Bronal Posted January 18 Posted January 18 I am about to receive a preamp that uses 300Bs and would like to get a new pair of valves for it. It's been years since I had 300Bs so I am completely out of touch with what is currently available. I would like to get 300Bs that have a full, bold sound whilst retaining the essential 300B characteristics. Sorry, my budget doesn't run to WEs Elrogs etc, but does anyone have any recommendations for 300Bs up to about $1000 a pair?
xlr8or Posted January 18 Posted January 18 What's the preamp? It would be good to know the plate voltage and bias points in order to determine if a standard, medium or high powered 300B tube type should be used. For a standard 350v plate voltage and 60mA plate current circuit the Shuguang Black Treasure Series 300B-Z is pretty hard to beat. 5 1
Artnet Posted January 18 Posted January 18 10 hours ago, Bronal said: I am about to receive a preamp that uses 300Bs and would like to get a new pair of valves for it. What was it using?
Nickelle Posted January 18 Posted January 18 I have a pair of Linlai 300B - N in my McChanson 300B amp and they have a wide soundstage, with a beautiful, well-balanced sound. Female vocals are outstanding. The bass, is rich, fine-grained, fast and precise. Exactly the sound I was looking for, the price was extremely good, I am very happy to not tie up too much money for an amp I infrequently use. 1 1
Bronal Posted January 18 Author Posted January 18 1 hour ago, xlr8or said: What's the preamp? It would be good to know the plate voltage and bias points in order to determine if a standard, medium or high powered 300B tube type should be used. For a standard 350v plate voltage and 60mA plate current circuit the Shuguang Black Treasure Series 300B-Z is pretty hard to beat. 1 hour ago, Artnet said: What was it using? Manley Neo Classic. Currently using Electro Harmonix of some type, which I believe are OEM. 1
Artnet Posted January 18 Posted January 18 I would be listening to @xlr8or suggestion as am not familiar with the Manley.
xlr8or Posted January 19 Posted January 19 2 hours ago, Bronal said: Manley Neo Classic. Currently using Electro Harmonix of some type, which I believe are OEM. Was this the unit @kelossus had? What rectifier will be using with it? The following link suggests using a 28watt power dissipation level 300B tube. I'd suggest using the GL PX300B. https://www.manley.com/hifi/neo3br 1
Bronal Posted January 19 Author Posted January 19 Thanks for the link. Unfortunately the GL 300Bs are above my price range. I will of course give the preamp a comprehensive audition before replacing any of the valves. It does seem as though the preamp comes with all its original valves and so my only concern is how many hours they have on them. As I get older, I am less likely to change valves just for the sake of it. 1
Nickelle Posted January 19 Posted January 19 Most reviews of 300B tubes state 40,000 hours Bronal, any idea how many hours Kelossus put on them? I would think there is still a lot of life in the fitted tubes.
kelossus Posted January 19 Posted January 19 5 hours ago, Nickelle said: Most reviews of 300B tubes state 40,000 hours Bronal, any idea how many hours Kelossus put on them? I would think there is still a lot of life in the fitted tubes. I would have put bugger all on them but unsure of the previous owner. I'll be sending Alan some GL 300B's for him to try. 5
Mendes Posted January 19 Posted January 19 21 hours ago, Bronal said: I am about to receive a preamp that uses 300Bs and would like to get a new pair of valves for it. It's been years since I had 300Bs so I am completely out of touch with what is currently available. I would like to get 300Bs that have a full, bold sound whilst retaining the essential 300B characteristics. Sorry, my budget doesn't run to WEs Elrogs etc, but does anyone have any recommendations for 300Bs up to about $1000 a pair? @Ihearmusic Any still laying around? Quality KR's 1
Ihearmusic Posted January 19 Posted January 19 (edited) 4 hours ago, Mendes said: @Ihearmusic Any still laying around? Quality KR's Yes, still got one spare pair of the KR's. The other pair is in my monoblocks where they will see out their days. Edited January 19 by Ihearmusic 1
vivianbl Posted January 19 Posted January 19 11 hours ago, Nickelle said: Most reviews of 300B tubes state 40,000 hours Bronal, any idea how many hours Kelossus put on them? I would think there is still a lot of life in the fitted tubes. Wow, didn’t realise they last that long! If that is the case then my Shuguang 300B-z Black Treasures on my PSE mono blocks should last a while yet. Is that figure referring to hours on a preamp only or power amp as well My understanding was about 5000-7000 hrs on a power amp.
