Bottlehead Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Deke609 on January 20, 2020, 03:28:52 AM

Title: Anyone tried the new Audio Note (UK) 300B made by Psvane?
Post by: Deke609 on January 20, 2020, 03:28:52 AM

New kid on the block: https://audionote.shop/valves/rohren/power-tubes-triodes-audionote-audio-note-4300e-300b (https://audionote.shop/valves/rohren/power-tubes-triodes-audionote-audio-note-4300e-300b)

PartsConnexion also sells them.  Note the sales boast that they are "the finest sounding current production 300B valves available today".

I've only found one review and in the reviewer's opinion the AN 300B sounds better than the Takatsuki and is comparable to vintage WE 300Bs: https://www.dagogo.com/audio-note-uk-4300e-output-tube/ (https://www.dagogo.com/audio-note-uk-4300e-output-tube/)

There was a recent thread on this forum discussing the WE reissue. If that project is still delayed, the new AN tube may be an attractive alternative.  Although quite spendy at 800 BP ($1080 USD from PC), thsy are cheaper than both the WE reissue and the Takatsuki's.

One thing that concerns me is the new tubes only come with a 3 month warranty (from shipment date). For comparison, the Takatsuki warranty is 1 year, and EMLs come with minimum 1 year that can extended to 5 years with registration.

If anyone finds out more information about the new AN tubes, or better yet actually hears them, please post details here.

cheers, Derek

Title: Re: Anyone tried the new Audio Note (UK) 300B made by Psvane?
Post by: Paul Birkeland on January 20, 2020, 05:41:42 AM

The warranty is a bit of a head scratcher.  Here (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000086818712.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.3e485898uxXpZH&algo_pvid=fefcea07-5aa5-4824-8c5f-b5c1e09ad23b&algo_expid=fefcea07-5aa5-4824-8c5f-b5c1e09ad23b-22&btsid=924e80aa-3542-488b-a3b8-6afbe2856431&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5,searchweb201603_53) is a 300B from the same manufacturer with the same glass envelope, the same label plate on the inside of the tube (it says PSVANE instead of Audio Note), at roughly the same price.  Somehow these come with a 1 year warranty though...

Title: Re: Anyone tried the new Audio Note (UK) 300B made by Psvane?
Post by: Deke609 on January 20, 2020, 06:38:25 AM

Thanks for that, PB. I wasn't aware of the Psvane Acme series.

The AN version is stated to have molybdenum filaments anodes. I know next to nothing about metallurgy, but maybe that factors into the warranty period? 

Anyone have any insight (actual or theoretical) on what might be the SQ benefits, if any, of using molybdenum filaments anodes?

cheers, Derek

[edit: correction - it's the anode that is made of molybdenum, not the filament]

Title: Re: Anyone tried the new Audio Note (UK) 300B made by Psvane?
Post by: EricS on January 27, 2020, 10:24:21 AM

<sigh> So few manufacturers, so many brands available for sale...

This seems to happen no matter what domain you play in.  Transparency is always a great thing for the consumer.