0

xover

This is the top of the line tube by Valve Art.  It uses the "upgraded" ceramic base and has other "improvements" which allow it to be driven with a higher plate voltage and current which, in turn, increase the wattage output.  What amazed me, and was also confirmed by a friend of mine who has also played with many 300B-type tubes, is that this tube was worse then the cheaper lower line of Valve Art as reviewed above!  Although i did try it using both the normal and also higher bias setting in the Art Audio amplifier, it seemed to definitely sound better driven with the higher setting.  Unfortunately when she clipped, it was hard and nasty.  i mean nasty nasty as in the mids all broke up horribly.  The worst clippers in the whole 300B-type tube bunch here (worse then the Centron too).  While i can not recommend this tube as a 300B direct replacement, it does have some good qualities when used at the higher bias operating guidelines for higher output.
Ramping up the bias to the higher setting seems to make the mids smoother, the higher a bit more liquid, and the bass is really full here.  Still, the mids and highs sounded better with the lower line Valve Art 300B-C60 then with this upper line 6300B tube.  The only advantage for using this upper line Valve Art over the middle line would be for more (maybe a tad too much) bass.  On virtually all levels the middle line tube was better then this one if we compare them at near their proper operating guidelines as they were used in the Art Audio unit.  Still, when used as a simple drop in replacement for whatever non-testosterone 300B you'd be much better off with the 300B-C60 then this higher priced ceramic based 6300B in my humble opinion.

Valve Art
International Electronics Building
Yingbin Road
Changsh, Hunun 410011
P.R. Chine

voice (86) 731-442-8169
fax (86) 731-445-6999

xover

The KR Enterprise company has been making their very own, unique variants for a while now.   Various designs by Ricarrdo Kron have been fine-tuned over the years.  Higher purity of chemical, stronger vacuum within the tube itself...  These all add up to better music reproduction capabilities.  The VV302 is another one of their 300B-on-steroids variants.  Using a cool lookin' blue glass and flat top this tube is quite good, yet just a bit too bright for my tastes when used as a direct replacement for a normal 300B.  When used with an amplifier optimized for it though, it can really deliver the good.
The highs seem to smooth out while the bass tightens up.  Here is a very rugged, reliable tube that might be a bit microphonic, yet with some simple vibration control devices (like Vibrapod feet), they can be truly amazing.  Deep frontal soundstage with solid imaging with a nice hall decay when the recording has it.  Still, it left me just a tad bit cold.  The mids weren't as smooth as i with they were.  Still, they are very impressive.   Of course as time has passed since this tube was introduced, there is another.   Namely the KR Enterprise 300BXLS which is reviewed below.

KR Audio Electronics
Nadaemlejnska 1/600
180 72 Praha 9
Hloubetin 6904
Czech Republic

e-mail: kr.audio@tiscali.cz
website: www.kraudio.com
voice/fax 00420 2 66107168

xover

With this newer generation of 300B variant, KR Enterprise really have a winner on their hands in my humble opinion.  When used as a direct replacement for a normal 300B, the 300BXLS has all the good stuff the VV302 has yet with a smoother midrange which i had hoped the VV302 had.  Also, the bass seems more tight and tuneful too.  To add to all this, the highs are gorgeously smooth with impressive upper frequency extension.  This is something the Western Electric 300B tends to really lack in.
Sure the WE300B has a lovely midrange which seduce many people including me, yet the lowest and highest octaves suffer a bit to my ears in my systems.  If you can juice up the bias and voltages a bit, the 300BXLS can be utterly amazing.  It's what you might have really wished Santa Clause brought you for Christmas instead of that lame necktie!  MAN, Santa needs to get a clue!   If you have one of those testosterone-driven super 300B variant amps the 300BXLS could be "all that and a bag of chips" for your music reproduction system.

KR Audio Electronics
Nadaemlejnska 1/600
180 72 Praha 9
Hloubetin 6904
Czech Republic

e-mail: kr.audio@tiscali.cz
website: www.kraudio.com
voice/fax 00420 2 66107168

xover

Yup, how could any review covering 300B variants be complete without the ever lovely Western Electric 300B?  Please let me say right up front that i love the midrange.   It is one of those midranges that make you want to crawl up in it and stay warm, cuddly, and happy.  Especially if you have a not so smooth digital front end, the WE300B can be just what the doctor ordered!  Alas, not all is perfect though.  The extreme uppermost and lowermost frequencies aren't quite reproduced as well as the KR Enterprise 300BXLS or even the Art Audio or JJ, but are better then the hazy Centron 300B to my ears.  
  When comparing the weight of the tube itself, the WE300B seems really lightweight when compared to the KR Enterprise tubes too.  It's an amazing weight difference!  The WE300 is very lightweight physically.  Still, the sound has all the charm you could ever ask for in the crucial midrange where a better part of the music resides.  The WE300B seems to also be the least susceptible to microphonics too!   A very quiet tube that WE300B is.  It is a classic. Sensual, ravishing, exquisite...  Well, you get the point here.  One of things i love about tubes is that i can easily turn the amplifier off, drop in a set of whichever tubes i feel will compliment the music the best, and be back up and running within minutes.   Solid-state output folks can't really do that.  Tubes rule!!!

Western Electric
1230 Peachtree Street
Suite 3750
Atlanta, GA. 30309

voice (404) 874-4400
fax (404) 874-4415

www.westernelectric.com

beckham233

回復 115# avlam


    恭喜師兄又有新機玩！no.18.3我聽过真係好得！
我都想升级去Peter 的前後分体機！相信會仲正！

xover

Part of the hold up on this entire review has been, well, just as i found a killer tube like the Valve Art, another tube would come along and blow all others away when used as a direct normally electrically run 300B. These new JJ Electronic 300B tubes made in the Slovak Republic have won my heart as the all out winner of this grouping in my systems to my ears.
Although a bit microphonic, it seems to have the best balance of smooth mids with upper and lower frequency extension in my beloved Wavelength Audio Cardinal amplifier.  If fact i love it so much it now pretty much permanently resides on it as part of my main reference system, only giving way to the WE300B when i desire a more, um, seductive sound.  Ambience and imaging are excellent as it inner resolution too!  This is the latest 300B to arrive here in my humble abode and also the best so far for direct replacement on a normally run 300B amplifier.   Some of you might worry about a bit of that blue glow on the top, but then again so did the WE300B have that at the beginning too.  i feel there is just too much emphasis on that top blue glow.  Yes, it does mean a few things, yet it's not necessarily gonna make your system sound like junk, burn down a small village, and release a nuclear warhead on your government.  Sheeesh, relax and enjoy the music!

The JJ Electronic 300B seems to have all the things i love about 300B tubes!  What more can i say then that?  May i humbly suggest you try the JJ Electronic 300B?   You too might find yourself in love while enjoying the music.

Valve Amplification Company
807 Bacon Street
Durham, NC 27703

voice (919) 596-1107
fax (919) 596-2037

www.vac-amps.com

Lester

幫主今日放毒放到收吾到制！

bb2002

回復 117# avlam


    已經精盡人忙啦{:9_418:}

avlam

幫主今日放毒放到收吾到制！
Lester 發表於 2012-4-24 09:11

簡直係冇人性！

xover

幫主今日放毒放到收吾到制！
Lester 發表於 2012-4-24 09:11 AM