I loved this. The most scrupulously honest SET amplifier review I've seen. Things that other reviews have hinted at are explained clearly. It's a beautiful looking thing though.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Taron, great video, thank you for sharing. What could be alternative to BoyuuRange A50 Mk III. I love everything about it but....looks. Can you suggest similar sounding amp?
I’m trying to imagine explaining to my wife why I need one amplifier for Albert Ayler and Betty Carter, and a separate one for Stravinsky and Bartok - actually, now that I’ve written that out, it seems less crazy😊. For the last six months, I have been running a new 300B SET Line Magnetic LM-210 IA into a pair of Klipsch Heresy IIIs. The transparency and presence from jazz and opera vocals has brought me to tears more times than I’d like to admit. The soundstage brought my heart into my throat one evening, as I was convinced my front door was being invaded - 90 degrees and 20 meters from the speaker axis. Fortunately, it was a Mime entrance, stage right, in Solti’s Siegfried. The Stravinsky, Bartok, and Schoenberg have been a bit less successful, and I never really had the understating or vocabulary to describe what I was hearing - and why. British Audiophile: Thank you so much for this and all your thoughts on audio reproduction - very much appreciated, cheers!
I'm not a expert on how powered tube amp and speaker pairs but you see folks using vintage and modern klipsch speakers, vintage altec horn speakers (big voice of the theater and others), vintage and perhaps newer jbl speakers. Another great inexpensive high efficiency speaker you see mentioned with low powered amps is tekton speakers. Basically all their speakers play well with low and high powered amps. And some of their lower models like the tekton lore reference and the mini lore make great inexpensive attractive options in flashy color choices. Heard a lot about tying tekton speakers with some of my low powered pass labs diy amps eventually. Thank you!
I don't consider myself a discerning audiophile but I love the A50 MKIII. I replaced the Psvane 300B tubes with Genalex Gold Lion 300b's and that made a significant improvement to the base. I paired the Reisong with a set of Klipsch RP5000F towers. That makes for a very lively setup. It plays plenty loud In my home office which doubles up as my listening room and it's super fun to listen to.
I’ve replaced the standard 300Bs in mine with the Western Electric replicas from Psvane, also swapped out the drivers for a pair of 6SN7s and the rectifier with a 5U4G, it’s now warmer than a burning holiday cottage in Wales…
Hi Tarun, you ask for experiences with speakers and SETs. Well I hope my experience helps people wandering this path: my amplifier is the DIY Triode Dick Caesar monoblocks. 14 Watts per channel, 300bxls output tubes. SETs don't come much better that this. Coupled with Focal 826v's at 91db they were glorious in the mids. But a severe impedance dip at 100hz and the a exaggeration peak at around 2khz meant I went looking for something else. Well that processed sucked, tried Tektons and various others. All were disappointing. I decided commercial speakers was not the way to go for me. Devores etc too expensive. So I built the Dtqwt mkiii. It is a 2 way design with integrated 'subwoofer' / bass drivers. My version has 2 x10 inch bass drivers per speaker. At 94db sensitivity and good impedance behaviour I was hopeful. However after listening for a long time I am convinced that back emf from speakers is a real issue for SETs. Now I am putting in hypex plate amps for the bass drivers to further lighten the load for the SETs. Once done I am expecting an audio experience of mind blowing proportions, nearly there 😀. My advice to anybody thinking about a flea powered set amp is realise that speaker choice is tough (especially if you want a complete 20hz to 20khz experience with no compromise, i.e including slam and fast headroom). Educate yourself on speaker impedance, phase angles, back emf and don't focus only on sensitivity. Flat impedance is more important than whether it is 85 or 91db. Be ready to try huge (voluminous) speakers! That really makes a difference in dynamics and scale. Good luck, enjoy and be patient 😊
Hi G D, for back emf there is solution e.g. Ortho Spectrum ML-206, emf absorbtion filter. there is other japaneese brand, I forgot. what it does? eliminates back emf, it is passive filter you interconnect between amp and speakers. look at 6moons review. And of course-full agreement for what you wrote. impedance curve matters, time decay (so called waterfall graph tell) as well. awesome DIY speakers are from Danny Richie - GR Research, worth to see his channel here, mayby worth to contact him to design best speakers for this nice amp….?
I agree that you need to understand back emf and the interaction between amp and speaker. When I first had my triodes, my speakers were 3 way transmission lines. Despite their complex crossovers and low efficiency, they sounded good because they were an easy amplifier load. Just not very loud. Also consider the "no crossover" options from Lowther, Jordan and Fostex (although I confess to not being much of a Fostex fan). Finally consider putting the crossover between the pre and power amps in "active" configuration. My daughter owns a small pair of active speakers intended as near field monitors and they are absolute giant-killers.
I’m using a Decware Zen Triode tube amp producing 2.3 Watts driving 12 in. Open Baffle speakers rated at 95db. I usually try not to go much higher than 80 dB, but I have pushed the speakers into the mid to upper 90’s as a test. Plus the sound stage and imaging is unbelievable.
@@YuengsNwings I mostly listened to classic rock and blues since I grew up in the 60’s. I retired about a year and a half ago. Since then I’ve been exploring a lot of new music. Jazz , folk, a lot of acoustic music. The Zen amp really shines in The midrange, especially vocals. It will give you goosebumps depending on the recording. You can use it as a stand-alone, but I have a Schiit Audio Sega plus preamp because it has a nice remote. I’m sure it would drive your speakers close to 80 db’s. Right now they have about 700 amps on back order. You’re probably looking at a 6-8 month wait if you order one. If you get one some day, let me know what you think of it. I really love mine.
….hmmm….an amplifier with a name much bigger than its output…😑 I bet this would pair up nicely (soundwise & expense wise), with a pair of Tekton Lores…they are touted to have a very simple crossover and with a sensitivity rating of 98 and 10” paper drivers I am thinking "synergy". If you want to go all out then order your Lores with some custom paint & beryllium tweeters and have at it. Also, as already mentioned this amp is truly visually stunning…especially at this price point!!!
Hello Bob. Alas, finding Tekton in Europe is almost mission impossible, as the cost of shipping and taxes would be prohibitive to import them. But indeed, it would probably be one of the best choices for this type of amplifier. My 8 watt Elekit TU8200DX works great with Totem Sttaf, but only with Tung-Sol 7581A and 12AU7 Psvane. Poor results with the excellent TAD 6L6-WGC Black Plate small bottle. The right synergy between an amplifier like the Elekit or the Boyuu requires patience, but what a musical beauty !
It needs a full range driver... maybe a Klipsch could work otherwise? Thanks for covering this amp. I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the British Audion 300B.
Hi Tarun. This brings back memories of my youth In the 60s. I built a Mullard 3+3 design, EZ80, EF86, EL84. A lovely sounding little amp with 35Hz to 35KHz and
Great review as always Tarun but once you factor in shipping/duty fees, one would be wise to investigate the entry-level Decware Zen Triode at $1,100 that is not only wonderful sounding, but has a lifetime warranty. It’s also made in the U.S. if that matters to you. My apologies if you’d reviewed the Decware and I’ve just missed that. No doubt that Boyuu tube amps are big performance for your money though with some caveats but all gear high end or otherwise is about compromise.
Well my new unit is just 15-20 hrs. Swapped rectifier tubes with economy LinLai tubes. Sounds alright into my large horns 98dB. Not sure it’s burned in enough yet. Of course it’s cheap and cheerful.
Your reviews r quality. I have a pair of Infinity IL40s 89db sens, was debating on the r8 or this for my first tube amp.. i listen to 80/90s alt rock mostly, would this amp pair well? Tube amps are deep enough to have college degrees in.. ❤ thanks..
Thanks for the Interesting review and I can relate to pretty much all of it from my own experience. For anyone who might be interested To address the low frequency bass response and it’s watt consumption I passed the speaker level outputs through an old velodyne 10” subwoofer that has a high pass filter set at 80hz. This saved power for where it matters most. Paired with 25yr old 92db Tannoy DC 2000’s it was incredible for the money. Also to address the volume control I combined a Allo digione streamer withVolumio digital volume control and a Schiit DAC . Final result was a system that sounded like it was 10k$.
Ive been playing with a kit SET amp and Klipsch Heresys. 3.5 watts per channel. My room is 9.5' x 14' x 8'. There is a "break in" if you go from a standard amp to appreciate what it is SET tube amps do. This combination seems extremely sensitive to quality in the signal chain and setup. My modest system throws a 3d image (sometimes!), has outstanding mid and hi end, and offers a tight and palpable low end. Most of the lps and cds I listen to sound "fresh" through this system. Plays at low volumes really well. Downside is that loud, I mean really loud, music loses coherency. But I play music right in the sweet spot, about 60 to 90 dB and coherency, clarity, scale, speed, all come into play, with a dead quiet background.
Thinking about getting a valve amp one day what would be fantastic that nobody shows you is how do you set up a system like only one set of rcas but you have a turntable & a CD player and say a tuner and how to join that lot up and then there’s two mono blocks how does that work I’m getting brain hurt thinking about it all or I might just stick with my rega system 1 and Apollo r cd anyway thanks for the fantastic videos
I have an A50 mk2 coupled with vintage Tannoy 10 inch monitor red speakers. It is stunningly beautiful with solo piano or quartets, lots of bass, midrange and treble. It's a bit wobbly with orchestral works, but that's true of most amplifiers under £2000.
Thanks for the review. We tend to shorten the audio equation to watts, sensitivity and ohms but audio does have this quantum side of science that makes us wonder. My Proac response D2 works beautifully with a 5 watt 300B amp (87 sens. I think) and the same amp does not deliver so well with other more sensible speakers. I suppose trial&error must be the approach. This shouldn’t be your first amp - maybe a second amp to enjoy the nuances of valves. Excellent and honest review. Take care
Hi again, Tarun. I have the Reisong A10 ( SE, Class A, EL34:s ) since half a year which drive my old Heybrook HB1:s -84, 90 dB/Wm. Sounds formidable, with a gorgeous, liquid midrange for voices and acoustic instruments. It's even weaker at 6.3W/ch, but with the right input level= rather high, and this can't be emphasized too much, it deliver sound pressure levels and punch through the HB1:s that is more than I need in my room ( approx. 25 sqm ). With some recordings it can be a little lean on the bass and bright in the upper mids, which I compensate for by a Shiit LOKI 4 band EQ, which matches well. Recommended input level: Run my Dual 505-2 turntable with stock Ortofon DN165E PU via a Pro-Ject Phono Box S2, dip-switched to 60 dB gain. All in all, an exceptionally well sounding system, at an exceptionally low price ( paid 200$ for the point-to-point hand soldered variant +70$ shipping, directly from China HiFi). Cheers, Magnus
Partnering speakers. I suspect I’d look at the klipsch heritage line of speakers overkill maybe a nice set of cornwalls or lascala’s or smaller is you have smaller room. The simple sound nature of amp that concerns you would completely disappear tbh. Opening it up to wider types of music. Rock dance and everything in between. With those speakers 7watts would sound like 100watt mono blocks.
