The New Western Electric WE91E 300B Integrated amp ?

I have a high end 300b headphone system which I installed Takasuki 300b tubes (see my user ID). It sounds incredible. I tried a couple of other brands of 300B. Each on the basis of sonic reviews was worth the value based on reviews. No attention payed to distortion or any other measured value.

@larryi

If you get the opportunity to hear this Western Electric 300b SET I hope you post your listening impressions. Given the extensive exposure you have with the genre of lower power tube amplifiers (SET and push pull) I’m curious as to how you size it up. 

Interesting (Ironic?) This venerable brand has chosen transistor rectification rather than tube. I'd love to know the deciding rationale. 

Charles

Actually the way SET amps distort is precisely why you should be somewhat interested in distortion numbers. After hours of comparing OTLs, push pull, single ended and parallel single ended you start to understand exactly why SETs seem to sound so good when they are in fact clipping. Much of the warmth and bass you hear is soft clipping and it is not offensive but it is there. Having said this I still prefer aspects of the single ended sound to many P.P. or ultra-linear designs. 

I dunno about the amp, but those WE 300B tubes made in Georgia sure are good!!!

If I had high efficiency speakers I would be very interested in hearing it. I would pay no attention to the distortion numbers… it is all about what it sounds like. Must listen. Sounds interesting.

There is no way you can get 20W from a pair of standard 300Bs. I owned a superb Mastersound 32B integrated that I used just as an amp that claimed 22 watts and it only really put out an acceptable 14. The 32B is a very hot 300B variant. At 20W I would guess well over 10% distortion for this amp.  

Per their website they assemble the 91E in the same Georgia facility that they hand make their 300B tubes in

If they build that in house that's impressive 

It's certainly a beauty, and I'd love to hear it.

It is supposedly made in-house in Georgia.  My local dealer will be carrying the amp as one of the first dealers. He got this privilege by being a big WE advocate that rebuilds WE amps and builds new amps with WE parts.  While I am not in the market for this amp, I will certainly give it a listen.

So who builds it for them?    Does Western Electric have the capability to make that in house?  I kind of doubt it.   Would like to know who they collaborate with to build their products. 

20 wpc @ 10 % distortion. Not for me and if you need that much gain....

"The candle that burns twice as bright only lasts half as long". Quote from Dr. Eldon Tyrell from movie "Blade Runner".

fuzztone

It’s over 20 watts per channel

https://www.audioxpress.com/index.php/news/western-electric-91e-integrated-stereo-amplifier-available-for-pre-order

Looks like 14 wpc at 3% THD to me. Impressed that it

only burns 160 w from the wall.