300B vs 2A3 - Which Tube Sound Best? SOUND DEMO with Cube Audio Jazzon Fullrange speakers
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- 300B vs 2A3 - Which Tube Sound Best? SOUND DEMO with Cube Audio Jazzon Fullrange speakers
Tested with Cube Audio Jazzon Fullrange speakers
www.cubeaudio.eu
The Amplifier is Tektron TK Two 2A3/300BPSE-I - www.tektron-it... and it allows to use 2A3/300B/45 Tubes in both SE and PSE modes.
Isoacoustics Gaia II - amzn.to/3Yh7q3Z
Full AVShowrooms video can be found here - • Full Review: Cube Audi...
Please let me know which tube did you like more.
Looking forward for your comment
Subsicribe for more videos like that
300B vs 2A3 Sound
2A3 vs 300B Sound
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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
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In this application I prefer the more neutral tone of 300B, but it is completely impossible to say if one type of tube is better than the other since 300B is twice as hard to drive than 2A3 so it very much depends on how strong the driver tube is and how much current is run through that tube.
Both 300B and 2A3 can sound fantastic when the surrounding conditions are optimized.
A change of power cord would probably make more of a difference than the difference between the 300B and 2A3 used in this test and this amplifier.
Almost forgot! Thank you so very much for the comparisons! I've been punching in comparison between 300B and 2a3 for about 2 or 3 years on UA-cam! I think this is the second comparison I have found!
All the younger members in my family prefer the warmer fuller 300b, as for the older (above 70 yrs) members they like the 2A3 Tubes.
300B keep coherent with dynamic passages. So I choose the 300Bs. Vocals do seem more articulated and present with the 2A3 however. (Both sound fantastic though…). You did a wonderful a/b edit. Greatly appreciated!
well said!
is refine but unreal
2A3 was sampled in a morning 225V, 300B - in an evening 235V
RIP Peter, a true pioneer and gentleman.
Great effort to do these recordings and sounds great. I prefer the 300b based on what I’m hearing here. Just a bit fuller in the midrange but both sound great. Would love to hear you record the Nenuphar Mini’s.
Thank you for your positive words and yes I'll record a Cube speakers comparison.
@@VirtualHiFi I notice Cube audio is 91db sensitivity ... so is Mo-Fi's Source Point 10 ... might make for an interesting comparison
2A3 Tubes sounds more refreshing to my Ear's and is more suited to eclectic Genre's of musical styles, instruments and voices. The 300 B Tubes would be put down for that long marathon listening sessions.
Excellent channel,
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This was really well done. I prefer the 300B.
I prefer the 2A3, but it seems to struggle with the output level sometimes. Interesting comparison on a very nice system.
I don't know if I could pick a favourite, they are both amazing. Thanks for video
Thanks for your very positive comment 😃
Close. Hard to say for sure. Perhaps more separation of instruments in the midrange with 300b. I agree that 300b sound fuller and more out in the room but hard to tell for sure from here. Thanks for posting. Love the new recording system. Sounds great.
Thank you for your very positive comment and I also would choose the 300b here. New videos will come soon 😉
The 2a3 to my ears is more nuanced/detailed, more space/air, good micro dynamics can listen deeper into the whole event soundstage which allows hearing interplay between instruments, soundstage is also a bit larger. Thanks for the demo!
thank you for sharing your opinion
The 2A3 fits my hearing better. I have worked in noisy environments a long time and notice that the lower frequencies all seem "muddy" due to my hearing loss. The 300B sounds muddy to me because of that. This is a good demo because I did not know about the 2A3 tube. I appreciate the effort you put into this video. Thanks!
Thank you for your positive feedback :) Yes 2A3 are considered to be more natural and open and less colouring while still very analogue. But require high efficinecy simple to drive spekaers :)
Thank you for posting this video. I found the 300B a bit more luscious sounding. While both tube choices sound excellent, I prefer the 300B.
