Joined in 2023 
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63 About this deal
What happens to people with this valve, is it that they have no hearing or is it that they need to crush their ears with loud bass and treble that pierce your brain. I don’t understand. Because so much scorn has been poured on a tube that sounds so natural and balanced. Also recapped a Marantz 7T and because of space restrictions, used Audionote electrolytics with Myflex bypass capacitors on each one. Also sounds fantastic. Deoending on how long you plan on keeping the amp, buy the best capacitors you can justify putting into it. They will make a difference. Humblehifi’s capacitor list has served me well in the past when deciding on what caps to use.
Next most important are the materials: polypropylene, styrene, teflon (insulators); aluminum, tin, copper, silver (conductors). I haven't tested headphone listening yet because I rarely use it and my headphones are modest. It's an AKG K701. I'll do a review on this point here.My 300b SET uses the 6EM7 as the driver rather than the 6SN7 (For the reasons you mentioned). Also it utilizes an interstage transformer in place of coupling capacitors. The Elekit does not sound like a tube amplifier, it is not warm like the Willsenton. It is somewhere between a neutral tube amplifier and a transistor amplifier. Boy Thomas and Stereo sure gave that 300b a good review. I have the R8 and love it. May get the 300b cuz I want it But I felt an indefinable uneasiness ... Until I placed the banana plug of the speaker cable from the 4 ohm terminal to the 8 ohm terminal and then everything fell into place. The change between the two is huge (The TOTEM Sttaf have an impedance of 6 ohms)! You certainly have quite the amplifier stash. I wrote earlier that the Bottlehead tube products were although inexpensive they are well thought out engineered components. A price point is targeted and so the best quality parts can not be utilized.
I am hooked on tubes though. I also know that a few relativity inexpensive parts can upgrade these Willsenton and Muzishare integrateds which are great values and made in the same factories as Cayin, PrimaLuna, and Line Magnetic but for half the price or less. The sound is described by some as “romantic” because of this big sound that is welcoming, warm and with 3D qualities. I appreciate your kind words, thanks. I’m been a participant on this forum since 2008 and still enjoy posting and reading the experiences of others here. Acquiring the Willsenton 300b SET was a very good decision on your part. It is more expansive, more human, and has that true 300B character. The only catch is that t his is an amp made for speakers that are at least 90db efficient. Sure, it may drive some 87db speakers in a small room but do not expect any head banging to be going on. This amp shines with speakers that are easy to drive. Horns are WOW with this amp. It's more complicated than just hanging a film cap across B+. If you assume the designer knew what he was doing, had good ears and related equipment, you could make things a whole lot worse by making willy-nilly changes.PS. Many thanks to Steve Huff for allowing me to discover this wonderful Wellington tube amplifier: Concerning the comparison with the Elekit TU-8900, in terms of components, especially with the Lundahl output transformers, the Elekit is delivered with more high-end components. But the price is also much higher. Been thinking about going SS, but if I don't I may try the Jantzen silver colored caps which are said to have a bit more detail. I mainly use air gap and vacuum caps for the most important components, such as RIAA compensation. For amps, I usually use styrene. With a Pass Labs XA 60.8 set of amps I hear some hiss from the AL5’s but no buzzing. With the Willsenton R8 I hear some hiss but no buzzing. With the R300 they are nearly silent which is crazy. Sure, there is some hiss when I am close as this is normal but at my seat I hear nothing. This is crazy for an all tube design as there is usually noise associated with tubes.
I have no doubt that your 300b amplifier will be a fantastic product. Best wishes to you. The 300b properly implemented is superb sounding. if you take the time to research and do further reading/investigation you will find a better capacitor that will contribute to improved sound quality. I’ve had splendid success with the Duelund CAST copper foils. Considerations are available space for a given capacitor and the cost. No doubt there are other excellent choices available. musiclover1 and charles1dad: My concerns as to whether the R300 would match well with my JM Reynaud Offrande Supreme v.1 speakers turned out to groundless. What I'm hearing is a warm, palpable presentation with no sense of fatigue whatsoever. Keep in mind that I'm in a small apartment which dictates lower listening levels. Still, I'm getting tight, punchy bass, a warmish enveloping midrange and crisp highs. I'm sure the transformers in the R300 aren't the best available but I suspect their quality is higher than one might expect at this price. I prefer this amp to the First Watt M2x amp it replaced.
Once the unit settles in and I pair it with a more appropriate speaker, I will get a feel for areas that I might like to make some changes (caps, resistors, tubes). And truth be told, my gut has me feeling that any of those changes will only yield slight potential increases in sound. All too often people overstate the effects of changing parts. I’ve heard positive differences in swapping parts and I’ve heard negative differences in changing parts to boutique parts. It’s a recipe, season to taste but it’s not as easy as you would hope. Again, with Klipsch Heritage this amp weaves its magic with a big expansive soundstage and a warmth and glow about it. If you own Klipsch you will need to hear this amp! The amplifier circuit, if perfect, does nothing more than regulate the power supply. If the power supply has poor phase and impedance, it passed on to the next component. Sequential components alter the preceding and this is why a really great component may get so-so response in one reviewer's system and sterling accolades in another.
Of course someone else may have different opinions as system matching is always much more important than the tweaking of capacitors and tubes. Can't speak to the Willsenton R300, however the R8 Willsenton's volume control is inoperative when used as just an amplifier.I've been told that the basics of how one hears volume is that a typical 25W RMS (R8 in triode mode for example) amp has a maximum volume which solely depends on the efficiency of your speakers, the average impedance of your speakers, and finally, the size of your room and where you are sitting in relation to the speakers. What's more, for the ear to perceive a volume that is TWICE the volume which a 25W RMS amp can go to comfortably, an amp would need to be around 10 times more powerful - so around 250W RMS! Now that I have that out of the way, not all amps can drive all speakers at a given efficiency either, simply because some speakers are harder to drive than others. Further, I have also heard it said that out of solid state class D, A, A/B and tube A and A/B designs, that tubes are GENERALLY more capable of driving difficult loads. As your Monitor Audio speakers present a relatively easy load, I believe that you should be fine as even though your speakers are a little on the low side in respect to efficiency, in an average sized listening room, you should be able to reach quite respectable volumes. Of course the R8 also has ultra linear mode which boosts the output to 45W RMS per channel, although I find that triode mode is the more accurate mode. If you use the R8 amp to watch movies, by all means throw it into ultra linear mode where the design of the R8 gives more "presence" to the midrange area, i.e., the midrange comes forward in the soundstage. Ultra linear mode can also sound better for some genres of music too, although this is also reliant on personal preference as well. This integrated amplifier is bonafide gorgeous in looks and design. It is also hand made and hand wired, something that is not done very much these days due to the expense. It has a blue semi glossy piano paint finish for a true high end look. It is built very well and uses what I feel is the most magical tube in existence for audio. The 300B. This is an integrated amp made for easy to drive speakers and the sounds it creates are lush, deep, rich and beautiful. Line Magnetic Tube Amplifier LM-210IA Integrated Amp Single Ended 300B*2 5U4G*2 8W*2 （110V/220V) (Dimension (WxDxH)：380mm x 405mm x 345mm, 220V, 1) I know what you mean about chasing the dragon. However, I'm 74 and retired. Listening to music and trying gear is my hobby. At least, that is what I tell myself when the dragon appears The 300B tube brings the artist in the room with you in a more haunting ethereal way than any solid state amp can muster. Along with this we usually hear a very wide soundstage that is three dimensional with a gentle treble that has just enough sparkle to make it all realistic.
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