Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: Bottlehead products Paramount Amplifier (Tube) by mhardyman

Model:	Paramount
Category:	Amplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	$1,700/pair
Description:	Single End Triode Monoblock Amplifier - 300B or 2A3
Manufacturer URL:	Bottlehead products
Model Picture:	View

Review by mhardyman on December 21, 2013 at 11:13:25
IP Address: 75.68.18.240 Add Your Review
for the Paramount

I purchased this pair after Bottlehead incorporated the Soft Start feature which also changed the driver to a 5670 tube from whatever it was before. The kit went together very well even after I fluffed one of the soft start boards and required a replacement which was fulfilled in a very timely fashion! Both units, upon completion, tested good and sound came out. I left everything stock except for the inclusion of solid silver wire, which I had on hand, on all of the signal paths. Everything else is stock as per the well thought out instructions. All this being said, I just realized that the tubes are not what was supplied but I have rolled many 300Bs in said amps and immediately put in the GE 5 Star 5670 tubes as the drivers. The GE 5 Star line, in the day, was a very mission critical tube designed to be extremely linear as well as being very robust with an amazingly long life span. They were marketed for the military, medical and broadcast industries which demanded the very best for the buck.

I let the units break in until at least 250 hours had passed and everything had settled down.

I love SET's. The way they don't trash the harmonic structure of a recording as well as the lovely midrange gives me goosebumps. I have tried tube rolling with the various new 300B's out there and have been pleasantly surprised as well as disappointed. These amps are very revealing. The supplied EH300B's were a mild disappointment but easily fixed. I have rolled in the TJ 300B/n (so-called mesh plate) and they are still awesome! Very listenable with a very clean high-end as well as a well defined bass. The new Psvane Treasure 300B's are worthy contenders and I won't be letting them go very soon. The Shuguang 300B-98's, for the price, are not that bad at all and after awhile one forgets that this particular tube didn't cost very much but sounds damn good!

Conclusions:

All of the above being said, I have also built Audio Note Kit's "Legend" Parallel 300B SET amps as well as the DIY HiFi "Lady Day" 91 SET monoblocks. They are both beautiful pieces of kit, using the very best materials at their price points and sound damn good.

The Bottleheads, however, sound damn good as well and when you factor in the simple fact that you've spent half the price of others in this arena then what is the problem?

Product Weakness:	A 300B's performance is very dependent on the quality and size of the Output Transformer. That being said, what you get is damn good. Really great OTP's are going to cost! So what do want at this price point? There are OTP's out there, designed for the 300B, that will run you $7,000 per since they use solid silver wiring! Does the phrase "cost-benefit ratio" mean anything?
Product Strengths:	Directions are impeccable. If followed exactly, you will get sound! Overall quality of parts is very good.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Bottlehead Paramount
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid
Sources (CDP/Turntable): DAC
Speakers: Hsu, DCM Timewindow, Klipsch
Cables/Interconnects: Blue Jeans, Homegrown Audio Silver
Music Used (Genre/Selections): All
Room Comments/Treatments: various
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): APC S-15
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Bottlehead Paramount
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	DAC
Speakers:	Hsu, DCM Timewindow, Klipsch
Cables/Interconnects:	Blue Jeans, Homegrown Audio Silver
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	All
Room Comments/Treatments:	various
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 years
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	APC S-15
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner