Killer 300b amps

Mike said:
I like this list! Just not sure if there is a standout in this crowd. Is there? I love Triode Corp.


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I would say the Shindo but it's much more expensive than the others. I've heard really good things about the LM-219, but if I was to choose for myself it would either be the Sophia 91-01's at 5k, or the Allnic t1500 integrated at $6900.00. Of course those Manley's are nice too.
 
Allnic t1500:

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I don't know if the Cary 300b mono's are made anymore. Steve keeps wanting to take his Cary's to the Allnic dealer near him so he can hear them side-by-side but I don't think he's had a chance to yet. He would be the man to talk to. There's always the m5000 mono's. 25w/14k.

A-5000%20NEO%20F.jpg
 
Your Cary 211s are hard to beat.

They are prob better than the Manley 300b. So I've been told by somebody that wants to trade me his manleys for the Cary's

From what I've read The border patrol is the elite unless you go super expensive - and they are $20,000 ish.
 
I'm with Joe, Border Patrol makes wonderful sounding 300B amps, with power supplies that need a dolly.
 
cmalak said:
Budget?

Mike...let me define that word for you :D it means what is the maximum amount of money you want to spend on this particular 300b amp. :woot:
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Lmao !!

Cyril, Mike doesn't know what you're talking about :panic:

I really like the Air Tight or the Border Patrol !!
 
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Mark Jones said:
Another drool, DHT's


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wow mike howd i miss this.loll.
yes these 10w dht's are supposedly incredible, i have yet to hear them. also (never heard by me) is the 50w!!!! allnic a6000's with 8- 300b tubes is big watts for any 300b and can probably run fine with your wilsons@92db.
id stear clear of the coincidents. ive heard them a few times in the past and although good i wouldnt put them on top of the 300b sound ladder. and also ive heard of numerous problems and a company owner who is not all that easy to deal with.(ive been yelled at by him before)
im struck by the ravens and would love to hear them but that is hard to do unless you live in texas. although in conversations with the owner, he is a nice guy and is willing to help hear his amps for serious customers.
the sophias are the best value here ive heard and believe in their product as much as allnic and i believe there are 5 stages of their amps on each model. the 91-01 is the monos but just 8wpc is hard to find the right speaker. if it was easier id already own a pair.because used you can pick up a pair for a few thousand. the cary i own are no longer made but for the money against others i have heard definitely cary(pun) their weight. and the se sig model i have offers 15wpc which as you already know drives my 90db fabers with no issues. it could be better with some more efficiency but its do able and has all i could ask for out of very inexpensive and good speakers. with 60's mullard rectifiers and brimar 6sn7's and the melz from nikolay and the new sophia tubes, i might have near as much $ in tubes as the amps themselves but boy do they sound great!!! and cary will custom make you a sweet pair. im sure to match your 211's and i know you are friendly with the people at cary.
lots of choices ive not heard either. but the direct heating technology of the new allnic stuff is supposedly off the hook good. ive only experienced it in their $40k phonostage and that was the best i ever heard by far.
air tight is very nice and check out the purity audio offerings as well.
call sunil @care-audio and ask about any allnic product. hes as good a guy as they come and one of only 2 dealers in the u.s. i live about 30 min from him and after the summer he will have all sorts of goodies to hear that i havent heard before. allnic is doing dht's and mk2's on all their stuff.
just for the record, a pair of 300b's with the right tubes and decent speakers has made me happier than i ever have been in the audio game. makes it all about the music and less about the gear. of course id like to be happier and find the perfect speaker for these.
and btw if i do buy the t1500 integrated im still keeping the carys . just too good for the money, i couldnt give them up for the same money.
 
Thanks Steve. I am thinking of trying a pair of Clayton's new Statement speakers (not on the website, not released yet). These are going to be outrageous and as Clayton says, "I just don't know how I can build a better speaker after these." They will have three 12 inch open baffle special woofers which will drive bass down to a flat 14hz (!!!) and because they are open baffle, they will be extremely room friendly. These three drivers will be powered by a fully adjustable 600 watt amp allowing for bass adjustability out the kazoo to dial bass perfectly in to any room. On top of this, Clayton has developed software (Mac based!!!) to dial in his new speakers to any room. This is NOT DSP, this is "measure with the software, then dial in the bass using the 12 x 8 inch amp/bass EQ box that sits behind the 3 inch deep speaker."

His tweeter is a 3 inch beryllium which he says is as smooth as butter sounding. The speakers will be 53 inches tall, by 17 inches wide, by 3 inches deep. These will be an amazing 100db efficient with an easy 8 ohm load. Color options will be as vast as "any color available on the market". A nice glossy piano black will suit me nicely. Retail is projected to be $15,000/pair, but early adopters will enjoy a significant discount. I see bright pink for you Steve! :)

I believe point source open baffle speakers are going to really catch on because of all the things they do: incredible imaging, 3D holographic soundstage, EXTREMELY room friendly, terrific efficiency so you can use any amp, great deep, detailed, fast bass that is scary real and has a tremendous dynamic impact, a thin footprint and an open sound free of any resonances like you've never heard.

