2A3 Tube Opinions

Hi Arthur,
I must admit that I find your system and various amplifiers oh so interesting 😊.  Does your Found Music 2A3 amplifier drive the Tannoys full range? What a sonic  (I assume) contrast to the esteemed Dartzeel amplifier. You must be having a ball. I love the EML XLS 300b in my amplifiers. 
Charles, 

Arthur,
A good source of NOS/used quality 2A3s is Vacuumtubes.com.  They have single plate,dual plates, dua filaments etc.
Charles, 

Engraved base/black glass Ken-Rad 2a3’s with dual flat plates are by far the fattest/fullest sounding 2a3 tube I’ve tried.

I usally run RCA dual/black plates, but the Ken-Rads are a nice change now and then.

I could not find much info on your listed 2a3 amps, but various driver tubes may also give the edge to the fuller sound you are seeking (while still using your current EML tubes).

The only DH/SET amps I’ve owned are the Audion Silver Night 300B and the Bottlehead Paramours (2a3) which are currently listed with my system.

Both are SS rectified, so my only options (aside from rolling the 6922/input tube of the Audion and the 12au7 tubes of my Bottlehead preamp) were rolling the driver tubes.

With The Ken-Rad 2a3’s mentioned in my above post I ended up using thinner sounding European 12at7’s to somewhat balance out the sound of the fat sounding K-R’s.

I also use various different/fuller sounding 12at7 drivers with early Viseaux engraved base 2a3’s as well as with Grey/Black plate RCA’s.

I used to switch preamp tubes as well (12au7’s), but this became too much juggling (for me) so I settled with simply swapping driver tubes to match/mate with various output tubes.

Anyway, this may be a simpler course to pursue while still using your current 2a3’s.

I find that, among the low-powered triodes, the 2a3 is one of the leaner sounding tubes.  It does not deliver either the punch or the weight that most other tubes deliver.  I have run a number of new as well as old stock 2a3s in my Audio Note Kageki, and none really stick out much as far as more weight in the bottom end.  I have run both the meshplate and non-meshplate EMLs, the non-meshplate has a tighter sound overall, and the meshplate delivers a huge soundstage and the sound seems to bloom into a large space (some might say slightly phasey sound), but, but I don't think either could be said to deliver more weight (associated with a more pronounced upper bass) than the other.  

I would hesitate to suggest old monoplates because they are so expensive, but, the ones I heard did sound somewhat warmer.  I just think that the leaner sound is somewhat inherent in the 2a3 character.  You might be better off experimenting with different driver and input tubes.  These tubes make a big difference in the character of tube amps.

Good luck.