Willsenton R300: Early Version Power Supply Issues.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video I go over the power supply in the early version of the R300, the major issues it has as far as rectifier tube reliability, and my plan to resolve them.
The 300B is a classic direct heated triode that some say is the best sounding audio tube ever made. This amplifier has gotten a lot of positive reviews from YT influencers in the audiophile world and I'm excited to see if this amp lives up to all the hype that has been created around it.
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Wow! Spent way more on tubes than what the amp is worth! Those tubes certainly deserve a better amp.
Indeed !
You do have to remember a whole group of TH-cam reviewers gave this amp their top reward as "Amp of the year" or at worst "Highly recommended" raving about how great it is. It's easy to see how a consumer would believe they bought a world class amplifier from those accolades.
Yes ! @@SkunkieDesignsElectronics
I wouldn't with the wonky frequency response and other design issues they have. + WE300B tubes are not going to last 50K hours at the operating point used in a R300. For the $3000 a pair of those tubes cost + the amp, there are better options.
I agree with you !@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics
Good one! 😃👍 Gunna be interesting to see the different voltages after the mods. Incredible how expensive some tubes are now!
Looks like s series of sensible steps. Thank you for helping the owners
Doggie shows up hoping a visitor has arrived and looks. Then thinks, "Oh, there she goes talking to herself again" LOL 🙂 @1:37
lol, well she is deaf so is more likely just randomly walking around and wonder what I am doing!
Excellent power supply modification answer to some of these issues.
Wish you were in the UK Stephe, I'd love for you to run your eye over my Icon Audio Stereo Three Hundred amp.
Hi Steph, on your last video regarding the later version of this amp you commented on replacing the choke to a 194G Choke. Is this something you recommend for the earlier version as well?
It's not a bad idea, but not 100% needed.
Great video Steph! Which type of tag strip will you be using?
All shown in the next video :) But I pretty much always use the old school ones I show in my KT120 build.
I was looking at buying one of these off amazon (or china hi-fi). Do you know if this problem still exists in the ones being sold now?
I am looking to pair my Zu Audio DWX (95db) with a SET tube amp. I'm impatient and won't wait for a Decware. Any other suggested options? Thanks!
They supposedly have a new "all black" version with 5AR4 rectifier tubes. Honestly I have no idea if they fixed all the power supply problems or just tossed different output tubes in them. I would guess anything in old stock is going to be these older version unless they specifically state they aren't. I would not buy one that says they have 274B or even 5U4G tubes.
If you know how to do mods, the Reisong A50 after my mods is a really decent sounding amp, doesn't have the weird frequency response issues I haven't been able to resolve with the R300 etc. But the A50 out of the box is pretty bad. Honestly the modified A12 sounds good and is 1/3 of what a R300 costs.
Thanks so much for the information!@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics
If I buy the black one and something goes wrong, can I send it to you to fix/upgrade? Lol. I'm in Ohio. Thanks!
LOL IDK :P
Do you know if these problems are fixed in the Plus version?
No idea, I haven't seen a plus version but it most likely has the same audio circuit, which is also problematic.
I would not buy one of these amps!
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics I had one of these for a few months and liked the sound but I agree I wouldn't buy one. I had an EL34 A10 for a few days that had all your modifications but it didn't move me like the Willsenton R300 so it made me think that EL34 tubes are not for me. Would your EL34 amp have more of a 300B sound. Thx for your time.
Nope, if you like that triode sound, it's a different thing.
Of course, one can argue about the quality of the components used in these low-cost tube amplifiers. But what strikes me most is that designing an amplifier with a good, simple, reliable schematic wouldn't cost any more. .
I really wonder why Wilson designed things backwards. It would have been so simple to partner with a competent engineer to design a good circuit, then simply follow it up with cheap components. It's a waste for the enthusiasts who bought a poorly designed amplifier, a waste for the image of the Willsenton brand and a lot of disappointment that could very easily have been avoided for everyone.
Let's hope that the Wilsenton brand will finally offer functional MK2 units, and that an uncomplicated solution can be proposed to all purchasers of earlier models. Many thanks to Stephe for his patient and relentless work to find technical solutions that can finally allow this amplifier to be used for what it was designed for, i.e. listening to music, without fear of destroyed tubes and malfunction. :)
What shocks me is if you just look at power supply schematics online, of the THOUSANDS of commercial products made from 1930-1960's, you won't find a single one with a monster size cap directly after the rectifier tube. Just reading Morgan Jones book would avoid this type of problem. And you know they have had a large quantity of these returned or sent in for repair.
@@SkunkieDesignsElectronics Absolutely !
Haha.......WHO designed this power supply ?.........a good diy with even a basic knowledge of tube technology does a far better job !
Good you have a look at this Steph and help people who bought this amp!
WE 300 , well they are good but use them in a real good amplifier not in this one....and ONE good OPT with these WE tubes costs more than the entire amplifier .....and that will make a difference with WE tubes .but I understand people want the best tubes in THEIR amplifier .........like the best tyres on a regular family car........that's human nature !
Even if nos 5U4G does NOT spark they are abused also.....and wont live long ....
Kind regards
Honestly, I don't get how the most basic tenets of power supply design were ignored.
lots of chinesium has 100s of microfarad crapacitors after really small rectifiers like 6x4 . badly designed but thats how they sell em
this honestly looks like an amateur attempt at designing an amp, it's no wonder there have been multiple revisions. also perplexing is some of the components look fairly high quality, and some look like cheap chinese junk. as they say, you get what you pay for...