G'day Tarun It's Shane from Australia. Nice review great advice on pairing equipment. Unfortunately it's not done nearly enough by reviews so well done to you. It only illustrate you've done your homework. A question I have to ask, how live is that room you review equipment in. It sounds like it's got a lot of slap Echo happening in there. Loved the review keep up the great work.🙂🎧👍
Thank you Shane. I haven’t measured the RT60 time but it is pretty good due to lots of furniture. Unfortunately, I have to remove it when filming to get the aesthetic I desire 😊👍
The speakers that i use with my A50 are home made Majestic,designed by Allan Linton-Smith,a two way system with Celestion speakers.1730 compression driver and a 15"' bass.I changed all the valves,the JJ 300bs didn't make much difference,couldn't afford much better.The most change in the sound came when i fitted old Sylvania 6SN7s,very happy with the result.A 5AR4 as a rectifier boosts the B+
Would love for you to review the Musician Moneceros preamp out of China. These Uber high end companies should be worried about what’s coming out of China.
I’ve owned this amplifier for years now. I’ve rolled in a Gold Lion GZ34, vintage GE 6SN7 GTBs, and kept the Psvane 300B tubes. The best thing I did was to add a Project-Audio Tube Box S2 pre-amp that I rolled some Mullards into. I have a Project Carbon Evo turntable, and Klipsch RP 600m. The next move is probably Heresy’s, but truly unnecessary.
I have a pair of Tannoy canterbury speakers driven by an integrated Kraudio VA880. 50w of pure valve passion. After hearing high sensitivity speakers with valves it's hard to go back. My system sounds so much better than my last one which consisted of Proac d100 speakers, top quality Accuphase preamp and Hovland monoblocks costing 10x the price. System matching is so important. Spending more doesn't slways mean better sound.
Very much enjoying the open minded and technically informed the spectrum of audiophilia. I’m very tempted at the moment to ship a pair of Audio Nirvana super 12” at 97+ dB avoiding any crossover to partner with my early 60’ Lux valve amp.
The A50 is a fantastic integrated amp. I home auditioned and it was a perfect match with my Klipsch Heresy 4. Unfortunately I returned it only because the 2 300b tubes sat loose in its sockets. The sound is the best I’ve tried at home.
I would like to buy this amp and try with my Tannoy Berkeley' it might a sweet much, possibly ? Then buy better 300B TUBES. Has anyone tried it with The new Western Electric 300B. They're only about $3000/pair 😀
Interesting amplifier. I used an Elekit-tu-8200r with Tannoy DC8Ti with good success. I assume Fyne Audio speakers will be a sympathetic match also. Elekit-tu-8200r is less romantic sounding than the 300B amp here bit it proves even few watts can drive good quality speakers. The Heco Direkt that i had a year ago should be a choice also.
Great review as usual. But I've a problem with my few months old willsenton r8. Just went to check the Bias Current and found the V3 tube kt88 Bias was at zero. The other 3 were fine. I've emailed Lee in China hifi so it will be interesting to see the outcome. So I understand people's concerns about warranty etc.
I've been looking at this amp (but I can't buy another piece of hifi just yet) and those sound artists in the back, plus the sound artist SH10B. So many good looking products. I wish you could review them all lol.
Hi Tarun, I run 7.5w monos class A PP with ‘76 Tannoy Cheviot and they work well up to about 85dB. No issues with transients or complexity but bass control could be better; texture and detail good though. Tannoy not known for their simple x-overs mind 👍
In my 50+ years of being an audiophool, I have had many low powered SET amps, 300b , 2A3, EL34, 845, etc.. The 2A3 being my favorite sonic signature for vocals and most music. The 845 being the most powerful and allowing for more conventional speakers and music types. I had a Cary 2A3 push pull amp that had 15 watts output and almost as sweet as the SET version. I always found the SET tube amps to be too much of a compromise. I don’t care for many high sensitivity horn speakers, they can sound wonderful, but usually with a price that doesn’t match the sound, also I don’t care to be shouted at. After years of trying higher powered amps and too many speaker combinations and spending big bucks.. I slipped into one of Nelson Pass SIT SS First Watt amplifiers, a pair of planar speakers rated at 95db and I have my best sound to date. 18 Watts per channel allows for plenty of power, woofer control and that SET sound that works on all music. A SINGLE stage amp that’s simple and elegant beyond words. No more tube hassles and ridiculous prices for them. Less heat and MORE RELIABILITY using real world speakers.. Couldn’t be happier.. I still love tubes and have several tube SET amps for headphones.. but I finally have a good solution to low powered SET sound, without the tube hassles. I spent a lot of money to learn you don’t really need lots of money for a good sound.. Great vid ! Thanks Mike.
Excellent review. I buy it and use with Omega super 3i (full range 4 1/2 “ driver & 94.5 db) and active subwoofer 10”in and small room. I replaces the tubes with Gold Lion and Sylvania nos (cost me around $600) and only use analog as source (Rega P8 & Aria phono). The results are amazing for jazz, vocal and some classical music!!! I forget my other system Rogue class D int amp and KEF R3 speakers and right now is not longer in use!!!!
Hi, I have a Cayin KT88 which gives 45 watts driving B&W 683 S2 with a sensitivity of 89db. This amp is $1449.00 and easily drives these speakers. I am very impressed by build and sound quality.
Thanks for this review. Too bad you didn't have any Heritage Klipsch speakers on hands. Would love to hear how the Heresy IV, Forte IV or Cornwall IV fare with this amp... Cheers!
Thank you Raphael. That was a shame but I don’t think it is going anywhere for a while so I hope to test some high sensitivity speakers with it before it departs 😊👍
Hi Taran, thank you so much for your review. It is very refreshing to there the good and bad, especially when it comes to SET. As I've downscaled to more compact dwellings I've been taken by small tube (OK valve) amps. I started with Leben but then got drawn back into SET. I'm currently using an Elekit 8600S (300B) with a SunValley pre and a pair of Omega Super Alnico XRS speakers. The amp and pre are both kits from Japan and took a few days with a soldering iron to put together. Suffice to say that the results have far exceeded expectations, so much so that I'm now working on a SunValley phono to replcae my ASR. Like everything to do with this hobbie, synergy of the individual components is the key.
Elekit is an amazing opportunity for a still affordable price. I own the little brother of yours, the TU-8200DX and for its price, it is a little wonder. Thank you for your testimonial !
@@douxreveur131 Always good to connect! I've also got an 8200DX with the optional DAC card. I built the matching pre as well which I use with various Raspberry Pi projects. I've got them set up in my offcie with another stand mount pair of Omega speakers. What tubes are you using?
I had this amp for a bit, driving a pair of Tekton Electron SEs. The Tektons are rated at 98 db sensitivity but are also 4 ohm design. While I really liked the midrange sweetness and fullness of the A50/Tekton pairing, the bass was lacking and the amp is a bit noisy and not all that revealing. I then switched amps to the Willsenton R8. The R8 (45 wpc push pull design) was certainly more punchy and full in the bass and less noisy, but I found the sound to be a bit harsh (even with EL34s) and not very engaging and warm. So went back to a 300b class A SET amp - this time with an Elekit TU-8600s. This pairing with the Electrons is finally very close to the sound I'm looking for. Very transparent, non-fatiguing, and a very sweet midrange. The bass is a little shy, but I'm thinking now a subwoofer is the best way to address that. Perhaps others have had similar experiences??
I have the Wilsenton R8 Paired with the Tekton double impacts 98db and also a 4ohm design…… I never considered switching to the 8ohm tap until I read your post…… Is there any harm to the speakers If I switch the tabs to 8ohms to if is it difference?
@@jessecurran4762 hi Jesse. No harm to the speakers. But if you hear clipping when at playing very loud volumes, turn the amp down a bit. I e been told that the 8Ohm taps actually use different transformer coils, and the 8Ohm pushes more current for same volume.
Pair this with Lii Audio F12 or F15 in an open baffle or Betsy’s from Caintuck Audio. Paired with a small sub w/high level inputs for the under 60 hz signal, and it’ll sing.
You are right, time traveler. I stream HD thru a Freya+ with nos sylvanias to the A50 III with Black Treasure 300B’s then into a high-level input sub, feed only above 70-80Hz into Zu DIrty Weekends or Cornwall III’s (and others of lower efficiency that do not perform as well) but I like the Lii Audio F15’s on large open baffles best. Awesome soundstage when the source has been mastered by someone who knows what they are doing and plenty of overhead since a large part of the load is covered by the sub (and I like it pretty loud on occasion). The secrets are very efficient speaker design (the F-15’s are 97db, the Cornwalls claim 102db) and good source material.
I really great review and very useful because it's opening up a new genre of listening for people. This channel is so professional now I would almost say that it behooves you to have on hand a very good pair of high sensitivity speakers so that you can make appropriately fine discriminations among future low watt amplifiers.
Thank you my friend. Very much appreciated and very kind of you to say. It is hard to control these things but if I get a really high sensitivity speaker in soon, I would love to pair it with the A50 😊👍
I believe this would pair well with my Sony ss cpx22 speakers. These speakers really brought joy to the house with some low powered ss Sansui units. I really enjoyed your technical explanations. As one who use to maintain high frequency amps using 300b tubes in a telecom application I am really intrigued by this amp. These Chinese amps really give average Joes a chance to play.
This is a very boutique sound. I have a 30w class A valve amp paired to 88db speakers. I also have 150w class D active speakers. In certain situations I get a bigger and deeper soundstage with the valves. But for accuracy of instrument presentation and dynamics there's no contest. Valves simply don't do drums properly. I slightly prefer the valves in low energy acoustic/vocal tracks but that's it.
Thanks for the review. Since years I use a Unison Simply Italy with 2x12 watts in ultralinear class A. I run it with Genalex KT77 tubes. I tested a couple of speakers. Italian, british and french. High sensitivity is a must. As you mentioned bass control is a challenge. Unison fans seem to prefer Klipsch, Unison research speakers, Tannoy, Zingali (Italian) and other exotic brands. I pair my amp since years with efficient Cabasse Bora (90 dB 1W/1M). I always come back to them.
Great and insightful review. I knew about this amp a while back and have always been a tube fan. My first being an EL34. When I saw the review from Steve Gutenberg about this amp it piqued my curiosity, especially since the price meant I could now have a feel for what class A might sound like. Anyway as is always the case, one ends up going down the rabbit hole and I actually ended up with the A30 which uses 2a3 output tubes. Plus, it was a chance for me to go to town with my vintage 70s Wharfedale E30s 94dB sensitivity and boy do they sing .
Great stuff. I have the A10 version (EL34, ultra linear, 2x6w) with Klipsch Heresy III (99dB sensitive), running my front stage. I use Denon AVR as a pre for that (part of full surround setup and subwoofer). I mostly listen around 70dB, but with sensitive speakers, there's plenty of headroom. Heresys, thanks to the high sensitivity, horn loaded compression mid and high drivers + 12" fast mid bass paper cone is good match for low watt tube amps 👍
This is a great review thanks. I built a single ended amplifier and it sounds brilliant but like you said they need to be with the right speakers. I managed to find some klipsch heresy 2s on ebay and they sound amazing massive. Horn loaded is the way to go with these type of amps. Mine also goes into a sub at speaker level. I have read so much about 300b so I would love to hear it. Thanks again for the review.👍
Great Review. I have a pair of Zingali Overture 4 floorstanders. Big, horn loaded floorstanders but pretty sensitive at 93dB. Currently I use a 150watt DK design hybrid amp but at this relatively affordable price it might be interesting to dip a toe in the water of SET amps as a second amp for acoustic music and jazz. Don't tell my wife...
@@michaelk6566 I wouldn't put it past her. She has an uncanny ability to catch me red handed whenever I try to sneak new kit past her steely, unwavering gaze. She's a bit like the Eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings. Maybe not quite as evil...in fact, given she puts up with me and my enthusiasms, positively saint- like.
