Please let me know if you liked the video by clicking the like button. 👍 If you are interested in the World top full range drivers - please visit www.cubeaudio.eu For amazing 3 way Semi Open Baffle speakers build with the best components available go to - www.qualioaudio.com And if you really like what I'm doing here you can always buy me a coffee ☕☕☕ - buymeacoffee.com/VirtualHiFi
I have had many 300b Amplifiers, they all sound mellow, too mellow. Now I run a 45 SE which is the same as 2A3 but single plate with less power, it is the best triode SE I had by far. Realistic textures and natural sound, fantastic, and despites its 3 watts, it works with Cube Audio Magus.
Thank you very much for sharing your opinion. I have to test the 45 myself. Never had a chance to hear it for a long time and the Tektron amp allows for it as well. Which brand for the 45 do you recommend ?
@@VirtualHiFi I have tried EML, but still the midrange of a good NOS is unbeatable on my system, so I picked up NOS bottle shaped 45 tubes from various brands with nearby values, all good.
Thanks so much for doing these kind of vids! Your May versus Spring was great and helped me decide between the two (I went with May...) For this, I hear a certain weight to the notes with the 300B amplifier that's perfect for jazz for me. The 2A3 sounds like it's got an airy lift in the upper midrange and treble and I dig that for voices and midrange focused things. It's clean and clear too and not fatiguing to my ears. The 211 tube amp is a new sound to me - it's got a quality that I like a lot. It's got the nice weight to it like the 300B, but it's got a unique quality in the mids that I can't quite put my finger on versus the other 2. All beautiful amps!
211 is more mid hall. it's open and wide maybe wider than the rest. I most like the essence of the music rather than walk through the band. I won't get tired of it that way. AWESOME DEMO! 😊
It's best to have all kinds of amps. I want to own them all 😅😜 No one is better than the other. Each type has a characteristic sound color. Your mood also changes color. So it's best to prepare all the equipment to suit your mood.
1. 2A3 (Most realistic sounding in the circuit applied) 2. 211 (Darker but less glare compared with 300B, a bit too resonant in the bass - may be the circuit?) 3. 300 B (Too lush, again, can be tamed with interstage)
I did NOT expect the 211 to be my favorite. To my ears, it was the most holographic, had the widest soundstage, and sounded fuller. Not as detailed as the others, but not as thin as the 2A3…more oomf. Felt more like a live show to me. I do like the 300bs. I wonder what one type as a pre amp and another as a power amp would do. Might exits, but I don’t think I have seen one.
Compliments fore how the test is performed.Compliments fore how you did the comparisment. Compliments fore the different music styles and switching between the Amps !!
Hi, thanks for the video and comparison. It's difficult to assess even in the same brand's amps with different brand tubes. The 211 sound very muddy and veiled and drop the emphasis to lower octaves; the 300B's sound great by themselves but then a bit bloated once the 2A3 come in. The 2A3 sound very detailed and expressive but you may miss the lower mid/bass harmonics. The soundscape relates very much to the amp design and tubes...obviously!...but sometimes in unexpected ways. I've recently tried an Electro-Harmonix Gold 300B next to a JJ 2A3-40 in an Elekit 8900 (switchable tubes) and I was expecting to hear the detail and transparency increase with the 2A3s like your video, but surprisingly the EH 300Bs were more detailed and less warm and blurred than the JJs... I much prefer them.
I'm new to your channel - don't know if you often do comparisons like this, perfect in my book, excellently done - - not that it matters much - I'm on the same page as danbosak, I agree with his line up choices and JoseSantos because yeah, they all get the job done but again yeah, typical audiophile stuff as it would be nice to combine the strengths of all three of them. Really nice sounding system/room to do the comparisons, nice music choices too - - thanks.
Hello 👋 Thank you for your comment. That means a lot to me and it gives me plenty of power to do more videos like that ;) My early videos are from my lining room and now I have a dedicated UA-cam recording studio where I only do listening and recording sessions so soon many more videos will come ;)
Was wondering how an El34 in single ended might sound in Comparison. Have recently heard the El34 is a sweet tube good in mid-range. Thank you for the video.