Both sounded really good to me. I thought the 300b was a little richer and fuller sounding harmonically in the midrange, but the 2A3 had slightly more clarity. The 300b midrange seemed to take a step foward too, while the 2A3 seemed a little less "forward". For me, I'd probably opt for the 300b for it's glowing, warm midrange, but i would also be very happy with the 2A3 too.
Thank you for sharing your opinion ;)
Great choice of samples ... great quality of sound too, with both types of tubes...Congretulations!
Thanks for sharing your feedback
IF I'm not mistaken these Jazzon speakers are about 93db sensitive? - the power of the 300B tubes seemed to do better than the 2A3's here in this audition BUT given a 100db or more sensitive speaker, I bet the A3's would give the 300B's a run for their money :-) and maybe do even better in the bass . . . obviously it is MOST difficult to make a proper assessment given the effect the viewers' playback system :-) REALLY enjoyed the choice of music and it helped discern certain subtleties.
Tested with Cube Audio Jazzon Fullrange speakers
www.cubeaudio.eu
The Amplifier is Tektron TK Two 2A3/300BPSE-I - www.tektron-italia.com/en/pro... and it allows to use 2A3/300B/45 Tubes in both SE and PSE modes.
Isoacoustics Gaia II - amzn.to/3Yh7q3Z
Full AVShowrooms video can be found here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=THilr...
Please let me know which tube did you like more.
Looking forward for your comment
Subsicribe for more videos like that
And have a wonderful day 😃
Agree with the comments below, great effort and quality of work. 300B sounds a bit fuller & more natural. Would appreciate a Jazzon vs Qualio comparisson !
Thank you for your very kind words and opinion. I'll be doing SE vs PSE with both 2a3 and 300b soon 🙂
I've had quite a few amps with both of these tubes, and the sound here echoes what I've experienced.
The 300B is so luscious and seductive, but doesn't sound as direct and organic (to me, of course) as the 2A3.
I agree with your opinion. Thank you for your comment :)
Did both tubes came from a different manufacturer?
I’d like to hear some Western Electric 300b’s compared to something like the Electro Harmonix 300b’s
Do we know the output transformer primary impedance? With fixed output transformer, one cannot optimize the amp for both 2A3 and 300B..
2.5k works nice on both tubes...If you were to increase the primary to lets say 5k,You would lose some power,But,You would have less distortion and higher fidelity....5k is usually used on the 45. Which is a nice tube...You are talking about optimizing the amp for the tube,Rather than a swiss army amp so to speak..With a few switches in the circuit you can come pretty close....One thing that would be considered sacrilege in the audio circles is using Negative feedback with a DHT..I am all for it.Reason being,you can get a wider bandwidth and cut down on distortion by using two resistors, You wouldn't need to buy a ten pound output transformer for each channel on a 300b amplifier,You could have the same power, bandwidth, and less distortion with a three to five pound transformer.
Where people mess up with NF they use too much,So it sucks the life and details out of the sound...
Thank you for this video, well done.
But are you not also comparing different amps against each other and not only the tubes?
In this setup : 300B: richer sound, more texture, more bass, more fatigue free. 2A3: thinner sound, a bit restraint, less refined, gives the impression of having more micro details...
Thank you for sharing your opinion ;)
300B for me. It adds more power to the bass and has a more balanced tone to my ears. Thanks for taking the effort!
Thank you for the comment. So it is apparent now there are 2a3 and 300b teams
Thanks for posting and giving is this useful insight. Both sounded beautiful on my Senn 650’s but the 300B edged it for me.
Great editing! On my old Samsung s7 phone, no headphones; clearly a difference. I could hear (with closed eyes) exactly when it was switched.
300B was my first preference; more natural..., real, analogue And more "in phase" But also more 2d.
The 2a3 was less natural, more diffuse, but also more alive and 3d.
Btw; what was the first song??
