Favorite 300B: Sophia vs KR

"I tried to express to him how much better the Takatsuki is.He said he`d check into them. I hope he does and was`nt just being polite with his response to me.”

Charles1dad,
LOL! I did the same thing and got the same response from the distributor of my NAF when I found the Royal Princesses. He was just being polite. I hope Israel takes keen to your suggestion. IMO, prospective buyers of any good 300b tube amplifier should be offered, or at least be made aware of, this upgrade potential.

The Western Electric's arrived today. So here is an initial view, I am not very good at explaining this stuff but I'll try.

I am using a Tron discovery & Tron Seven pre. Speakers are Avantgarde Duos.

I started out with EML 300b's (standard ones) based on the recommendation of the amp designer and used them for about 1 year, when I got the takatsuki's last September they really improved everything better/higher treble, deeper tighter bass. They seemed to bring out more detail in the music. They were definitely a worthwhile upgrade.

The only negative I would have for them was that on one or two songs, there were a couple of sections when listing with the EMLs that they had that magical creamy texture to the music, the kind of thing where you get goosebumps from listening to it and how great it sounds (e.g the guitar part in a kings of convenience song called 24-25 at about 2:30 was one of them)the takastuki didn't seem to give you that magic on those songs but improved everything else.

Going from the takastuki to the WE's that magic is straight back but its so much better it is there on every song! It has the same bass extension as the takastuki's but it isnt as detailed as the takastuki. They are very musical and engaging.

I'm really enjoying going through all my music and re-listen to it with these tubes.

Simmo2741

Thank you very much for your impressions, great 300B's collection!
I know about that magic feeling you have been describing, this is exactly what draw me away from tubes I mentioned on this thread, they just don't have that and didnt sound natural in my system.

Anyway, will be nice to read more of your posts later.

Enjoy!

THX

Simmon solid state sounds better to you then something is wrong. I never had that magic with solid state.

Thanks to all of you for your participation in this valuable thread. I am enjoying all of the comments and posted some earlier and will only say the Takasuki's are still my favorite with my amp. thus this comment is a bit off course and adds nothing to the fact of any further sound re-inforcement of these tubes.

Since we are all talking so much about the high cost of these tubes (along with the great sound) I will share with
you that my amp. designer (Gary Dews from England) gave me a hint that in his experience (and some of his long-time customers) he has noted an "increased" life to any 300b tube if you have an adequate way to cool them......obviously this makes total sense.

He suggested I pick up a low voltage/low noise fan that is capable of moving some air from the back of the amplifier and blow onto the tubes. I thus have purchased a small computer tower type fan (4 X 4 X 1 inch) that is rated at very low noise and plan on configuring it (in an easily removeable way) on the back base of my amplifier to blow air across the tubes when in use to move air. My little fan is rated at 33DB noise and 56CFM so we will see. I also picked up a 72 inch power cord that has an variable speed control for the fan.

Everything I have read states you have to be 3-4 feet anyway to even hear it running so we will see. The key hear is to get one that moves some air yet is rated very low noise and they are out there and mine will be adjustable.

No offense but I paid $20 bucks for this experiment and what could it possibly hurt? The little fan is supposed to be here soon and if nothing else it will ease my guilt of trying to extend the life of the 300B tube which is a topic in itself.

Some of you might think I am lost in the wilderness but maybe some of you have already experimented and it would be nice to know if so.