Ordered a Willsenton R300

@aprforsale 

I am a strong proponent of the sonic attributes of 300b SET amplifiers. I am surprised with your 300b amplifier and Sonus Faber pairing. Bottom line, you are happy with the results.

Charles

@skyforger 

Congratulations !

Nice to know that you are off to such an impressive start. Given the type of music you are listening to I am not surprised.  the amplifier is revealing more aliveness and naturalness. Certainly, makes for a more engaging listening experience.

Charles

@rickybrandt 

It is clear that the Willsenton 300b SET is revealing and preserving the pure beauty of the music you love. Excellent outcome for you. Yes, you mentioned realism. That's what a good SET can do so well.

Charles 

@garyalex 

Also, I'm using the R300 as a power amp only.  While it sounds great as an integrated, I have a Cary SLP-05 preamp that's just too good not to use.  The combination is amazing.  My first 300B purchase has worked out

I am happy this has turned out so well for you.👍

Charles

@whitestix 

So nice to see the Willsenton 300b has turned out to be so well for you. 
Charles

So how did the Willsenton 300B work out for you

I’m interested to. @garyalex ,does it pair well with your JM Reynaud speakers?

Charles

I found this information. Input sensitivity is changed when used as a power amplifier compared to integrated amplifier usage. So quite possibly the preamplifier section is thus bypassed when used as power amp.

Input sensitivity: 210mv (when be an Integrated amp)
           620mV (when be a Power amplifier)

Charles
 

@whitestix

It is possible that the preamplifier section of your Willsenton is passive rather than active. The 5U4G is the rectifier tube. The 6SN7 or the 6SL7 is the diver tube for the 300b power output tube.

If your amplifier has an active preamplifier stage then it’s likely to be the 6SN7 (A popular preamplifier choice).

Charles

@whitestix

I appreciate your kind words, thanks. I’m been a participant on this forum since 2008 and still enjoy posting and reading the experiences of others here. Acquiring the Willsenton 300b SET was a very good decision on your part.

Charles

The music seems so alive and realistic that I listen for hours, just palpably real.

This comment particularly stands out because this was my immediate reaction to placing a 300b SET into my system the very first time. The sound quality and presentation was more tactile, authentic and certainly more engaement emotionally.

This was over 13 years ago and it has remained this way. So, I can completely relate to your newfound joy with the Willsenton R300.It will be difficult for you to bring listening sessions to an end. You just want to listen, and then listen more. I’m happy for your discovery.

Charles

Yes, the Spatial audio speakers should be a better match and exploit what your Willsenton R300 is capable of providing sonically.

Charles

@whitestix 

Congratulations!!!

You have been introduced to the unique and beautiful natural sound of the iconic 300b tube as well as SET simple and pure sounding circuits.The more efficient the speakers, the better the results.

Charles

@donsachs

Well said. Two 300b amplifiers with different objectives in mind and yet each can be successfully executed and reach their targeted goal respectively.

Charles

@voodoolounge 

👍

Charles

@whitestix 

Thoughtful comments! 
I’ll admit that I have not heard or even seen the Willsenton R 300 amplifier. The company has been around long enough to have established a track record of both sonic performance and reliability. From what I gather on both accounts they do well.

Willsenton appears to fill a void between  ultra cheap Chinese amplifiers and say Line Magnetic level of products. Even then, Line Magnetic has different model ranges based upon price and presumably sound quality. Purely a gut feeling on my behalf but I think that based on owner feedback, Willsenton is a very solid choice.

I look forward to your listening impressions with considerable interest. Given your posted experience with other amplifiers. I believe that you are certainly able to separate the wheat from the chaff (Both sonically and judging build quality).

Charles

@donsachs 

Agree with every point that you made. However only so much can be accomplished for a given price target. I have no doubt that your 300b is superior in numerous ways, but no way could it sell for only1500.00 USD either.

You unavoidably pay a cost to have better parts, transfomers, stout driver stage and power supply. I suspect that the Willsenton R300 is a very good introduction to a 300b SET amplifier at an inviting price. You can probably do much worst for1500.00  So I believe it is a very good value proposition. Those willing or able to spend more can step toward your 300b effort.