Thank you for your very kind words and opinion. I would go for 300b if I were to choose one one pair.
I would agree with @flex-cx9bi on this. Even if the amp accepts both 2A3 and 300B;s it is for sure not really optimized for both of them, and the driver tube may have just the right drive for 2A3, but being to weak driver for 300B, thus not allowing 300B to show its true potential.
Listening on a good laptop with Grado headphones I cannot hear enough difference to justify taking the time or money to change tubes. I slightly prefer the 2A3. The 300B sounds slightly off by comparison. Both have a nice sound in this system.
2a3 sounds more narrow? Uptight 300b just sounds open, lays it out
300B for the instrumental. 2A3 for voice... Finally answered
Totally agree here. For me the texture in and around the vocals come through better in the 2A3; but for all else I prefer the 300s
I made my own single ended low mu triode stereo amp. using 45 tubes 1 and 1/2 watts rms/ channel is just fine through my cerwin vega 95db speakers. no feed back at all. sound stage is great.
My personal choice is 300B, have more body and correct staging.
Nice. SE whether 2A3 or 300B or KT150 is always perfect. Now throw in a Sugden A21 or A21SE and Lux L550AX2 🤔
Hello, I have a jazzon and I had a comparison from you with the Tektron 211 and my KR 842vhd. What are the differences between Tektron 211 and Tektron 300B please.
Thanks for the reply.
High frequency are close, mids sound more forward on 300B but I think the 2a3 sounds a bit sweeter with voice! 300B has more bass! Long listening might be a tad easier with the 2a3! Would love to hear Amy Winehouse, Bjork, or Beyonce!
Hard to say for me honestly. I think I might prefer the 300B sound more.
The A3 is a little more clear and precise. I'll call it refinement. 300B, on the other hand comes with a certain hint of more power which becomes more obvious with the string orchestra. But, trading-off some clarity and precision. The sound is a little hazier, compared to the A3. Some may take it as "lushness" or "warmth". It is a coloration that would rather go unnoticed outside a test like this. What I'd like to stress is that this loudspeaker is definitely better than the Qualio IQs. Great videos and comparisons. Thanks for the treat.
The difference in sound quality between the two is very small, both are very good I tend to listen to the music being played more than an audiophile does.
Is Tektron quiet for high sensitive speakers?
I have been using both 2A3 and 300b since 2007 though Lowther speaker set up.
2A3 is best for Lowther.
Now this one I liked 300b sound.
Thank you for sharing
Great test.
Thank you for your very kind words ☺️
I had the 300B set monoblocks before, but changed to 2A3 monoblocks, and I will never change again!. The 2A3 has a much more refined and elegant presentation through my full range speakers.
I heard some great 2A3 sounding systems so I totally understand you. 2A3 can be supernatural dynamic and magical
NICE! Lovely to hear the two tubes next to each other in this system:-) Thanks for the video.
The fuller bottom of the 300b is probably more of a power issue besides the 'character' of the type? 8 Watts compared to 3,5W from the 2A3? Maybe when the 2A3's would be tested in PSE then the power would be sort of fair.
45's in PSE could also be a nice test compared to a GOOD 2A3SE
Personally i prefer the 2A3, but from another making, LoL
I play my power amp with a pair really nice sounding Emission Labs tubes.
Those bring some extra 'bottom' and mid/high refinement! compared to the Sovtek.
Once i had a set of the Cube Audio F8's in DIY-box version at my home powered with 2A3SE or 45SE power amps.
WILD!! LMAO
Would love to see and hear more from you and the tube comparisons:-)
I liked 2A3 ..it is for jazz music...mid ranges more powerful for me..but both of them are extra good..hard to tell difference normally.. maybe you can compare one day mosfet amps-tube amps... thanx...
Its hard to tell from the recording as the stereo sounds a big congested - but I think the 300B. Listening to this youtube vid on a pair of Kef LS50 as my computer nearfield monitors driven by an Infineon based class D amp.
