Manley seems to be one of the few companies making gear to sound good and last for the fairest price they can. My Shrimp is amazing. Would love theses or the Snappers. My endgame is in sight.
In my way to buy a pair of harbeth 40.2 or 40.3xd in the end of the year,…. now with the experience from a fellow audio lover in a Harbeth group ( he uses this neo 300b with the preamp with a pair of harbeth 40.2 to great effect , and together with this yours review , I am thinking of buying this neo 300b monoblocks with respective neo 300b preamp blind , As unfortunely I cannot hear these in Portugal .
Forgot to had, this fellow music lover named above , also has a pair of snappers monos , …and yes he prefers the neo classics 300b with his harbeths 40.2
I've listened to SET for decades. The progression for many is that of starting with 300b and moving on to 2A3. Some even go on to 45, but those usually produce only 1.5 watts. Impedance is a key spec. Being old and losing your ears above the top octave helps make decisions. But the ghostly images and spooky soundstage remains. nearfield helps the most.
Great review Ron! Love the tube stuff! I have a Line Magnetic LM805IA SET amp and I think that model would be worth your time. 6SL7 to twin 6SN7’s that feed a pair of 300B’s as second stage drivers. The 300B’s drive a pair of 805 output tubes. 48 watts of true SET output and truly solid state levels of bass depth and control, along with all the goodness that SET tubes bring. Also with a NFB setting toggle.
Eva's designs are the best. I still have my Stingray from 2008 - it's the only piece of gear I've owned that I've never considered selling. Smart, unique, and timeless designs.
I’ve had these Amps from new since 2007. Usually run them in more nuanced SET configuration even though it’s less powerful than in push pull mode. They responded well to vintage signal tube rolling and I swapped the original 300b power tubes for upgraded Sophia tubes for even better sound. Great sounding and powerful amps if paired with a high sensitivity speaker. Have run them with both single driver speakers and horns. They love my current 96db Hornings which are designed for 5-20 watt amps. They don’t get nearly enough credit in the audiophile forums for how damn good they are at their price point.
Fantastic review, Ron. I loved the homage to your older vids. These amps are beautiful, but more importantly seem to do everything I’d want out of an amp. They’re definitely on my short list if and when I decide to upgrade mine, but I’m luckily very happy with my rig as of now. Thanks, Ron!
That's one of the most amazing reviews I have ever heard in my life!, you MEAN that shit! If I am ever in a position to own tube gear, I know this review will make those decision more easily. Thank you!
I respect that the Manley adopted a switch that can control the feed back amount. Yes, it is a fresh idea. For some video music it works fine. Thank you for your video. From New Zealand
Awesome Review These looks absolutely glorious. Reminds me of the 2 Leak Stereo 20s I had mono blocked and upgraded. 300B a Magic tube with a very sweet sound. Superb :)
Harry Olson did research on the threshold of audible distortion back in the 1950s. He discovered that triode distortion closely mimics the human ear/brain. He also found that 2nd and 3rd harmonics are much less audible than higher harmonics.
Thank you for this review and all of your reviews. Most of us are in a similar position of knowing there's an ultimate amplifier out there for us, but financially it's just out of reach or maybe far far out of reach. Now that you have set the standard so to speak I would love to hear your thoughts on less expensive US tube amplifiers paired with vintage or heritage speakers. We just broke the bank for Quicksilver Horn Monos ($1500) to go with my uncle's 1981 Klipsch Cornwalls that he traded me my old KG4s for as he wanted to downsize (I'm very fortunate!) I have had a Hafler DH220 solid state for 6 years (maybe $500 total invested into it after having it recapped) along with tube phono and line preamplifiers in the $500-$1000 range. I have only had these monoblocks a few days, but everything you were saying about ambience and air is ringing true for me on the Quicksilvers. Decware is another company that looks like it delivers an SET experience for less though I haven't heard anything by them.
Ron, I enjoyed your video and how you analyzed the gear. I love it’s American made! Great job! The trouble is this stuff is not affordable. I had to dig for the price online. At $17k for two, then a preamp for let’s say another $8k, it’s not attainable for people.
Hey Steve, who is selling these for 17k? Is that American dollars? They are $10,699 for the pair in the states. Even still not cheap but man oh man, they are end game kind of amps.
Ron, I didn’t really note who it was because I was just curious and messing around but I think it’s Kevin in California. Upscale I think. The price is hard to find. I couldn’t find it on the Manley site.
Ron, I went through my browser history and here is where I landed. store.acousticsounds.com/d/9478/Manley_Labs-Neo-Classic_SE__PP_300B-Power_Amplifiers. This is where I got the price...
