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Western Electric 91E Tube Integrated Amp Review w/ Upscale Audio's Kevin Deal

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  • Опубліковано 20 лис 2022
  • upscaleaudio.c...
    Kevin is beyond excited to talk about this 300B-driven tube-integrated amplifier from legendary US brand Western Electric. It's super rare for a company to design and build an amp around a tube they themselves manufacture, but as you'll see, the results of such a unique, integrated approach can be pure magic when it comes to hearing music at its finest.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 59

  • @kmd88412
    @kmd88412 Рік тому +12

    I have heard this amplifier, and it is astounding. It has the pure Heavenly sound of a 300B Tube, yet with a little more zip, some punch, and some bass that shocked me. With some Klipsch Cornwalls, I was wowed.

    • @VictorsVoice1
      @VictorsVoice1 11 місяців тому +1

      Anything Klipsch and anything Western Electric united should automatically be considered a match made in Heaven. 👍👍

  • @rodneyhood2269
    @rodneyhood2269 Рік тому +16

    They're built about 10 miles from my house. As close as I'll ever get to one, considering the price.

  • @SpyderTracks
    @SpyderTracks Рік тому +11

    This is the most wonderful tube amp I’ve seen to date, both design and performance, it’s just a thing of beauty.

  • @toddhupp
    @toddhupp Рік тому +10

    It is great to see a grand old American Hi-Fi name back and made in the USA. I am looking forward to the new state of the art WE 12ax7 release.They may do a KT88 also.American tubes are back!!

  • @stimpy1226
    @stimpy1226 Рік тому +12

    Built for the future… Those four words say it all to me. I saw the interview with the current owner of Western electric and I was very impressed with his detailed explanation of everything that happened from the day he took over. I am in awe of this amplifier! The big question is what didn’t they improve? This company gives a shit about not having planned obsolescence.

  • @dmark2639
    @dmark2639 Рік тому +4

    These new WE amps do seem very special, and dare I say...instant classics!

  • @shawnpwatsons1
    @shawnpwatsons1 Рік тому +7

    Wow. Love you, Kevin. Your love and enthusiasm is contagious.

  • @interesting7906
    @interesting7906 Рік тому +3

    I love that you opened the amp! I totally agree with you! With tube amps, the only thing you listen to is the output transformers. The question is: how good are the output transformers? It looks like they spent alot of money for the chassis and the looks and feel. I hope they didn't skimp on output transformer.

  • @TriAmpHiFi
    @TriAmpHiFi Рік тому +3

    I've got to give you credit on the BlueTooth explanation. 🔈🔉🔊

  • @bobsmoot8454
    @bobsmoot8454 Рік тому +2

    Can’t wait to see the video on the WE factory visit.

  • @allanellis5827
    @allanellis5827 Рік тому +5

    That is one crazy good looking amp! I wonder how it would sound with a Heritage series Klipsch? Something to think about Kevin. Thanks for the video.

  • @hailtothevictorz
    @hailtothevictorz Рік тому +6

    So, to the two things you didn't mention in the video, it's $15,000 to start, and it outputs 16 watts per channel at 5% distortion.

    • @MrBonger88
      @MrBonger88 Рік тому +3

      The Stereophile review measurements are even worse

    • @hvg3488
      @hvg3488 Рік тому

      300b tube never does more than 7 watts. Not in 1930 and not in 2023.

  • @NosEL34
    @NosEL34 Рік тому +4

    😳 OMG..that mother is fukin beautiful, I love the look and display. Inputs/Output options are perfect, love the fact that they added a variable preout. Bluetooth is a very nice feature for easy convenient music listening and other family members. Totally digging this amp.

  • @AudioElectronicsChicago
    @AudioElectronicsChicago Рік тому +3

    wow, what a beauty

  • @hi-fihaven2257
    @hi-fihaven2257 Рік тому +1

    That is one beautiful machine.

  • @ptg01
    @ptg01 Рік тому +3

    So Kevin: 91E vs PrimaLuna 400's ??? What say you ?

  • @scottwolf8633
    @scottwolf8633 Рік тому +2

    Not that they are available, but I believe the Military Grade 300B had a 40,000 hr lifespan. Also OTLs are relatively modern, with a patent issued in 1996, 40 years after Futterman received His. There is a 300B OTL kit out there, from Transcendent Sound. BTW, the black version gave me a head rush. Great, high energy, presentation.