2A3! Still tempting me but I have enough SE tubeamps including 300B. Also I heard a recurring problem on piano notes saturating. I suspect its the Lampizator DAC. I had one here (not the Baltic) brought by a friend to compare and the output stage was tuned rather hot so it overmodulates on piano and soprano. This is what I hear on all 3. Also I like the other speakers better. You can drive them ok with the 211 and maybe even the 300B.
Hi, thank you for the show, I tend towards 300B sound with this loudspeaker but I cannot justify why. On the other hand I feel that there would be a different winner with each track and I'd like to make my decision mathematically, based on how each one performs with different genres of music. I find it difficult to be critical with this sort of listening, as comparison is on different passages of the music. Could we have a more strict, one-to-one comparison? Like, half songs played with each tube succeedingly, one after the other? This way we could have a more rational comparison, not an emotional guesswork. Thanks again.
Thank you very much for the feedback. Yes now I will do it exactly that way. Few tracks playing on while I'm changing devices, and later the same part of the track on on each device ;) just like in this video - ua-cam.com/video/btIiLTCtmcA/v-deo.html
Congratulations on this very good performance. You got it exactly right! And it's amazing to me how clearly and distinctly you can hear the differences via a simple internet connection. However, I also have headphones, which makes a big difference. I think this test setup with continuous music is better than rewinding the track over and over again, which someone suggested in the comments. I also think the relatively short alternating rhythm is good because you can then concentrate on different aspects when switching several times.
Thank you for your very positive comment and feedback. I'm glad it is helpful and you can clearly hear the difference. Depending on the. Video I sometimes don't or other or mix the comparison version. Ill do more videos this week so there will be definitely some more videos to watch ;)
I prefer the 211 first, close after the 2a3. 211 seem to express more lively, magic of the musical event reproduction. ps. I got those brand and in order, GE (jaw drop), RCA (very close), Shuguan electron (more edgy, harch). My SE amp is a Antique sound Lab AQ1006/ 211 (1997). Merci pour la video.
I was surprised at how similar the overall tonal balance between all three amps was similar. The differences I heard was that the 211 gave more body and shape to the individual notes, more punch, the 2A3 made the shape of the notes less distinct, more rounded, more washed together, more delicate, but not dissagreeably so. The 300B was somewhere in between. The 211 also seemed to produce a larger sound stage, and I can see how some people would describe the 211 as darker but for me not in a way that is unfaithful to the music. I believe if you could mount those drivers in the wall in a true infinite baffel, slightly higher than the speaker mounting height, the overall tonal balance and presentation would improve, it would be more extended and less stressed, I would also like to hear a multiple driver line array open baffel version with the speakers. Putting drivers in this sort of enclosure, narrow, and the speaker at the very top if the front baffell, will accentuate peaks and dips in the speaker response, please refer to the baffell studies Oleson published, and those peaks and dips will not chage a great deal depending on the amp, aside from the dampning factor of the amp. In the case of these speakers and enclosures, I believe they would sound better with very high quality sold state amplifiers, the high end would be more distinct and extended. I appreciate this presentation and I can imagine that eidting it perfectly as it was took some effort.
Hi, I also got the 211 from Tektron. Do you also get the fairly high transformer noise when you power up the amp? Cheers for the video it’s a great addition for the community
I also had that problem with my 211 amp. It was scayring. I replace the bias potentiometer with a new and boum, no more noise at all! ded quiet at opening. Just ear the little relay clic.
First track: 211, 300B, 2A3 Second track: 211, 300B, well both. 2A3. Third track: 211, 300B, 2A3 Fourth track: 211, 300B, well both. 2A3. -> 300B or 211 are the best
I would be interested in what microphone you used for this since, I am affraid, it was unable to pick a sufficient dynamic range at this recording distance (not to mention an unvoidable suppression YT adds itself).
