Favorite 300B: Sophia vs KR

03-04-11: Bsimpson
One common thing I found, however, is that the TJ/Sophia brand (mesh and carbon) is not as reliable. It's actual tube life is also 30% - 40% less than advertised, depending on who you buy from.

Even if yours is a unique experience, it's enough to stop me from dropping $2000 on two pairs of premium Sophia 300B tubes. I'm not willing to take the gamble with tubes that expensive.

I've read only good things regarding the reliability of Shuguang Treasure tubes, so that's what I'd consider first at this point.

Hello Tvad,
I thought you were using the push-pull Wright 2A3 amps.Several other users of the treasure tubes that I know of have had the same stellar reliability as I have.

03-04-11: Charles1dad
Hello Tvad,
I thought you were using the push-pull Wright 2A3 amps.

I do own those. However, for the past year and a half I have been using Audio Note Conquest Silver 300B Parallel SET amps.

I have my new Treasures in the Mactone amp. Have only 15 hours on the tubes but these are big improvement right out of the box over the EH tubes that came with the amp. Everything I read is that I need to be patient with these tubes as they burn in ...good thing they sound so good right away and very listenable as break-in happens.

Would love to do a lineup of 300b designs - set, parallel and push pull and compare sound. I have first and third and will be interested in comparing these two with same tubes with my Audio Note speakers.

Fred Crowder compares the Treasures (with 300 hrs on the clock) and new old stock Western Electric 300Bs in his Audio Note U.K. Balanced Kegon amplifiers at Dagogo.

http://www.dagogo.com/View-Article.asp?hArticle=858

Regards,