@@carlitomelon4610 Hey Carlos. I did. That's where it started off, as a second amp for acoustic music. It was great with the Zingalis. But then my upstairs second system amp broke and became much more broke after I tried to fix it, so the PrimaLuna had to step in to save the day. Of course the PrimaLuna had something like 35 watts but I rarely had to go beyond 9 O'clock on the dial and I listen pretty loud.
Hi! I own this amplifier, fed from a SMSL SU-9 DAC and paired with 87 db (!) Elac Debut B6.2 speakers and I am marveled by the results. Don't be fooled by the apparent low power. My volume knob never goes above about half and it does shake the windows. It is an amazing piece, holographic and sweet! It indeed loses momentum on the low end. A dedicated Elac subwoofer beautifully resolved the issue, though coated me another 400 USD. I say this amp is an absolute bargain for the performance, and I say that by pairing it with quite low sensitivity and relatively budget speakers.
Interesting info, i currently have a SMSL SU-8s DAC and for speakers i currently own Dynaudio Audience 42s (86db) but am looking into exchanging these for second hand KEF Reference 2.2. I was in doubt about the power so thanks for that. Can you feed the DAC straight into the A50? I am a novice and started with a Doukaudio X1 tube amp but i could not connect the DAC directly without hearing weird pops and crackles. So it is fed via the preamp part of a NAD C320 amp.
This is a 3 watts per channel amp in stock form .At 5 watts it has 10% distortion .Look up Skunky audio .She takes all these Chinese amps and mods them to give the rated output ,or for reliability. Be warned ,they ALL need a fix.
Thamk you Tarun for another interesting video. Thank you to the viewers forr their comments/suggestion about high sensitivity speakers. What an excellent channel you have created Tarun. Not only do I appreciate your experiences with the gear you review, I am pleased to see a comments section free of disparaging remarks about others tastes and opinions.
Thank you Tarun. I am looking for a 300b valve amp and really enjoyed your review. One thing that helped me a lot was understanding the landed cost for this kit in the UK. I often look at the China Audio store and just think that with shipping and duties etc., etc. I am going to pay at least double.
Good stuff, nice review and presentation. Such a reasonable price for quality kit. I've a ~4 WPC SE 6L6 (Erhard Audio Ray) driving large JBL 2way w/compression top (~96db efficient) and Snell E3's @ ~91db? - both are very good. but you're correct in that they both fit well with the listening levels levels and genres that suit me. I also use 'normal' mainstream gears with the other loudspeakers in my collection. But for low level listening, the SE, high efficient combo is tough to beat. It's safe to say it ended my quest. (for now haha). Cheers
I have built plenty of tube amplifiers and my I always fall back on Class A with zero feedback minimal parts while pushing less than 2 watts, now that's pure audio joy! Thank for your review, very informative!
Ok… trying to slap you (or make you curious in at least) with a Tsakiridis Hermes… 96kHz Dac included. 35W and easy (autobias) and cheap to replace tubes (el84) so mo’o’less any speaker should be ok…
I couldn't agree with you more that speaker matching with SE DHT amplifiers is paramount. I've two fantastic Wavelength Audio AVVT 20SL SE DHT 4W amps driving 93dB full range single driver TQWT speakers. Mids and highs are perfect but bass was anemic at best. I finally gave up my single driver obsession by hybridizing ~ custom built a bridge amp powered subwoofer that now augments the HPF'd (8R||160цF) main speakers. The combined system yields a usable BW of 37Hz to 19.5KHz.
I was in the 300B SE designs like 25 years ago and from my experience, you are wrong about the sensitivity but you are right about the cassis design of a super light cone. A 300B can't drive a Wilson Audio Watt&Puppy even that this speaker has >91db sensitivity, the Dynaudios are just to heavy, they don't need a lot of power but they need damping factor and a 300B has none. IMO the best match for a 300B is either to use it in an active setup as the mid-high range amp or use it with L'Audiophiles LePetit (yes this 60s speaker). You can build a pair of LePetit for around 200 quid, if you need the construction plans let me know and I will send you a mail. However the 300B can not even properly control a 15 inch paper woofer like the legendary Altec alnicos in a Voice of the Theatre setup, that's why I think that the 805 and 845 SE setup is the grown-up version, it still has the darkness and the attack in the mid-tones and brilliance in the lights but it can drive a bass too. A newer design I stumbled across is the KT88 SE. I know a KT88 in PP config sounds more like a transistor than the worst transistor, but in SE config this tube really seems to shine. I was only able to hear it for an hour and on an Altec Voice so I would not bet my right arm on it but it left a really good impression. It is not such a monster like a 845 but it has the punch that a 300B is lacking. There is an open source KT88SE project going on for a few years with a lot of smart people adjusting and upgrading the design IMO it is an extremely promising project, their results look awesome. BTW I am not a transistor hater at all, I think that simple PP designs up to 50 Watts can work stunningly well. If you have the chance to test a Cello Encore you know what I am talking about.
Hi Tauron. Can you advise please, would BoyuuRange A50 Mk III be similar in terms on vocals to MUZISHARE X9 300B SINGLE ENDED CLASS A TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER WITH PHONO MM or WILLSENTON R300 SINGLE-ENDED INTEGRATED 300B TUBE AMPLIFIER& POWER AMP It will be very informative, thanks
800GBP for a class A 300B SET amplifier is really quite a feat to beat. The triodes alone probably are worth around 130-150GBP I reckon. It just goes to show what economies of scale (or low manufacturing costs) can achieve. It would be interesting to find out if there are any well known brands' parts inside.
Thank you for this.. I'm new to tube amps and I am considering the following configuration.. Would you be so kind to lend your thoughts on this set up?: BoyuuRange A50 MKIII 300B + Nobsound 12AX7 (ECC83) 12AU7 (ECC82) Vacuum Tube Preamp+ Klipsch Heresy IV speakers???
I’m considering this int amp partnered with a Lii Audio open baffle ( Caintuck design ) 10inch Silver series driver , 97dB sensitivity , single driver , no crossover. This wld be the perfect partner I think for this amp. Ofc a Rel T5X sub wld help with deeper bass. I have heard Lii Audio drivers ( they have several series - Fast , Crystal , Silver ) in box and open baffle design - Zen Decware has some sound demos with their 2-3W amps. I was also considering the Willsenton R800i at 48W class A SET, but I think maybe it wld be overkill for such high sensitivity spkrs. Another great review , thank you.
That was an outstanding review. The first I've seen from your BA channel. I'm interested tube amps, and possibly finding something in the "China HiFi Audio" stable that I could use to drive a pair of Klipsch 600M's. I remember the 300B's from my childhood (working Saturdays on central office switching equipment as a telecom brat in the 1970's). My current "listening room" is 12'x13.5' so it doesn't take much, and I gave up on specs worshiping 20 yrs ago, in favor of the fun of listening! That said, I did notice that you really have 90+ dB sensitivity speakers to even consider the low-power tube amps out these days. At $585 USD currently, there isn't anything else that compares if you like mellow, organic, >85dB music. I will take some time and go through your channel. Cheers!
You know what this amplifier might pair nicely with? The Ogy speaker, which uses a full-range driver and which is designed to work well with low-power tube amplifiers. In fact, if one is on a budget, one might experiment with other speakers that use a full-range driver and have a high sensitivity rating, e.g. Fritz speakers. For the person who enjoys mellow acoustic music, Jazz, and instrumental music, this could be a satisfying option, though I wouldn't expect it to reproduce symphonic music to everyone's liking.
I’m considering this int amp partnered with a Lii Audio open baffle ( Caintuck design ) 10inch Silver series driver , 97dB sensitivity , single driver , no crossover. This wld be the perfect partner I think for this amp. Ofc a Rel T5X sub wld help with deeper bass. I have heard Lii Audio drivers ( they have several series - Fast , Crystal , Silver ) in box and open baffle design - Zen Decware has some sound demos with their 2-3W amps. I was also considering the Willsenton R800i at 48W class A SET, but I think maybe it wld be overkill for such high sensitivity spkrs. Another great review , thank you.
A few years ago, taking a tip from the late Art Dudley of Stereophile, I dipped my toes into super high efficiency speakers from mid 20th century America. The 1960's era Altec Valencia. 100 db efficiency. Altec was an eventual spin off of Western Electric, where the 300b and the first 300b amps came from. These early amps drove Western Electric compression horn speakers similar to what is in the Valencia. In the 1920's, 30's and 40's, amplifier technology was squarely here. Tubes, low power. So speakers were horn loaded and very efficient. The 300b was invented really to make PA vocals sounds natural, so that Churchill or Roosevelt could give a speech and be understood. But those 300b amps and those compression horns were essentially meant to be together. I ran the Valencias for about 2 years, but never with the "right amplification". I just felt I would be painting myself into a corner. Even so, there were aspects, like dynamics, that the Altecs do well. I followed every suggestion Art made for set up and placement. I just never fed them what they wanted. A 300b amp. I almost bought one dozens of times but practicality always pulled me back at the last moment. I sold them to a be gentleman from South Korea, who had something like a 300b. He's very happy.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 yeah, in 2016,17 and 18 I was swept up in Art's stories. He was a journalist, and a real story teller. I was swept up in his adventures. I'd had some pretty high dollar stuff but a financial crisis caused me to have to sell most of it. I started over about the time I really started following Art. I've been on a tighter budget ever since, but I found a 60 something year old man who bought a pair of the Altecs new, with a McIntosh C-26 and 2105 amp back in 1969. Still had them too, and all the receipts. I took a ferry over to Kingston, WA. I drove a Miata, so I gave him a down payment and came back the next weekend with my daughter and son in law in their Toyota Forerunner and took them home. For what it's worth, they sounded very nice with that old solid state Mac stuff. I had sold these very pieces back in the 70s, but really was not a big fan. My hearing changed. Built stands just like Art described. I was also starting to follow Herb Reichert. I had sold my fancy VPI turntable and reading Herb's adventures with vintage tables, and also having been given a couple hundred 78 rpm records from various people (Hey, Daina, you collect records right? My grandma....), I picked up a Technics SL-1200 mark 2 and sent it to KAB Electronics to have it modified to also play 78s. While there, it got a brand new Technics arm with some kind of cotton fibers stuffed in the tube and upgraded Cardas internal wiring and cables. It ain't bad, but Herb got me to also try a Shure SC-35C, a $19 DJ cartridge going back to to the 50s or 60s along with several styli that worked with it. Depending on stylus, it tracks anywhere from . 75 grams to 3 grams. I actually love the standard conical stylus tracking at a svelt 3 grams but I have an elliptical 35 stylus and N75ej made by Jico. The SC35C was finally discontinued, but I just saw them back, but at $119. That's robbery. But I also have an Ortofon 2m Red that's become a Blue after replacing the stylus I broke. And a upgraded re-tipped Dynavector 10x5, re-tipped by an Audiophile jeweler who lives right here in the Seattle area. It now has a sapphire cantilever and a micro ridge stylus, and it does sound quite nice. Picked up a Nagaoka 110 somewhere, too. I sold and owned an SL-110 back in the day that I had an incredibly low mass Infinity Black Widow tonearm mounted to it. One day, in the 80's my step daughter dropped a Walkman on it and broke it in half. The table and broken arm wound up in the attic and I forgot all about it. Got divorced, sold the house. I suddenly remembered exactly where I put it about 5 years ago. I sent the people living there now a letter inquiring about it. Never heard a word. Shucks. Anyway, Art and Herb had me about the time I started building a new system. But I've been on my own path for awhile since I sold the Altecs. Have a Quad/Wharfedale system and the Dynaco, Magnepan system. Anyway, I Really like good hi fi journalism. I think guys like Art made the written version into an art form. I watch other video hi-fi journalists such as yourself but I only know of one or two others who I really pay attention to at this point, that is beside you. Many, some well known and respected and liked, just babble too much. You're, by far, the most logical in your descriptions. And I really like that. I guess I'm less interested in being entertained when watching videos versus the written word. Fact is, you're entertaining to me, but I'm a different way. The other two are, to my way of thinking, similar. And none of you three are from America. And I like that too. I've also picked up music to go check out on Qobuz from 2 of you. Anyway, keep up the good work! Really enjoy.
