Your SUPER affordable 300B amp search is over, the Willsenton R300 tube integrated amp review.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- #hifi #audiophile #amplifier #stereo #Integrated amp #tubes
Pre-order Galion TS120 at www.galion-audio.com
Patreon: / thomasandstereo
Order from China-hifi
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Gear mentioned or used in this review :
Silverline Sonata speakers
Focal 1008 BE speakers
Lyric riverside speakers with Lii Song drivers
KEF REF 5 speakers
Klipsch La Scala speakers
Polk audio 703 speakers
Omega Compact Alnico Monitors
Meitner MA-1 V2 DAC
Audiovalve Eclipse tube preamp
Exasound E28 DAC
Onix Monoblocs
TAD redplate 6SN7 tubes
Sophia, Electro Harmonix, Shuguang, 300B tubes
6SL7 tubes
TAD redplate 5U4G tubes
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Feedback from actual Galion TS120 owners : www.galion-audio.com/blogs/news/reviews
Thomas, You have inspired me! After seeing your video about the Audio Note gear I started researching the AN/E speakers more closely. My buddy and I have been wanting to build a pair of speakers so I found a kit #2 to build. Here is my question, Audio Note touts the synergy between their amps and speakers but as I viewed this video I can't help but wonder how well the R300 would drive these. Have you tried that? I would appreciate any feedback you can offer.
Would you consider reviewers by people who already own a piece of equipment at all objective, a balanced perspective of it compared to alternatives?
Ie of any value?!
If so, to be honest I suggest major naivety
Hello Thomas and thank you for this review of the Willsenton R300B. I have had this Willsenton R300 amplifier for two months now and I am totally in love with it more and more every day. I report here a clear improvement of the music reproduction by changing the two 6SN7 tubes. I chose the Shuguang Black Treasure CV181-Z, (very natural, deliciously pure and noble voice and timbre) which I personally prefer to the PSVANE Psvane CV181-T-MII which seems to be more defined and incisive, but less natural, with a high end that is a bit too strong for my ears, but that's a matter of personal taste.
As for the 6SL7, I just replaced it with a TAD NOS 6SL7. The synergy seems perfect.
Finally, I offer a very transparent and natural modulation cable, without raising the treble. I mounted a NEOTECH NEI-3001 MKIII cable with KLEI PURE22 HARMONY RCA connectors and the result is simply perfect. Beautiful amplifier, no hum or hiss, musical and mesmerizing when all these little things were done. Addictive!
Excellent also to replace the supplied mains cable and make your own with two meters of FURUTECH FP-TCS31 (attention, running in for a hundred hours!) two mains connectors of your choice. The voices are even more captivating and the timbres become even richer!
But beware, the devices are like shoes! The ones that fit your neighbour perfectly could also suit you... Or not ;)
Thank you very much Thomas for all these discoveries and sharing this beautiful musical passion.
Bon Noel à vous tous !
Friendship from France :)
PS. My speakers are the Totem Staff 88 dB. But my living room is modest in size and everything is perfect for me.
Thanks for sharing. Merci.
I've had this amp for a while and honestly yea it's amazing. One of my most favorite pieces of audio gear I've ever bought.
Do you know if headphone out is any good? (design wise) is it powerful? Thanks
Same here!
@@blejzerosamigos6115 I use the headphone jack for high impedance headphones like Beyer t1 Gen 2 Tesla, sennheiser HD58x Jubilee and they never sounded better and I actually have a schiit lyr and a tor nick so I have otl tube amps and hybrid headphone amps and still I prefer this amp. The 300b has magic
@@summerforever6736 yes I drove ls50s and legend l200s both sounded great
@@V1ralB1ack thank you for the reply and good info. Do you have any idea what the output impedance might be. Thanks again.
I bought mine before Steve Huff's video and it was perfect pairing for my LaScala AL5'S.
Hello Thomas, after watching your review, I purchased the Willsenton 300B. It's replacing an EL34 push-pull. I'm playing it through my Tannoy DC10A. I'm noticing an improved sound stage and better clarity. Thanks for such an honest and colorful review.
Great to hear! Funny cause your speakers are very expensive and an affordable amp can bring it to life.
@@ThomasAndStereo I bought the speakers used from a reputable dealer, so I saved a lot of money. The speakers are very easy to drive and, to room filling sound with enough base to satisfy. I am conceding open a baffle design and will build them myself. Any thoughts about open baffle?
We'll have you had any issues with it ?
Merry Christmas Thomas- I run my 300B with Heresy iv and playback is very nice. Rolled in Sofia 300b and NOS rectifiers and front end. The difference was pretty noticeable- expanded top end with better decay. Bass for the unit is already tilted up so not bad for 300b. Stock tubes are good- just a little more rolled and less airy. Anyway- journey complete- 300b nirvana with good vinyl and sacd recordings. Crazy musical and satisfying.
Very nice! Happy holidays.
I've got the Iv's and have been looking at this amp. I'm generally playing jazz, ambient, pop, and metal. Using a rogue sphinx rn, but this amp sounds like it might have the smoothness up top im looking for. hardly ever going over 70-75 dbs.
@Tel,egram me👉@ThomasStereoofficialpage This is fraud guys, be careful
@Tel,egram me👉@ThomasStereoofficialpage fraud! Please be careful everyone.
