@fthompson251 I had 16 of the Gold Lion 300B in my Canary Grand Reference Mono Amps with low hours. I decided to upgrade with Western Electric when I had some fun money. Now no more fun money --- thank you stock market and inflation. While Western Electric is a step above Gold Lion in SQ, from a price perspective, I could have been happy with the Gold Lion. I am now a tube collector.
Has anyone bought the Psvane Acme 300B Vacuum Tube?
These are on my radar but I really know little of them. I had contact once with a fella that re-tubed his VAC Renaissance 70/70 amp with them and said they made a big difference in a good way. It would take about $4K to re-tube my amp with these. I am not in a hurry, just doing research. I can have VAC re-tube it for less than half of this. I think tubes will last a very long time in my amp, especially after I get the MK III upgrade on this amp when I take it to VAC this October. I can also get Gold Lion PX300B tubes for half of this, any one use those? I've had this amp a long time, I plan on keeping it until the grave so I want to do this right their first time even if I have to be patient and wait to afford a re tube. I am retired so disposable income is vastly reduced. I am just thankful i have so many fine audio pieces to enjoy now that I bought many years ago when I could.
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The lower cost 300b tubes are solid, good sounding tubes, they just aren’t “great “ sounding, With SET amplifiers I only require a single pair and that’s it. Unquestionably a different proposition when one needs multiple 300bs for their amplifier. I used the Shuguang Black Treasure (BT) 300b for nearly 3 years before replacing them with the Takatsuki. The BT tubes are very solid performers, it is just simply bettered by the far more expensive higher level Japanese tube. I feel very fortunate that I only need one pair of the 300b for my amplifier. Needing 16 of them is an entirely different boat.🙂 Charles |
I’ve tried a large number of 300Bs over the years and the Psvane ACME were my favorite, even over the Elrog and EML 300B-XLS (which were more dynamic and tipped up just slightly) and Takatsuki (which are a tad more romantic and less resolving). I know the ACME has been on the market left due to some of the leads moving over to Linlai. The Linlai Elite line is apparently also very good, but I do not have first hand experience with them. |
See, this is where @charles1dad ’s statement that 300Bs are system-dependent rings so true. I have the Taks and the EML 300B-XLS. In my amp, a Luxman designed with Taks, the sound is nearly the reverse of what @blisshifi experienced. The Taks are more extended in the highs and more resolving throughout, whereas the EMLs are more midrange-centric and bloomier, more romantic, with less openness and air. Both are excellent 300Bs but the Taks are the clear winner for me. In another amp, as Bliss reports, that’s not necessarily the case. I have to say, I'm still sorely tempted to pick up some of the ACMEs, though. I have a pair of the 2A3s in another amp and love 'em. They're the best I've heard since AVVT mesh plates back in the early 2000s, which were glorious but unstable. |
@wrm57 I would say that the tone of the EML 300B-XLS is largely dependent on how much they are overdriven. Most 300Bs are supposed to be have a plate voltage at around 60mA, but the EML 300B-XLS requires between 90-110mA to sound its best if I remember correctly. I was able to do this when I used Cary 805AE monoblocks a few years ago and the EML were very close to the ACME. But in other amps where increasing the plate voltage was not an option, the 300B-XLS tends to tip up and not bloom the way you mention. That said, I’m unsure how the Taks were more resolving, I’d never felt that across the 3-4 amps rolled my 300Bs around with. Perhaps it is system dependent as you say!
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