Hallo Tarun, I like your video’s. The only thing I mis is measurements. But There are other people who do. Like this lady in the US. After measurements she shows that this amp only can give you about 3 watts without distortion. The disign of this amp is bad. The pre-stage in this amp with the 6SN7 tubes does not give the B300 the wright amount of juice . Also the B+ voltage is to low for the B300 (see her video: ua-cam.com/video/539-CaJJiD0/v-deo.html ). What about the bias of the tube, I see that people say autobias, that is not correct, it is fixen bias. That is something els than autobias.
Thank you Michael. If I had more time and resource, I would include measurements. The focus of my channel tends to lie elsewhere. I suspect this amp is a fixed bias design 😊👍
I've bought the "little sister" A10 with EL34B tubes, single end too, with an Argon Audio BT2 Bluetooth receiver with Klimsch A41 90db speakers and I simply love the combination. No more power needed and when I play Michael McDonalds version og "I Heard it through the grapewine", its just crazy. And just 6.xx Watts :-)
Hi, I really enjoyed your video, I thought it was very well thought out, informative and well presented. I currently have an Audio Inovations series 300 tube amp that has been playing up, I have Carlson ortho acoustic speakers that have high efficiency and excellent tight bass response but it sounds like the amp your reviewing may not suit my taste? God bless, Bill.
Hey Tarun , please do a video about Valve vs Solid state your subscribers including , beneficial for us as beginners. Thanks and brilliant video again , 👏
Valves are going to sound better but they're not as practical. Hands down better but your speakers are going to be big and efficient otherwise you won't get room filling volume. You'll just have enough for near field.
Hello Tarun! I own one of these amps! And its my first foray into 300B having dabbled with EL 34 and KT 88 PP amps. I was blown away at the clarity and sound stage of this amp driving my Sonus faber Cremona floorstanders with a relatively friendly sensitivity of 90db. Still using the stock tubes by Pswane. Ordered the JJ 6SN7 fir the driver stage. Any specific 300B you could recommend together with the rectifier? Truly inflicted by Upgraditis!
Thanks Tarun. Nicely done. I have low sensitivity Altec Lansing 15" speakers- 98d- which, until a power surge ago, were driven by Hypex NCore 400 amps (hello Bruno!). Not a great match. I currently have a real cheapie Chinese TPA3116 25w per channel amp- and it sounds great! So surprised! I wonder if the A50 would be a perfect match?
Well, I have an Elekit TU-8200R class A producing some glorious 8 watts per channel towards Wharfedale Diamond 225 rated at 87 db in a medium sized room, and I couldn't ask for more power (I never go past 11h). I can switch between the Elekit and my Bryston B-60 for comparison, and I can report that nothing is missing in the musical message, only different. I run the Elekit output at 4 ohms as seen suggested in a forum (The Diamonds 225 are 8 ohms), I didn't try the 8 ohms output, maybe I would have the same problems you encountered. I had my doubts about building an 8 watts amp and was ready to change speakers if need be, but the Wharfedale are staying.
Great speakers. Cant afford those, and don't have the space, but I run Klipch Heresy III powered with a flea watt tube goodness (A10 amp) + SVS subwoofer integrated (carefully)
Thanks for another informative review tarun, I've always been fond of class A and valve amps, as you say when set up correctly with the right speakers in a medium sized room you can get a very good sound, I use valve headphone dac amps to great effect as well, looking forward to another interesting review next week.
Klipsch RP-600M would be an excellent choice for this amplifier. Most of Klipsch's speakers are 95db or higher in sensitivity. I'm currently running a Reisong A10 (6 watts/channel el-34 SET) into Klipsch RB 61 IIs as my computer desk system. I'm feeding the amp from a Topping EX5 dac/headphone amp. Single Ended Triode (SET) amps tend to be a bit rolled off in the treble ranges, which make them a VERY good match for Klipsch speakers, which are a bit bright in the treble. The bright sound of the speakers, plus Klipsch efficiency, make a very good match for any low-powered tube SET amplifier. I have an Emotiva SE8 subwoofer on order. the SE8 has a high-pass filter, for bass management. It will let me offload the bass on to the subwoofer, and only drive the upper bass, mids and treble with the amp. That should add and tighten up the bass a good bit. The bass isn't bad without the subwoofer, but bookshelf speakers just don't make a lot of bass. EDIT: The SE8 came in today, and the difference is amazing. Narcissistic Cannibal, by Korn, has has sub-bass at about one minute into the track, that was completely inaudible without the sub. With the sub, it's clean and felt as much as heard. It may be placebo effect, but I think the upper bass, mids and treble sound better without the amp struggling to reproduce the sub-bass. Unequivocally recommend that anyone buying a low-power SET amp consider pairing it with Klipsch bookshelf speakers and a SMALL powered sub. I set the volume on the SE8 about as low as possible and it's fine. Also, for music, a small sub is often more agile on fast musical passages than it's bigger siblings.
Just upgraded from the A10, subtle but profound presence just struck me at first listening. My setup is modest, a Tascam Cd-200 used as a cd transport via coax to a SMSL SU-1 Dac. Speakers consist of Klipsch Rp160m stand mount speakers and a Rockville 10" powered subwoofer. To me, it's money well spent.😮
I have one of these and I have undertaken some simple mods as per a YT site - Skunkie Designs. These are fairly simple and cost very little to get the 300Bs performing near where they should. One only needs modest skills and I am very happy with the results
Hi Tarun very interesting amp if it was available at the £600 mark in this country I think there would be a lot of takers. And that leads me to the issue of it coming from China, if you do have a problem is it going to be addressed in this country? . But I must admit it does look very cool as they say , thank you again for your for sharing this interesting peace of equipment. I’m just on the cusp of purchasing the rega brio and matching CD player to go with my other rega setup . So on your assessment of the tube amp I’d be well advised to stick with the rega 😂 Best wishes and kind regards as always 👍👍👍
Hi Tarun, For my main power amp I use a 300B PSE, ie 4*300B valves, parallel, single ended, coupled with a pair of Altec Model 19 speakers (97dB). The speaker cabinets do have a few updates and the interconnecting wire used is a higher specification than original and the crossovers have been provided with updated capacitors. I also have two pairs of EL34 monoblocks, a Bob Latino KT88 and a 165w/channel solid state amplifier. I have tried many other amplifiers and speaker combinations, some extremely expensive, but nothing comes close to the combination of the Altec 19s/300B PSE combination in my opinion. Kind regards David
I sure do enjoy your reviews sir. I watch many but your's are always informative and easy to understand. Do try Omega speakers. Single drivers and 96db sensitive.
I loved this. The most scrupulously honest SET amplifier review I've seen. Things that other reviews have hinted at are explained clearly. It's a beautiful looking thing though.
Thank you BB. Very kind and much appreciated 😊👍👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Taron, great video, thank you for sharing. What could be alternative to BoyuuRange A50 Mk III. I love everything about it but....looks. Can you suggest similar sounding amp?
@@maxc7903 nothing similar at the price that I am aware of 😉
I’m trying to imagine explaining to my wife why I need one amplifier for Albert Ayler and Betty Carter, and a separate one for Stravinsky and Bartok - actually, now that I’ve written that out, it seems less crazy😊.
For the last six months, I have been running a new 300B SET Line Magnetic LM-210 IA into a pair of Klipsch Heresy IIIs. The transparency and presence from jazz and opera vocals has brought me to tears more times than I’d like to admit. The soundstage brought my heart into my throat one evening, as I was convinced my front door was being invaded - 90 degrees and 20 meters from the speaker axis. Fortunately, it was a Mime entrance, stage right, in Solti’s Siegfried.
The Stravinsky, Bartok, and Schoenberg have been a bit less successful, and I never really had the understating or vocabulary to describe what I was hearing - and why. British Audiophile: Thank you so much for this and all your thoughts on audio reproduction - very much appreciated, cheers!
Thank you Chris. Great to learn about your experiences. Thank you for sharing 👍😊👍
Oh God, the wife.. ;)
Tarun, that was a fine presentation again. Good lighting, by the way and personal styling ;) And nice graphic frames between the takes.
Thank you JP. Hopefully, making baby steps in the right direction 😊👍
I'm not a expert on how powered tube amp and speaker pairs but you see folks using vintage and modern klipsch speakers, vintage altec horn speakers (big voice of the theater and others), vintage and perhaps newer jbl speakers. Another great inexpensive high efficiency speaker you see mentioned with low powered amps is tekton speakers. Basically all their speakers play well with low and high powered amps. And some of their lower models like the tekton lore reference and the mini lore make great inexpensive attractive options in flashy color choices. Heard a lot about tying tekton speakers with some of my low powered pass labs diy amps eventually. Thank you!
@@brandonburr4900 thank you for watching and sharing Brandon 😊👍
I don't consider myself a discerning audiophile but I love the A50 MKIII. I replaced the Psvane 300B tubes with Genalex Gold Lion 300b's and that made a significant improvement to the base. I paired the Reisong with a set of Klipsch RP5000F towers. That makes for a very lively setup. It plays plenty loud In my home office which doubles up as my listening room and it's super fun to listen to.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Andy 😊👍
I’ve replaced the standard 300Bs in mine with the Western Electric replicas from Psvane, also swapped out the drivers for a pair of 6SN7s and the rectifier with a 5U4G, it’s now warmer than a burning holiday cottage in Wales…
Perhaps the Sibelius by Pearl Acoustics might make a great match?
High efficiency, single driver, no crossover design.
That would be exactly the kind of speaker I would like to try with this amp 😊
Hi Tarun, you ask for experiences with speakers and SETs. Well I hope my experience helps people wandering this path: my amplifier is the DIY Triode Dick Caesar monoblocks. 14 Watts per channel, 300bxls output tubes. SETs don't come much better that this. Coupled with Focal 826v's at 91db they were glorious in the mids. But a severe impedance dip at 100hz and the a exaggeration peak at around 2khz meant I went looking for something else. Well that processed sucked, tried Tektons and various others. All were disappointing. I decided commercial speakers was not the way to go for me. Devores etc too expensive. So I built the Dtqwt mkiii. It is a 2 way design with integrated 'subwoofer' / bass drivers. My version has 2 x10 inch bass drivers per speaker. At 94db sensitivity and good impedance behaviour I was hopeful. However after listening for a long time I am convinced that back emf from speakers is a real issue for SETs. Now I am putting in hypex plate amps for the bass drivers to further lighten the load for the SETs. Once done I am expecting an audio experience of mind blowing proportions, nearly there 😀. My advice to anybody thinking about a flea powered set amp is realise that speaker choice is tough (especially if you want a complete 20hz to 20khz experience with no compromise, i.e including slam and fast headroom). Educate yourself on speaker impedance, phase angles, back emf and don't focus only on sensitivity. Flat impedance is more important than whether it is 85 or 91db. Be ready to try huge (voluminous) speakers! That really makes a difference in dynamics and scale. Good luck, enjoy and be patient 😊
Hi G D, for back emf there is solution e.g. Ortho Spectrum ML-206, emf absorbtion filter. there is other japaneese brand, I forgot. what it does? eliminates back emf, it is passive filter you interconnect between amp and speakers. look at 6moons review.