I'm using my Willsenton R300 with the Jean-Marie Reynaud Offrande Supreme v.2 speakers. They're rated at 91dB. It's an excellent match. The presentation is smooth, warm and engaging. Since I own a Cary SLP-05 preamp I've used the R300 as an integrated and as a power amp only. To my ears it sounded best as a power amp only, but it still sounds great as an integrated. It's definitely one of my best audio purchases.
Cool, I find it cute that you are plugging a $7000+ preamp to a $1000 integrated amp.
@@ThomasAndStereo I know it’s strange but it’s the best sound I’ve ever had. It’s $1500 at Amazon. Great review, by the way. You nailed the sound. I really appreciate the tube rolling comments. I think I’ll stay with the stock tubes.
yeah it has that rare pleasing smooth sound, which i rate high
I bought this amp a year ago based on your review along with Steve Huff, and Jay's Iyagi...
It sounds fantastic and the only issue I had was that one of the 5 U4G tubes went out about 3 months into ownership. Fortunately, China HiFi expedited a set of 274 tubes as a replacement. Took about 2 weeks to get here in Tennessee.
In the interim, I went to my local Tube Depot and bought NOS JAN Phillips replacement tubes for the 5U4s, the 6SN7s and the 6SL7 because I thought they would be more reliable and I was hoping to get better performance. I also bought Linlai 300b tubes. All total around $600. Just dipping my toes into tube rolling without breaking the bank. I did gain some noticable improvements and feel it was worth it.
To be clear, I have had no other issues with the performance of this amplifier. I absolutely love the sound. I have it paired with a refurbished pair of Klipsch Forte 2 speakers and I couldn't be happier.
I am a retired Navy Chief and a retired elementary school teacher. Therefore, I have a lot of time to listen to this system. In fact, I listen 5-10 hours almost daily. I listen at relatively low to moderate volumes. (65-85 db according to my decibel app). At those levels, I rarely exceed the 9:00 position on the volume knob so I'm not really pushing this amp. For me personally, this has been a very reliable amp. However, there have been quite a few folks giving this amp some pretty harsh criticism about reliability and design flaws. I'm not an electronics engineer so I can't speak to that. Skunkie Designs in particular has made me think about selling it because the cost to correct all the "issues" is not cost effective. Although I haven't had any problems, I don't want to pass along any potential problem to anyone else. Plus, I would have to take a $500+ loss.
All that said, I will continue to listen daily and enjoy it until failure. I have 1,500-2,000 hours of listening so far. Seems pretty reliable to me.
Anyone can point to bad reviews and problems with amps they've "heard about".
I can only offer what I know to be true from my personal experience as an owner of this amplifier.
I am interested in any feedback you have gotten from any long term owners.
Respectfully,
P.S.
If it fails, I will let you know.
So far I have no one complaining to me of any failure. I am sure there are failure like all products but it is all a question of % and how they deal with failure. If it is under 2 to 3%, then it would be industry standard. If you have listened to it for a year, it cost you about $3 a day so far. Hope it will last 3 years and then the cost to run it is below $1 a day.
Hooked up the Willsenton 300b when it arrived yesterday. Of course it doesn't sound that great out of the box, but after a few hours it began to blossom. Speakers. Tannoy Gold Reference Stirlings at 90db. Recommended power 20 to 170 watts. To my ears this is the best the Tannoy's have sounded since I purchased them and thats before the amp has had around 8 hours on it. I'll wait and see if upgrading the tubes will make a huge difference. But at this point I recommend this amp most highly. One thing of note. It took around 20 days for the amp to arrive once I ordered it, but it was worth the wait and the savings of $300 by ordering it direct from China.
Where did you order it from?
Great video Thomas! Maybe a 300B tube amp someday, but for now the R8 (owned just 6 months ago) meets my needs thanks to you, Jay and The British Audiophile. I have invested in tubes equal or greater than the price of the R8. Drives my vintage 4-ohm KEF 104/2s just fine. So I’m sticking with my fries from Inn&Out Burger👍👍
All other audio reviews should watch the first 3 minutes of this video. This is how its done! This is how you set expectations!
I bought a Yaqin 300B amp a few years ago and I upgraded the tubes to Genalux Gold Lion tubes. Different manufactures but the 300B tubes just have such a beautiful sound and tons of punch at 8 watts into a pair of B&W 805 speakers. No, you won't go deaf at 8 watts but the sound is velvety smooth.
Thanks for sharing
which gen of 805? :)
A pity that Vladolf Putler had to start WWIII by invading Ukraine, forcing sanctions to make RuZzian tubes ALOT more expensive...if available. At all.
The Reflektor 300B's, under their various phoney brand names like "Genelex" & several others, (differentiated SOLELY by whether it has a porcelain vs. a black plastic base, or gold-plated pins vs. bare nickel ones🙄) are quite noticeably better built & more reliable & durable...AND translating into a more accurate (not "analytical"...two different things that often get mixed up in audiophile minds) & transparent sound.
MUCH better than any of the various iterations & permutations of flimsy "Audiophoole" Chinese brands. ALL of them! So now it's those or the FANTASTIC (and fantastically expensive!🤯🤯🤯) Western Electric 300B.
Unless of course you don't care about RuZzian fascism & the destruction of the democratic order in the world.