Seems the 211 has more room for manoeuvre,literally I would say. Perhaps it is all physical with valves. Like - valves work with Newtonian physics and transistors are quantum rules. Fine, get it down to quarks if you like, it's going to work. But we're moving speaker cones here,and the signal doesn't want to be flinching or hesitating, waiting for the power to be available. 500 volts and a big glass tube followed by a block of laminated planet earth is definitely more likely to be up for the game in my estimation.
oh I totally get your point of view. I love 211 not only for the sound but the looks, glow and if being a great substitute of fireplace in the winter - totally awesome
Maybe the 300B version is better and the 211 the less interesting and the less musical. But who knows? But the brand of the tubes is also very important as we all know
Some songs sound the same. Other songs show a difference. The 211 sounds the same as the others but some songs the 211 sounds lacking in bass and musicality.
300B here is least pleasant in tonal terms, piano attacs are dirty. Both 2A3 and 211 sound more soft and warm. 211 has less top end. As for me 300B lost, 211 is more "atmospheric", 2A3 more precise
Please let me know if you liked the video by clicking the like button. 👍
If you are interested in the World top full range drivers - please visit www.cubeaudio.eu
For amazing 3 way Semi Open Baffle speakers build with the best components available go to - www.qualioaudio.com
And if you really like what I'm doing here you can always buy me a coffee ☕☕☕ - buymeacoffee.com/VirtualHiFi
I like the 2A3 best, more elegant delivery over the whole frequency spectrum. Never pushy.
Thank you for sharing your feedback
Agree !
I have had many 300b Amplifiers, they all sound mellow, too mellow. Now I run a 45 SE which is the same as 2A3 but single plate with less power, it is the best triode SE I had by far. Realistic textures and natural sound, fantastic, and despites its 3 watts, it works with Cube Audio Magus.
Thank you very much for sharing your opinion. I have to test the 45 myself. Never had a chance to hear it for a long time and the Tektron amp allows for it as well.
Which brand for the 45 do you recommend ?
@@VirtualHiFi I have tried EML, but still the midrange of a good NOS is unbeatable on my system, so I picked up NOS bottle shaped 45 tubes from various brands with nearby values, all good.
In an absolute sense 300b is a wee bit slow but beautiful mids! I use a select grade Linlai 300b.😊
NOS 45 is pure MAGIC ..................and the ballon shape 245 nos is even better...
Thanks so much for doing these kind of vids! Your May versus Spring was great and helped me decide between the two (I went with May...)
For this, I hear a certain weight to the notes with the 300B amplifier that's perfect for jazz for me. The 2A3 sounds like it's got an airy lift in the upper midrange and treble and I dig that for voices and midrange focused things. It's clean and clear too and not fatiguing to my ears. The 211 tube amp is a new sound to me - it's got a quality that I like a lot. It's got the nice weight to it like the 300B, but it's got a unique quality in the mids that I can't quite put my finger on versus the other 2. All beautiful amps!
211 is more mid hall. it's open and wide maybe wider than the rest. I most like the essence of the music rather than walk through the band. I won't get tired of it that way. AWESOME DEMO! 😊
I like 300b with widebanders! At an audio show I was impressed with 2a3 monos with Songer S2s!
Great to hear that :)
Thank you for the feedback and 300B with Fullrange is a recepie for success :)
@@VirtualHiFi Yes, 100% agree!😊
It's best to have all kinds of amps. I want to own them all 😅😜
No one is better than the other. Each type has a characteristic sound color. Your mood also changes color. So it's best to prepare all the equipment to suit your mood.
Well said!
1. 2A3 (Most realistic sounding in the circuit applied)
2. 211 (Darker but less glare compared with 300B, a bit too resonant in the bass - may be the circuit?)
3. 300 B (Too lush, again, can be tamed with interstage)
Thanks for the feedback ;)
Hi Dan, I never listened to a interstage driven 300b before. You said it makes 300b less lush! What else does it do for the sound? Thanks!
