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Canary M-500 Monos- which 300B tube-

Guys just ordered the new black series M-500 from Canary that take 4 -300b per side- canary said they like the EH tube but wanted to get different opinions was thinking of the EML 300b XLS or the Sophia Royal Princess- any thought would be appreciated-
bopper
bopper OP
14 posts
 
thanks guys- I contacted Canary they rec. the EH 300b-But it seems from what I read that they are not in the same league as the EML or SE= I was also told that the Sophia Electric do not Bias well with this amp for some reason and the Psvane also came highly recommended= thks
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Bopper,
Keep in mind that EML makes a standard 300b, a mesh plate 300b and the XLS version 300b. I haven't heard the standard 300b but I understand that it is very good. I can personally vouch for the Mesh and XLS versions. The EML aren't inexpensive but their performance justifies the higher cost. The standard EML 300b could possibly be the best value of their choices when multiple pairs are needed as in your case.
Charles,
cfchew
13 posts
 
I have a pair of the M500's. They are my favorite amps that I've ever had. What works really well with them are the Sophia carbon plate 300Bs. I also used a full set of EML 300B XLS which are also very good tubes but the Sophias have more lively sound and I like them better. Both of these choices are already around 600 a pair and you will need 4 pairs, so consider the cost. I think the tubes should last a good amount of time however because the bias is relatively conservative on the Canarys. I also had a VAC Renaissance 30/30 where I was trying these same tubes and it liked the EML better, although the VAC is harder on your 300B tubes.

Most likely the Royal Princess and the Takatsuki are probably going to be too costly to be worth it.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Cfchew makes a good point, the preference for a given tube will vary with a particular amplifier. My Frankenstein SET sounds better with the EML compared to the non Royal Princess Sophia tubes, no comparison. This apparently is not the case with the Canary(different topology, circuit etc.).
Charles,
vernonwtx
53 posts
 
I have the M500s since 2010 with the Sophia 300b Mesh. Excellent sound and no bias issue. If you are having bias issues, you should check if your voltage is fluctuating, particularly while trying to bias set.
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