You pays your money, you takes your chances!🤨
@@joerosen5464
The Third World War has not formally begun yet, but it will begin thanks to such narrow-minded people as you. Genalex Gld Lion is a trademark of the Marconi Osram company. The history of the Genalex Gold Lion brand began back in the 50s of the last century. Then the American company Marconi-Osram released the first lamps KT66, KT77 and KT88 - powerful beam tetrodes designed for use in the output stages of audio amplifiers. The lamps had high sound parameters and received their own name: Genalex Gold Lion
Bought one used on eBay. 900 bucks. First thing changed the 5u4g to nos RCA 5u4gb to handle the extra volts that Skunkie talk's about. Also replaced the 6nl7 with RCA 5691 red base triple mica. I've ordered Psvane WE 300b. As of now waiting for the WE to arrive. So far not one single issue. I think it sounds great 👍. Running KLH MODEL 5. 91.5 sensitivity. Will post again when the Psvane WE arrive. Cheers 🥂
i have the reisong a 50 300 b .. i took the plunge and bought the western electric 300 b tubes.. what a transformation!. it is hooked up to my triangle bro 3"s. my system is now full of wonder and enchantment.
Klipsch Cornwall IV & Willsenton R300 = beautiful sound! Stock tubes only, so far.
Wow, sounds like my dream system in realistic affordable terms 👍. Looking to purchase a set of the Cornwall fours soon.
Very nice!
This is the thing with Audio. There is no best, there is no fantastic. There is no single setup which will blow the others away. Sound is personal, subjective. What sounds good to you is what is best for you. I like a warmer amp, with nice clarity and balance. Others don't like that. You do you as they say. What sounds good to you is what you buy and listen to. The R300 is quite a different beast and different class to the R8 though. I still have a preference to the R8 which is a very similar price point.
Thanks Thomas for that long awaited Review !
Same here, the R300 with Stock Tubes killed my R8 with upgraded Tubes after a short
play-in Period effortlessly.
And for the Headphone Output, using 46 Ohm Shure SRH1540 is excellent !
Yup yup!
Thomas, your review contributed to me buying a Willsenton amp, six months later very happy with my purchase. What I can't forgive is the AC Milan shirt.
Lol, glad you are enjoying it.
I’ve run this with Forte ii’s, KLF20’s, and RP 600m ii’s. It really needs high efficiency speakers to shine. Bought it over a year ago and I still listen daily. Roll the rectifier to Sophia Aqua 274b’s and use some good old American NOS Rca or Sylvania 6sn7’s. Tung Sol 6su7gty are my 6sL7 variant of choice (black glass). Gold Lion makes an affordable kickass 300b that I rolled as well.
Thanks for sharing.
How do you like the R300 paired with Klipsch RP 600M?
@@Janny32 it pairs well. May need a sub to really get the lows
It needs super efficient speakers because it's only a few watts before clipping. The distortion I heard above say 3 to 4 watts it's insane.
Gotta trust a man that has the confidence to wear an Opel bowling shirt when presenting his point of view!
Its an AC Milan football shirt?
Merry Christmas and still the best articulate descriptive reviewer that captures my attention!!
Wow, thanks!
I have been using the Willsenton R300 with the Focals Aria 906 for several months, it has simply been a lot of fun. More then enough power, never have needed to go above 10:00 on the volume knob. I thought I preferred clean, neutral amps i.e. Hegel, but I have experienced that the R300 brings a sense of warmth, character to music which simply brings more joy , and music involvement , don't think will ever go back to Solid State again. The mid's especially with vocals are heaven, the low end have a great punch and power without being too boomy. My only minor criticism is the upper end can be a bit harsh, may be another factor including speakers or DA converter. For the price No Brainer
Congrats. Yes the R300 brings harmonic richness that most amps cannot.
Bob Zador - the rise in high frequencies is likely a couple of things:
1) A bit of rise in treble frequency response on low-mid level Focals (by design), and
2) A probable impedance rise in the treble region of the crossover.
Number 2 matters more when speakers are paired with tube amplification, due to the high output impedance characteristics (compared to solid-state amplifiers).
Issue can be ameliorated by using passive or active EQ, updating the crossover to flatten the impedance curve, or using high-impedance (8 ohms or higher) high-sensitivity speakers (Zu, certain Tannoy, WLM, certain JBL, and many Klipsch especially Heritage series).
Good luck!
@@audacious22When someone says "harsh", that doesn't mean "bright".
Sure, it CAN mean that. Also, if you don't actually know what the output impedance of the amplifier is, you're just guessing that the amp's frequency response "follows" the Focal's impedance curve...which you seem to be also just guessing that it rises significantly in the treble. Focal speakers that don't use their fantastic Beryllium tweeter have a Magnesium/Aluminum dome that's every bit as awful as their Beryllium tweeter is great. Peels paint off the walls at 50ft...with Analog sources!😱
With digital sources? Pure AUDIO DEATH.
A cheap, crude, Chinese SE300B amp OUGHT to betray various sonic clues to its lack of refinement. Even before it blows up or starts a dumpster fire.❤️🔥
Just purchased off eBay for 950. Put Sylvania 6sn7 chrome dome and RCA 6591 red base 6sL7 . Sounds great. My Psvane WE 300b replica are in. 15 min on them. Freaking holy smokes Batman. I would have to say huge upgrade. Denon cd player. New KLH MODEL 5. Speaker wire Steve recommended. Not one single issue with the amp. I have the second version. Running nos RCA 5u4gb. Rectifiers...Sounds great guy's.
