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300B or 845?

am new to tubes.
I have read the archives.
Can anyone explain the inherent differences between the sonic character of 300B and 845 tubes?
Given the amp cicuits are good and built to utilise the strengths of the tube - what differences are audible on 96db sensitivity speakers?
My music is all acoustic - and 90% is female vocal. I love the sound of a sweet intimate vocal - there are not that many - plus single instruments: guitar, viola, flute, fiddle. I like melody and rhythm. I don't cope with massed instruments be it orchestral or rock bands.
Any advice is deeply appreciated.
eril

Showing 2 responses by jeffreybehr

jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
One difference I'm aware of is the price--300Bs can be exhorbitantly priced. A pair of WE NOSs closed on eBay recently for $2200. Yup, two-thousand, two-hundred dollars for TWO tubes. AMPS should come with them at that price!

Seriously, and as Marco already advised, read the archives at the SET Asylum, http://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/tv.pl?forum=set .

BTW I'm thoroughly entrenched in the SET camp with a pair of 50-Watt ASL Explorer 805s driving Quad 989s; I LOVE them.
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jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
Eril, what did you do? In the 1-3/4 years since I posted above, the Quad 989s and ASL 805s have been replaced, first with Eminent Technology 8s and ASL Hurricanes running in triode, and then with DIY, line-array, open-baffle speakers... http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k220/jeffreybehr/OB%20JG6518%20speakers/12Decfmlisteningpos_800w.jpg ...and 2.5WPC SETs.

My room is largish at c. 3200CF, and I listen at moderate levels, rarely reaching 95dB peaks. I listen to large-scale Classical and film music, and this system sounds simply excellent. The system is triamped so I'm using all of a combined 10 Watts (both channels) from 40 Hz up.

You might consider the Music Reference EM7 amp... http://www.ramlabs-musicreference.com/6EM7-13EM7.html . It retails for $950 but currently it's introductory priced at $850, and there's a return privelege (with a reasonable restocking fee, I believe). Pics are here http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k220/jeffreybehr/Music%20Reference%20EM7/ .
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