@@klepp19 Interstage advantage brings more refined sound with better micro-detail
2A3 with good speaker matching.
A good 2A3 amplifier rarely deceives ............
I did NOT expect the 211 to be my favorite. To my ears, it was the most holographic, had the widest soundstage, and sounded fuller. Not as detailed as the others, but not as thin as the 2A3…more oomf. Felt more like a live show to me. I do like the 300bs. I wonder what one type as a pre amp and another as a power amp would do. Might exits, but I don’t think I have seen one.
They are all lovely
I would prefer the 2A3 - but only by a bit, over the 300B
Compliments fore how the test is performed.Compliments fore how you did the comparisment. Compliments fore the different music styles and switching between the Amps !!
thank you very much for your very positive feedback ;)
Really joyful...each song...or composition...on any type of mentioned tubes..beautiful melodies
Thank you :)
Hi, thanks for the video and comparison. It's difficult to assess even in the same brand's amps with different brand tubes. The 211 sound very muddy and veiled and drop the emphasis to lower octaves; the 300B's sound great by themselves but then a bit bloated once the 2A3 come in. The 2A3 sound very detailed and expressive but you may miss the lower mid/bass harmonics. The soundscape relates very much to the amp design and tubes...obviously!...but sometimes in unexpected ways. I've recently tried an Electro-Harmonix Gold 300B next to a JJ 2A3-40 in an Elekit 8900 (switchable tubes) and I was expecting to hear the detail and transparency increase with the 2A3s like your video, but surprisingly the EH 300Bs were more detailed and less warm and blurred than the JJs... I much prefer them.
Thank you very much for sharing your opinion. I highly appreciate it,
It's not realy the 211..............but in fact you listen to a hard working driver tube....
- 211
- 300B
- 2A3
Thanks for sharing :)
Man I wish...These speakers ,the sound is so pure !
Thank you. It's a single driver with no crossover so that's what makes the sing.
Soundstage depth appears to be deeper with the 211 and 2A3. I am listening with sensitive IEMs, and prefer the 2A3 sound.
Thanks for sharing your opinion ;)
I'm new to your channel - don't know if you often do comparisons like this, perfect in my book, excellently done - - not that it matters much - I'm on the same page as danbosak, I agree with his line up choices and JoseSantos because yeah, they all get the job done but again yeah, typical audiophile stuff as it would be nice to combine the strengths of all three of them. Really nice sounding system/room to do the comparisons, nice music choices too - - thanks.
Hello 👋
Thank you for your comment. That means a lot to me and it gives me plenty of power to do more videos like that ;)
My early videos are from my lining room and now I have a dedicated UA-cam recording studio where I only do listening and recording sessions so soon many more videos will come ;)
For me going just by the video and my desktop speakers...
211 > 2A3 > 300B
Thank you for your feedback :)
Was wondering how an El34 in single ended might sound in Comparison. Have recently heard the El34 is a sweet tube good in mid-range. Thank you for the video.
2A3! Still tempting me but I have enough SE tubeamps including 300B.
Also I heard a recurring problem on piano notes saturating. I suspect its the Lampizator DAC. I had one here (not the Baltic) brought by a friend to compare and the output stage was tuned rather hot so it overmodulates on piano and soprano. This is what I hear on all 3.
Also I like the other speakers better. You can drive them ok with the 211 and maybe even the 300B.
I really like the idea of this video - but the change every 10 seconds is too quick for me.
Thank you for the feedback. I cannot go much slower maybe 15 seconds would be better. I'll test it ;)
@@VirtualHiFi or keep them separate and have time stamps.
Hi, thank you for the show, I tend towards 300B sound with this loudspeaker but I cannot justify why. On the other hand I feel that there would be a different winner with each track and I'd like to make my decision mathematically, based on how each one performs with different genres of music. I find it difficult to be critical with this sort of listening, as comparison is on different passages of the music. Could we have a more strict, one-to-one comparison? Like, half songs played with each tube succeedingly, one after the other? This way we could have a more rational comparison, not an emotional guesswork. Thanks again.