EveAnna ROCKS! aka “The Manley Tube Queen” -met her at RMAF 2018 -awesome chick!!! Audio Art is ALWAYS on sale. Their sale adds fill up my inbox....ugh - reminds me of going to “Michael’s” with the wife...(excruciating pain for a male-btw) where EVERYTHING is 50% off- can I trade “her” in for one EveAnna????
Good work as normal, I'm interested in getting a 300B amp would shortlist these. How would this compare to Danny's modified 300B. Any chance of a comparison on your Opticas?
I’d need to hear them side by side but I’m guessing the manleys can dial in what his amp is doing but also does so much more... that negative feedback knob is the key.
Hi Ron happy holidays and thanks for the review! Just wondering, did you let your wife keep the L82's and can you tell me who sells your equipment rack in this video? Thanks!
Weird side story. I bought a pair of 9 Kappas from a guy who worked for Manley. The guy who sold them to me had someone other than himself actually have the speakers to give to me at this other person's house. I know, not much impact, but weird.
Starting to learn about tube amps. I am wondering whether a tube preamp is a good idea with them? Can you have too many tubes in the gain path? (I appreciate how it would assist with ease of scooping, but I still don't think that is the smartest place for the dip bowl)
Lol.... Dropping the needle on Bella Fleck . Yes sir.... Glad you got those back... Don't send them back. EveAnna is gonna strong arm you lol .. Those are just beast.. Fantastic....♥️💆
Good work, Ron. Enjoyed this one. Did I miss what pre-amp you used? Maybe just a quick mention (or even a list in the notes) of associated gear would be helpful. Thanks.
Question Ron: When holographic fans speak of placement within the sound stage, how are these placements made? Aren’t most instruments recorded separately in secluded rooms...especially vocals? Are we to only hear true holographic placement with live recordings? Or is this something that can be done in the studio by engineers or mixer/producers? Inquiring mind wishing to be enlightened.
In the sound mix the sound designers place the recorded tracks where they want in the room. They put the drummer on the left, bass on the right etc. It's the same thing that happens when you hear The Beatles where the sound goes from left speaker to right, it's done in the editing. There are some recordings where the musicians are all in the same room and those are rare for modern recordings of mainstream music. You can hear where performers are in the room in both instances, but when Ron talks about hearing the performer sitting down or standing, that level of detail is reserved for how the performer was miked and how "hot" they were recorded and leveled in editing.
@@danielhifi3147 Appreciate that...I kept my question elementary to get to this point. I have had the pleasure of hearing holographic presentation in person. Totally understand left to right placement. What I noticed the most during my demo experience was space between instruments and depth of field as well. Tube amplification was dispersed through a pair of Wilson Benesch speakers in a nicely treated room. It’s quite amazing to hear...and mind baffling. How is that created?
They are power amplifiers so you would need a preamp. I used a number of preamps but landed on my Dodd Audio Tube battery powered preamp as the best pairing.
Sure - the LTA sounds closer to the Manley with the Negative feedback cranked up. Can’t touch the “warmth of the manleys” but I don’t think that’s what they are going for. The LTA is closer to cleaner and more solid state but does offer a great soundstage!
No Ron, I loved It ! Finally, Someone has said the sad truth about Diana Krall. Your comment hit me, like the Peter Finch performance, from the movie classic, 'Network' ..." 'Cause I'm Angry as Hell ! And I'm Not goin' to Take It, Any More ! " LOL God Bless You for Your Honesty ! Your the Best ! ! ! ;-) LMAO
Manley seems to be one of the few companies making gear to sound good and last for the fairest price they can. My Shrimp is amazing. Would love theses or the Snappers. My endgame is in sight.
famous last words of a gear junkie
In my way to buy a pair of harbeth 40.2 or 40.3xd in the end of the year,….
now with the experience from a fellow audio lover in a Harbeth group ( he uses this neo 300b with the preamp with a pair of harbeth 40.2 to great effect , and together with this yours review , I am thinking of buying this neo 300b monoblocks with respective neo 300b preamp blind ,
As unfortunely I cannot hear these in Portugal .
Forgot to had, this fellow music lover named above , also has a pair of snappers monos , …and yes he prefers the neo classics 300b with his harbeths 40.2
I've listened to SET for decades. The progression for many is that of starting with 300b and moving on to 2A3. Some even go on to 45, but those usually produce only 1.5 watts. Impedance is a key spec. Being old and losing your ears above the top octave helps make decisions. But the ghostly images and spooky soundstage remains. nearfield helps the most.
Yup!
