Ordered a Willsenton R300

@garyalex 

Also, I'm using the R300 as a power amp only.  While it sounds great as an integrated, I have a Cary SLP-05 preamp that's just too good not to use.  The combination is amazing.  My first 300B purchase has worked out

I am happy this has turned out so well for you.👍

Charles

Two weeks in and counting for the R300. Honestly, I enjoy the sound beyond my expectations for an amp at this price point. I ran it as an integrated for 5-6 days to get my Forte IV's dialed in and to get a sense of space. The music was alive and palpable. So far the amp seems to be a great match for the speakers. I inserted my Primaluna Dialogue Premium pre and ran the R300 as a power amp. This was not a subtle change and it took a bit to understand what I was hearing. The sense of realism increased. The spaciousness increased. I wanted to warm the voices and boy, did that do it. The sound is not fatiguing. I feel that I am hearing the music as the musicians wanted it heard. The bass is tight, real, and not boomy. The mids are - well, I'm running Klipsch Heritage speakers. I'm not hearing the brightness I heard with the KR Antares (albeit with different speakers). Right now I am running all stock tubes with the exception of a pair of Mullards in the pre. I have some tube rolling ahead of me but I could live with what I have now for a while without regret. This has been a promising purchase so far. I hope those of you who bought the amp are enjoying it as much as I am.

@rickybrandt 

It is clear that the Willsenton 300b SET is revealing and preserving the pure beauty of the music you love. Excellent outcome for you. Yes, you mentioned realism. That's what a good SET can do so well.

Charles 

Do you pay customs fees when ordering from China Hifi?  If so, approx how much are they? 

I just received the R300 through Amazon.  Phwoooooaaaarrrrr. Lovely sounding amp, but I am only a few hours in - keep in mind also that I got it to compare with my purely digital setup (Cambridge Audio 851N + 851W into PSB T3s) and I am only really at the beginning of playing around with my audio setup beyond speaker placement and room adjustments. As a newbie, I can wholeheartedly recommend this amp and price point at getting into tubes. My speakers are 91db and very easy to drive, and particularly as I am not a loud volume listener (except when I've had a bit more bourbon than usual) they are an excellent choice for someone like me.

First listens from this morning:

Esbjorn Svenson Trio
Hiromi
a-ha
Brad Mehldau Trio
Duran Duran
Amorphis
Jeff Buckley
Ghost
Ulrich Schnauss
Tangerine Dream

Initial impressions are that the dynamics are much more alive than with the Cambridge Audio - much better and more natural volume control. No surprises with a tube setup it is a much warmer and richer sound. Now to give it a couple of weeks of listening to get those tubes settled in.