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Western Electric WE300B glow and noise

Hello all,
I really hope you guys can help me out. Just bought a new pair of the Western Electric 300B new production from an authorized dealer in Southern California (I actually had to go through 3 pairs to pick out the best pair..the first pair got really loose pins, the 2nd pair had a crack on one of the tube's base).

Here's the problem: I had this pair for about 2 weeks now, about 110-130hrs on them. At first, the tubes displayed a blue glow in the dome of the envelops, which, according to WE's website FAQ, is normal. Now, the blue glow extends down to the base of the tubes and it moves in a sweeping motion like a light show. When the light moves, i can hear a soft hissing sound and also a soft pop/click as well (when the glow starts moving and stops moving)

Has anyone had this experience with WE300B tubes before? Will this phenomenon go away after the tubes burn in more or this is a sign of defects? Is this SAFE to use or should i unplug them???

Any suggestion/advice will be greatly appreciated.
thanx
jaytea
johnjbarlow's avatar
johnjbarlow
175 posts
 
Hi, it is completely normal for 300B tubes to display a blue or violet hue. I would be concerned about any extraneous hissing sound or pop. Did you ask the dealer for a replacement pair? I would.
docsavage
109 posts
 
I had two new sets of these tubes. One tube in each set was bad from day one.
I had very little help from the manufacturer. I finally ended up taking the one good tube from each set. I could not believe that I had these problems with tubes that cost so much. These are the best???
larryken
537 posts
 
I've had good luck with TJ Full Music tubes...
Larry K.
jaytea OP
78 posts
 
Hi guys..
Thanks for the responses. I talked to my dealer today and he said he'll speak with the distributor to find out what's going on. I also tried to call and email WE..but the call wasnt answered and the email got returned since there's no such address as service@westernelectric.com, and this address is listed on WE website for the customer service/warranty issues (#*!(*)

For those interested, i also got a response from audioasylum.com ..thought i'd share with ones who are not experienced like i am , and want to learn more:
" Jaytea, hi. Sounds like classic gassy tube syndrome. Normal blue glow
hugs the inner glass surface. Three dimensional glowing as you describe
moving in a sweeping motion in the interior is as far from normal as you
can get. Don't run these tubes. Return them as defective. How tube savvy
is your dealer? What you have been observing is a severe warning sign. The next thing that will happen is the ionization of gas on the interior will continue to the point where thermal runaway can take place and lead to
catastrophic failure of the tube. This could take out an output
transformer. In what amp are your WE 300B? "
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