300B king of tubes?


If so, are the WE 300Bs king of kings? I have 300B SET with standard Chinese Shuguan 300Bs. Tried Sovteks. Didn't hear much difference. Is it worth the extra (a lot extra) bucks to get the Westwern Electrics ?
ryllau
It is important to ensure that your 300b amp has a more than adequate transformer so you get good bass. Also, the matching of the amp to the speaker is important. A 2A3 tube amp might be better but they are typically very low powered.
Carl
I have tried other brands of 300's in my Audio Note amps and found the WE to be much better in every regard. Yes they are expensive but worth every dime.
Enjoy The Music (www.enjoythemusic.com) has a review of all major brands of 300B tubes in their archives. They pronounced the TJ Meshplates as the best 300B. The Westerns were second, I believe. You can pick them up new for $350. a pair. That said, I had them in an amplifier and wasn't impressed. Don't know if it was the tubes or the amp. I didn't have it long enough to find out.
I am frankly amazed that this thread is not overwhelming pro TJ, Full Music, Sophia, etc. globe mesh plates. I never liked any 300B until these tubes. I find them open, dynamic, very detailed, and with excellent bass. My only question has been whether there are sonic differences among these tubes that are all from the same factory. I have not had the opportunity to assess this. Has anyone done this comparison?
Stereophile did a review a couple of years ago and the WEs came out on top. They are pricey, but I got WEs and will replace these with WEs. My $0.02, Jim.