2A3 vs. 300B single end triode....


All you tube guys out there, which do you prefer? What are sound characteristics of each....thanks....Mark
mythtrip

Showing 1 response by danner

Since my budget doesn't provide for a Berning custom designed and built amp (though I did buy twl's microZOTL for headphones when he parted with it for his new unit -thanks twl), I use an AES SE-1 which can use either 2a3 or 300b tubes. I much prefer the Sovtek 2a3 tubes over the Cetron 300b tubes that came with the unit. However, when I tried Sophia 300b tubes I had found the right tube for my system/taste. - The Cetrons seemed veiled, the Sovteks were magical (what mids), and the Sophias were clear, open, and well balanced. Each time I put the 2a3's in, I was immediately hooked on an emotional level with the music and I found it hard to remove them. I like them a lot. But for overall musical balance I prefer the Sophias.

I should add that my preamp is an AES AE-3. This means I have two 6SN7s in the preamp and three in the SE-1. What one chooses for these tubes has an enormous effect on the overall sound as well as the choice of power tubes.