2019 300B tubes that are worth the money?

I’ve WE 300b tubes manufactured Q4 from 1948 and Elrog 300b (2nd generation). The Elrog is as good as the WE, but a different flavor: more air around instruments and less deep sound stage. My preference varies based on the how the album is recorded. The Elrog can be bright for some. I’d spend my $1000 on a sub, MC cartridge, or room treatments. Good luck.

The most solid 300b tube in my experience is the EAT. I have the Takatsuki as well, good sound but less solid construction. The EAT tubes are not well known but highly recommended

I sold my DHT preamp so I now have a pair of Elrog 300B and a pair of KR T-100 tubes laying around if anyone is interested.

Holy resurrected dead thread, Batman!

@wfowenmd ”I too urge caution in purchasing Sophia 300b tubes. They failed prematurely, but the warranty was honored. I sold the replacements immediately. BTW, they were no sonic substitute for WE originals from >50 yrs ago by date code. I am trying to minimize the use on the WE. At true AARP-age, the WE may outlive me.”

I just acquired an early Tektron TK Two 2A3/50S-i 300b-based SET. Sounds amazing. The tubes it came with was a WW2-period RCA 5Z3 rectifier, a pair of Sovtek 6SN7 drivers and I popped in a pair of 1943-ish Sylvania 6SN7 then 6F8G from the same decade.

The power tubes? Sophia 300b, just plain Jane 300b’s with factory test cards dated June 2002. I have the amp driving a pair of new - 2023 - Klipsch Heresy IV’s - and have played it for several days now, listening to vinyl favorites picking out details of tracks like Michael Hedges’ Aerial Boundaries I never knew were there. So Clarity, soundstage depth, instrument placement all boosted over the Willsenton R8 I’d been using and modifying this past year. BASS presence was so good I didn’t have to reconnect my subwoofer. Glad I got this, I think it’s worth the investment.

Now to invest in some tubes.

At true “AMAC”/SSA age, I suspect even these lowly Sophia’s might outlive me but I’m looking at either a pair of WE 300b or EML 300b XLS tubes, both of which have 5 year warranties I’ll likely surpass.

I did some quick arithmetic and came up with a rough number of playing hours/years, say, 4 hours a day on average for 300 days a year makes that 40,000 hours a 33+ year investment. Who knows, I may be around that long too.

I’m reminded of that Edison light bulb in a firehouse somewhere in the northeast that has been burning steadily since 1904.

Back to the reviews/hunt, I’ll likely flip a coin, the reviews seeming to run about 50:50 leaning towards the WE 300b, and buying products made new here in America is strong.

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