2A3 Tube Opinions

... contemplating either vintage Mac 225 or something from the EL34 family, as a change of pace.

If you may be considering a vintage EL34-based amp I doubt that you could do better than a pair of Marantz 2 monoblocks.  Although of course they appear for sale only rarely, and are quite expensive.  I owned a pair during the 1990s, and they handily bested the legendary and considerably more expensive Marantz 9 monoblocks I also owned around the same time (although it's possible that condition might have been a factor in that).

I've never heard a Mac 225, but I suspect it would also be a fine choice.  As you are no doubt aware it is considered by many to be the best sounding amp McIntosh has ever produced.  Perhaps not coincidentally, I believe it was the only consumer-oriented separate (non-integrated) power amp McIntosh produced using the 7591 output tube.

Good luck.  Regards,
-- Al
  

Thanks Al - I will check out the 2.  And well aware of the 225, looking forward
to hearing it in my room soon, if it's as good as I think it will be, then the 225 will be home.  :-)

I've not tried very many 2A3 tubes in my Welborne Labs Moondogs , but the best sound I got was with the " mesh Plate " Sophia Electric 300B with 2.5 volt filaments that work in any 2A3 amplifier . More of everything compared with either of the NOS I tried or the Shuguang 2A3c . The driver tube has a lot to do with the sound, as do the coupling capacitors . But the latter aren't plug n play .  FWIW
                                         Joe

Reviving this thread. I just got two (well three but I dropped one and it was damaged) 2a3 tubes from a swap meet. One is a RCA/Cunningham mono black plate and the other is dual box plate Raytheon. Are these good 2a3's? Is there a place in Los Angeles that will test them for a fee? 

@enobenetto Not sure if he will do it for free but Upscale Audio definitely has the equipment to test those tubes.