Thank you very much for the feedback.
Yes now I will do it exactly that way. Few tracks playing on while I'm changing devices, and later the same part of the track on on each device ;) just like in this video - ua-cam.com/video/btIiLTCtmcA/v-deo.html
2A3 !
Congratulations on this very good performance. You got it exactly right!
And it's amazing to me how clearly and distinctly you can hear the differences via a simple internet connection. However, I also have headphones, which makes a big difference.
I think this test setup with continuous music is better than rewinding the track over and over again, which someone suggested in the comments. I also think the relatively short alternating rhythm is good because you can then concentrate on different aspects when switching several times.
Thank you for your very positive comment and feedback. I'm glad it is helpful and you can clearly hear the difference. Depending on the. Video I sometimes don't or other or mix the comparison version. Ill do more videos this week so there will be definitely some more videos to watch ;)
It needs to be said that the 211tube can deliver even up to 22W depending on how hard you push it.
I prefer the 211 first, close after the 2a3. 211 seem to express more lively, magic of the musical event reproduction. ps. I got those brand and in order, GE (jaw drop), RCA (very close), Shuguan electron (more edgy, harch). My SE amp is a Antique sound Lab AQ1006/ 211 (1997). Merci pour la video.
I was surprised at how similar the overall tonal balance between all three amps was similar. The differences I heard was that the 211 gave more body and shape to the individual notes, more punch, the 2A3 made the shape of the notes less distinct, more rounded, more washed together, more delicate, but not dissagreeably so. The 300B was somewhere in between. The 211 also seemed to produce a larger sound stage, and I can see how some people would describe the 211 as darker but for me not in a way that is unfaithful to the music. I believe if you could mount those drivers in the wall in a true infinite baffel, slightly higher than the speaker mounting height, the overall tonal balance and presentation would improve, it would be more extended and less stressed, I would also like to hear a multiple driver line array open baffel version with the speakers. Putting drivers in this sort of enclosure, narrow, and the speaker at the very top if the front baffell, will accentuate peaks and dips in the speaker response, please refer to the baffell studies Oleson published, and those peaks and dips will not chage a great deal depending on the amp, aside from the dampning factor of the amp. In the case of these speakers and enclosures, I believe they would sound better with very high quality sold state amplifiers, the high end would be more distinct and extended. I appreciate this presentation and I can imagine that eidting it perfectly as it was took some effort.
211 sounds like someone is scratching chalk on a chalkboard. 2A3 is buried in some sort of barrel one tube to rule them all remains: 300B
thank you for sharing your comment ☺️
@@VirtualHiFi thank you for making it possible
I love parallel single endes 2A3
Great comparison test!
Thank you! and Thank you for subscribing :)
2A3 sounded best to my preference
Thank you for your vote. I highly appreciate it ;)
I want to try 300b my self, tho 300b amp are pricy. My speakers are 92dB, should be enough. Good test, thx.
You can find 300B at around 2000-3000$ or even less on second hand market. You should definitely try it if you like very colorful sound
What's the speakers efficiency, mate?
Hi, I also got the 211 from Tektron. Do you also get the fairly high transformer noise when you power up the amp?
Cheers for the video it’s a great addition for the community
Thank you very much for the feedback. Ill do my best ;)
Yes I can hear a bit the amp starting up but it's quiet after a minute or so
I also had that problem with my 211 amp. It was scayring. I replace the bias potentiometer with a new and boum, no more noise at all! ded quiet at opening. Just ear the little relay clic.
Hey just wondering if that's a headphone input on the left side of the tekron logo at the front of the amp?
excellent,,, for orchestra i need micro detail and speed,,,, which is better,,,
Depending on your speakers ease of drive. For very easy above 93db go for 2a3 and for 90+ db not very but still easy ones go for 211 ;)
which gives better speed and micro detail... if no change in spkrs
@@VirtualHiFi
First track: 211, 300B, 2A3
Second track: 211, 300B, well both. 2A3.
