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Can anyone tell me why Ken Kessler loathes the 300B tube? Did he sit on one once by mistake? I have always enjoyed his articles and learned from them, but his passing swipe at the 300B in a recent piece on Chinese Hi-Fi in Hi-Fi Choice puzzled me. Have I been fooling myself all these years, loving my VAC Renaissance Signature 70-70 amp? Sure the tubes are expensive, and even the excellent Sophia 300Bs can fail, but once warmed up my Vac beats everything I've heard (well, except for the incredible Ongagu Audio Note monoblocks heard years ago.)
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Waiting on a pair of TJ mesh balloons. My 300b-98c tubes are still going strong MANY hundred hrs into their use. OTOH the Czech tubes Ive used have not proven their worth AT ALL. Arcing EML after a few hundred hrs and NOS AVVT died after 30 seconds.Have 1968 WE 300b and they sound great. Really want to try some Russian EH tubes too.
The cheap chinese amps, dont know. Happy with my Don Allen amps.
Lucky you to have access to the old WE 300B. I replaced mine with new Western Electrics two years ago, and was very disappointed at the sound. Tried to send them back; no go, and some unpleasant exchanges with Charles Whitener, their head man. The Sophias are very good; way ahead of Harmonix and Svetlana. Happy listening! Tony H.
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I wouldn't give much thought to Kessler.....not worth it. Regarding your 70/70 though, I do agree. There have been many amps come and go from my system some less expensive and many much more expensive, the only one that has remained is the 70/70 MKIII...
Thanks guys, and particularly you, Bal, for the feedback on Kessler and for letting me know I'm not alone in loving my VAC 70-70. I also have a CJ Premier 350 for whenever I feel like a good solid-state fix, but nothing beats the goose-bump factor of the maligned 300B.
I think Kessler has heard a number of 300B SET amps that have soft bass and highs, which he doesn't particularly care for. He has also said a number of disparaging things about SET and horns. OTOH he has also heard a few SET 300B which DON"T have missing bass and highs, and usually likes them but also expresses surprise when he hears them. I think he also doesn't care for the 300B SET/horn "hype" as he sees it. He has similar feelings about the Linn LP12 "hype". That's just his opinion.
anthonyh, hi. Ken Kessler is a commercial writer. He has made a career out of expressing his opinion. There are plenty of others in the same boat. I like to think of these audio oracles as gossip columnists from years gone by - you know, Hedda Hopper, Louella Parsons, etc. Their job was to interpose themselves between the subject matter at hand and the reader. It was never to impartially inform, educate, or enlighten. With them what gets said becomes more important than the subject. Curious, isn't it? After all,the audio press wants you, the reader, to become unhappy with what you have and ultimately buy something new. Mr Kessler can say anything he wants with impunity. After all, it is only his opinion. And, after all, the 300B tube was yesterday's news. The 300B is so 90's. See. Mr Kessler has achieved the goal of making you question your own ears. Take it all with a grain of salt. As you will find on your audio journey those who do the most talking (or writing) may have the least to really say.
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