300b lovers
I have been an owner of Don Sachs gear since he began, and he modified all my HK Citation gear before he came out with his own creations. I bought a Willsenton 300b integrated amp and was smitten with the sound of it, inexpensive as it is. Don told me that he was designing a 300b amp with the legendary Lynn Olson and lo and behold, I got one of his early pair of pre-production mono-blocks recently, driving Spatial Audio M5 Triode Masters.
Now with a week on the amp, I am eager to say that these 300b amps are simply sensational, creating a sound that brings the musicians right into my listening room with a palpable presence. They create the most open vidid presentation to the music -- they are neither warm nor cool, just uncannily true to the source of the music. They replace his excellent Kootai KT88 which I was dubious about being bettered by anything, but these amps are just outstanding. Don is nearing production of a successor to his highly regard DS2 preamp, which also will have a unique circuitry to mate with his 300b monos via XLR connections. Don explained the sonic benefits of this design and it went over my head, but clearly these designs are well though out.. my ears confirm it.
I have been an audiophile for nearly 50 years having had a boatload of electronics during that time, but I personally have never heard such a realistic presentation to my music as I am hearing with these 300b monos in my system. 300b tubes lend themselves to realistic music reproduction as my Willsenton 300b integrated amps informed me, but Don's 300b amps are in a entirely different realm. Of course, 300b amps favor efficient speakers so carefully component matching is paramount.
Don is working out a business arrangement to have his electronics built by an American audio firm so they will soon be more widely available to the public. Don will be attending the Seattle Audio Show in June in the Spatial Audio room where the speakers will be driven by his 300b monos and his preamp, with digital conversion with the outstanding Lampizator Pacific tube DAC. I will be there to hear what I expect to be an outstanding sonic presentation.
To allay any questions about the cost of Don's 300b mono, I do not have an answer.
Yes you have and with clear explanation. I was specifically asking @alexberger because he was quite emphatic. A thread with this caliber of participants stimulates further inquiries from posters. Informed commentary is valued. 😀 Charles |
@charles1dad Such is the nature of the internet I suppose, where fact and opinion freely co-mingle. The physical nature of SET transformers are governed by physical law FWIW and that law isn't interested or caring about opinion. It simply is. |
Since the 300B fits into the KT88 ecosystem, the same choices for power and output transformer apply, except you’re not messing with ultralinear connections, and some thought (well, a lot of thought) needs to be applied to the filament circuit, which is a very critical node sonically. I agree about the output transformer. That’s the make-or-break part. Fortunately, we have many good PP output transformers, going back to the Partridge in 1948. Lots of good ones today, too, as long as they are PP and you specify the allowable offset current. The SE world has not quite as many choices, but there are still lots of vendors making good parts these days. Many more than the Nineties. The interstage is tougher. There are fewer choices, and it is a more difficult design assignment, since impedances are higher than the output transformer. Don’s industry connections came in very handy here, so we had a custom unit designed for us, with outstanding performance. The original Karna had two interstages, which was frankly over-the-top. Requirements for the first one bordered on impossible, since impedance from the first tube was much higher than the driver. When I switched over to the 6SN7, I decided enough was enough, and went with simpler inductor loading instead. |
I love the candor. Charles |
