EL34 in triode vs 300B/845 SET


Hi All,

    I thank you ahead if some of you already helped out with my previously related post.  Quick story, I currently use a Dared VP-300B SET and just loving the sound but since I'm using B&W805 D3 I keep wondering if better higher current/watt amp would further impress me.  The best SET in the market seems to be 805B driven by 300B, very very expensive (thinking Line Magnetic 219ia).  I've been reading that EL34 due to it's design gets very close to 300B SET when wired in triode mode.  It seems far more economical to get the romantic lush sound and lots more power (relative to SET) with EL34B in triode then going 845/805 tubes (especially considering high heat).  Any anyone can share experience with above since there're lot of EL34 triode/UL amp out there these days?

    I'm also wondering since Dared VP-300B is a very entry level 300B SET, if upgrading to more expensive ones like Line Magnetic or AudioSpace or Cary...etc would make big difference with fuller body sound?  Or maybe SET is SET and won't get too huge leap of a difference.

Thanks.

hifineubee
@hifinubee based on your recent posts you seem willing to go in a different direction with the amplifier. I take it that means, given the choice, you prefer to keep the B&W loudspeakers?

SETs appeal to a lot of people. They often then start a quest to chase down a sympathetic loudspeaker to mate with them. I understand you really like the B&W, but I think it's easier to find a loudspeaker that works for you than another type of tube amplifier. If you do want a warm sound in a more powerful tube amplifier you may want to consider some of the BAT, Cary, Conrad Johnson, Jadis, and Quicksilver push-pull offerings. That said, in going there you likely give up what draws you to your current SET amplifier.

Coincidentally, I was the North American importer for Consonance. Just to clarify, the Reference 5.5 used only 2 X 300B per channel, and as its not at all a powerful amplifier, would not much more than you already have. If you want to go in the PSE direction, I recommend the Cyber 300B PSE monoblocks as a much better alternative, but still won't meet your current needs, as they are also seriously deficient in the low-end.  Consonance also produced 211 (great midrange, not much low-end) and 845 (good low-end, overly dark and veiled midrange) versions of the Cyber monoblocks, which work best with back-loaded horn loudspeakers. As I previously stated, neither of those larger tubes produce what people like so much about 300B amplifiers. SETs have ridden this popularity wave for more than 20 years, and with it, the larger tubes. So many people have found themselves in the same situation as you, loving the lower wattage amplifiers, but wishing for more output to adequately drive their loudspeakers. If the larger SETs represented the solution, they would have already caught on in a big way. As things are, the 300B handily outsells them, for good reason.  To provide acceptable power and bass response, you may also want to consider push-pull triode amplifiers, using 300B, or even better, 2A3 tubes
If you are willing to give up the SET topology yet stay with the 300B tube, Canary Audio has a number of push pull amps that will drive your speakers. 
An amplifier that operates push-pull with 300bs is likely not in the budget as proposed. I suspect that the amplifier that will be used will be an ultralinear amp based on 6550s/KT88s.
thanks trelja for the first hand feedback on Consonance amps!

thanks for everyone else's continual feedbacks, so many choices... so little money... sob sob