And of course-full agreement for what you wrote. impedance curve matters, time decay (so called waterfall graph tell) as well. awesome DIY speakers are from Danny Richie - GR Research, worth to see his channel here, mayby worth to contact him to design best speakers for this nice amp….?
I agree that you need to understand back emf and the interaction between amp and speaker. When I first had my triodes, my speakers were 3 way transmission lines. Despite their complex crossovers and low efficiency, they sounded good because they were an easy amplifier load. Just not very loud.
Also consider the "no crossover" options from Lowther, Jordan and Fostex (although I confess to not being much of a Fostex fan). Finally consider putting the crossover between the pre and power amps in "active" configuration. My daughter owns a small pair of active speakers intended as near field monitors and they are absolute giant-killers.
Great GD. Sorry, I must have missed this comment at the time of posting. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. Very illuminating 😊👍
I’m using a Decware Zen Triode tube amp producing 2.3 Watts driving 12 in. Open Baffle speakers rated at 95db. I usually try not to go much higher than 80 dB, but I have pushed the speakers into the mid to upper 90’s as a test. Plus the sound stage and imaging is unbelievable.
Thank you Ronnie. I would love to get my hands on that amp. With the right speaker to use with it of course 😊👍
@@YuengsNwings I mostly listened to classic rock and blues since I grew up in the 60’s. I retired about a year and a half ago. Since then I’ve been exploring a lot of new music. Jazz , folk, a lot of acoustic music. The Zen amp really shines in The midrange, especially vocals. It will give you goosebumps depending on the recording. You can use it as a stand-alone, but I have a Schiit Audio Sega plus preamp because it has a nice remote. I’m sure it would drive your speakers close to 80 db’s. Right now they have about 700 amps on back order. You’re probably looking at a 6-8 month wait if you order one. If you get one some day, let me know what you think of it. I really love mine.
Ronnie.....which open baffle set up are you using?......
I hope that company would do a GM 70 - GM70 copper tubes are great for audio. Plus you would not need that fire place anymore.
….hmmm….an amplifier with a name much bigger than its output…😑
I bet this would pair up nicely (soundwise & expense wise), with a pair of Tekton Lores…they are touted to have a very simple crossover and with a sensitivity rating of 98 and 10” paper drivers I am thinking "synergy". If you want to go all out then order your Lores with some custom paint & beryllium tweeters and have at it.
Also, as already mentioned this amp is truly visually stunning…especially at this price point!!!
Hello Bob. Alas, finding Tekton in Europe is almost mission impossible, as the cost of shipping and taxes would be prohibitive to import them. But indeed, it would probably be one of the best choices for this type of amplifier. My 8 watt Elekit TU8200DX works great with Totem Sttaf, but only with Tung-Sol 7581A and 12AU7 Psvane. Poor results with the excellent TAD 6L6-WGC Black Plate small bottle. The right synergy between an amplifier like the Elekit or the Boyuu requires patience, but what a musical beauty !
That would be cool to try Bob. I hope someone over the pond may have given it a go 😊👍
Generally a SET Class A tube amp is for a select few , a niche audience.
I agree 😊
It needs a full range driver... maybe a Klipsch could work otherwise? Thanks for covering this amp. I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the British Audion 300B.
Thank you for the suggestion buddy. I will look into it 😊👍
Speakers that might be a good match for this amplifier are Klipsch, Tekton and Zu Audio, among others.
Thank you Richard. If only I was in the USA 😊👍
Tektons as the first choice !
Omega (US)as well
Thanks Tarun for another very well informed review.
Thank you Keith 😊👍
Hi Tarun. This brings back memories of my youth In the 60s. I built a Mullard 3+3 design, EZ80, EF86, EL84. A lovely sounding little amp with 35Hz to 35KHz and
I agree. Thank you for sharing your experiences Geoff 😊👍
Great review as always Tarun but once you factor in shipping/duty fees, one would be wise to investigate the entry-level Decware Zen Triode at $1,100 that is not only wonderful sounding, but has a lifetime warranty. It’s also made in the U.S. if that matters to you. My apologies if you’d reviewed the Decware and I’ve just missed that.
No doubt that Boyuu tube amps are big performance for your money though with some caveats but all gear high end or otherwise is about compromise.
Thank you DD. I would love to take a look at the Decware Zen SET but it isn't readily available over here 🙂
Well my new unit is just 15-20 hrs. Swapped rectifier tubes with economy LinLai tubes. Sounds alright into my large horns 98dB. Not sure it’s burned in enough yet. Of course it’s cheap and cheerful.
Cool 😎
Your reviews r quality. I have a pair of Infinity IL40s 89db sens, was debating on the r8 or this for my first tube amp.. i listen to 80/90s alt rock mostly, would this amp pair well? Tube amps are deep enough to have college degrees in.. ❤ thanks..
Thank you. The R8 would be a safer bet 👍
Thanks for the Interesting review and I can relate to pretty much all of it from my own experience. For anyone who might be interested To address the low frequency bass response and it’s watt consumption I passed the speaker level outputs through an old velodyne 10” subwoofer that has a high pass filter set at 80hz. This saved power for where it matters most. Paired with 25yr old 92db Tannoy DC 2000’s it was incredible for the money. Also to address the volume control I combined a Allo digione streamer withVolumio digital volume control and a Schiit DAC . Final result was a system that sounded like it was 10k$.
Thank you for sharing your experiences AF 😊👍
Ive been playing with a kit SET amp and Klipsch Heresys. 3.5 watts per channel. My room is 9.5' x 14' x 8'. There is a "break in" if you go from a standard amp to appreciate what it is SET tube amps do. This combination seems extremely sensitive to quality in the signal chain and setup. My modest system throws a 3d image (sometimes!), has outstanding mid and hi end, and offers a tight and palpable low end. Most of the lps and cds I listen to sound "fresh" through this system. Plays at low volumes really well.
Downside is that loud, I mean really loud, music loses coherency. But I play music right in the sweet spot, about 60 to 90 dB and coherency, clarity, scale, speed, all come into play, with a dead quiet background.
That is very interesting. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Nick 😊👍
Great review could you review the Decware SE34I.6 you show in your video?
Thank you. I appreciate your suggestion 😊
Thinking about getting a valve amp one day what would be fantastic that nobody shows you is how do you set up a system like only one set of rcas but you have a turntable & a CD player and say a tuner and how to join that lot up and then there’s two mono blocks how does that work I’m getting brain hurt thinking about it all or I might just stick with my rega system 1 and Apollo r cd anyway thanks for the fantastic videos
Thank you. Just makes sure if it is an integrated amp it has enough RCA inputs 😊
I have an A50 mk2 coupled with vintage Tannoy 10 inch monitor red speakers. It is stunningly beautiful with solo piano or quartets, lots of bass, midrange and treble. It's a bit wobbly with orchestral works, but that's true of most amplifiers under £2000.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Samantha 😊👍
Thanks for the review. We tend to shorten the audio equation to watts, sensitivity and ohms but audio does have this quantum side of science that makes us wonder. My Proac response D2 works beautifully with a 5 watt 300B amp (87 sens. I think) and the same amp does not deliver so well with other more sensible speakers. I suppose trial&error must be the approach. This shouldn’t be your first amp - maybe a second amp to enjoy the nuances of valves. Excellent and honest review. Take care
I agree. Thank you Manuel 😊👍
Hi again, Tarun. I have the Reisong A10 ( SE, Class A, EL34:s ) since half a year which drive my old Heybrook HB1:s -84, 90 dB/Wm. Sounds formidable, with a gorgeous, liquid midrange for voices and acoustic instruments. It's even weaker at 6.3W/ch, but with the right input level= rather high, and this can't be emphasized too much, it deliver sound pressure levels and punch through the HB1:s that is more than I need in my room ( approx. 25 sqm ). With some recordings it can be a little lean on the bass and bright in the upper mids, which I compensate for by a Shiit LOKI 4 band EQ, which matches well.
Recommended input level: Run my Dual 505-2 turntable with stock Ortofon DN165E PU via a Pro-Ject Phono Box S2, dip-switched to 60 dB gain.
All in all, an exceptionally well sounding system, at an exceptionally low price ( paid 200$ for the point-to-point hand soldered variant +70$ shipping, directly from China HiFi). Cheers, Magnus
Thank you for sharing your experiences Magnus 😊👍
Partnering speakers. I suspect I’d look at the klipsch heritage line of speakers overkill maybe a nice set of cornwalls or lascala’s or smaller is you have smaller room. The simple sound nature of amp that concerns you would completely disappear tbh. Opening it up to wider types of music. Rock dance and everything in between. With those speakers 7watts would sound like 100watt mono blocks.
Thank you. Klipsch speakers are a popular choice 😊👍
True about the Klipsch. I'm running Klipsch Heresy III + SVS subwoofer, powering the mains with a 6W tube goodness, plenty of volume and dynamics!
G'day Tarun It's Shane from Australia. Nice review great advice on pairing equipment. Unfortunately it's not done nearly enough by reviews so well done to you. It only illustrate you've done your homework. A question I have to ask, how live is that room you review equipment in. It sounds like it's got a lot of slap Echo happening in there. Loved the review keep up the great work.🙂🎧👍
Thank you Shane. I haven’t measured the RT60 time but it is pretty good due to lots of furniture. Unfortunately, I have to remove it when filming to get the aesthetic I desire 😊👍
The speakers that i use with my A50 are home made Majestic,designed by Allan Linton-Smith,a two way system with Celestion speakers.1730 compression driver and a 15"' bass.I changed all the valves,the JJ 300bs didn't make much difference,couldn't afford much better.The most change in the sound came when i fitted old Sylvania 6SN7s,very happy with the result.A 5AR4 as a rectifier boosts the B+
Cool 😎 thank you for sharing 👍
Would love for you to review the Musician Moneceros preamp out of China.
These Uber high end companies should be worried about what’s coming out of China.
There is certainly some very impressive stuff that I have reviewed recently. Thank you for the suggestion 😊
I’ve owned this amplifier for years now. I’ve rolled in a Gold Lion GZ34, vintage GE 6SN7 GTBs, and kept the Psvane 300B tubes. The best thing I did was to add a Project-Audio Tube Box S2 pre-amp that I rolled some Mullards into. I have a Project Carbon Evo turntable, and Klipsch RP 600m. The next move is probably Heresy’s, but truly unnecessary.
Thank you for sharing 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the reply! I love your content!
I have a pair of Tannoy canterbury speakers driven by an integrated Kraudio VA880. 50w of pure valve passion.
After hearing high sensitivity speakers with valves it's hard to go back. My system sounds so much better than my last one which consisted of Proac d100 speakers, top quality Accuphase preamp and Hovland monoblocks costing 10x the price.
System matching is so important. Spending more doesn't slways mean better sound.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Stephen 😊
Very much enjoying the open minded and technically informed the spectrum of audiophilia. I’m very tempted at the moment to ship a pair of Audio Nirvana super 12” at 97+ dB avoiding any crossover to partner with my early 60’ Lux valve amp.