Nickelle Posted January 19 Posted January 19 Claimed Tube life appears to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. As with everything you pays your money and takes your choice.
aussievintage Posted January 19 Posted January 19 (edited) 13 hours ago, vivianbl said: Wow, didn’t realise they last that long! If that is the case then my Shuguang 300B-z Black Treasures on my PSE mono blocks should last a while yet. Is that figure referring to hours on a preamp only or power amp as well My understanding was about 5000-7000 hrs on a power amp. That is correct. 40,000 hours is incorrect Edited January 20 by aussievintage
Nickelle Posted January 20 Posted January 20 Look at the top end 300B's and that is what they claim, as i said different manufacturers make different claims. "What is the useful life expectancy of the 300B? The Western Electric 300B is rated for an average life expectancy of 40,000 hours when operated within published specifications." Google is your friend. You also added another 0 and said incorrect LOL nobody said 40,0000 except YOU. Better take up the claims with the manufacturers eh.
doogie44 Posted January 20 Posted January 20 Well, I read about the 40K hours on the Net as advised; this is an extraordinary long life for a/any power tube if it's a correct figure and claim! I thought previously that the 20K+ purported hours of the signal tube Telefunkens was something to marvel at, but there might be more marvelling to come. At some 20 hours weekly, for around 40 years, those WE 300Bs installed represent the listening lifetime of the average audiophile (by the time he/she can afford such tubes). Do highly-rated caps and parts also last that long?? I think not. Anyway, I don't know whether to laugh (at a tech marvel) or cry ('cos I have no 300B amp). 2
vivianbl Posted January 20 Posted January 20 9 minutes ago, doogie44 said: Well, I read about the 40K hours on the Net as advised; this is an extraordinary long life for a/any power tube if it's a correct figure and claim! I thought previously that the 20K+ purported hours of the signal tube Telefunkens was something to marvel at, but there might be more marvelling to come. At some 20 hours weekly, for around 40 years, those WE 300Bs installed represent the listening lifetime of the average audiophile (by the time he/she can afford such tubes). Do highly-rated caps and parts also last that long?? I think not. Anyway, I don't know whether to laugh (at a tech marvel) or cry ('cos I have no 300B amp). Yes, I was wishing and hoping the 40k hours! But looked again specifically for the Shuguang 300B black Treasures, but no figures specifically for them. 5-8k hrs quoted as general. I’ll have to make a rough estimate of use hrs on my set (2*2). Signal tubes estimate about 10k. Use E88CC/ 6922 on mine. 1
denimhunter Posted February 4 Posted February 4 If you are using 300b in a preamp, which is not demanding you could consider vintage. I have heard many different 300b via poweramp In a preamp the tone of the tube is what u want to focus on. Most of the new tubes lack that rich tone…try 90’s WE reissue, Cetron, Sovtek, Used EML- one of the few better modern 300b tube. 1 1
orcker Posted February 12 Posted February 12 (edited) On 18/01/2025 at 6:40 PM, Bronal said: I am about to receive a preamp that uses 300Bs and would like to get a new pair of valves for it. It's been years since I had 300Bs so I am completely out of touch with what is currently available. I would like to get 300Bs that have a full, bold sound whilst retaining the essential 300B characteristics. Sorry, my budget doesn't run to WEs Elrogs etc, but does anyone have any recommendations for 300Bs up to about $1000 a pair? I realise that it's been nearly a month since your original post: FWIW, I recently replaced the stock JJs in my Audion integrated amp with a pair of Psvane Treasure 300B-Zs and am very pleased. The aim was to try to make the sound bolder and richer than stock, and these tubes, combined with a pair of Duelund 16ga tinned copper interconnects, have helped to achieve just that. (The Audion, stock, has an overly analytical and lean presentation with my speakers) I have had about 100hrs on them and I am liking how they are developing. Compared to the stock JJs, these Psvanes are richer, bassier and 'bigger' sounding with significantly extended clarity and depth. For the money, I am very very pleased. (Note: I have no experience with the more exotic 300bs like WEs, EMLs, Elrogs, etc. I simply don't have the budget for them) https://psvane.co/products/psvane-treasure-series-300b-z-vacuum-tube-amplifier-tubes-matched-pair-2-pack I got them for about SGD240 delivered for the (supposedly matched) pair, direct from China on Taobao. The dealer who sold them to me recommended these over the Shuguang 300B-z Black Treasures, claiming that the Psvanes are more reliable (He sells both, with the Shuguangs being the higher priced). I was interested in the Shuguangs as they have been reviewed positively and I can't seem to find any reviews of these Psvane Treasures - the only reviews I can locate are for their lower, Horizon series 300B variant that didn't cost that much less. Both brands' 300B-z tubes actually look rather similar with their blackened glass. They even use the same "Treasure" moniker. BTW, I run a pair of Psvane 2A3 'WE replicas' in my 2A3 amp which sound superb. Those have been reliable and stable with about 500hrs in them. (Psvane basic 2A3s were my run-in tubes and those too were very good) Hope this helps. Edited February 13 by orcker 3
