Favorite 300B: Sophia vs KR

Charles1dad

Don't get me wrong, this thread is one of the best you can come across these days anyway and I am glad folks have the ability to share some of their collections I done have as well. How many people can compare differ 300Bs? Most of the guys just buy one brand available today and that's it, so, how possible for them to know? It's very expensive, but also very tricky, cos if you don't buy from trusty source, you can get lots of troubles, especially used.

Actually, I was referring to commercial reviews and not the one that been posted up here.

There is an possibility that I am going to try RP's again, but I am not sure yet.

THX

Does anyone know the expected lifespan of a 300b? Is it the same for the RP and the Takatsuki?

Gsm18439

I know of 2 manufacturers only who were open about the lifespan of their tubes and these are WE and AVVT. Not sure about WE's, but AVVT stated 40.000 hours.

Western Electric would usally say 'up' to 40000 hours with the old stock versions. I`ve seen a number of post where owners have used their 300b tubes(various brands) for 8-10 years and they still tested strong.Specifically regarding the RP and Takatsuki I don`t know.

Maxmad, JWM,

I agree that 800 hours is a long time but, just to reiterate, in the more typical SET application, expect 400-500 hours - yes, still a long time, but the journey was not at all unpleasant. Remember, I was enthusiastic about the RPs right out of the box. For me, this was a nice surprise. Also, I’m trying to be optimistic about the long break-in and am hoping it’s a sign of extra longevity.

Maxmad, if the RPs don’t appeal to you at all, I doubt if the additional break-in will change your mind. I think that Charles1dad is probably correct when he suggests that they might not be the ideal match with your amps. But I certainly hope they improve sufficiently so that you at least feel that you got your money’s worth.