But at the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. I won't REALLY know until I get a pair in MY room and have several others over to evaluate (admittedly, buyers of new gear aren't always the best to evaluate since we do truly like to justify our new purchase).

That being said, I've heard Clayton's earlier works at Emerald Physics. But these new Spatial Audio Lumina speakers are supposedly on another level (http://www.spatialaudio.us/lumina).

Did you happen to see what TAS said about Clayton Shaw's designs? http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/axpona-2014-show-report-digital-products/ Rated his designs at Emerald Physics and his new company, Spatial "best value of show" at Axpona a few weeks ago. Scott Hull of Part-Time Audiophile raved about the baby Spatial speakers (Holograms). http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2014/05/01/axpona-2014-spatial-has-got-your-skinny/

So, let's recap:

Great looks - check
Terrific efficiency (100db) - check
Easy load - check
Room friendly - check
Deep bass - check
Fair market price - check
Good footprint - check
WAF - probably good

Downsides? Well, there isn't a market for resale - yet. You need about 36 inches behind the 3 inch deep speaker since these are dipoles. And they aren't free! :)


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Mike said:
Thanks Steve. I am thinking of trying a pair of Clayton's new Statement speakers (not on the website, not released yet). These are going to be outrageous and as Clayton says, "I just don't know how I can build a better speaker after these." They will have three 12 inch open baffle special woofers which will drive bass down to a flat 14hz (!!!) and because they are open baffle, they will be extremely room friendly. These three drivers will be powered by a fully adjustable 600 watt amp allowing for bass adjustability out the kazoo to dial bass perfectly in to any room. On top of this, Clayton has developed software (Mac based!!!) to dial in his new speakers to any room. This is NOT DSP, this is "measure with the software, then dial in the bass using the 12 x 8 inch amp/bass EQ box that sits behind the 3 inch deep speaker."

His tweeter is a 3 inch beryllium which he says is as smooth as butter sounding. The speakers will be 53 inches tall, by 17 inches wide, by 3 inches deep. These will be an amazing 100db efficient with an easy 8 ohm load. Color options will be as vast as "any color available on the market". A nice glossy piano black will suit me nicely. Retail is projected to be $15,000/pair, but early adopters will enjoy a significant discount. I see bright pink for you Steve! :)

I believe point source open baffle speakers are going to really catch on because of all the things they do: incredible imaging, 3D holographic soundstage, EXTREMELY room friendly, terrific efficiency so you can use any amp, great deep, detailed, fast bass that is scary real and has a tremendous dynamic impact, a thin footprint and an open sound free of any resonances like you've never heard.

But at the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. I won't REALLY know until I get a pair in MY room and have several others over to evaluate (admittedly, buyers of new gear aren't always the best to evaluate since we do truly like to justify our new purchase).

That being said, I've heard Clayton's earlier works at Emerald Physics. But these new Spatial Audio Lumina speakers are supposedly on another level (Lumina ? SPATIAL AUDIO).

Did you happen to see what TAS said about Clayton Shaw's designs? AXPONA 2014 Show Report ? Digital Products | The Absolute Sound Rated his designs at Emerald Physics and his new company, Spatial "best value of show" at Axpona a few weeks ago. Scott Hull of Part-Time Audiophile raved about the baby Spatial speakers (Holograms). AXPONA 2014: Spatial has got your skinny | Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile

So, let's recap:

Great looks - check
Terrific efficiency (100db) - check
Easy load - check
Room friendly - check
Deep bass - check
Fair market price - check
Good footprint - check
WAF - probably good

Downsides? Well, there isn't a market for resale - yet. You need about 36 inches behind the 3 inch deep speaker since these are dipoles. And they aren't free! :)


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oh im so on board with those luminas , ill jump a plane in sept to go hear them somewhere
if i cant find a pair in ny. id like to hear them with 300b's of course.lol.
so mike if your running the dags on the raidhos in rm2 you have all the "big stereo" you need . and switch back and fourth between say lumin/raven or allnic and wilson/cary you will have all of the types of sound needed to grow old with. or for you a few months. lmao!!! hell if it was me id put the carys on the raidhos. have you tried that???
anyway if you want to hear a pair of 300b's let me know, im about to start working everyday for a few months and will have no stereo time at all, ill send em out for you to try out. sophia tubes and all.
i think you should call you buddys at cary and tell them to build you a sweet pair of 300b's. something that will crush mine, so i can have a pair built in the fall.lol.
 
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