2. misc-audio
  3. 192535-1853

Western Electric 300B problem

So I recently purchased pair of WE300B, Friday night first listen. At start up heard mechanical pinging and popping, pre muted so nothing through speakers, after the pinging and popping ended, pre out of mute heard nothing unusual through speakers. No issues other than blue glow at tops of tube throughout 5 hour listening session. Tonight I power up tubes for second listen, immediately see left monoblock tube goes completely cloudy with blue fog throughout tube, this along with popping, right monoblock tube fine.

 

So it seems I have gassy tube, lost vacuum already! And here I thought recent improvements with quality control there had solved these issues. Not happy with this purchase, been running Psvane Acme 300B's for nearly 1000 hours with no issues.

sns
carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,815 posts
 

pops and tings can happen the first time a tube heats up. Loss of vaccuum is the correct diagnosis. Sounds like a bathtub curve infant failure. Most tubes don’t make an unusual smell when heated up but I’ve never heated up a new Westinghouse.  If something is going to burn off a substance used in the manufacture, it will do it the first time it is used.  I’d mention this when I contact the warranty representative.

Now you get to see how good and convenient the warranty is. Please report back.

Jerry

ghdprentice
7,253 posts
 

Some tubes fail early. Not often, but they are not like iPhones and computers. It happens occasional... especially after shipping. There is a whole bunch of suspended stuff, in a vacuum, with a lot of heat. So, I would not condemn the brand. Just get a replacement. And, with tube equipment you should always have a spare tube set. Just in case something comes up, you can swap out your tube set and evaluate the problem.

I run over fifty tubes(on a daily basis) and have only gotten a whistle in a tube getting close to the end of its life three years ago and one dead on arrival five years ago.

 

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,815 posts
 

I had a heater die (go open) lately on an 80 year old tube.

 

sns OP
3,377 posts
 

Thing is I  heard WE had recently improved evacuation equipment, this failure betrays that. This also not the first I've heard about gassy WE300B's, red plating has also been an issue with higher plate voltages of some amps. Max rating on Acme 480V, WE450V.

 

Never had an issue with 300B tubes prior to this in either my 300B monoblocks or as drivers in my 845 SET amp. Shuguang and Acme's. I've had some failures with 101D tubes in my pre, both Linlai and Psvane.

 

I'll just go back with Acme's in amp, have absolutely no issues of any kind, sound quality fantastic, just wanted to hear what WE brought to the table. What I heard in first five hours was very nice, just a bit rolled off on top, darkish tonality, resolution/transparency very nice, right up there with Acme.

 

 

carlsbad2's avatar
carlsbad2
1,815 posts
 

Have you compared EMLs?  I use those in my dac.  where do you buy your ACMEs?

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