Thank you Anthony. If you do, please let me know how you get on 😊👍
The A50 is a fantastic integrated amp. I home auditioned and it was a perfect match with my Klipsch Heresy 4. Unfortunately I returned it only because the 2 300b tubes sat loose in its sockets. The sound is the best I’ve tried at home.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences SB 😊
Thanks for sharing. I am searching SET 300B to drive my Cornwall IV. Good to hear this match well with Klipsch speakers line.
@@slowestrider4918 look at Decware, Zen Triode. It has magnificent reviews with the Cornwall 4. $1k
I would like to buy this amp and try with my Tannoy Berkeley' it might a sweet much, possibly ? Then buy better 300B TUBES. Has anyone tried it with The new Western Electric 300B. They're only about $3000/pair 😀
If you do, please let me know how you get on 😊
That would be nice to try 😊
Interesting amplifier. I used an Elekit-tu-8200r with Tannoy DC8Ti with good success. I assume Fyne Audio speakers will be a sympathetic match also. Elekit-tu-8200r is less romantic sounding than the 300B amp here bit it proves even few watts can drive good quality speakers. The Heco Direkt that i had a year ago should be a choice also.
Thank you Calaf 😊
Wow. Good review
Thank you 😊
Great review as usual. But I've a problem with my few months old willsenton r8. Just went to check the Bias Current and found the V3 tube kt88 Bias was at zero. The other 3 were fine. I've emailed Lee in China hifi so it will be interesting to see the outcome. So I understand people's concerns about warranty etc.
Thank you Sean. That is unfortunate, Lee has a reputation for good service. I hope you get things resolved quickly 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 He did. New tube posted out free of charge. Everything is now back working perfect.
Hmm maybe Zu Omens Dirty Weekend? Or Tektons? I know people are gonna say Klipsch, but I just don't like Klipsch sound.
Thank you 😊👍
This was a perfect review.
Thank you my friend. Very kind of you to say 😊👍
I've been looking at this amp (but I can't buy another piece of hifi just yet) and those sound artists in the back, plus the sound artist SH10B. So many good looking products. I wish you could review them all lol.
Thank you Hardeep. There are some very interesting products available though China Hifi 😊
Reisongs to be cheerful ..
@@simonzinc-trumpetharris852 🤣👍
Hi Tarun, I run 7.5w monos class A PP with ‘76 Tannoy Cheviot and they work well up to about 85dB. No issues with transients or complexity but bass control could be better; texture and detail good though. Tannoy not known for their simple x-overs mind 👍
Thank you Merlin. I appreciate you watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
In my 50+ years of being an audiophool, I have had many low powered SET amps, 300b , 2A3, EL34, 845, etc.. The 2A3 being my favorite sonic signature for vocals and most music. The 845 being the most powerful and allowing for more conventional speakers and music types. I had a Cary 2A3 push pull amp that had 15 watts output and almost as sweet as the SET version. I always found the SET tube amps to be too much of a compromise. I don’t care for many high sensitivity horn speakers, they can sound wonderful, but usually with a price that doesn’t match the sound, also I don’t care to be shouted at.
After years of trying higher powered amps and too many speaker combinations and spending big bucks.. I slipped into one of Nelson Pass SIT SS First Watt amplifiers, a pair of planar speakers rated at 95db and I have my best sound to date.
18 Watts per channel allows for plenty of power, woofer control and that SET sound that works on all music. A SINGLE stage amp that’s simple and elegant beyond words. No more tube hassles and ridiculous prices for them. Less heat and MORE RELIABILITY using real world speakers..
Couldn’t be happier.. I still love tubes and have several tube SET amps for headphones.. but I finally have a good solution to low powered SET sound, without the tube hassles.
I spent a lot of money to learn you don’t really need lots of money for a good sound..
Great vid ! Thanks
Mike.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Mike 😊👍
Excellent review. I buy it and use with Omega super 3i (full range 4 1/2 “ driver & 94.5 db) and active subwoofer 10”in and small room. I replaces the tubes with Gold Lion and Sylvania nos (cost me around $600) and only use analog as source (Rega P8 & Aria phono). The results are amazing for jazz, vocal and some classical music!!! I forget my other system Rogue class D int amp and KEF R3 speakers and right now is not longer in use!!!!
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Raul 😊👍
Hi, I have a Cayin KT88 which gives 45 watts driving B&W 683 S2 with a sensitivity of 89db. This amp is $1449.00 and easily drives these speakers. I am very impressed by build and sound quality.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences John 😊
Thanks for this review. Too bad you didn't have any Heritage Klipsch speakers on hands. Would love to hear how the Heresy IV, Forte IV or Cornwall IV fare with this amp...
Cheers!
Thank you Raphael. That was a shame but I don’t think it is going anywhere for a while so I hope to test some high sensitivity speakers with it before it departs 😊👍
Hi Taran, thank you so much for your review. It is very refreshing to there the good and bad, especially when it comes to SET. As I've downscaled to more compact dwellings I've been taken by small tube (OK valve) amps. I started with Leben but then got drawn back into SET. I'm currently using an Elekit 8600S (300B) with a SunValley pre and a pair of Omega Super Alnico XRS speakers. The amp and pre are both kits from Japan and took a few days with a soldering iron to put together. Suffice to say that the results have far exceeded expectations, so much so that I'm now working on a SunValley phono to replcae my ASR. Like everything to do with this hobbie, synergy of the individual components is the key.
Thank you Rob. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
Elekit is an amazing opportunity for a still affordable price. I own the little brother of yours, the TU-8200DX and for its price, it is a little wonder. Thank you for your testimonial !
@@douxreveur131 Always good to connect! I've also got an 8200DX with the optional DAC card. I built the matching pre as well which I use with various Raspberry Pi projects. I've got them set up in my offcie with another stand mount pair of Omega speakers. What tubes are you using?
@@BackwardsCompatible-Not With my Totem Sttaf speakers, the best musical result is obtained with Tung-Sol 7581A and Psvane 12AU7-S tubes.
I had this amp for a bit, driving a pair of Tekton Electron SEs. The Tektons are rated at 98 db sensitivity but are also 4 ohm design. While I really liked the midrange sweetness and fullness of the A50/Tekton pairing, the bass was lacking and the amp is a bit noisy and not all that revealing. I then switched amps to the Willsenton R8. The R8 (45 wpc push pull design) was certainly more punchy and full in the bass and less noisy, but I found the sound to be a bit harsh (even with EL34s) and not very engaging and warm. So went back to a 300b class A SET amp - this time with an Elekit TU-8600s. This pairing with the Electrons is finally very close to the sound I'm looking for. Very transparent, non-fatiguing, and a very sweet midrange. The bass is a little shy, but I'm thinking now a subwoofer is the best way to address that. Perhaps others have had similar experiences??
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Joshua 😊👍
I have the Wilsenton R8 Paired with the Tekton double impacts 98db and also a 4ohm design…… I never considered switching to the 8ohm tap until I read your post…… Is there any harm to the speakers If I switch the tabs to 8ohms to if is it difference?
@@jessecurran4762 hi Jesse. No harm to the speakers. But if you hear clipping when at playing very loud volumes, turn the amp down a bit. I e been told that the 8Ohm taps actually use different transformer coils, and the 8Ohm pushes more current for same volume.
Pair this with Lii Audio F12 or F15 in an open baffle or Betsy’s from Caintuck Audio. Paired with a small sub w/high level inputs for the under 60 hz signal, and it’ll sing.
Thank you 😊
You are right, time traveler. I stream HD thru a Freya+ with nos sylvanias to the A50 III with Black Treasure 300B’s then into a high-level input sub, feed only above 70-80Hz into Zu DIrty Weekends or Cornwall III’s (and others of lower efficiency that do not perform as well) but I like the Lii Audio F15’s on large open baffles best. Awesome soundstage when the source has been mastered by someone who knows what they are doing and plenty of overhead since a large part of the load is covered by the sub (and I like it pretty loud on occasion). The secrets are very efficient speaker design (the F-15’s are 97db, the Cornwalls claim 102db) and good source material.
I really great review and very useful because it's opening up a new genre of listening for people. This channel is so professional now I would almost say that it behooves you to have on hand a very good pair of high sensitivity speakers so that you can make appropriately fine discriminations among future low watt amplifiers.
Thank you my friend. Very much appreciated and very kind of you to say. It is hard to control these things but if I get a really high sensitivity speaker in soon, I would love to pair it with the A50 😊👍
I believe this would pair well with my Sony ss cpx22 speakers. These speakers really brought joy to the house with some low powered ss Sansui units.
I really enjoyed your technical explanations. As one who use to maintain high frequency amps using 300b tubes in a telecom application I am really intrigued by this amp.
These Chinese amps really give average Joes a chance to play.
Very well said. Thank you for your support Solomon 😊👍
These devices are called THERMIONIC VALVES in the U.K. Tube is the American slang term for VALVE. Therefore, it’s a valve amplifier. NOT a tube amp.
I think we refer to them as vacuum tubes as well or is that just over the pond 🤔
@@abritishaudiophile7314 NO we don’t, never in the U.K. I am also a British Audiophile. They are VALVES.
This is a very boutique sound. I have a 30w class A valve amp paired to 88db speakers. I also have 150w class D active speakers. In certain situations I get a bigger and deeper soundstage with the valves. But for accuracy of instrument presentation and dynamics there's no contest. Valves simply don't do drums properly. I slightly prefer the valves in low energy acoustic/vocal tracks but that's it.
Go listen to a pair of LaScalas. They do drums like I have never heard before,
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Richard 😊
Thanks for the review. Since years I use a Unison Simply Italy with 2x12 watts in ultralinear class A. I run it with Genalex KT77 tubes. I tested a couple of speakers. Italian, british and french. High sensitivity is a must. As you mentioned bass control is a challenge. Unison fans seem to prefer Klipsch, Unison research speakers, Tannoy, Zingali (Italian) and other exotic brands. I pair my amp since years with efficient Cabasse Bora (90 dB 1W/1M). I always come back to them.
Thank you Oliver. Great to hear about your experiences 😊👍
Great and insightful review. I knew about this amp a while back and have always been a tube fan. My first being an EL34. When I saw the review from Steve Gutenberg about this amp it piqued my curiosity, especially since the price meant I could now have a feel for what class A might sound like. Anyway as is always the case, one ends up going down the rabbit hole and I actually ended up with the A30 which uses 2a3 output tubes. Plus, it was a chance for me to go to town with my vintage 70s Wharfedale E30s 94dB sensitivity and boy do they sing
.
Thank you buddy. I appreciate you sharing your experiences 😊👍
Does Boyuu A30 with 2A3 tubes has a very loud hum when not playing music?
Thank you for answer.
Great stuff. I have the A10 version (EL34, ultra linear, 2x6w) with Klipsch Heresy III (99dB sensitive), running my front stage. I use Denon AVR as a pre for that (part of full surround setup and subwoofer). I mostly listen around 70dB, but with sensitive speakers, there's plenty of headroom. Heresys, thanks to the high sensitivity, horn loaded compression mid and high drivers + 12" fast mid bass paper cone is good match for low watt tube amps 👍
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Johto 😊👍
This is a great review thanks. I built a single ended amplifier and it sounds brilliant but like you said they need to be with the right speakers. I managed to find some klipsch heresy 2s on ebay and they sound amazing massive. Horn loaded is the way to go with these type of amps. Mine also goes into a sub at speaker level. I have read so much about 300b so I would love to hear it. Thanks again for the review.👍
Thank you. I appreciate you watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Clear, detailed review that's spot on. Your presentation style is very good! Great job!
