Tube rolling thread for Stereomour II

[oztayls]

It's not terribly important. I'd just look for two that have the same internal construction.

Thanks Doc, that makes things a little easier.

A few weeks ago I was reading some posts over at the Decware forum pages and Steve D mentioned the Guiguang as the cheapest 300B he could find. He tested them in his new Sarah 300b amp and was quite impressed with them for the money. With the thought in mind that the 2A3 is a very similar design to the 300B, I looked them up on AliExpress. There seems to be one seller listing a couple of versions of the NOS Guiguang 2A3C. As it turned out, I'd bought from this shop before and had a good experience. The seller knows his stuff and tests/matches his tubes. Yes, he actually does have a tube tester! He purchased what seems to have been the last warehouse stocks of the original Guiguang factory supplies of these, so they are dwindling. I grabbed a pair and they took just a week to arrive in Oz from China, free shipping too!

I've had them in the newly built Stereomour II for a few days. (By the way, the S-IIis the best amplifier I've ever heard, and Kim agrees. She says we should sell our A50/300B now!) Anyway, compared with the very smooth and laid back Psvanes, these Guiguang 2A3Cs sounded rather edgy, coarse and shouty. Anyway, I left them in the amp as I was just listening to local radio and Radio Paradise at low volume while I worked. Two nights ago, Kim and I settled in with a nice bottle of local Shiraz for some serious listening. The speakers I hooked up were our favourites, the 15ohm Leak Sandwich Minis and we played, Dire Straits, Diana Krall's Turn Up The Quiet, Sil Austin, Ben Webster, and a long time favourite, Brubeck's Last Set At Newport. It was a mind-blowing experience, because suddenly these Guiguangs seemed to have come to life. Gone was all the edginess. The mid-range was smooth and lush, the bass was musical and tight, and the highs were crisp and sparkling. They were everything we look for in a nice power tube really. I'm comparing them with our TJ Full Music 300B Mesh Plates in our A50, except this S-II amp and Gui 2A3 combo does it so much better.

This morning, I ordered another pair, as these NOS 2A3Cs will be gone forever when they run out. They don't break the bank and they sound insanely good. Now, how long they will last, I have no idea. But at this price you can buy a few pairs and still be in front of some of the pricey offerings out there!

I just thought I'd share this experience with those who might be looking out for an excellent sounding 2A3 for their S-II for not much money.

PS. Note that there are two versions of the Guiguang 2A3C. One has a white ceramic base with gold pins. The other has a black base with silver pins. I'm not sure of any other differences, but the one I reviewed above has the white base and gold pins.

PSS. The seller advised that the only difference between the two Guiguang 2A3C types is the silver pins and the black base, otherwise it’s the same tube.

[oztayls]

If anyone else would like to try these Guiguang 2A3C tubes with their S-IIs, make sure you get them from a reputable supplier. I have found Hi-end Tubeaudio Store on AliExpress to be excellent. They have a tube tester and test all their tubes before sending them out. Shipping has been fast and they are very responsive to messages asking questions.
 

[Omegabuzz]

Thanks for the experience with the Guiguang 2A3C.

I had problem with the Psvane that’s comes with the Stereomour II and the problem was cold solder on tubes pins (thanks Paul). The problem with Psvane is resolved. Because it’s a good idea to have a backup tubes and base on your review I decided to order a pair Guiguang 2A3C. I received my order and after 4 days of playing music, I confirm your evaluation. I think also that the Guiguang 2A3C has more drive and punch than the Psvane. For now, the Guiguang 2A3C will continue to play music in my Stereomour.

Thanks again.

Yves

[oztayls]

Yes, they get better and better in my experience. I ordered the white base and the black base versions. Like the PSvanes from Bottlehead, they had stickers with numbers on them, ie. 55 on one set and 79 on the other set. What do these numbers mean? Are they a measure of something for matching purposes perhaps?

[Paul Birkeland]

The 55 and 79 may indicate the plate current drawn under fixed bias conditions in the tube tester.  This is very unimportant in a single ended amp, but could matter a lot more in a push-pull amp.

[Mucker]

If anyone else would like to try these Guiguang 2A3C tubes with their S-IIs, make sure you get them from a reputable supplier. I have found Hi-end Tubeaudio Store on AliExpress to be excellent. They have a tube tester and test all their tubes before sending them out. Shipping has been fast and they are very responsive to messages asking questions.

I ordered a pair last week from High-end Tube Store on your recommendation (thanks!) and received them today. They arrived in perfect condition with matching numbers. White base, gold pins.

I've been using Gold Lions the past couple of days and think these Guigang tubes are as good if not better. Really impressed with them, so much that I ordered another pair for $98 ... why in the heck not???

[Paul Birkeland]

why in the heck not???

Some years ago I ordered a pair of Guiguang 300Bs for basically the same reason: they were too cheap not to.  One died after about six weeks of use, and the factory totally blew me off when I asked for support.  This experience will keep Guiguang tubes out of our inventories unless they are the last possible option.