Third track: 211, 300B, 2A3
Fourth track: 211, 300B, well both. 2A3.
-> 300B or 211 are the best
Thank you for your feedback :)
Thanks for the effort
My pleasure
Very nice video, keep up the good work! I would like to see a review of 211 amplifier on your channel.
Thank you very much I will do it for sure :)
Great video greg. I don't have any tube experience but really enjoyed this. Who is that female singer at 11m30s 💚💚💚💚?
Glad you enjoyed it. the song is ua-cam.com/video/f8DYREHj4Y8/v-deo.htmlsi=q8eQ86qAj4vH84SC
Thank you for this comparison.
Glad it was helpful!
71A ambrosia
I would be interested in what microphone you used for this since, I am affraid, it was unable to pick a sufficient dynamic range at this recording distance (not to mention an unvoidable suppression YT adds itself).
The microphones are Shoeps CMC6 MK4 and Sound Devicdes Mix Pre recorder.
Amazing otherwordly sound! All 3 amplifiers are very good!
I like all
16:20
9:19
1. 2a3 valve a full ...plus sound Natural
2. 300b
3. 211..
Thanks for sharing :)
Hey, i can't take a sharp decision... But what's the second track in the playlist?
Here it is - ua-cam.com/video/2OYEMH2OyfU/v-deo.html
@@VirtualHiFi great, thanks
No talk about wires pl. Western Electric copper tin plated r still the benchmark.
Seems the 211 has more room for manoeuvre,literally I would say. Perhaps it is all physical with valves. Like - valves work with Newtonian physics and transistors are quantum rules. Fine, get it down to quarks if you like, it's going to work. But we're moving speaker cones here,and the signal doesn't want to be flinching or hesitating, waiting for the power to be available. 500 volts and a big glass tube followed by a block of laminated planet earth is definitely more likely to be up for the game in my estimation.
oh I totally get your point of view. I love 211 not only for the sound but the looks, glow and if being a great substitute of fireplace in the winter - totally awesome
Maybe the 300B version is better and the 211 the less interesting and the less musical. But who knows? But the brand of the tubes is also very important as we all know
Totally agree, I did some 300b and 2a3 comparisons and definitely 211 is more energetic than the 300b ;)
1. 300B (realism, little too much bassgrunt)
2. AA3 (nearly as realistic, vocals little bit too thin)
3. 211 ("snorting", not my kinda style)
Thank you very much for sharing your opinion. Its very interesting ;)
@@VirtualHiFi thank YOU for These vids
300B сцена пошире
Impossible to say because one sound more full on specific music and it change for another one. So...
Thanks for sharing. ;)
Man that’s a korean music! Sounds really good! by the way, what’s the speaker name?
This is a Cube Audio Nenuphar you can find it here www.cubeaudio.eu
They all sound great. They should blend them into one. What one is missing the other fulfills.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for listening ;)
The room sounds over absorbed or it is just me?
Some songs sound the same. Other songs show a difference. The 211 sounds the same as the others but some songs the 211 sounds lacking in bass and musicality.
1. 300B
2. 2A3
3. 211
Thank you for sharing :)
300b or 211 for me. 2a3 sounds wonky
Leaning 300b
Thank you for sharing 😊
300B here is least pleasant in tonal terms, piano attacs are dirty. Both 2A3 and 211 sound more soft and warm. 211 has less top end. As for me 300B lost, 211 is more "atmospheric", 2A3 more precise
Thanks for sharing your feedback and opinion :)
I just hate most Piano Music. Its an Ice Pic to my Brains. Try some Hammond B-3 & LARGE chimes with resonance. Or TRANCE Musica
Thanks for sharing, I am limited to the music I can obtain copyright licenes to so I cant go very crazy :)
le son est vraiment pas terrible
Thank you for sharing
Video Fail, which is which? A little card in front of each amp 2a3 300 211?! 😂
The tubes are displayed on a laptop on the lowest level of the table.