Thank you my friend 👍😊👍
Great Review. I have a pair of Zingali Overture 4 floorstanders. Big, horn loaded floorstanders but pretty sensitive at 93dB. Currently I use a 150watt DK design hybrid amp but at this relatively affordable price it might be interesting to dip a toe in the water of SET amps as a second amp for acoustic music and jazz. Don't tell my wife...
Does your wife read the comments section of hifi equipment reviews on UA-cam?
Hi Jim, your secret's out...😉
You didn't try the Primaluna with the Zingalis?
@@michaelk6566 I wouldn't put it past her. She has an uncanny ability to catch me red handed whenever I try to sneak new kit past her steely, unwavering gaze. She's a bit like the Eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings. Maybe not quite as evil...in fact, given she puts up with me and my enthusiasms, positively saint- like.
@@carlitomelon4610 Hey Carlos. I did. That's where it started off, as a second amp for acoustic music. It was great with the Zingalis. But then my upstairs second system amp broke and became much more broke after I tried to fix it, so the PrimaLuna had to step in to save the day. Of course the PrimaLuna had something like 35 watts but I rarely had to go beyond 9 O'clock on the dial and I listen pretty loud.
@@jimfarrell4635
I like the way valve amps deal with higher volume. They have a sweet, natural sounding compression. Unlike an underpowered SS amp....
Hi! I own this amplifier, fed from a SMSL SU-9 DAC and paired with 87 db (!) Elac Debut B6.2 speakers and I am marveled by the results. Don't be fooled by the apparent low power. My volume knob never goes above about half and it does shake the windows. It is an amazing piece, holographic and sweet!
It indeed loses momentum on the low end. A dedicated Elac subwoofer beautifully resolved the issue, though coated me another 400 USD. I say this amp is an absolute bargain for the performance, and I say that by pairing it with quite low sensitivity and relatively budget speakers.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Eduardo 😊
Interesting info, i currently have a SMSL SU-8s DAC and for speakers i currently own Dynaudio Audience 42s (86db) but am looking into exchanging these for second hand KEF Reference 2.2. I was in doubt about the power so thanks for that. Can you feed the DAC straight into the A50? I am a novice and started with a Doukaudio X1 tube amp but i could not connect the DAC directly without hearing weird pops and crackles. So it is fed via the preamp part of a NAD C320 amp.
This is a 3 watts per channel amp in stock form .At 5 watts it has 10% distortion .Look up Skunky audio .She takes all these Chinese amps and mods them to give the rated output ,or for reliability. Be warned ,they ALL need a fix.
Thamk you Tarun for another interesting video.
Thank you to the viewers forr their comments/suggestion about high sensitivity speakers.
What an excellent channel you have created Tarun. Not only do I appreciate your experiences with the gear you review, I am pleased to see a comments section free of disparaging remarks about others tastes and opinions.
Thank you my friend. It is great to see the interaction between viewers and the community around the channel grow 😊👍👍
Thank you Tarun. I am looking for a 300b valve amp and really enjoyed your review. One thing that helped me a lot was understanding the landed cost for this kit in the UK. I often look at the China Audio store and just think that with shipping and duties etc., etc. I am going to pay at least double.
Hi Justin, I would email Yong Lee at China Hifi and see if he can give you a better indication of total cost 😊👍
Good stuff, nice review and presentation. Such a reasonable price for quality kit. I've a ~4 WPC SE 6L6 (Erhard Audio Ray) driving large JBL 2way w/compression top (~96db efficient) and Snell E3's @ ~91db? - both are very good. but you're correct in that they both fit well with the listening levels levels and genres that suit me. I also use 'normal' mainstream gears with the other loudspeakers in my collection. But for low level listening, the SE, high efficient combo is tough to beat. It's safe to say it ended my quest. (for now haha). Cheers
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences S Ude 😊👍
I have built plenty of tube amplifiers and my I always fall back on Class A with zero feedback minimal parts while pushing less than 2 watts, now that's pure audio joy! Thank for your review, very informative!
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
300b is not a linear triode, relatively. Lack of power is only one important consideration in speaker matching. Output impedance is another.
Ok… trying to slap you (or make you curious in at least) with a Tsakiridis Hermes… 96kHz Dac included. 35W and easy (autobias) and cheap to replace tubes (el84) so mo’o’less any speaker should be ok…
Good one 😂 Thank you Jan-Uwe 😊👍
This amp is self-biasing too.
I couldn't agree with you more that speaker matching with SE DHT amplifiers is paramount. I've two fantastic Wavelength Audio AVVT 20SL SE DHT 4W amps driving 93dB full range single driver TQWT speakers. Mids and highs are perfect but bass was anemic at best. I finally gave up my single driver obsession by hybridizing ~ custom built a bridge amp powered subwoofer that now augments the HPF'd (8R||160цF) main speakers. The combined system yields a usable BW of 37Hz to 19.5KHz.
Thank you for sharing 👍
I was in the 300B SE designs like 25 years ago and from my experience, you are wrong about the sensitivity but you are right about the cassis design of a super light cone. A 300B can't drive a Wilson Audio Watt&Puppy even that this speaker has >91db sensitivity, the Dynaudios are just to heavy, they don't need a lot of power but they need damping factor and a 300B has none. IMO the best match for a 300B is either to use it in an active setup as the mid-high range amp or use it with L'Audiophiles LePetit (yes this 60s speaker). You can build a pair of LePetit for around 200 quid, if you need the construction plans let me know and I will send you a mail.
However the 300B can not even properly control a 15 inch paper woofer like the legendary Altec alnicos in a Voice of the Theatre setup, that's why I think that the 805 and 845 SE setup is the grown-up version, it still has the darkness and the attack in the mid-tones and brilliance in the lights but it can drive a bass too. A newer design I stumbled across is the KT88 SE. I know a KT88 in PP config sounds more like a transistor than the worst transistor, but in SE config this tube really seems to shine. I was only able to hear it for an hour and on an Altec Voice so I would not bet my right arm on it but it left a really good impression. It is not such a monster like a 845 but it has the punch that a 300B is lacking.
There is an open source KT88SE project going on for a few years with a lot of smart people adjusting and upgrading the design IMO it is an extremely promising project, their results look awesome.
BTW I am not a transistor hater at all, I think that simple PP designs up to 50 Watts can work stunningly well. If you have the chance to test a Cello Encore you know what I am talking about.
Very interesting. Thank you for taking the time to share you experiences MWT 😊👍
Hi Tauron. Can you advise please, would BoyuuRange A50 Mk III be similar in terms on vocals to MUZISHARE X9 300B SINGLE ENDED CLASS A TUBE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER WITH PHONO MM or WILLSENTON R300 SINGLE-ENDED INTEGRATED 300B TUBE AMPLIFIER& POWER AMP
It will be very informative, thanks
They aren’t the same design 😊
The Sound Artist is not a LS / 35A.
800GBP for a class A 300B SET amplifier is really quite a feat to beat. The triodes alone probably are worth around 130-150GBP I reckon. It just goes to show what economies of scale (or low manufacturing costs) can achieve. It would be interesting to find out if there are any well known brands' parts inside.
Thank you Stelios. It is a bit of a bargain 😊👍
Thank you for this.. I'm new to tube amps and I am considering the following configuration.. Would you be so kind to lend your thoughts on this set up?: BoyuuRange A50 MKIII 300B + Nobsound 12AX7 (ECC83) 12AU7 (ECC82) Vacuum Tube Preamp+ Klipsch Heresy IV speakers???
That should work well on paper but I would have to try to be sure. If you get one, please let me know how you get on 😊👍
I’m considering this int amp partnered with a Lii Audio open baffle ( Caintuck design ) 10inch Silver series driver , 97dB sensitivity , single driver , no crossover. This wld be the perfect partner I think for this amp. Ofc a Rel T5X sub wld help with deeper bass. I have heard Lii Audio drivers ( they have several series - Fast , Crystal , Silver ) in box and open baffle design - Zen Decware has some sound demos with their 2-3W amps. I was also considering the Willsenton R800i at 48W class A SET, but I think maybe it wld be overkill for such high sensitivity spkrs. Another great review , thank you.
Thank you Robert. That is exactly the kind of speaker to try with this amp 😊👍
That was an outstanding review. The first I've seen from your BA channel. I'm interested tube amps, and possibly finding something in the "China HiFi Audio" stable that I could use to drive a pair of Klipsch 600M's. I remember the 300B's from my childhood (working Saturdays on central office switching equipment as a telecom brat in the 1970's). My current "listening room" is 12'x13.5' so it doesn't take much, and I gave up on specs worshiping 20 yrs ago, in favor of the fun of listening! That said, I did notice that you really have 90+ dB sensitivity speakers to even consider the low-power tube amps out these days. At $585 USD currently, there isn't anything else that compares if you like mellow, organic, >85dB music.
I will take some time and go through your channel. Cheers!
Thank you for sharing and watching 😊👍
You know what this amplifier might pair nicely with? The Ogy speaker, which uses a full-range driver and which is designed to work well with low-power tube amplifiers. In fact, if one is on a budget, one might experiment with other speakers that use a full-range driver and have a high sensitivity rating, e.g. Fritz speakers. For the person who enjoys mellow acoustic music, Jazz, and instrumental music, this could be a satisfying option, though I wouldn't expect it to reproduce symphonic music to everyone's liking.
Thank you 😊
I’m considering this int amp partnered with a Lii Audio open baffle ( Caintuck design ) 10inch Silver series driver , 97dB sensitivity , single driver , no crossover. This wld be the perfect partner I think for this amp. Ofc a Rel T5X sub wld help with deeper bass. I have heard Lii Audio drivers ( they have several series - Fast , Crystal , Silver ) in box and open baffle design - Zen Decware has some sound demos with their 2-3W amps. I was also considering the Willsenton R800i at 48W class A SET, but I think maybe it wld be overkill for such high sensitivity spkrs. Another great review , thank you.
Thank you Robert. That is exactly the kind of speaker to try with this amp 😊👍
A few years ago, taking a tip from the late Art Dudley of Stereophile, I dipped my toes into super high efficiency speakers from mid 20th century America. The 1960's era Altec Valencia. 100 db efficiency. Altec was an eventual spin off of Western Electric, where the 300b and the first 300b amps came from. These early amps drove Western Electric compression horn speakers similar to what is in the Valencia. In the 1920's, 30's and 40's, amplifier technology was squarely here. Tubes, low power. So speakers were horn loaded and very efficient. The 300b was invented really to make PA vocals sounds natural, so that Churchill or Roosevelt could give a speech and be understood. But those 300b amps and those compression horns were essentially meant to be together. I ran the Valencias for about 2 years, but never with the "right amplification". I just felt I would be painting myself into a corner. Even so, there were aspects, like dynamics, that the Altecs do well. I followed every suggestion Art made for set up and placement. I just never fed them what they wanted. A 300b amp. I almost bought one dozens of times but practicality always pulled me back at the last moment. I sold them to a be gentleman from South Korea, who had something like a 300b. He's very happy.
