300B vs. KT88 SET?

Ctran, thank you for the reply. Did you have to change amps or you could switch 300B for KT-88 in the same amp?
Sorry if it's a fullish question, but I'm new to this tube thing, and I do love musicality - my main music pleasures:
jazz, vocals, classical.

I can think of no amps that will allow you to interchange those tube types. They have entirely different qualities, and amps that utilize each type will have their own strengths and weaknesses subject to your own personal preferences. I have 300B SET amps in my work system, and now am using my KT88 based amps at home (contrary to what you will see in my Virtual System). For Jazz and vocals I can think of no better way to listen, to my ears, than SET. Classical is a pretty broad category. If your classical tastes lean towards more dynamic and layered orchestral music, as Ctran60 points out, KT88 based amps may offer you a fuller, more forceful presentation. 300B SET is all about air, atmosphere, refinement, soundstage, holography. Sacrafice is often in the low end, and KT88 amps will almost certainly maintain an edge there. The best way to find out which you prefer is to try to listen to good examples of both. They are so different that the experience should leave you with an unmistakable impression of each I would guess. I enjoy each one for their strengths. For most acoustic music, vocals, jazz, small ensembles, I'll take SET every time. For orchestral music, or if you like any rock or perhaps bigger jazz bands, the KT88's would bring out the most there IMHO.

Hope that helps. Most important - Yes, they are very different and distinctive - listen and use your own judgement and take what you read here with a grain of salt. I think it is a good place to get some guideance and broad generalizations, but you're the only one who knows what you really prefer.

Marco

I am now using KT88 amp, but also contemplating to move to 300B amp. Zoya, from the inputs given above, it sounds like the best thing is to own both KT88 and 300B amps. I wonder if anyone out there find it necessary to have both amps?

Zoya and Ykk - just to reiterate, SET and push/pull are two different animals. They sound very different so Ykk (do you have a zipper fetish:-) do try to take a listen to a 300B SET before giving up your current amp. I'd disagree with any statement that implied one was necessarily "better" than the other. They are different......the "better" part is entirely up to the listener. 300B SET lends a sense of holographic presence that I've never heard before (good SET amps share this quality I think). KT88 sacrafices some of that 'presence' and airiness for a more authorative, dynamic slam (though not your typical SS kind of slam....a kinder, gentler slam if you will). There are plenty of folks who you could find that would speak highly of each, and perhaps put down the other. My advice would be to ignore such input and make your own judgement, preferably in your room with your system. In the case of 300B SET vs KT88 Push/Pull you can probably get a very good sense of the differences in any thoughtuflly set up system with each in place. Keep in mind too that in going to the lower powered SET amps you will really need to have very efficient speakers to make them sing. I wouldn't consider any speakers below 90db, and that would be my rock bottom for a smaller room. Better still 94db and up. KT88 push/pull arrangements come in all kinds of power depending on the design and how many KT88's are used in it. Therefore they are less demanding of speaker efficiency, though speaker matching is always important.

Ykk, certainly having both types of amps would be ideal if you listen to a diverse and wide range of music of which a good amount is suited to each of the two types of amplification. If I had to live with just one, for me it would be SET. But my musical tastes are more strongly in those areas that SET really shines. If I had to point to one that is most versatile, I'd likely point to the KT88 Push/Pull. Just one humble opinion though.

Marco