Thank you for sharing. Yes I likes the 300b in my living room very much as well due to big reverb. Due to rich midrange and coloration it helped get very good balance.
At times the 2a3 sounds 'shouty' in the midrange and for example the voice lacks the last lowest freq present in the 300b, on the other hand the 300b seems a little flat although the mid low freq are more extended,
I agree the 2A3 had a few "shouty" moments. But it could also be those speakers with the whizzer cones, too. I would really have to here the 2A3s with a few different speakers.
The amp on the left is Tsakiridis Devices Aeolos ?
Had a couple of listen through on Dunu Zen Pro IEM (Single Dynamic Driver reviewed as being neutral) and ifi gryphon DAC/headphone amp described as just on the warm side of neutral. 300B would win for longer more relaxed listening sessions. 2A3 Feels like it would be fatiguing. 300B maybe adding some richness to the bass whilst knocking a touch of harshness of some treble notes. Could be that the 300B looks terrible in a lab test, but if it helps you unwind when listening then probably a good, if personal choice for many.
If me the music was very nice, but without each tube playing the same piece I think to be difficult to ascertain the nuances. Even if each tubes music selection contained the same instruments it would still be dependent on mics used and the recording environment. That said, I enjoyed the demo, I’m assuming the music selections were purposely selected for how the matched or showed the tubes sound best
Thank you for the feedback.
I will do both ways for my videos for you guys to have the best reference there is ;)
Fantastic loved it 300b for me
The sound of the 300B jumps forward and has a deeper, more lustrous sound.
Ok so from simply listening on my Logitech equipped high-end PC after 2 minutes this is what i immediately heard.
Just from a basic frequency range perspective....
In his video it seems 2A3 was emphasizing frequencies more at approx 1 or 2kHz, and also more open higher up.
Whereas 300B seems to be emphasizing more the lower mid-range and more soft on top. Richer more full sound.
The second song (Flute? clarinet?) was hurting my ears especially with 2A3!!
Thanks for sharing. Yes 2a3 is more lively and can be spunky in Some systems. 300b is safer but mellower choice. It's all about the preferences and particular system ;)
300B has more bass. I like the sound better, but I can't say if that's just because I like bass. Which one would sound like a bass if you were in person? UA-cam compresses everything, so I'm sure I'm missing some of the other nuances.
Thanks for sharing your opinion. I also like bass and o believe 2a3 has it a bit tighter and 300b bigger
I’ve got to admit I’d desire an amp of each 300b another of 2A3 they both are very reactive to different music. Just beautiful both are in reproducing musical instruments. It’s to hard to tell from my iPhone. I need an Invite for true critical listening
Not sure why but I hear no difference with my Grado SR125e headphones. Usually I can hear differences.
The 2A3's bass sounds tighter than the 300B to my ears/earphones. The mids & highs sound nearly identical but the 2A3s sound more transparent, more invisible. Of course UA-cam is not the best method with which to do audio comparison tests & hearing is personal and affected by age & environment.
I always find the 300B a bit syrupy whilst the 2A3 a little cleaner. However neither of these triodes are my fav with the 211 and 845 in third place the GM70 in second and it's bigger brother the GM 100. I'm going to say something quite controversial here one of the best power tubes done right is the humble EL84 and in the right amplifier will outstrip many of these super expensive tubes. I'm building a OTL EL84 mono power amps, my own design, I hope to post something when I get something worked out 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Hat is a great news. What El34 do you have ?
2a3 🎉
Best sound IMHO is with a 45 tube…. which you also can run with the Tektron. But maybe your speakers need a bit too much juice a 45 can give. On horns the 45 sounds best to my ears.
Great comparison anyway thank you!
Cube Audio drivers are really efficient so I think you can run them on pretty much anything.
AGREE !!
What are those songs?
No doubt for me, the 300B all the way!
In my opinion the 2a3 have more finesse and detail. The speaker are very transparent.
