Favorite 300B: Sophia vs KR

Maxmad,
If this tube continues to improve over a 100 hour burn-in, oh my goodness! The one major concern I had prior to buying was the cost of these tubes. I`m very value aware and know all to well the diminishing slope aspect of high end audio. There`re many examples where more money does`nt equal better performance.You have to spend wisely.

IMO the Takatsuki is most fairly price given its supreme sound and if someone wants what is likely one of the very best 300b available. The RP is 1200.00 USD,old stock WE 300b are well over 2000 USD and going ever higher in price(what`s their true condition and history of use/hours?). Try finding an AVVT 300b mesh plate and how much will it cost? I would still strongly suggest the BT tubes in their price range, they will out perform many other 300b choices.

If you want to hear the best of your amplifier and are willing or able to spend 1200-1450 USD it will come dowm to the Sophia RP or the Takatsuki(current production tubes with a warranty).
Best Regards,

Charles1dad,

Just wait until you get RP's, but to be honest, USD1200 is way to much for them. They sure were better than BT in my Cary, but no way they can be compared to the real thing.

I agree about AVVT Mesh's, very difficult to find, but also very risky to buy, even for say USD500 a pair, you can't be sure they will not die on you next month, cos you never know how much and how heavy they were working in somebody else amp.
The same reason for me do not buy any NOS Svetlana's, certainly not from Russia or from not trusty source, cos many are just B stock and really bad at the end. I found a real Svetlana's that were made in the years of US ownership and these are the only one to try/get, but even then, their history is unknown, so, putting USD350 for a pair is very risky and I just didn’t get them.

I mentioned 100 hours only, because it will be more than enough, think even less than that, to say that these are fully settled. Normally, and I think that's the case with Takatsuki as well, they burn them for like 24 - 48 hours nonstop, before they pass the manufacturing test. I know that AVVT did the same, not sure if this counts for all of their production years, but say after 1999 is. Do you believe any Chinese made tubes going to be tested like that? I doubt, especially when they make 500 tubes in hour, while an real handmade manufacture make like 500 in month, so, no comment.

I think if you ask the Takatsuki seller about their testing procedure they may tell you more, would be interesting to know, if that's not much trouble for you of course.

Keep informing us please.

THX

I was at Charles1Dad and all I have to say is that both of our jaws were left on the carpet. I think the Takatsuki improves his overall sound 80% or more. I am not kidding. This tube has dynamics that startle, transparency that welcomes you in to the event, and detail and smoothness on the treble without irritation. It is like you are listening to the piece of music you play for the first time. His older tubes were way darker and not as alive sounding as these. I need to convince Takatsuki to make KT-88's for me. Maybe second thought I should be quiet because I would need 16 of them in my amps, on second thought I would buy them. Charles will have to be served his meals in his man cave and he is lucky he has a bathroom close by. I don't think he is going anywhere soon.

Maxmad,
The BT tubes impressed me more than they did you it seems. They may just mate better with my Coincident amp as compared to your Cary perhaps. According to the Takatsuki web site the monthly production ot their 300b is 30 pair per month. At their price they probably don`t expect to sell a lot of them.

Hey Jeff,
Thanks for your comments and for joining me last night to listen.It was so much fun and those tubes are absolutely emotionally involving,it was as if there were no speaker in the room just the musicians and singers. This Takatsuki is unreal.It would be fantastic to hear a KT88 version in your VAC monoblocks!
Regards,