Charles

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@donsachs

Honestly, they could build the same amp at a $100 higher price point and improve it considerably just looking at the photo

I absolutely understand that observation.

When you price an audio component to meet a strict price point, corners will inevitably be cut somewhere. Word of mouth feedback says that this is a good sounding amplifier despite it’s very low price (For a 300b SET amplifier). However if the building blocks (Output transformer and power supply) are good, you can improve things noticeably with better quality capacitors and tubes.

My suspicion is that the Willsenton R-300 probably has good quality transformers and power supply even at the modest price point. They probably cut cost via cheap resistors/capacitors. That’s OK these can easily be upgraded if one chooses to do so.

Charles

If the Willsenton R300 has at least decent quality output transformers and power supply it should be okay. If good rather than merely decent quality then should be quite good sounding pairing.

Charles

Ibought a Wells Audio Innamorata SS amp earlier this year -- by far the greatest SS I have ever had, and by memory I thought it might be more revealing than the Kootenai. I swapped them recently and it took just a few moments to realize the Kootenai was much better

I’m not surprised.😊

It will be interesting to see how the Kootenai compares with the Willsenton  R 300 and definitely Don Sachs’ new 300b push-pull amplifier. Fun times ahead.

Charles

I don’t know a lot about the JM Reynaud Audio speakers but I am aware that they are generally said to be amplifier friendly speaker loads and match well with many tube amplifiers. So the likelihood of success with this 300b SET is reasonably good compared to the KEF LS50. Particularly in a smaller space at normal/moderate listening levels. Could work out very well.

Charles

@voodoolounge 

I wouldn’t recommend it. 85 db sensitivity and behaves as a 4 ohm speaker impedance load per Stereophile.  You will not get near the true capability of what the 300b SET has to offer. This pairing favors neither the amplifier or the speakers. See below.

I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the KEF LS50's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield and spatially averaged room responses. My estimate of the LS50 Meta's voltage sensitivity was 84.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is the same as that of the original LS50 and within experimental error of the specified 85dB.

The solid trace in fig.1 shows how the Meta's impedance magnitude varies with frequency. Below 200Hz, it is almost identical to that of the 2012 LS50 (fig.2, solid trace), but at higher frequencies the impedance traces are quite different. The Meta remains closer to 4 ohms for longer in the midrange but has a considerably higher magnitude in the crossover region. The new speaker's electrical phase angle (fig.1, dashed trace) is occasionally high, and I used the formula in a 1994 JAESpaper to calculate the "equivalent peak dissipation resistance" (EPDR, footnote 1). The LS50 Meta has minimum EPDRs of 1.66 ohms between 135Hz and 140Hz and 1.7 ohms between 660Hz and 725Hz, both regions where music can have high energy. The partnering amplifier needs to be comfortable driving 4 ohms.

AC versus DC filament heating has been debated forever it seems. Some do argue that AC heating is more purist in approach (Require hum pots). However many/most of the highest regarded 300b amplifiers do choose to utilize DC heating (Do not require hum pots). As is typical for high end audio, there’s never 100% consensus on anything.

Charles

@zazouswing 

My gut is not to trust a directly hearted triode without him puts 

What do you mean?

Charles

@donsachs

Thanks for the additional clarification. Push-pull topology, that explains the 27 watt power output from the 300b (4 of them). Zero negative feedback is a purist approach and I mean this in a very positive manner. Sounds like you and the esteemed Lynn Olson are developing something quite special.

Charles

@donsachs

but it is basically 4 single ended 300b amps in one box.

So is this a PSET rather than a push pull circuit?
My 300b SET uses the 6EM7 as the driver rather than the 6SN7 (For the reasons you mentioned). Also it utilizes an interstage transformer in place of coupling capacitors.

I have no doubt that your 300b amplifier will be a fantastic product. Best wishes to you. The 300b properly implemented is superb sounding.

Charles

Hi,

I just mentioned this because I believe that @whitestix is specifically interested in the 300b.

Charles 

To my knowledge, Quicksilver does not build a 300b amplifier. @whitestix that is quite an endorsement from Don Sachs. Did he explain why he believes that his 300b amplifier is superior to his Kootenai KT 88 amplifier?

Charles