Elrog 300b vs we300b

I have 16 Western Electric 300B's in my Canary Grand Reference mono amps.  They replaced Gold Lion 300B.  Better bass and vocals.  I would agree a much richer sound.  

Merry Christmas, smodtactical!

When I first got my Eddie Current Studio B headphone amp, it was initially suggested to me that JJ makes ones that are good value for the money. They were unavailable anywhere at that time, though, so I went with Gold Lions, at about the same price.

They were OK, but I got JJ's not too long after that, and I thought they were a minor improvement over the Gold Lions.     

So a week or so ago, I figured, wtf, let's go for the WE and don't bother trying in-between priced ones no matter how good they might be, because I want to just settle on something and that's it, after a bit of initial tube rolling.

I found the WE's to be markedly better than the JJ's in every aspect you could think of - different ballpark and really showed what that Eddie Current can do, which is what I wanted. I'd felt like I was driving a Ferrari on a city street - still a fine ride! - and those WE's put me on the open road.... 

I like both the Takatsuki and KR Balloons. I tried many others including Psvane, SophiaElectric, EML, EAT, etc. These are my current favorites. The Taks are a bit richer; the KR balloons a bit more dynamic. When I use my AncientAudio Lektor Prime CDP (tube-based with a built pre-amp), the KRs sound better. The AA CDP is being repaired thanks to Hurricane Ida. Now I am using a Mark-Levinson no. 39 CDP that is more dynamic than the AA, and the Taks sound better. I have heard neither the WE nor the Elrog nor any of the new generations of premium Chinese 300b. But I would put the AudioNote 4300e on my short list. At these price points (>1000usd/pair), it becomes a matter of taste and associated equipment. 

Thanks guys, great points.

I think probably its between Taks, WE reissue and the elrogs. The WE is a bit more pricey but the fact you get a 5 year warranty is a huge draw.

I've long been observing perceptions of all the boutique 300b. Don't think you can go wrong with any of them, different flavors, all very resolving and refined. I wanted to purchase new 300b boutique tubes for perhaps a year, simply couldn't make up mind as all mostly favorably reviewed. Finally, threw dart at board, Psvane Acme came up, this for custom build 300b monoblocks. Acmes so far superior to Shuguang Black Treasure, should of upgraded long ago, indecision kept me from enjoyment for far too long.

Point being, all the boutique tubes are nice, just a matter of different flavors. All will resolve at high level and offer refinement the cheaper tubes can't come close to. Acmes have  aprox. 75 hours and getting better all the time!