Running
Greetings from New Orleans. Another great review. I have the R800i 300B 805A paired with my SVS ULTRA TOWERS, not a match made in heaven. However, when I pair the SVS with my R8, oh my God! Now that's a match made in heaven. I will purchase the R800i 300B 845 around the holiday season. Anyone running 8ohm speakers with their R800i 300B 805 48W. Which model? Let me know what this amp likes in 8ohms. Again, Thomas, another great informative review.
Merry Christmas Thomas. It’s funny, I was explaining amp matching with speakers and the ability to drive them almost exactly like you explained in this video to a friend. Now I can share your video to back my explanation. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, you too!
Yes. You understand me. Warm, natural, colored sound.
If the fries are "fresh up" piping hot they're pretty good. Soggy fries are the worst. That's right. It IS possible to get soggy fries in the Philippines
True. Anytime you get ‘takeout’ fries, ie put them into a bag for more than a few seconds….they are ruined. You’re steaming them. Steamed fries are no bueno. No real FF enthusiast would therefore judge FF that have been ordered as ‘takeout’; Whether from a cheap fast food, or from a nice restaurant.
Eat them fresh, allowing the steam to vent into the atmosphere …just like good vacuum tube amp placement and circulation! :-D
Waiting for this review! Great Christmas present to your viewers!😅
Excellent review of this amp, a very well done Thomas!
Glad you like it!
👍❤️
Working like a charm with Klipsch RF7 MkIII
Love your intro and the enthusiasm.
Cool Christmas Eve . Review Thomas.
I’ll stick with my Willsenton R8 with HeresyIV’s for now but I may need another system in the bedroom:)
I just wanted to add a quick thought. I’m beginning to understand that when you’re looking at whether a speaker is a good match for an amp it isn’t just about watts per channel. The quality of the transformers has much to do with whether a low power amp will properly drive a particular speaker. I suspect that those used in the R300 aren’t of the absolute highest quality but they’re really good and perhaps better than the price indicates.
What really matters is the IMPEDANCE CURVE of your speakers. More than the spl matters. A speaker with an impedance curve above 8 ohms and an spl of 91db will sound better on a 300B amp than a speaker with 4-8 ohms curve and a 98db spl. Yes a higher spl is always better but watch the impedance curves. Find speakers with a flat curve well above 8 ohms and you will be happy. Drop close to 4 ohms and you will not be.
@@jeffreywagner9230So...are what you are saying is that to listen to the best sounding amplifiers in the world (SET's), I need to buy the lousiest sounding speakers in the world to match them?🤧
Happy Holidays, First off thanks for all your hard (but fun, I'll bet) Work and Time that you put into your informative and very entertaining videos . To help us and entertain us (with a nice touch of humor added) at the same time regarding audio video products.
Wish Willsenton had a "trade-up/trade-in" policy, appears I would like this unit compared to the "R8". It's convenient that the R8 allows either K88's or El34 tubes, but I like some of the upgrades here. Meaning,... looks like they added a selector knob for inputs. No more standing around twiddling my thumbs waiting for the R8 to warm-up before making a selection as well as selecting Ultra-linear mode; with this one just start-up and head for the couch, lol. Also looks like, there are a couple less tubes to purchase when rolling. Although even without hearing it in person only thing that concerns me are the 8 watts. But my speakers are 95db so I would probably be okay. Only wish there was the convenience factor, of trying in person and a trade-up policy, errr. Thanks again
Hey thanks for the donation and support. Thank you thank you.Happy holidays. I am sure with less sensitive speakers, the R8 will have the edge but easier to drive speakers, the R300 will give you that harmonic richness that no other amp that uses KT88, El34, EL84, 6v6, KT150,KT170, KT120 can give. Well, there is always Amazon, try it, don't like it, return it. If you like it, put the R8 on the used market forsale and it should sell pretty fast.
I was just checking my messages and I wanted to say thank you again, for the support. Really appreciate the super thanks.
It’s strange that Willsenton doesn’t (yet) offer upgraded versions of their amps. For example, if they offered an upgraded version of the R300 with better internal parts for say $500-$1000 up charge. I’m sure many would take the bait. From what I can see, there are not many 300b SET amps on the market at around $2k. Thomas, what do you think?
I think it is a good idea.
Another sonata owner here, 15 years as my number one. I’ve heard these speakers are very impressive with 300b’s. I’ve just never gotten around to it, and this video doesn’t help… They were bought based on reviews, and they brought new life to my love of listening to music again and again. They are surprisingly versatile with different equipment. Rel sub is a big help,but not necessary.
Thank you, Thomas. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thanks, you too, happy holidays.
Bet it would work well with my Cornwalls
Just fired mine up today. So far, it's great.
PS: You're not supposed to touch tubes with bare hands. Skin oil is not good for them.
Hurts, too.🤧
I enjoyed this one Sir Thomas.
I waited a little over a month for this amp. The intent was to use it with my F15. When I received it, I hooked it up with my Grand Accentus MK2 (91db) just to see how it sound. I was very amazed how good it sounded. However, when I hooked it up with my F15, I was like meh.
