Anyone tried the Riccardo Kron Limited Edition 300B's ? Impressions?
- Thread starter jadedavid
- Start date
RDSChicago
Member
I've been using the Sophia Royal Princess 300b's for a few years now and can't imagine the imaging getting much better!
Facebook:
LampizatOr Today I took the opportunity to listen critically to two beautiful specimen of 300B tubes in the application of small signal amplifier in Pacific DAC analog section. This is NOT an amplifier application so YMMV. I used Esoteric P-03 transport and two magnificent recordings: Macy Gray's Stripped by Chesky Records and David Helbock Trio - Into The Mystic. The two tube types on the picture are from the very same root - from Tesla and Alesha Vaic heritage. One is made by KR Audio in Prague, and the other by Emission Labs - also in Prague. EML is special, because it is a true mesh type (unlike some Chinese pinched hole strainer types). The KR is from their newest Riccardo Kron Anniversary series and the mechanism has been covered with Zirconium. Both tubes are similarily priced - a touch shy of 1 grand Euro per pair. Both are excellent fit and finish and excellent reputation. The Jazz trio of David Helbock is an instrumental cut, very well recorded, dynamic and clear. Both tubes play very well. In fact so well that they leave others in the dust. But head to head it is a super close call. After 4 changes I felt that the EML is a bit colder, more analytical, with better highs but slightly less meat on the low bass. Switching to Riccardo Krons - the bass becomes fuller and in consequence the whole presentation is to my taste better balanced. Besides the bass - the whole soundscape seems a little bit more attractive as if it was more "nice". Changing to Macy Gray, a recording on the extreme side of spartan puristic single mike feed with analog club sound quality. Macy - old and after drug and alcohol rehab - has very special voice. Here is where the Kron shines - it puts Macy in the room and in very intimate close placement. The EML is super clean but also one degree more distant and not so much breathing in my face. I subjectively like closeness and forward presentation. The warmth of Zirconium anodes helps me enjoy the intimacy. The difference is very very small. It is so small that most people would have hard time telling the two apart. But the difference is there. Most so called "audiophile qualities" I really don't care about, but I am fanatical about the female jazz vocals and Krons give me that in spades. For a very precise rendering of a large scale orchestra, the EML's would be better suited. And the EML's look drop dead gorgeous with semi transparent mesh and the visible glow.
LampizatOr Today I took the opportunity to listen critically to two beautiful specimen of 300B tubes in the application of small signal amplifier in Pacific DAC analog section. This is NOT an amplifier application so YMMV. I used Esoteric P-03 transport and two magnificent recordings: Macy Gray's Stripped by Chesky Records and David Helbock Trio - Into The Mystic. The two tube types on the picture are from the very same root - from Tesla and Alesha Vaic heritage. One is made by KR Audio in Prague, and the other by Emission Labs - also in Prague. EML is special, because it is a true mesh type (unlike some Chinese pinched hole strainer types). The KR is from their newest Riccardo Kron Anniversary series and the mechanism has been covered with Zirconium. Both tubes are similarily priced - a touch shy of 1 grand Euro per pair. Both are excellent fit and finish and excellent reputation. The Jazz trio of David Helbock is an instrumental cut, very well recorded, dynamic and clear. Both tubes play very well. In fact so well that they leave others in the dust. But head to head it is a super close call. After 4 changes I felt that the EML is a bit colder, more analytical, with better highs but slightly less meat on the low bass. Switching to Riccardo Krons - the bass becomes fuller and in consequence the whole presentation is to my taste better balanced. Besides the bass - the whole soundscape seems a little bit more attractive as if it was more "nice". Changing to Macy Gray, a recording on the extreme side of spartan puristic single mike feed with analog club sound quality. Macy - old and after drug and alcohol rehab - has very special voice. Here is where the Kron shines - it puts Macy in the room and in very intimate close placement. The EML is super clean but also one degree more distant and not so much breathing in my face. I subjectively like closeness and forward presentation. The warmth of Zirconium anodes helps me enjoy the intimacy. The difference is very very small. It is so small that most people would have hard time telling the two apart. But the difference is there. Most so called "audiophile qualities" I really don't care about, but I am fanatical about the female jazz vocals and Krons give me that in spades. For a very precise rendering of a large scale orchestra, the EML's would be better suited. And the EML's look drop dead gorgeous with semi transparent mesh and the visible glow.