Western Electric 300b

[blue_lu]

Ok, the short story: I upgraded all of my other tubes (preamp and driver tubes) on my 300b amp and now I am considering ordering a pair of 300b Western Electric tubes.

But: So. much. money.

One thing that really makes me wonder is the fact, that there is no general consensus regarding these new WE tubes. Some say they are really good, others recommend cryotone or staying with other, cheaper alternatives (I know there are even higher priced tubes like takatsuki and elrog, but the longevity and the warranty are two things that speak to me here, besides the potential boost in soundquality), as seen here:



I wonder what the haven thinks of the Western Electric 300b? What are your favourite 300b tubes?

Thank you!

 

[Palustris]

The JJ 300B from Eurotubes is a great deal at $346 a pair. They are burned in extensively before matching. I have had my pair for a decade and they are as tough as an old boot. I accidently, while testing, hit them with 800V @ 100mA. I powered down the setup as soon as I saw my DVM but I was sure they were toast. So I put them into an amp and they powered up at 300V at 60mA just as before.

 

[blue_lu]

Thank you for answering and a concrete recommendation. I will have a long look at the JJs. I was also recommended the psvane acme 300b.

"Unfortunately" there is a matched pair of WE tubes waiting in my drawer. I will report back.

 

[marantzfan]

Thank you for answering and a concrete recommendation. I will have a long look at the JJs. I was also recommended the psvane acme 300b.

"Unfortunately" there is a matched pair of WE tubes waiting in my drawer. I will report back.

Best kind of problem to have.

 

[Wntrmute2]

I too like the JJs. To add to your choices, I really like my EML meshplate 300b's. They are a bit more than half the price of the WE's if you buy direct from JAC.

 

[gortnipper]

I too like the JJs. To add to your choices, I really like my EML meshplate 300b's. They are a bit more than half the price of the WE's if you buy direct from JAC.

I bet they sound great. I love my EML mesh 45 and 2A3

 

[blue_lu]

EML wasn't recommend by my dealer due to an overly high number of returns/failures in new tubes.
I have read good things, actually I would like to compare all these tubes.

 

[gortnipper]

EML wasn't recommend by my dealer due to an overly high number of returns/failures in new tubes.
I have read good things, actually I would like to compare all these tubes.

I have had 6 new sets of EML over the last dozen years, and only one failure in a 6 year old tube.

 

[blue_lu]

I wasn't ready for that gamble without a proper safety net (warranty )and also really curious regarding the WE tubes.

But I want to listen to EMLs down the line.

 

[gortnipper]

I wasn't ready for that gamble without a proper safety net (warranty )and also really curious regarding the WE tubes.

But I want to listen to EMLs down the line.

Standard Guarantee, without registration:
12 months or 2000 hours whatever comes first

Extended guarantee, with online registration.
Five years guarantee in case of bad vacuum, mechanical issues or catastrophic defects.
18 months or 2500 hours whatever comes first, on lifetime issues.

Guarantee Conditions, Emission Labs.

 

[blue_lu]

OK. That sounds good!

Will czech (!) them out in the future.

 

[gortnipper]

Catastrophic, yes. But maybe not a defect?

 

[Wntrmute2]

That will leave a mark.

 

[gortnipper]

That will leave a mark.

As my Norton friends would say, "That won't buff out".

 

[gilmorneau]

 

[Jaytor]

I have a matched quad set of WE 300Bs that I bought three years ago. Based on my Roon account, these are playing more than 50 hours/wk on average, so they have over 7500 hours on them. Still going strong and sounding great.

I recently purchased a matched quad set of the Shuguang 300b-Z tubes to have as a backup because they were selling for a fairly moderate price, but I haven't plugged them into my amp yet. Given the positive reviews, I wouldn't be surprised if they sound as good as the WE tubes when new, but how will they sound after a few thousand hours or more.

The WE 300Bs are extremely well built. I pulled them out and tested them on my Amplitrex tester after about 5000 hours and they tested virtually the same as when new.

At this point, they have cost me less than $0.10/hr for each tube. That's pretty good value for an exceptional sounding 300B.

 

[blue_lu]

I put my matched set in the amp this weekend, finally.

Definitely some changes to the sound. Bass has been tightened up, soundstage is more defined and precise. Everything has become more delicate as refined, but without sounding thin or harsh. Pretty amazing. Also: no clicking noises when powering up (has been reported on another forum).


Only one small thing: One of the tubes has a bit more of a blue sheen/gas building up in the top dome than the other when working. Is that something to worry about?

 

[gortnipper]

Not really

 

[paul_b]

Only one small thing: One of the tubes has a bit more of a blue sheen/gas building up in the top dome than the other when working.

Blue glow inside a tube is not gas.

 

[blue_lu]

@paul_b true. its a vacuum in there. I need to read up on that phenomenon.