vivianbl Posted February 12 Posted February 12 30 minutes ago, orcker said: I realise that it's nearly a month since your original post: FWIW, I have just replaced the stock JJs in my Audion integrated amp with a pair of Psvane Treasure 300B-Zs and am very pleased. The aim was to try to make the sound bolder and richer sounding than stock, and these tubes, combined with a pair of Duelund 16ga tinned copper interconnects, have helped to achieve just that. (The Audion, stock, has an overly analytical and lean presentation with my speakers) I have had about 100hrs on them and I am liking how they are developing. Compared to the stock JJs, these Psvanes are richer and bassier sounding with significantly extended clarity and depth. For the money, I am very very pleased. (Note: I have no experience with the significantly pricier and more exotic 300bs like WEs, EMLs, Elrogs, etc.) https://psvane.co/products/psvane-treasure-series-300b-z-vacuum-tube-amplifier-tubes-matched-pair-2-pack I got them for about SGD240 delivered for the (supposedly matched) pair, direct from China on Taobao. The dealer who sold them to me recommended these over the Shuguang 300B-z, claiming that the Psvanes are more reliable (He sells both, with the Shuguangs being the higher priced). I was interested in the Shuguangs as they have been reviewed positively and I can't seem to find any reviews of these Psvanes - only reviews I can locate are for their lower, Horizon series 300B variant that didn't cost that much less. Both brands' 300B-z tubes actually look rather similar with their blackened glass. BTW, I run a pair of Psvane 2A3 'WE replicas' in my 2A3 amp which sound superb. Those have been reliable and stable with about 500hrs in them. (Psvane basic 2A3s were my run-in tubes and those too were very good) Hope this helps. Thanks for that information and the link. I too use 300B in Audion Silver Night Anniversary PSE 300B mono blocks, but have used the Shuguang 300B-z Black Treasure for 6-7 yrs now. Very happy with them, but they did take about 220hrs to reach their best. However, they sounded good after 100hrs and the improvement after that was fascinating to hear. Interesting that the seller guy said the equivalent Psavane 300B-z was more “reliable”. Do you know what he meant by that? Did he comment on SQ and sound signature/ character compared to the Shuguang? I haven’t got a 300B in the preamps, so cannot contribute to the OP, but very happy with Shuguang 300B-z in the power amps within my system and acoustic environment.
orcker Posted February 12 Posted February 12 (edited) 38 minutes ago, vivianbl said: Thanks for that information and the link. I too use 300B in Audion Silver Night Anniversary PSE 300B mono blocks, but have used the Shuguang 300B-z Black Treasure for 6-7 yrs now. Very happy with them, but they did take about 220hrs to reach their best. However, they sounded good after 100hrs and the improvement after that was fascinating to hear. Interesting that the seller guy said the equivalent Psavane 300B-z was more “reliable”. Do you know what he meant by that? Did he comment on SQ and sound signature/ character compared to the Shuguang? I haven’t got a 300B in the preamps, so cannot contribute to the OP, but very happy with Shuguang 300B-z in the power amps within my system and acoustic environment. The seller mentioned that his experience with the Psvanes was that they "last longer" and are "more stable" (vis a viz the Shuguangs). He didn't say anything about the sonic differences. I think we can definitely take such advice with a pinch of salt, but he was quite emphatic and immediate in his recommendation. It is also a well reviewed store on that platform. What tipped me over to the Psvanes is my excellent experience with their 2A3 tubes. I also took a punt that the 300B-z tubes from both brands are likely from the same factory since they look so uncannily similar from the shape of the glass to the appearance of the black coating. And this was probably at the back of my mind: I had a terrible experience with Shuguang's factory direct store (on Aliexpress) late last year when they sent me a completely wrong pair of tubes and made the return so damn difficult. They first denied the fault, then admitted it after I chased up for a few days, promised to fully pay for the return, which they later reneged on. And throughout, they were *really* slow to respond). They had sent me a pair of their entry level EL34s when I paid for their Treasure 6CA7s. Like, whaaaat? Size, looks, price and SKU wise , these are completely different things. Once again, this is Shuguang, the company itself I was buying from - yes, I did multiple checks including their business license posted on Aliexpress. In the end this debacle was only resolved with the help of Aliexpress' customer service. So, mentally, I am off Shuguang for a while. Edited February 12 by orcker 1