  • @capwkidd
    @capwkidd Рік тому +2

    Kevin, when you tour WE, please make sure your video dude puts a mic on each person on camera to capture good audio, after all, audio quality is more important than video quality, am I right :)?

  • @MrBonger88
    @MrBonger88 Рік тому +1

    1.8w at 8ohm w 1% THD. 10wch/8ohms @ 10% THD. Output impedance around 3 ohms. That right, clipping at 1.8w. I realize that 300b’s don’t always measure that great but for the price I expected a lot better

  • @toddcovington1172
    @toddcovington1172 Рік тому +3

    I am sure this is amazing!
    Love that it is built in GA!
    I am sure I am in the minority, but I think it is visual eye sore!
    I know it must sound amazing !

    • @artanderson8827
      @artanderson8827 Рік тому +2

      A fun fact. Part of the building, about 5 or 6 feet, is in Tennessee. It literally sits at the Georgia-Tennessee border.

  • @bobking7347
    @bobking7347 8 місяців тому +1

    Cool and all, but they need to make a more simple version that is more affordable that uses two 300b tubes per channel, so you will really get 20 to 28 watts watts per channel at decent distortion levels with manual adjustment bias pots for each tube so you can really match them on a whim, the specs for this 91E Amp is Output Power 4 Ω THD 10% 20 watts, 4 Ω THD 5% 16 watts, 4 Ω THD 3% 14 watts and finally, 8 Ω THD 10% 20 watts, 8 Ω THD 5% 16 watts and lastly, 8 Ω THD 3% 14 watts. "As listed on their site" 10 percent distortion is useless and would sound pretty horrible when pushed to that point, 5 percent even with tubes is barely passable and 3 percent is just good enough to be a sweet spot for perfect coloring. So this Amp really does only 14 watts, if the values were relaxed to 1 percent, it'll likely only do 10w rms per side. So they need to make a basic non intergraded 2 300b per channel basic power amp with proper bias adjustment pots for each tube with a small indicator that lights up when the bias is set perfectly. Or have s single backlit tiny vu meter with a 5-way switch beside it that will allow you to visually see the adjustment per tube with the 5th pole of the switch turning off the bias adjustment meter. Allow the user to select single ended mode with rca jacks or balanced mode with XLR cables with real switch on the back of the unit, no solidstate triac switching, no digital anything, other than maybe the electronics for the bias detection circuitry and a controlled 30 second micro controller-controlled heater warm up cycle that will automatically flip a relay on and apply voltage to the plates after being warmed up first since in this case using solidstate rectification will enable more bass extension and more speed without the sag of a tube rectifier. You especially need a warmup period when using a Solidstate rectifier because all the voltage will be at the tubes pates in an instant which can harm them before they are warmed up whereas a tube rectifier has its own controlled warm up time because its heater needs to warm itself before it can start rectifying ac to dc, its plates are also more hardy than audio output tubes so they can withstand that voltage immediately on its plates. Now the reason for a 5-pole switch even though there are only 2 tubes per channel 4 total is the 5th position would be to entirely electrically disconnect the bias metering circuit from the amplifier fully powering it down That once turned off doesn't use any power and is not connected to the amplifier in any way. If it is a must an analog passive volume control on the front panel. For the preamp circuit, give them their own bias adjustment too, with their own vu or led meter in the same and use 1 12 ax7 per channel with the plates in parallel to drive each set of 12 au7's then use the 12 au7's to drive each pair of 300b. Instead of only using one half if a 12 au7 and a 12 ax7 for one channel and the other half for the other channel. Having two pairs of tubes with their plates in parallel will increase current output to drive each pair of 300b tubes per channel. Sell it for 3,500, 4k to 4500 and I'm sold...

  • @brentcollins9727
    @brentcollins9727 Рік тому +2

    Love it!!

  • @lukerestlessstudios
    @lukerestlessstudios Рік тому +7

    I’m so sick of anything that uses KT tubes because it’s almost everything and it all sounds too similar. Therefore this thing is so intriguing to me. 300Bs seem wonderful from the few I’ve heard.

    • @DBravo29er
      @DBravo29er Рік тому +3

      Agreed. SET's are much more interesting and, IMHO, satisfying.

