here though because the quad of tubes I'm using for PSET mode are not topflight tubes. So, the final analysis will have to wait until I can level the playing field. In SET mode I'm listening to a pair of Gold Lions, which I consider to be at least among the heavyweights. The question I'm presently grappling with is which tubes come next? I've done my due diligence researching the various offerings and think it will be a quad of Emission Labs XLS 300Bs. Any input around your experience with 300B tubes I would welcome. Yes, I have my wish list that starts with the Western Electrics (which I'm sure I'll own one day) but the guidance I'm seeking here is the step between now and then. What would be a suitable tube to take an already remarkable experience to a whole new level? Conversely, are there tubes that I should simply stay away from? My thanks to all. Happy listening.
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Built an Audio Electronic Supply (Cary) SE-1 kit amp in 1994. It came with Cetron 300B's which worked beautifully until I replaced them with Psvane Acme 300B's about a year ago. Keeping the Cetron's as backup. I have modded, and installed many upgrade parts in this amp, over the years, but I must say these Psvane Acme 300B's sound great, and seem to sound better every day. Also upgraded the driver 6SN7's to Acme's as well. My SE-1 drives my Klipschorn/Volti speakers with ease and grace. With a good recording, it is scary how fine, and authoritative, one watt or so, can sound. |
I like many 300b amps, although I would not pick it as my favorite tube type. Likewise, I like SET amps, but, my absolute favorite amps happen to be a pushpull amp (running crazy expensive and exotic 252 tube) and a custom made OTL amp (can't remember the tube type, might be 509). I own a pushpull 349 amp that is a custom rebuild of a Western Electric 133 amp) and a 2a3 PSET (Audio Note Kageki). The downside of PSET amps is the tendency for one tube in the parallel pair to become weak quite quickly, meaning the extra power is not there for a long time unless the weak tube is replaced). As for the specific 300b, the new Western Electrics have a quite generous warranty, and if they are anything like the prior reissues, they can be expected to last a very long time if not pushed too hard. |
@charles1dad - I hear when you purchase a Willsenton, you get a free balloon. |
Thanks for posting this as it brings back fond memories. When I was using push-pull amplifiers I’d order tubes from Andy. They were very good quality and he knows his stuff. Since I have had SET I hardly have to change anything for years. I don’t believe that he handles 300b tubes (Vast majority are current production). My newly built DAC utilizes rectifier tubes (5Y3,5V4, EZ 81etc). I will get in touch with him about these once I receive the DAC. Charles |
Here is my reference for tubes, Andy knows. https://vintagetubeservices.com/rectifiers/ |
I don't follow your line of thought. Western Electric has chosen their market sector/niche to compete in. So, it is strictly up to a consumer to select their spending comfort zone. There are "multiple" 300b SET amplifiers available at a very wide range of cost. There are 2000.00 USD 300b SETs for purchase. One example that has good owner feedback satisfaction is Willsenton. There is the usedd amplifier option as well. Charles |
IMO it is not possible to choose one and declare it the best choice. First it would depend upon which 300b amplifier. Some rectifier tubes are better fits with one amplifier compared to another. 2nd, listeners will have their individual preferences based upon hearing various tubes. Each rectifier has its own specific sonic characteristics/signature. People can make broad or general recommendations and that’s about it. In my Coincident Frankenstein 300b mono blocks I’ve been very pleased with the Mullard GZ 37 (CV 378) for quite some time. I can report that it is a very reliable and good sounding rectifier tube for my SET amplifiers. I couldn’t necessarily extrapolate how it would be with various other 300b amplifiers. Charles
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wfowenmd,I have two rectifier tubes in the power supply and I'm using Sylvania NOS 5U4GBs with black plates. For the 300B SET/PSET application, is there a better option? |
@dweller Don't know there is a single best one, but NOS Mullards are certainly top flight. In my case NOS Mullard GZ34.
Love my 300b's with modded Klipschorns, present setup very likely end game. Really can't think of better DHT tube better match for Klipsch. |
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I am using a Toolshed Amps 300b with WE 300bs and I can sincerely say this amp is end game for me. I wasn't even in need of an amp, my Quicksilver amps were just fine. Transparency and tone I have never experienced with Push Pull amps. End of the road for me, I'm having Matt build me it's companion preamp based on the 205d DHT. Those WE sound so good, I bought a spare pair because I was afraid at some point they would run out of some of the original materials and have to change the "recipe". I remember hearing they only had enough for 30,000 tubes .
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I have the Aric Audio Super 300B SET which is fantastic. I like the Western Electrics the best, followed by the Kron Balloons, and then the EML XLS. I've tried a variety of more mundane tubes but the three I mentioned are much better. I also have a custom 2A3 amp that sounds amazing with Kron 2A3SQ tubes. But right now I am listening with PS Audio BHK 300 Monoblocks. To my surprise, I liked them better than either the 300B or 2A3 amps but maybe I just wanted a change. Honestly, past a certain point of quality it is more a preference for a certain type of sound rather than absolute goodness. |
Your VAC Renaissance 70/70 is an excellent and classic amplifier. It requires 4 pair of 300b tubes, so things get expensive in a hurry. In your situation I would heed the recommendation of Kevin Hayes. My SET amplifier of course only need a single 300b tube per channel. So much more economical and simpler when dealing with the upper tier of 300b tubes. I am 100% in agreement with you and @sns regarding the superb virtues of this tube. Utterly natural and realistic reach out and touch/breath of life characteristics. I’ve been using my SET since 2009 and I’m still thrilled with its sonic performance. I’ve been using the splendid EML XLS 300b the past 7 or 8 years with zero issues or complaints. Charles |
I did some research and read some very positive reviews on the Psvane Acme 300B’s. I have a VAC Renaissance 70/70 Signature and was researching tubes for it. What I don’t know is which 300 b’s are "safe" to use in it. I will discuss with Kevin Hayes later this month when I go get my amp from him after the recent upgrades it’s getting. He and Brent didn’t seem to know much about the Psvane ACME. I may just get the Golden Lion as that is what they recommend. As far as the 300B sound, it is the sonic realism that you are there which is the allure. |
I have been using the ELM 300B XLS tubes for many years, and the amp has been modified a bit by Paul Birkeland to accomodate the differnt voltage required by these tubes (for you aficianados, I don't recall what voltage is involved, but Mr. Birkeland knows). The amp is one that was built by Sonic Frontiers, and according to Paul, had some pretty nice transformers on it. It was offered as a kit. He says it is as good as any $5000 300B amp available these days. I enjoy it greatly, although it is not what I listen to most of the time, that being a 3C24 amp designed and built by Paul. It works a treat with my custom built Tannoy HPD 315's. Anyway, my best to all, and enjoy the music, Dan |
My present custom build 300B SET monoblocks are my all time favorite amps. I've been though class A/B, class A SS, push pull tubes with some of KT family, 6550, EL34, 2A4, 845 and 300B SET. What you're hearing is what I call immediacy, SET has performer in room transparency, relatively few parts in these low power tube amps very close to straight wire, signal doesn't have to go through myriad of parts, circuit boards. With top flight power supplies and sympathetic speaker partnering these amps capable of playing any music with authority, I certainly don't avoid any genre of music.
As for 300B tubes, all the top flight have their fans, can't really go wrong with Takatsuki, EML, WE, Elrog, Psvane Acme, Audio Note, probably forgetting others. These all play at much higher level than rest, meaning higher resolving, transparency with these. I do see occasional failures with 300B, but nothing concerning assuming amp doesn't overdo it with plate voltages |