Bronal Posted February 13 Author Posted February 13 (edited) 15 hours ago, orcker said: I realise that it's been nearly a month since your original post: FWIW, I recently replaced the stock JJs in my Audion integrated amp with a pair of Psvane Treasure 300B-Zs and am very pleased. The aim was to try to make the sound bolder and richer sounding than stock, and these tubes, combined with a pair of Duelund 16ga tinned copper interconnects, have helped to achieve just that. (The Audion, stock, has an overly analytical and lean presentation with my speakers) I have had about 100hrs on them and I am liking how they are developing. Compared to the stock JJs, these Psvanes are richer, bassier and 'bigger' sounding with significantly extended clarity and depth. For the money, I am very very pleased. (Note: I have no experience with the more exotic 300bs like WEs, EMLs, Elrogs, etc. I simply don't have the budget for them) https://psvane.co/products/psvane-treasure-series-300b-z-vacuum-tube-amplifier-tubes-matched-pair-2-pack I got them for about SGD240 delivered for the (supposedly matched) pair, direct from China on Taobao. The dealer who sold them to me recommended these over the Shuguang 300B-z Black Treasures, claiming that the Psvanes are more reliable (He sells both, with the Shuguangs being the higher priced). I was interested in the Shuguangs as they have been reviewed positively and I can't seem to find any reviews of these Psvane Treasures - the only reviews I can locate are for their lower, Horizon series 300B variant that didn't cost that much less. Both brands' 300B-z tubes actually look rather similar with their blackened glass. They even use the same "Treasure" moniker. BTW, I run a pair of Psvane 2A3 'WE replicas' in my 2A3 amp which sound superb. Those have been reliable and stable with about 500hrs in them. (Psvane basic 2A3s were my run-in tubes and those too were very good) Hope this helps. Many thanks for the reply. For the first couple of weeks I played the preamp with the original EH 300Bs and must say that I was quite impressed with them. They were nice and delicate and open and I thought about sticking with them, possibly buying a new pair, but in the end I ordered a pair of Linlai WE Replicas from Grant Fidelity in Canada, which arrived in five days via DHL. I paid extra for a 'best selection' pair (whether this is BS, who knows), so as usual blew my budget, but not by an extortionate amount. Before ordering from Grant Fidelity, I did register with Ali Express, albeit with some reluctance, and ordered a pair from them at a lot less cost than through Grant Fidelity. However, something went wrong with my PayPal payment and it timed out after a few days, so I took this as an omen and won't be ordering from Ali Express again, although they now have my email and keep bombarding me with spam. I am now burning the Linlais in. I won't offer a comment on how they sound, except to say that I find some of the burn-in times quoted on the forums to be hilarious to say the least. I am not sceptical about burn-in per se, but hold the view that if something can't reveal its true sonic character within a reasonable time (say up 100 hours), then there is something wrong somewhere. 1000 hours is just OTT. So, it looks like my 300B journey is over, at least for the time being. Edited February 13 by Bronal 1 1
orcker Posted February 13 Posted February 13 3 hours ago, Bronal said: Many thanks for the reply. For the first couple of weeks I played the preamp with the original EH 300Bs and must say that I was quite impressed with them. They were nice and delicate and open and I thought about sticking with them, possibly buying a new pair, but in the end I ordered a pair of Linlai WE Replicas from Grant Fidelity in Canada, which arrived in five days via DHL. I paid extra for a 'best selection' pair (whether this is BS, who knows), so as usual blew my budget, but not by an extortionate amount. Before ordering from Grant Fidelity, I did register with Ali Express, albeit with some reluctance, and ordered a pair from them at a lot less cost than through Grant Fidelity. However, something went wrong with my PayPal payment and it timed out after a few days, so I took this as an omen and won't be ordering from Ali Express again, although they now have my email and keep bombarding me with spam. I am now burning the Linlais in. I won't offer a comment on how they sound, except to say that I find some of the burn-in times quoted on the forums to be hilarious to say the least. I am not sceptical about burn-in per se, but hold the view that if something can't reveal its true sonic character within a reasonable time (say up 100 hours), then there is something wrong somewhere. 1000 hours is just OTT. So, it looks like my 300B journey is over, at least for the time being. Burn-in times: Yeah, 1000hrs is kinda insane. The components I have experienced that needed really long times are some types of capacitors. Duelund CAST and Soviet K75 types took about 300hrs to ripen. The latter probably longer, maybe 500hrs to really stabilise. But hey, they were really reasonably priced, so that went some way to compensate for the trouble.
Recommended Posts