  • @jchborg90277
    @jchborg90277 Рік тому +2

    So tempting. Is the 8 ohm tap version set up to demo?

    • @upscaleaudio
      @upscaleaudio  Рік тому +3

      We actually have the 8-ohm and 4-ohm versions in the store, just give us a call!

  • @dosserkelly
    @dosserkelly 5 місяців тому

    Has anyone plugged a headphone into this or know what its output is for high and low impedance's? Just out of interest??

  • @N02tradamus
    @N02tradamus Рік тому +3

    Elrog 300ER are good as well.

  • @LS-ti6jo
    @LS-ti6jo Рік тому

    The TFT display is cool.

  • @fabiano7638
    @fabiano7638 Рік тому +1

    What is the speaker brand and model next to you

    • @upscaleaudio
      @upscaleaudio  Рік тому +1

      That is the Tannoy Kingdom Royal. Let us know if you're interested in a pair, they are for sale.

  • @DrBroncanuus
    @DrBroncanuus Рік тому

    Kevin, you told us that Pathos had new tech with Inpol ??

  • @scottbernard8824
    @scottbernard8824 Рік тому +1

    Adaptive AutoBias?

    • @kmd88412
      @kmd88412 Рік тому +3

      When it goes through the start-up procedure there are 30 seconds devoted to setting the Bias each time it starts.

  • @wendybeans1016
    @wendybeans1016 Рік тому +5

    all this and no xlr?

    • @jdavis234
      @jdavis234 Рік тому +5

      Doesn’t make sense for the design.

    • @kmd88412
      @kmd88412 Рік тому +4

      The 300B tube is Single-ended, so it would not be a truly balanced circiut. There would be no benefit to using XLR connections.

  • @michaelcorlet2998
    @michaelcorlet2998 Рік тому +1

    How much

    • @dmark2639
      @dmark2639 Рік тому +1

      Starts around $15,000 with transformer. If you want a different transformer its about $995 extra...

  • @genetung8590
    @genetung8590 9 місяців тому

    Go USA!

  • @greggb681
    @greggb681 Рік тому +1

    Look at that beautiful point to point wiring... Oh wait, circuit boards on a $15,000 amp 😓 I am sure it sounds amazing but where is the craftsmanship?

  • @lukerestlessstudios
    @lukerestlessstudios Рік тому

    There one thing that bothers me about it. Just one. I wish it had XLR. I despise RCA.

  • @KT88gs
    @KT88gs Рік тому +4

    To much going on on this amp,im stick with my Audion 300B Silver Night.

    • @TrueAudio
      @TrueAudio Рік тому

      Western Electric 91E comes with a practical remote-control commander - Audion 300B Silver Night's remote costs additional $900.00++

  • @alaingingras7224
    @alaingingras7224 Рік тому

    Printed circuit boards on this kind of quality ,what a downer...21,0000U.U$ .For that price it should be point to point.But then not MUCH profit left... And where are the OPT'S? There are many amps that are less $ that uses WE900B. x2 EQUALS 1895 u.s.$ So for 10K you get a much more simple set-up.That W.E. amp is like taking an RPG to kill a fly... IMHO

  • @michaelcorlet2998
    @michaelcorlet2998 10 місяців тому

    Circuit boards and ribbin cables cant be a real w.e.

  • @bobsmoot8454
    @bobsmoot8454 Рік тому +1

    40,000 hour life an 5 year guarantee is simply ridiculous. Source Current????

    • @TrueAudio
      @TrueAudio Рік тому

      what is 'Source Current' ?

  • @audiophoolz9413
    @audiophoolz9413 Рік тому +8

    This isn't a review, it's an advertisement.

    • @dmark2639
      @dmark2639 Рік тому +3

      He's a dealer, dude. You're on the wrong channel if you want an objective review.

  • @hvg3488
    @hvg3488 11 місяців тому +1

    It screams out Shanghai.

  • @gregj.gotham4402
    @gregj.gotham4402 Рік тому

    Always talk about amps but no hearing the amp. W T H

  • @steimaster
    @steimaster Рік тому +4

    This amp looks absurd

  • @scottchegg1209
    @scottchegg1209 Рік тому

    Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! That's all I can say.

  • @davobmw
    @davobmw Рік тому +2

    I heard it’s built in China and assembled here. Sure looks like it. That aluminum looks identical to all the other Chinese amps.