Sophia 300B vs Jeff Korneff 45 Amp

Chadeffect,
By definition an SET uses one output tube i.e. 2A3, 45, 50, 300B, etc. per channel.

The Linear A is a single ended, Class A, ultralinear stereo amp. It employs 4 tubes per channel.

Perhaps you misunderstood what Tom was saying.

Dealer disclaimer

Hi Audiofeil,

thanks for clearing it up. It is quite possible I misunderstood what Tom was saying. But what I did take from the conversation with him was the way the tubes are implemented was quite novel. A nice chap and fabulous amp.

To get back on message I would agree with Paulfolbrecht. I have tried and heard some very expensive 300B amps and I would still go as far to say that a good 45 prevails in terms of naturalness and extension. I have a modded Yamamoto A08s with EML tubes, and I spent time with Welbourne Labs star chief.

With a 300B (and I have had the 300B XLS in KR amps along with the usual 300B Audio note amps etc) my Trios demonstrated amazing and impressive dynamic contrast and weight, but somehow it always brought attention to itself. I found that 300B thickness masked important information.

The 45 amps I have tried just seemed to get out of the way and still had enough contrast and weight with superior PRAT. Maybe not quite as pumped up. This will always be system dependent and down to your personal taste. Again ultimately either path you choose will be fine and hopefully you will be listening to music not your hifi. Just make sure you get some good modern tubes whichever way you go.

Chadeffect,
I think you've characterized the 300B accurately. It's a wonderful tube if mid-range and warmth is your deal.

Personally, and provided the speaker is amplifier friendly, I prefer the 45, 50, PX-25, and 2A3 in that order.

YMMV

Bill, a minor point, but it is not true that a SET "by definition uses one output tube per channel". Single-ended-triode: single-ended topology and triode output devices. No assumption is implied on the number of output devices. A parallel output triode amp using single-ended topology is SET. In other words a parallel SET is SET.

A lot will depend on your personal tastes. I currently own 45,2A3,300B and GM70 SET amps and enjoy each with different types of music. There are times I really want the warm, liquid tone of a 300B. Likewise, for large orchestral recordings the GM70 is hard to beat. The 45 is an excellent tube but the others have their magic as well. It would be tough for me to live with one SET across all musical genres.