Moderately Priced 300B "Review"

[galyons]

Just another point of reference. Pretty much "spot on" with my experience!  Currently  I use the Gold Lion and Shuguang Treasures in the Paramount's, so I am biased!!

http://www.wallofsound.ca/audioreviews/triode-roundup-seven-common-man-300b-tubes-compared/

Cheers,
Geary

[Gerry E.]

Thanks for posting this!  I thought it was an excellent review and I like his simple, no nonsense writing style.

I also want to add that I just picked up a pair of Elrog 300Bs for my Paramounts.  There's been a lot of hype about this tube.  Also, reliability and availability issues.  Supposedly, Elrog has made some changes which has improved reliability. 

As for the sound, it's that rare occurrence where the item lives up to the hype!  It seems to combine the best attributes of the EML solid plate (clean, transparent) and re-issue WE 300B (warm, smooth).

The Elrog 300B's gain (or is it output power?) sounds a little less than the other 300Bs I have used.  Therefore, I have switched back to higher gain WE 396A input/driver tubes for now.  Via adapters, I had been using lower gain 6SN7s.

Of course Elrog 300Bs are much more expensive than the tubes evaluated in the linked-to survey but... they are about half the price of re-issue WE 300Bs.  I bought my "like new" pair of Elrog 300Bs on Audiogon, so I'm not sure about their current availability.  You may want to check with George at Tubes USA.

Gerry     

                   

[ebag4]

Gerry,
Sorry to be bringin up an old post, but I am wondering if your Elrogs are still going strong or if they have failed.  Any feedback is appreciated.

Best,
Ed

[johnsonad]

I've been using the Elrogs for a year plus with zero problems.

[ebag4]

Thanks Aaron, Are yours in the Paramounts?  I am running a Kaiju, I am curious if any circuits changes you made would apply to the Kaiju as well?

Can you tell me if yours came from the first or second revision of the tube?

Thanks,
Ed

[Gerry E.]

Sorry to be bringin up an old post, but I am wondering if your Elrogs are still going strong or if they have failed.  Any feedback is appreciated.

Same here - absolutely zero problems with the Elrog 300Bs.  I alternate between them and a pair of reissue WE 300Bs in my Paramounts.   FWIW, I probably listen to the Elrogs a little more often than the Westerns.

After 39 years in IT, I'm retiring exactly 4 weeks from today.  With my newly found free time, I plan to do a more extensive comparison in order to make a final determination of which I like better.

Gerry

[ebag4]

Same here - absolutely zero problems with the Elrog 300Bs.  I alternate between them and a pair of reissue WE 300Bs in my Paramounts.   FWIW, I probably listen to the Elrogs a little more often than the Westerns.

After 39 years in IT, I'm retiring exactly 4 weeks from today.  With my newly found free time, I plan to do a more extensive comparison in order to make a final determination of which I like better.

Gerry

Thanks Gerry.  Did you modify your Paramounts to use the Elrogs?  Since you are swapping between the WE and the Elrogs it couldn't have been too drastic a change regardless.

Congrats on the retirement, looking forward to mine as well, unfortunately still 10 years or so out.

 Best,
Ed

[johnsonad]

Hi Ed,

Mine are not true Paramounts and use a different operating point. They are not true 300B's as you probably know already. They are the best sounding tube I've had to date in my system.

Regards,

Aaron

[Paul Joppa]

FWIW, I did the calculation when reliable numbers appeared for the Elrog tubes, and the operating point when installed in the Paramount or Kaiju is pretty close to what I think is ideal. Less gain and less power as noted above - probably 5 watts if I recall correctly - but that's barely audible in most cases.

[johnsonad]

Thank you for that Paul!

[ebag4]

+1, Thanks for that Paul.  Do you have an opinion whether AC or DC filament power would be preferred with the Elrogs, speaking electrically, not sonically.

Thanks,
Ed

[Paul Joppa]

Elrog would be the best person to ask.

If it were me I would use the DC just because it's stable and very close to spec. The Elrog filament cathode is necessarily stressed pretty hard, so I would be reluctant to stress it further with inexact heater voltage. I am very impressed that Elrog was able to get such performance from thoriated tungsten, it's a technical tour de force.

[ebag4]

Elrog would be the best person to ask.

If it were me I would use the DC just because it's stable and very close to spec. The Elrog filament cathode is necessarily stressed pretty hard, so I would be reluctant to stress it further with inexact heater voltage. I am very impressed that Elrog was able to get such performance from thoriated tungsten, it's a technical tour de force.

Thanks again Paul, I will wait for my DC kit to arrive before trying the Elrogs.

Best,
Ed

[ebag4]

Gerry, Aaron, PJ; I picked up a pair of the Elrog 300Bs, I wanted to say thanks for your input.  I am really enjoying the Elrogs.  Like Aaron said, they are the best sounding tube I have had to date in my system. 

Best,
Ed

[Gerry E.]

Gerry, Aaron, PJ; I picked up a pair of the Elrog 300Bs, I wanted to say thanks for your input.  I am really enjoying the Elrogs.  Like Aaron said, they are the best sounding tube I have had to date in my system. 

Best,
Ed

That's great news Ed.  As I have said before, while I have both Elrog and re-issue WE 300Bs, the Elrogs get most of the playing time.  Just out of curiosity, where did you buy your Elrogs from?  Thanks.

Gerry