Thanks for sharing! Yeah, maybe Lii song drivers don't like R300 :(
@kuisin88 what do you use with your F15? I know the Decware UFO2 is a great match, but the waiting time is unreasonable (and I’m located in EU)
I use Zu Audio speakers with my R300 sounds Great 😊
Best regards
Great 👍
For those in love with great bass use transmission line speakers. I havent looked back. Using a 20watt 40 yr old NAD amp.
Yes! You are right! I added some McDonald fires to my system, and wow!
They really ARE the best! 🤣😂
Your search is simple and elegant, how geometric tolerance in audibility exists.
Heresy IV and 300b are wonderful together. Lift the Heresy off the floor and Add a rel T5x and call it a day….I miss my heresy. Thinking about going back to them.
I am currently running this set up, only I have a Rel T9x. I have been thinking of raising my Heresy IV’s off the floor. I know some people say that’s a no no, but when I put my head down low I think the speakers sound even better than when I sit in a chair. I saw on another channel someone took the angled floor stand off and put the Heresy IV’s up on Wharfedale Linton stands. Thoughts?
@@TJRainbowWarrior I used IKEA Kyrre stool. I removed the base on the heresy IV and placed the speakers on the stools. That worked for me at my sitting position. But I imagine the Linton stands will be a better match with the heresy.
Thanks for the info. I ordered the Linton stands. Fingers crossed!
Happy Holidays!
I'm a hifi rookie, running a Peachtree nova 300+kef q950s. Enjoyable setup, but I'm interested in a warmer/lush sound and am looking towards tubes. I almost pulled the trigger after seeing all the reviews about the will.r8, but what are the differences between this and the r8. Obviously tube/tube sound, but why/how so? Which is better in a dual comparison, willing to spend the extra on the 300. Thanks all
Now I'm left wondering how Thomas feels about the Topping LA90 since he's had it so long.. I haven't been more excited about an amplifier ever. I'm too poor to care about anything priced over $1,000. That's already quite a lot of money.
I wish I could open a 'HiFi' store in someplace like NYC. I bet I could fill it with the most intriguing audio hardware in the world, and create a blind listening environment that would make most people totally rethink everything they thought they knew about high end audio. We are on the verge of a drastic shift in expectations per dollar spent. I'd turn it into a betting arena- "bet I can fool you with this cheap Tripath amplifier!".
And how about the MoFi Sourcepoint 10? I think they are the absolute perfect format. You do not need tower speakers to get tower speaker sound. I'm betting they are worth every damn penny. I, the poor boy I am, am still going to buy them.
Almost bought this amp! But luck came to me in the way of George Wright 300B monoblocks 30 wpc. I’ve barely broken in the Sophia Electric mesh plates. Love 300B!! My speakers are Omega SAMs.
These are not meshplates but perforated plates .........mesh plates are made with wires and sound quite different......rectifiers with mesh plates are also rare and looked after like the holy grail !
@@frankgeeraerts6243 My Sophia Electric 300B tubes were marketed by and named Princess Mesh Plate by the company.
@@bdmcn yes they sell under different brand names....Full Music..........EML sells real mesh plates !
Congrats.
@@frankgeeraerts6243 I’m aware they are premium TJ Full Music. They sound great to me.
I noticed you have the b&w 606/607 speakers. Does the R300 pair well with the b&w?
As millions have said. McDonald's fries are phenomenal when piping hot. Cooler? A waste of potatoes. This tube is a "for me" amplifier. Amazing how many people don't get that. TH-cam must dull the details a bit in that just go buy it, but no one pays attention to the specifics and setting proper expectations. Will I get this? Nope. It is not "for me." Not my reality. Great to see you Thomas. Hope your Holiday is going well.
Thanks, happy holidays.
Thoughts on buying a used R8 for $850 and spending savings on different tubes or buying new R300 and using stock tubes? Thanks! Always love your vids 😁👍
The second audio clip with stock tubes sounded more natural to me. The first clip with tube rolling is bright and lean. Great review though. 🎉
Yes, keep in mind those tubes were used only for 15 minutes, the new ones never got a chance to break in. I prefer with the stock tubes too in this case.
merry Christmas Thomas to u&your family brother….nice review
Same to you!
This is my next big Purchase. I'm so excited. I have a pair of 703's and I can say without hesitation that the r300 will not be a good pairing. I replaced the 703's with Wharfedale Lintons and the amp I'm using needs soooooo much less power to drive them. Nothing else in my system changed. Just the speakers. And the low efficiency is just not a good fit.
THANKS THOMAS🤗,FOR GIVING US A TASTE FOR TUBE AMPS 😋
But not the budget 😁JK 💚💚💚
Something to do while we’re snowed in and chilling at home 🏠 21 below FREEZING 🥶 CELSIUS…of course the house is warm and I’m drinking a hot chia tea with cream and sugar 😋
PS …LOOKS GREAT 🤩🤩AND 👂SOUNDS GREAT AS WELL
@@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461 "21 below" wow sounds like you had tropical weather compared to what we had the last couple days.🥴
@@BumpNrun69 REALLY ,BUMP 🥶
Where in the world are you? Please
Hi Thomas, to me for the price I am still with the DW SE84UFO.