Art, gone too soon. May he rest in peace. Thank you for sharing that Daina 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 yeah, in 2016,17 and 18 I was swept up in Art's stories. He was a journalist, and a real story teller. I was swept up in his adventures. I'd had some pretty high dollar stuff but a financial crisis caused me to have to sell most of it. I started over about the time I really started following Art. I've been on a tighter budget ever since, but I found a 60 something year old man who bought a pair of the Altecs new, with a McIntosh C-26 and 2105 amp back in 1969. Still had them too, and all the receipts. I took a ferry over to Kingston, WA. I drove a Miata, so I gave him a down payment and came back the next weekend with my daughter and son in law in their Toyota Forerunner and took them home. For what it's worth, they sounded very nice with that old solid state Mac stuff. I had sold these very pieces back in the 70s, but really was not a big fan. My hearing changed. Built stands just like Art described. I was also starting to follow Herb Reichert. I had sold my fancy VPI turntable and reading Herb's adventures with vintage tables, and also having been given a couple hundred 78 rpm records from various people (Hey, Daina, you collect records right? My grandma....), I picked up a Technics SL-1200 mark 2 and sent it to KAB Electronics to have it modified to also play 78s. While there, it got a brand new Technics arm with some kind of cotton fibers stuffed in the tube and upgraded Cardas internal wiring and cables. It ain't bad, but Herb got me to also try a Shure SC-35C, a $19 DJ cartridge going back to to the 50s or 60s along with several styli that worked with it. Depending on stylus, it tracks anywhere from . 75 grams to 3 grams. I actually love the standard conical stylus tracking at a svelt 3 grams but I have an elliptical 35 stylus and N75ej made by Jico. The SC35C was finally discontinued, but I just saw them back, but at $119. That's robbery. But I also have an Ortofon 2m Red that's become a Blue after replacing the stylus I broke. And a upgraded re-tipped Dynavector 10x5, re-tipped by an Audiophile jeweler who lives right here in the Seattle area. It now has a sapphire cantilever and a micro ridge stylus, and it does sound quite nice. Picked up a Nagaoka 110 somewhere, too. I sold and owned an SL-110 back in the day that I had an incredibly low mass Infinity Black Widow tonearm mounted to it. One day, in the 80's my step daughter dropped a Walkman on it and broke it in half. The table and broken arm wound up in the attic and I forgot all about it. Got divorced, sold the house. I suddenly remembered exactly where I put it about 5 years ago. I sent the people living there now a letter inquiring about it. Never heard a word. Shucks. Anyway, Art and Herb had me about the time I started building a new system. But I've been on my own path for awhile since I sold the Altecs. Have a Quad/Wharfedale system and the Dynaco, Magnepan system. Anyway, I Really like good hi fi journalism. I think guys like Art made the written version into an art form. I watch other video hi-fi journalists such as yourself but I only know of one or two others who I really pay attention to at this point, that is beside you. Many, some well known and respected and liked, just babble too much. You're, by far, the most logical in your descriptions. And I really like that. I guess I'm less interested in being entertained when watching videos versus the written word. Fact is, you're entertaining to me, but I'm a different way. The other two are, to my way of thinking, similar. And none of you three are from America. And I like that too. I've also picked up music to go check out on Qobuz from 2 of you. Anyway, keep up the good work! Really enjoy.
@@dainawilburn2390 thank you my friend. Very flattering to be mentioned in such exalted company 😊👍👍
Hallo Tarun, I like your video’s. The only thing I mis is measurements. But There are other people who do. Like this lady in the US. After measurements she shows that this amp only can give you about 3 watts without distortion. The disign of this amp is bad. The pre-stage in this amp with the 6SN7 tubes does not give the B300 the wright amount of juice . Also the B+ voltage is to low for the B300 (see her video: ua-cam.com/video/539-CaJJiD0/v-deo.html ).
What about the bias of the tube, I see that people say autobias, that is not correct, it is fixen bias. That is something els than autobias.
Thank you Michael. If I had more time and resource, I would include measurements. The focus of my channel tends to lie elsewhere. I suspect this amp is a fixed bias design 😊👍
I've bought the "little sister" A10 with EL34B tubes, single end too, with an Argon Audio BT2 Bluetooth receiver with Klimsch A41 90db speakers and I simply love the combination. No more power needed and when I play Michael McDonalds version og "I Heard it through the grapewine", its just crazy. And just 6.xx Watts :-)
Thank you Björn 👍
Hi, I really enjoyed your video, I thought it was very well thought out, informative and well presented. I currently have an Audio Inovations series 300 tube amp that has been playing up, I have Carlson ortho acoustic speakers that have high efficiency and excellent tight bass response but it sounds like the amp your reviewing may not suit my taste? God bless, Bill.
Thank you Bill 👍
Hey Tarun , please do a video about Valve vs Solid state your subscribers including , beneficial for us as beginners. Thanks and brilliant video again , 👏
Thank Atri. I appreciate the suggestion 😊👍👍
Valves are going to sound better but they're not as practical. Hands down better but your speakers are going to be big and efficient otherwise you won't get room filling volume. You'll just have enough for near field.
Hello Tarun! I own one of these amps! And its my first foray into 300B having dabbled with EL 34 and KT 88 PP amps.
I was blown away at the clarity and sound stage of this amp driving my Sonus faber Cremona floorstanders with a relatively friendly sensitivity of 90db.
Still using the stock tubes by Pswane.
Ordered the JJ 6SN7 fir the driver stage.
Any specific 300B you could recommend together with the rectifier?
Truly inflicted by Upgraditis!
Thank you for sharing Mahes. Please let me know how the tube rolling goes 👍
Thanks Tarun. Nicely done. I have low sensitivity Altec Lansing 15" speakers- 98d- which, until a power surge ago, were driven by Hypex NCore 400 amps (hello Bruno!). Not a great match. I currently have a real cheapie Chinese TPA3116 25w per channel amp- and it sounds great! So surprised! I wonder if the A50 would be a perfect match?
Thank you. It may be worth a try with those speakers 😊
Well, I have an Elekit TU-8200R class A producing some glorious 8 watts per channel towards Wharfedale Diamond 225 rated at 87 db in a medium sized room, and I couldn't ask for more power (I never go past 11h). I can switch between the Elekit and my Bryston B-60 for comparison, and I can report that nothing is missing in the musical message, only different. I run the Elekit output at 4 ohms as seen suggested in a forum (The Diamonds 225 are 8 ohms), I didn't try the 8 ohms output, maybe I would have the same problems you encountered. I had my doubts about building an 8 watts amp and was ready to change speakers if need be, but the Wharfedale are staying.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Reisong A12 ,bluesound node streamer,topping e30 dac ,klipsch rp600m speakers and Amazon hd music. Sounds great at a great price.
Thank you John 😊
I’ve a valve amp and it runs my JBL 4367 speakers brilliant good bass mid and treble and great detail
Thank you buddy. I appreciate you watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Great speakers. Cant afford those, and don't have the space, but I run Klipch Heresy III powered with a flea watt tube goodness (A10 amp) + SVS subwoofer integrated (carefully)
Thanks for another informative review tarun, I've always been fond of class A and valve amps, as you say when set up correctly with the right speakers in a medium sized room you can get a very good sound, I use valve headphone dac amps to great effect as well, looking forward to another interesting review next week.
Hi Paul, always a pleasure to hear from you and thank you for your support 😊👍
Thanks for your good video and I fount an adapter (SAT UB-1) that can connect headphones by connecting to the amplifier speaker terminal on etsy. .
Cool 😎 thank you for sharing 😊👍
Klipsch RP-600M would be an excellent choice for this amplifier. Most of Klipsch's speakers are 95db or higher in sensitivity. I'm currently running a Reisong A10 (6 watts/channel el-34 SET) into Klipsch RB 61 IIs as my computer desk system. I'm feeding the amp from a Topping EX5 dac/headphone amp. Single Ended Triode (SET) amps tend to be a bit rolled off in the treble ranges, which make them a VERY good match for Klipsch speakers, which are a bit bright in the treble. The bright sound of the speakers, plus Klipsch efficiency, make a very good match for any low-powered tube SET amplifier.
I have an Emotiva SE8 subwoofer on order. the SE8 has a high-pass filter, for bass management. It will let me offload the bass on to the subwoofer, and only drive the upper bass, mids and treble with the amp. That should add and tighten up the bass a good bit. The bass isn't bad without the subwoofer, but bookshelf speakers just don't make a lot of bass.
EDIT: The SE8 came in today, and the difference is amazing. Narcissistic Cannibal, by Korn, has has sub-bass at about one minute into the track, that was completely inaudible without the sub. With the sub, it's clean and felt as much as heard. It may be placebo effect, but I think the upper bass, mids and treble sound better without the amp struggling to reproduce the sub-bass.
Unequivocally recommend that anyone buying a low-power SET amp consider pairing it with Klipsch bookshelf speakers and a SMALL powered sub. I set the volume on the SE8 about as low as possible and it's fine. Also, for music, a small sub is often more agile on fast musical passages than it's bigger siblings.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Exemplary work Ince again. Flawless presentation. Thanks for the great content!
Thank you Lex 🙂 👍
Just upgraded from the A10, subtle but profound presence just struck me at first listening. My setup is modest, a Tascam Cd-200 used as a cd transport via coax to a SMSL SU-1 Dac. Speakers consist of Klipsch Rp160m stand mount speakers and a Rockville 10" powered subwoofer. To me, it's money well spent.😮
That so great Steve 👍
I have the A20 and it blows away my $3500 ALS tube amp...Reisong Rules and it cost $649
Very cool 😎 Thank you for sharing 😊👍
It is only about 3watts a good 300 B amp gives You 8 watts but if 3 w is enough ...... get it
I have one of these and I have undertaken some simple mods as per a YT site - Skunkie Designs. These are fairly simple and cost very little to get the 300Bs performing near where they should.
One only needs modest skills and I am very happy with the results
Thank you for the heads up 😊
try 6SN7 45 SET parafeed 50Henry with filament bias, it is also nice even just 2 watts.
Thank you buddy 😊👍
Hi Tarun very interesting amp if it was available at the £600 mark in this country I think there would be a lot of takers. And that leads me to the issue of it coming from China, if you do have a problem is it going to be addressed in this country? . But I must admit it does look very cool as they say , thank you again for your for sharing this interesting peace of equipment. I’m just on the cusp of purchasing the rega brio and matching CD player to go with my other rega setup . So on your assessment of the tube amp I’d be well advised to stick with the rega 😂 Best wishes and kind regards as always 👍👍👍
Thank you Michael. Yong Lee at China Hifi informed me that he had set up some support within the U.K. I haven’t investigated further though 😊👍
Hi Tarun, For my main power amp I use a 300B PSE, ie 4*300B valves, parallel, single ended, coupled with a pair of Altec Model 19 speakers (97dB). The speaker cabinets do have a few updates and the interconnecting wire used is a higher specification than original and the crossovers have been provided with updated capacitors. I also have two pairs of EL34 monoblocks, a Bob Latino KT88 and a 165w/channel solid state amplifier. I have tried many other amplifiers and speaker combinations, some extremely expensive, but nothing comes close to the combination of the Altec 19s/300B PSE combination in my opinion. Kind regards David
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences David 😊👍
Always a nice review Tarun!!! If you can review the Willsenton R800 with Psvane optional valve!! It is a really interesting amplifier.
Thank you P Si. I should have one coming but I think there is an availability problem with the tube upgrades at the moment 😊👍
I sure do enjoy your reviews sir. I watch many but your's are always informative and easy to understand. Do try Omega speakers. Single drivers and 96db sensitive.
Thank you for the kind words and suggestion Richard. Very much appreciated 😊👍
I have this amp paired with a couple of vintage JBL 4412 Studio Monitors. Sensitivity is 90db. It sounds fantastic!
Great. Thank you for sharing 😊👍