Need recommendation for 300B (SET) Stereo amplifier
Hi All,
My Willsenton R300 Plus (14 months old) just started to burn through rectifier tubes. Not sure what to do about that? However I did collect some very nice 300B tubes and would like to invest in an heirloom quality 300B amplifier (SET, Stereo, power or integrated, ideally with balanced XLR inputs). There are hundreds of threads on Audiogon on this topic, but some of the amps recommended seem to be hard to find/buy. I have been looking at Cary (mixed reviews), Manley (fairly expensive), Decware Sarah (long wait times) and the Western Electric 91E. The 91E seems to be an interesting blend of old and new technologies. I'm tempted. Any recommendations?
If they are in your budget I would recommend Triode Labs-Finale Audio (sister companies). They specialize in SET’s and have options, upgraded parts like transformers, IE Hashimoto etc. They are based out of Toronto and have been building SETS for over a decade. I've owned a 300B amo and 2A3 SETS from them and they are some of the best amps I've heard. Not sure if you will find a balanced SET as that’s not part of the circuit design. They are from my understanding single ended designs.
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I own a Cary SLI80HS, i really enjoy it. Built like a tank. I know it's not a 300b nor is it class A, but to me does everything right. I would not hesitate buying a Cary. As for the Triode Labs, I've listened to a couple of their 300b amps. Definitely some of the best sound I've ever heard. If I hadn't found a good deal on my new to me Luxman 550AXII, I would be in the same boat as you. It would be between the Cary CAD300SEI and the Triode Labs (If I could come up with the extra cash). Cary Direct has the 300 SEI at a reduced cost of $4,871.00 |
Coincident see here Mike |
To piggy back on Finale Audio recommendation, I would highly agree. I have the Finale 300B EVO and couldn't be happier. It's paired with a "not compatible" speaker, the Evolution Acoustics MMicro One. My plan was to use those speakers then sell them for a high efficient speaker but I was surprised on how well the amp did powering them. I believe they're 87db efficient or close to that. Sound wise, it's everything you would expect a 300B to have and yet my biggest surprise was the bass it gave my speakers. If you want a good review of it check out Jeff Dorgays review in Tone Magazine. |