I got mine before the recent small price increase. I love that it is just a clean amp with a pot and point-to-point. I find that tube rolling carries more change on p2p than on integrated circuits. Changing the rectifier tubes definitely makes the biggest difference, but it is the combination of change that will increase clarity while maintaining dynamics etc. of course all this in relation to your speaker (as you said) for example there is a noticeable difference between my Ditton 66 92db and the Lii F15 in open baffle 98+db. the two pairs almost "require" different tubes to be satisfying. Add to this a separate turn table line amp (I have three relatively cheap now and the difference are stunning) and perhaps a different stylus and the combinations are ...Endless? I haven't even touched the different pre-amps I could ad to the mix (but do not want to as I want to keep a simple path).
Now having the right combination to satisfy my type of "French fry" will take some time but I am convinced the combination exist that will produce it. Final thoughts? Maybe a second UFO to get them in mono block? or (drooling) the DW 300b Sarah.
That is it for me now!
Ciao.
Congrats on your purchase.
Seems they stopped selling this amp due to its incredibly poor design of several components, especially the power source / rectifier 274b design and choice. There are now 3 different versions of this amp sold previously that all tried to mitigate the risks but have failed to do so. Is this video sponsored?
@ErminioFancel Not sponsored, I am sad the designed had many issues but that does not change the fact the amp sounds amazing. Even that TH-camr whom I forgot the name was very surprised at how good it sounded when she did a subjective review. If you have 1st version like me, then the fix was just change the rectifier tubes to 5AR4 which I have. So, bad design but amazing sound and I still stand behind my claim for $1k, you will not get a better sounding 300B tube amp with bass.
@@ThomasAndStereo can only agree with you, yes hopefully switching to those 5AR4’s is solving the majority. But I feel we haven’t seen the end of it yet😢. Thanks!
Really interesting and informative.
Thanks
My forte 4 is brand new. Even after 50 hrs of break in its still bright and fatiiging
@josephtan710 what amp are you using with Forte 4's?
Thanks for this honest review
My pleasure 😊
Great review.
Has anyone looked inside to see what caps are in the signal path? They had to cut corners somewhere to get this performance at this price. I wonder if there is an opportunity to have a giant killer with a simple cap swap to a nice copper film cap like Miflex as a coupling cap.
That might explain relative lack of transparency and reduced impact of tube rolling. It could also be the transformers in which case best enjoyed as built.
Yeah, they are written Willsenton on it so we don't know what brand. My friend is changing the caps to see.
I replaced the caps on the 6sl7s and the one on the power filter with munsdorf. It did improve things, it’s a bit punchier. Also replaced gold lion 300b with new Western Electric (after replacing the other tubes with NOS). Gold Lion to WE was minimal difference. Bass became a bit rounder and more defined.
Thomas is the man👍
Hey Thomas, thank you for posting a very detailed and honest review. How is their customer service? Do they come with any warranty?
The best is to check on the forums on people and their customer service experience with the Willsenton R8. Only they sell world wide China-HIFI. Also, email and ask them how the warranty works.
Gr8t review with knowledge and contex.
If I listen to my 300B amp 2 or 3 times a day for 45 minutes each time, do you suggest that I leave the amp on during the day or turn it on on and off as needed?
I will turn it on and off
Thomas, I believe you mentioned the Boyurange A50 mk3 300B amp. But I don’t think you mentioned how it compares to the Willsenton R300. So how do they compare? Happy Holidays!
The R300 destroys it.
@@ThomasAndStereo oh… bummer… but price/performance I s’pose is comparable 😅
I have this amp. It is definitely a brighter and leaner sounding amp compared to my EL34 or 845 tubes amps. It is not bad for the price and I will keep it but it is not as good as what some of these reviewers say, especially Steve Huff, I don’t know what he’s smoking when he was reviewing this amp. If you like a brighter sounding amp go for it but if you’re looking for a palpable, tubey sound with big and 3-D soundstage this is not the amp for you. I would say the sound is rather similar to First Watt amps or Schiit Aegir and if you like these type of sound, you may like it. It’s really cheap if you purchase second hand and if you don’t like it you can easily sell it. Just don’t have too high of expectations
Maybe it could be the matching with your speaker? It is like 8w and without strong low end, you will get a 'thinner' sound and smaller soundstage. However, with a speaker that is easy to drive, you should get that 3D soundstage no problem. For us we tried with a few speakers, some worked, some did not because we were aware we are dealing with an 8w amp. The other potential problem I see is they probably get the worst 300b tubes fromt he factory. On our end, we do roll our 300b tubes.
Don’t think it’s speakers matching issue. I tried both with my Focal Sopra and Tekton speakers which are 98db. I have also tried Psvane 300b tubes and I get the same result. I’m not saying it’s very bright or lean sounding but brighter and leaner than EL34 and 845 based amplifiers and not an amp for someone who looks for tubey sound with midrange bloom.