300b for me. Thanks
Both sounds very well, but i can’t find differences.
Thanks for sharing
the 300b is presented a sound rich in harmonics very musically pleasing, as if it had absolutely no local or global feedback line in the electronic circuit, saying to electrons you are free enjoy the party have fun with the music, the 2a3 presented a slightly less hot dynamic compared to 300b with more restrained harmonics..
To me, 300B seems to be more pure tonally, while 2A3 seems to have an audibly detectable higher 2nd harmonics content. In other words, 2A3 sounds more "tube like".
They certainly sound different , don`t they ?
IMHO ....the 300Bs win , they give a " fuller / richer sound ? The Vivaldi track was very close .
Both sound good.
You did a great job recording this , thank you for the opportunity to have a listen.
Questa o quella , Per me pari sono....direbbe il duca di Mantova. Ascolto con casse- Chario e ampli Rotel a14. Bell'impianto, complimenti.
Thank you for comment ;)
300b's are slightly fuller, the 2A3's are more refined. The differences are miniscule. Pay's your money, take's your choice. Something to consider: top quality 2A3s are about 1/5'th the cost of comparable 300bs.
Thank you for your comment. indeed the price factor is important to consider 🙂
They both sound terrific, however there are far too many variables to make a definitive determination if one is
intellectually honest...And when you consider this is over the net then it all goes out the window but this is defiantly worthy of a listen.
I like the 300B
bizarre pas de son de pièce !
peut être du playback ?
I like them both the 2a3 tubes sound slightly better
Thanks for sharing ;)
2a3 has more seperate layers in vocal & background. Instead 300b just more fuller 😊
I totally agree ;) Thanks for sharing
300B sounds much better through out the frequency range. The 2A3 doing very good yet scrills the high end and mids. The 300B sounds effortless in reproducing the voice of the instruments.
300 B !!!!!!!!! thank you
Thank you !!!
Listened year ago still can't hear difference
Same
2A3 clarity is hard to beat. If you want to beat the 2A3 - try a 45 . Then you get the lusciousness of the 300b with better clarity than the 2A3. Just my opinion.
300b sounded fuller, probably due to the higher power
Thanks for your comment and opinion 😉
1st song - 300B has more bottom end, 2nd and 3rd songs - 2A3 has more clear mids (300B sounds like some ''small room reverberation'' at about 1 kHz), 4th - 2A3 low end is poor and sound is "compressed" (may be lack of power?) on violins again 300B has some more dynamics, tonaly don`t hear difference. I choose 300B)) sound`s bigger and not so strict
Great insight. Thank you for your comment ;)
2A3 creat more close and live sound..
Most big tube systems in Japan use 300b in mids and 2a3 in highs....
First of all, thanks for the effort and sorry for being a show stopper.
In my opinion this comparison is meaningless as the 2a3 has way too low power for that 90dB speakers to show its full potential.
Very close call but i prefer 2a3 .
Thanks for sharing ☺️
The 300b sound more muddy to me I think I prefer the 2A3
2A3
I prefer 2A3 Tubes. More definition, presence and less coloration.
Thanks for sharing your feedback :)
I don't think this is a fair test. Sovtek don't make very good 2A3 tubes, haven't heard their 300Bs. Any power pentode wired as triode sound better than 2A3 Sovtek. I have a stack of those Sovtek 2A3 collecting dust.
pls change spkrs
300ฺB next try try type 50 4.6 watts to compare with 300B
Thank you for suggestion and for your comment ;) ☺️
300B for me
Thanks for sharing ;)
The 300B
Thank you for sharing your comment 😊
In this system 300b wins , no contest !
300 B !!!
Thanks for sharing 😊
300B all day
2a3 gives a much of space than 300 b, I think.
Thanks for sharing your opinion
300B is the winner
Thank you for sharing your opinion ;)
For me ,2A3 for it’s musicality
Hard to tell.