Ordered a Willsenton R300

If the Willsenton R300 has at least decent quality output transformers and power supply it should be okay. If good rather than merely decent quality then should be quite good sounding pairing.

Charles

will also depend on their output caps.  The photo showed what look like your typical $5 Chinese MKP caps with their fancy labeling.   Klipsch used caps that looked like that in the Cornwall IV crossover.   Changing them to something like a vcap odam will make a very noticeable improvement, but as charles1dad said, the iron will matter.  Also the fact that they driving a 300b with a mediocre driver stage will limit the whole thing...   Honestly, they could build the same amp at a $100 higher price point and improve it considerably just looking at the photo....

@donsachs

Honestly, they could build the same amp at a $100 higher price point and improve it considerably just looking at the photo

I absolutely understand that observation.

When you price an audio component to meet a strict price point, corners will inevitably be cut somewhere. Word of mouth feedback says that this is a good sounding amplifier despite it’s very low price (For a 300b SET amplifier). However if the building blocks (Output transformer and power supply) are good, you can improve things noticeably with better quality capacitors and tubes.

My suspicion is that the Willsenton R-300 probably has good quality transformers and power supply even at the modest price point. They probably cut cost via cheap resistors/capacitors. That’s OK these can easily be upgraded if one chooses to do so.

Charles

Oh I am sure people can upgrade them.  Still, the poorly designed driver section is a limiting factor, even with better signal path parts.  It could be improved by either CCS or choke loading of the driver, which would make it much better able to drive the 300b, or interstage transformer coupling would do the same thing.  That said, I am sure it can be made to sound much better with better signal path parts.

@donsachs 

Agree with every point that you made. However only so much can be accomplished for a given price target. I have no doubt that your 300b is superior in numerous ways, but no way could it sell for only1500.00 USD either.

You unavoidably pay a cost to have better parts, transfomers, stout driver stage and power supply. I suspect that the Willsenton R300 is a very good introduction to a 300b SET amplifier at an inviting price. You can probably do much worst for1500.00  So I believe it is a very good value proposition. Those willing or able to spend more can step toward your 300b effort.

Charles

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