HOLY SMOKES!! Pure Class A single ended 300b bliss.

Wind Chaser · « **on:** 8 Dec 2010, 04:38 pm »

I'm........... speechless.

But.......... it will come.

JohnR · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Dec 2010, 11:01 pm »

Isn't this supposed to be posted in the Reviews section?

(J/K)

Pez · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Dec 2010, 11:19 pm »

If you're that disappointed just return your amp to me.

kgturner · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Dec 2010, 11:24 pm »

I've got a demo 300B integrated (Allnic T1500) arriving tomorrow or Friday. It should be interesting to compare it to my Supratek/Yamamoto combo. What amp are you cryptically referencing?

Kevin T

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 12:50 am »

Okay this is just flat out hard to believe but seven amazing glass bottles have radically transformed my speakers. As a former owner of Acoustats, I’m very familiar with the character of electrostats. I no longer have the Acoustats and yet somehow… I have what sounds like all the speed and the definition of the Acoustats coming out of a pair of Zu Druids!

eclein · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 01:00 am »

Can you please tell us what your talking about?? Is this a new amp? Amp and speakers??

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 01:08 am »

This is worse than those 25 cent boots or something. Common, cough up the name of the item in question!

SET Man · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 01:16 am »

Hey!

Damn! The suspense is killing me!

Look like we have to wait 'til the smoke clear first I guess.

So, dude! Put down your bong and tell people already what the heck it is!

Take care,
Buddy

Gopher · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 01:29 am »

pics or it didn't happen...

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 02:47 am »

The amp in question is the Grant Fidelity A-534B.

The tube compliment is...
2 x Pavane 12AX7-T (input)
1 x Shuguang 5U4G (rectifier)
2 x Shuguang Black Treasure 6CA7-Z Grade A (driver)
2 x Shuguang Black Treasure 300B -Z Grade A (output)

The 300b is not known for being a fast tube, but if you read the reviews, the Shuguang Black Treasure 300b does not fall into that category. Check out a few choice reviews like this from Robin Waytt, owner of Robyatt Audio (www.robyattaudio.com)

The new Shuguang Treasure Series 300B-Z tubes arrived yesterday. These Black bottle carbon coated tubes are kind of unique in appearance, and construction, so I thought I would try them!

I put them in my Tektron switchable 2A3/300B/50 SET integrated, and ran them into the old Altec 604-C's. I must state I have never been a 300B fan , I prefer 2A3's or 45's, however these new tubes could be one of the nicest tubes I have ever heard!!! Incredible detail, with no glare, the traditional 300B, "white" sound is gone, just sweet detail with amazing extension, and air around the instruments!!

I compared a loaner pair of engraved base 1930's original Western Electric 300b's, my re-issue Wester Electric 300b's, and a new pair of Grant Fidelity imported Shuhuang Treasury Series carbon coated 300b's. All played in the reference Tektron 300B intergrated using vintage Telefunken AC2 input tubes and NOS Panasonic 274A's rectifiers.

Well first the bad news $3000 does buy you the best 300b ever, the original 300b's have better detail better harmonics and amazing soundstage than the others. However the slight "white" nature of 300b's is still present. Now the good news the Treasure 300b is AMAZING bettering the reissue 300b's by a margin while completly banishing the "white" nature! Fantastic bass, burnished tones and richness in nature characterize this tube. The mid range and vocals are a pure grainless joy. My new SET tube of choice in the Tektron amplifiers-and I DONT LIKE 300b's!!!!"

Another person writes...

Explaining this phenomena to myself in technical terms: I believe that these tubes generate less distortion, especially in transitions (soft sounds followed by very loud ones - like a burst of a sax' solo) which translate to a smoother, more lifelike sound which is much less fatiguing:
The best I heard in that department so far was coming from a pair of 195W/Channel McAlister Audio OTL mono block amps - all the details were there with gobs of spatial information yet there was no hint of harshness or glare. My JAS SET amp (http://www.charismaaudio.com/Array2.html) along with very serious NOS tubes across the board (did not keep any of the stock tubes) comes awfully close and that it is very very impressive to me (the McAlister OTL's are ~US$9,500).

The synergy between these tubes, the amp and the Druids is mind boggling. In all my 47 years, I never heard anything quite like this anywhere at any price.

Gopher · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 03:02 am »

I believe it!

I'm driving Zu speakers with a Chinese SET and Black Treasure tubes at the moment and its quite special.

I continue to be stunned at what China is doing to the economics of hi end audio for the open minded who let their ears rather than biases decide.

Say what you will about exploitive labor practices, but the fact of the matter is that I've built a better sounding system at 28 years old then I thought I'd be able to afford by 50.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 03:36 am »

To be honest I was biased against Grant Fidelity. Like many people I held the view that they were merely peddling some mediocre Chinese crap under their own name; however now that I have one of their products, I know better. The build quality seems to be up their with the best American made stuff and more importantly, the sound quality is staggering. The value is unprecedented.

And for the record, this isn't my first tube - or SET amp.

eclein · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 03:37 am »

Grant has good stuff.....I love my DAC, saving for a tube integrated...looks like I have a plan!!!

Gopher · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 03:45 am »

I haven't had any dealings with Grant, but my own personal experience with Eastern Electric, Jasmine, Shuguang and to a lesser extent JoLida cause me not prejudge based on origin.

I'm glad your experience with Grant is leading you to the same stance!

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #14 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 04:02 am »

For $3000 with the taxes in (amp $1600 + tubes $1000) I'd say it's pretty tough to compete with. If this was made in the USA, it would cost at least four times that, if not more.

When the time comes for my next audio purchase, Grant Fidelity will be my first stop.

satfrat · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 04:08 am »

The big Mystery integrated amp revealed,,,, finally

Cheers,
Robin

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 04:13 am »

I think the biggest factor for the SQ I'm hearing has to do with the particular set of tubes being used.

satfrat · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 04:19 am »

Damn Sam, this baby even has a remote control for both volume and input selector. Too kewl!

Cheers,
Robin

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 04:34 am »

For the past 4 months the phenomenal Dayens Ampino astonished and graced my ears. It is without a doubt among the best SS I have ever heard. In his review Srajan Ebaen (and his wife) confessed they both preferred the Ampino to a mega buck pair of 300b mono amps he was also reviewing at the time.

I was very happy with the Ampino until one day I decided I wanted / needed more power. Logic dictated that would be the Dayens Ecstasy but when I had contacted Michael Gill the North American distributor for Dayens, he told me that it was out on loan being reviewed by somebody somewhere. He offered me to try his new Art Forma amp, the same one Rocket Ronny reviewed about a month ago and even offered to take it back if I wasn’t happy and exchange it for the Ecstasy.

I was going to go that route but having slept on it I thought it might be prudent to look at a few more options. Long story short after discussing amplification and synergy with the previous owner of my Druids, I came to the conclusion based on his experience with these speakers, I had to give some serious consideration to acquiring a 300b in spite of my quest for more power..

The former owner of my Druids tried a number of SS and tube combinations, some costing more than $20K, which includes the likes of Lamm and Accuphase, but he always felt t that his Audio Note 300b was the most musical and engaging power source for the Druids. He also made a point of mentioning that the much of the sound quality will be determined by the tubes. That bit of information has steered me well.

Tyson · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 Dec 2010, 04:37 am »

Personally, I could not justify spending more than $20 on an amp!