@@Tim216-m5l Focal Sopra 2, we tried it, and no microdynamics, for us the R300 cannot drive it, I know it is 91db but as I always say, you have to plug it in to know. Tekton, I did not try so no comments on it. My only issue with Tekton speakers, with those big drivers, I wonder if a bit of juice is needed to bring the best out of them. PSvane 300b is the cheapest 300b tubes but it does not matter because with the Sopra 2, we used crazy $2000 300b tubes and it is like whatever. All of us did experience the tube sound with midrange bloom with other speakers. Given you are keeping it, hopefully, you will get to try it with other speakers in the future that might give you that tubey sound. Always a question of synergy. Having said that, perhaps your gear are so good and your standards are so high that the R300 is just simply too far from your standard.
Did you allow time to play? Mine sounded awful right out of the box, grainy and metallic, and I was very dissaponted after having it ordered all the way from China. But after 20-30 hours it changed in a dramatic way that I haven`t experiended before from amps. Now (100 hours onward) I am totally addicted.
sir, Do you still think that way?
Thanks Thomas! Did you try this gem with the KLH model 5? If so, how did you find this pairing? Happy holidays!
No I did not.
@@ThomasAndStereo
Listening to this combo now. While my reference is limited with other amps, I have to saw it is a really sweet match.
High notes still have some grit, and the sound all and all is a bit too warm, like maple syrup. But I never got such a holographic sound as I hear now. Instrument separation is amazing. There is a lot of subtle micro dynamics going on that I’ve never heard before with any of my setups. The R300 is definitely moving those big drivers. The bass is amazing, so defined and clear.
@@ranelime thats great to here. I also have the KLH Model 5's and the R8 which i love but was curious to here how they would sound with R300 . What is your set up if you dont mind ? Streamer, CD , Vinyl ?
@@cdbeen123 👋 Denafrips Pontus ii, streaming.
@@ranelime wow , same as my set up, really want to try the 300b now , cheers
I couldn’t quite tell if you said you liked the r300 over the r800i overall or just in the bass department? I’ve been curious about both (coming from an r8). Either way, great review.
Overall.
Thank you Thomas for your recommendation. I had it sent from China to Germany and I am totally satisfied... after 20-30 hours of playing (burning in; really guys, this is important especially with this amp! (I took the upgrade kit). What really astounded me is how good this amp performs even with speakers which are said not to perform very good with tube amps. And it has rhythm! And colours! And you can listen to average recordings and enjoy them, while High End redordings stil profit! My much more expensive SET amplifiers are now sitting around unused.
what do you mean with the upgrade kit?
@@ErminioFancel better tubes that can be chosen from a drop down menu
@@save_the_night I guess you mean the rectifier tubes- just for your information the amp has serious design flaws and sooner or later your rectifier tubes will burn through, also the life span of the 300b tubes itself are being pushed over their limits. Mine blew after 20-30hours of usage :( - probably the main reason why they stop selling the amp
oh well ... but didn't they sell this amp for years and years? Anyway, I'll keep watching.@@ErminioFancel
Thomas Love your content, but I am still waiting for you to review the LINE MAGNETIC 508IA or 805IA ! Make me dream!
It's really a 4W amp. They put gravel in the O.P.T's. Forget any o/p @ 15 kHz, the O.P.T's are virtually short circuit.
Thomas do you know how much power there is at the headphone jack ? Do you think the triangle borea bro 3 at 92 db might be a good sounding match ? thank you Thomas, this will be my first tube amp.
300B is also known as the Ladies tube. Good for female vocals and nothing else.
Hi Thomas
A blessed Christmas to you and your family.
Till today, I have no idea what kind of music you listen to. Is it, by default, most reviewers will listen mostly to classical?
Do you have a prefer genre which you work with?
Do you have a 'usual' playlist for your review?
Great review, Thomas. I own this amp and agree with everything you say about it. I'm completely blown away by this tube amp. BTW, I have one question for you. Is it normal for a tube amp to make a humming noise? The rattling sound comes from the amp, not the speakers. It sounds like the tube is rattling when the amp is on. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Thomas!
May be the transformer, ...............or you might have some fraction of DC on the powerline..........
Vibration may kill a transformer over time.
There is a hum screw in front of each transformer next to rectifier. I believe you adjust those to reduce the hum. It’s marked that way. Good luck.
I had the same issue with my R300. The rectifier tube was rattling. I replaced it with a 274B tube and problem solved
No it is not. Message them and ask for support.
Try swapping positions of the rectifier tubes - this was suggested by China Hifi to solve the tube rattle issue on my R300 and it solved the problem completely.
Amazing review. Question sir I have got dynaudio evoke 10 with sensitivity of 84. Do you think it won’t work on desktop near field setup? If not which speakers would you recommend for desktop setup plzzz
What efficient speakers do you recommend with this amp ??
I have a set of Sonus Faber Lumina V and am shopping for a tube amp to run a dedicated vinyl listening room. Specs for speakers: 4 ohm, 89 dB, 50W - 300W recommended undistorted signal, 38 Hz - 24kHz and crossover freq 260 and 2600Hz. Any help would be appreciated.
The Decware costs about the same and it's supposed to be one of the best sounding amps available today. Thomas, how did you like it compared to Decware's UFO series?
Two years waiting list…with the Decware.
