Mastersound 300B and bass

I have Coincident Frankenstein 300b monoblocks that have more than enough bass. Prior to these I had Denon 6600a 265 watt/side ss monoblocks. The bass was a concern to me at time of the switch.It took no time to realise the difference from big powerful bass to pure bass with impact.The bass the 300b's give you (depending obviously on speakers)is real and matches the presentation from the mids and highs.
I'll never look back.

I profoundly enjoyed a pair of Quicksilver 300B mono amps for over 6 years. They had great bass compared to other 300B amps I've heard and tried out in my own system, and I really didn't miss the full-monty when I was listening to them since the rest of the range is so enchanting (though SET amps can also lack in upper end extension as well). I've not heard the Mastersound amps you are considering so could not comment there, other than they have a good reputation. Generally I'd say that if you are a bass head, or have expectations based on years of SS amps you may be disappointed. The only times I realized what I was missing was in doing side-by-side comparisons. Otherwise it was pretty blissful. Obviously the amp-speaker synergy is very critical here. You may also consider adding a sub, but that is really still leaving a gap, in my experience. I came close to selling my 300B's on a few occasions, but it took six years to find something that satisfies me. Until then I always came back to the 300B's. I finally sold them a few months ago...to a nearby friend, fortunately. I can't say my experience is the same as Montejay (though I'm not sure that I follow what he's saying). I've not heard 300B amps that had comparable extension in the lows and highs compared to high-end alternatives with different topologies. You can certainly optimize what they are capable of in the speakers you choose. Also you should consider the size of your listening room and the types of music you enjoy listening to. Again, I'm generalizing here: Large rooms will present a greater challenge to 300B SET, as will dynamic, complex, layered music. I don't know if the Mastersound you are considering is SE or PSE, but the latter will give you a bit more latitude and punch, but I think you'll still be lacking in extension extremes (grunt and detail on the bottom, and sparkle without fatigue on the top). That's not to say it won't still be a very engaging amp to enjoy. Obviously it's best to simply audition one and see what you think. Hope that helps.

The Italians do seem to make great valve amps and valve integrated's in particularly. If you are questioning base, then I would consider an 845 based SET. The 3 main Italian makers, New Audio frontiers, Mastersound and Viva, all make 845 SET's. I have used the 22watt 845 Viva Solista for 4 years and it ain't going anywhere. I am sure others will disagree, but if you want power, grip on the speakers, neutrality, good base and above all transparency, go for an 845. I have yet to hear a reasonably priced amp I prefer to the Solista, anywhere A 300B is still a great amp of course, well executed, as the Frankenstein is, but inevitably, it will have a lower output, so limit speaker choice. My Solista drives my 89db Acoustic Zen Adagios, better, louder, than the 180watt ss Karan K180 I tried.

Using my mastersound se 300b on 94db 4 ohm loudspeakers with 15in woofers bass is deep detailed free from bloat. Mastersound uses custom wound transformers so wider responce over amps using off the shelf transformers. Since I design loudspeakers I tried this and many other 300b plus many other SET amps and the 300b being weak in bass compared to other SET tube types is pure BS. Sure many SETs transformers do not alow full responce but mastersounds sure do. The se300b worked good on loudspeakers with as low as 89db 1 watt 8 ohms.

I'd echo what JohnK mentions about transformers: The Quicksilver amps I had were built with huge, hand-wound custom transformers, and, as I said, they did pretty damn good in the bass department compared to other 300B SET amps I've heard. The few SET amps I've heard with smaller trannies really gave it up on the extremes.

I have a MasterSound 300B SE amp and I am using it to drive a pair of Kharma 3.1 speakers, the sound is outstanding. This is the higher power version (approx 17 wpc) which uses the either the 32B or 300BXLS output tubes. I am currently using Emission Labs 300BXLS tubes and I have found the sound of this amp to be much more extended at the frequency extremes than a typical 300B amp. I am sure this is due in part to the higher power tubes but also as “Johnk” stated to the massive custom transformers MasterSound uses. If you are looking for a beautifully built 300B based amp with really good bass with the 300B magic you should consider the MasterSound 300B SE, the other plus is that this amp is an integrated amp but also has a “direct” input which bypasses the preamp stage, so you can use your own preamp should you desire. If you need any more information about this amp please let me know.

Thanks for all the great input. With what all of you have said I'm set on getting a Mastersound 300B. Guess I could of course try to find a different 300B amp but as all the reviews of the Mastersound amps I've read are pretty good I don't see a reason to change my mind.

Thanks again

Plus se300b has a cool tube cage keeps kids and pets from burns toss in remote control for volume a very good package. A remote is truly a good thing. Wish more SET integrates used one.

Haha, the cage. As we don't have kids I'll be able to leave off the cage and enjoy the wonderful view of the glowy things that make it sound so great.

Now I have to start a different thread on how to convince my girlfriend to let me set it up in between the speakers where I can see it glow :) Maybe I need to remind her that she used to trap fireflies in a glass as a kid. And the 300B ones she doesn't need to feel bad about being trapped.

Now I have to start a different thread on how to convince my girlfriend to let me set it up in between the speakers where I can see it glow :) Maybe I need to remind her that she used to trap fireflies in a glass as a kid. And the 300B ones she doesn't need to feel bad about being trapped.

Just don't tell here what those EML or WE 300B's cost, or, if your GF is like my wife, you'll never hear the last about those "$400 light bulbs!!"