I prefer it over the ufo2. The ufo2 is more neutral and sounds leaner. R300 has a bass bump and way more dynamic while having the equivalent smoothness. A question of taste.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks, I was going to buy this to go with my Forte IVs but I lucked out and found a Decware on Craigslist Atlanta. Love it...doesn't sound thin but then I'm using speakers with a bass bump. These low watt tube amps really do excel at bringing out the dynamic differences in individual songs which is great, but means often needing to adjust volume. Fortunately, my tube dac has a volume control. Running with a Doge 7 dac. I noticed you designed a tube amp with them. May need to check that out for more power because I love their dac. Rolled in Telefunkens and listen every day
Thanks Thomas for another terrific video.
Thistle amplifier
might pair well with my lively sounding Accoustic Tribe Floorstanding Speakers.
What do you think?
I have a pair of late 70's Klipsch Heresy speakers rated at 96 dB and want to know how easy these are to drive? Will the Willsenton R300 be a good match? Thanks
Does the Boyyurange A50MK III, with tube rolling, come close to this ? Or this is superior, period ?
@Thomas, thanks for the detailed analysis and demo. Love your show from US. I was wondering if this Tube amp will be suitable for B&W 700 series S2 or S3 speakers? I am tempted 🙂
So many integrateds, please review also Vacuum Tube Pre-Amplifiers (with uncovered tubes).
The biggest improvement is better coupling capacitors. Two 0.22uF Mundorf Supreme SGO. Magical with Klipsch Forte IV. Everything else is good with the amp.
Nice comment , ......................another capacitor to consider & to try are the Cactus range made in the US..........
Do you need to drain the cap before swapping or just desolder?
@@klepp19 No , after shutdown the caps discharge .....you can realy fine tune your amp by choosing the signal cap to your satisfaction ! and the pleasure of have done it yourself !
@@klepp19 Always discharge them and also you aren't replacing the power caps you are just using the good .1( i would recommend )not .22 as a bypass cap.
Are these the caps tied to the two 6sn7? Was it an easy diy job?
I wonder if you can answer this. I am old enough to have been around when vinyl, tape and radio were the only options, an amp would cater for all those plus usually a couple of aux inputs, CD came along and dedicated CD inputs were added and most of us where more than happy with the phono input, never needing an external phono amp to plug in as they were costly and though an improvement frankly most of the time the included phono input did the job and kept things simple.
Now over the past ten years or so since vinyl really started to come back I have not seen any new amps including a phono stage which means having to buy another amp to deal with that! This one is the same as well.
Why oh Why can´t amp manufacturers start to include a phono stage . I am sure for most of us it would be more than good enough and even though it would cost a bit more it would still probably be cheaper plus no having to match phono amp with the main amp or having more cables and such.
All these wonderful amps coming from China are fairly cheap and offer lots of options (as your fine amp does I notice after watching Harley´s wonderful revue of it yesterday on his channel) why not just include a phono stage as well. Perhaps your next amp could lead the way with this!
I am one of those either I do it extremely well, or I don't do it at all. If I put a phono stage in an amp, which will raise the cost a lot, it has to be wow, this is one of the best phono stage I ever used. If you absolutely want one, the Cayin CS55 has both a DAC and a phono stage.
Hi Thomas, I am thinking to pair R300 with Tekton Lore Reference(96db/1m 8Ω) which I believe highly revealing and 'neutral' sounding speakers. Which one would make my goal better do you think R8 with tube rolling or R300? What I am aiming for is to add warm body so that it sounds more real and natural. I have tried R8 just for few hours after broken in. Although I liked it a lot, I wanted to make the sound more real, life-like. The genres are mostly acoustic Jazz from '60-'70, and vocals like Gregory Porter or Eva Cassidy.
Thank you! Can you tell us about the difference between R200 vs R300B?
Great review as always Thomas. I have a tough decision, the 800i 805 or the 300B?
Hi Thomas, I am using the Willsenton R8 powering my Monitor Audio's 100 Gold series with sensitivity of 87. with this this rating would the r300 power these speakers.
Hi everyone, will the R300 be able to drive an Audio Space LS 3/5a? I am aiming for a side setup to play music at not much more than 70db, mainly female vocals. Dynamics, micro details, good bass is absolutely not needed. Thanks!
What is the best sound system in the world? EEAS Prototype 2. Why? Because it can mold sound in time and space into anything I want it to be and in ways other sound systems can't. It uses a different technology.
Reports have it that the best "French Fries" in the world are in Belgium where I think they were invented. My favorite chocolate in the world which I can't get anymore also came from Belgium. They were those chocolate mousse cups that Costco sold and they weren't expensive.
Merry Christmas everyone First
You are great, Thomas! 🎁🎶😃🇩🇪
This is halfway to a Galion standard edition so I’d rather wait and save another 2k cad and then I get the best!
There we have it again….“the best?“ Listen to this video again and again (especially the beginning) maybe eventually you get it!
@@bikemike1118 I only need to listen to things once my memory is really good, thanks though.
Thomas , thanks for the review. Does the Willsenton R300 would work well with Triangle Titus Ez and a Dac Magic 200 ?
I'm thinking of using this amp with the new version 6 of the Zu Dirty Weekends. The DW's are said to be considered a "universal speaker" being able to used with any amp configuration but I've never owned them. Anyone have some suggestions?
Sorry no idea. I would guess it will work but I leave it to the actual owners to answer.
I have a pair od B&W CM10 S2 and was looking at R8 and this beautiful 300B, what would be your thoughts? Any recommendation to buy to get good after-purchase service good price? many thanks for the good materials you are covering here.