Great review Ron! Love the tube stuff! I have a Line Magnetic LM805IA SET amp and I think that model would be worth your time. 6SL7 to twin 6SN7’s that feed a pair of 300B’s as second stage drivers. The 300B’s drive a pair of 805 output tubes. 48 watts of true SET output and truly solid state levels of bass depth and control, along with all the goodness that SET tubes bring. Also with a NFB setting toggle.
Eva's designs are the best. I still have my Stingray from 2008 - it's the only piece of gear I've owned that I've never considered selling. Smart, unique, and timeless designs.
I’ve had these Amps from new since 2007. Usually run them in more nuanced SET configuration even though it’s less powerful than in push pull mode. They responded well to vintage signal tube rolling and I swapped the original 300b power tubes for upgraded Sophia tubes for even better sound. Great sounding and powerful amps if paired with a high sensitivity speaker. Have run them with both single driver speakers and horns. They love my current 96db Hornings which are designed for 5-20 watt amps. They don’t get nearly enough credit in the audiophile forums for how damn good they are at their price point.
Thanks Ron. I know this is an old review, but I’d love to see you get your hands on the Mahi monoblocks for a review in 2024. Thanks for all you do!
"Dropping the needle ........... " What a review!!!!! Thank you so much
Fantastic review, Ron. I loved the homage to your older vids. These amps are beautiful, but more importantly seem to do everything I’d want out of an amp. They’re definitely on my short list if and when I decide to upgrade mine, but I’m luckily very happy with my rig as of now. Thanks, Ron!
Glad you enjoyed
Don’t forget your solar array on your desert island Ron so you can power up these babies ✌️🇦🇺
Good call!
A big one, haha
Once you’ve tasted the powerful aural matrix of the directly heated triode, it is hard to go back.. Good review..
Thank you!
That's one of the most amazing reviews I have ever heard in my life!, you MEAN that shit! If I am ever in a position to own tube gear, I know this review will make those decision more easily. Thank you!
Thanks!
Loved the bass impressions section with the return of the old NRD. Thank you!!🙏🙏
Excellent review. I consider it a rave. Manley's have been on my radar for quite some time. These 300B's are intriguing.
OH- on a side note EveAnna will tell you, “Manley is made in Chino, NOT made in China”
I respect that the Manley adopted a switch that can control the feed back amount. Yes, it is a fresh idea. For some video music it works fine. Thank you for your video. From New Zealand
Awesome Review
These looks absolutely glorious.
Reminds me of the 2 Leak Stereo 20s I had mono blocked and upgraded.
300B a Magic tube with a very sweet sound.
Superb :)
Almost all 300b amps sound great. It is almost impossible to screw up. Only a matter of finding a proper preamp and speaker.
Harry Olson did research on the threshold of audible distortion back in the 1950s. He discovered that triode distortion closely mimics the human ear/brain. He also found that 2nd and 3rd harmonics are much less audible than higher harmonics.
What a great review. You outdid yourself!
Thank you for this review and all of your reviews. Most of us are in a similar position of knowing there's an ultimate amplifier out there for us, but financially it's just out of reach or maybe far far out of reach. Now that you have set the standard so to speak I would love to hear your thoughts on less expensive US tube amplifiers paired with vintage or heritage speakers. We just broke the bank for Quicksilver Horn Monos ($1500) to go with my uncle's 1981 Klipsch Cornwalls that he traded me my old KG4s for as he wanted to downsize (I'm very fortunate!) I have had a Hafler DH220 solid state for 6 years (maybe $500 total invested into it after having it recapped) along with tube phono and line preamplifiers in the $500-$1000 range. I have only had these monoblocks a few days, but everything you were saying about ambience and air is ringing true for me on the Quicksilvers. Decware is another company that looks like it delivers an SET experience for less though I haven't heard anything by them.
Ron, this has to be some of your best work. Thank you.
Very nice review thanks. I was left wanting to hear the system.
Ron, I enjoyed your video and how you analyzed the gear. I love it’s American made! Great job! The trouble is this stuff is not affordable. I had to dig for the price online. At $17k for two, then a preamp for let’s say another $8k, it’s not attainable for people.
Hey Steve, who is selling these for 17k? Is that American dollars? They are $10,699 for the pair in the states. Even still not cheap but man oh man, they are end game kind of amps.
Ron, I didn’t really note who it was because I was just curious and messing around but I think it’s Kevin in California. Upscale I think. The price is hard to find. I couldn’t find it on the Manley site.
Okay. Yeah they are $10,699 US for the pair.
My bad. Sorry for misleading. Maybe I had the wrong device.
Ron, I went through my browser history and here is where I landed.
store.acousticsounds.com/d/9478/Manley_Labs-Neo-Classic_SE__PP_300B-Power_Amplifiers. This is where I got the price...
EveAnna ROCKS! aka “The Manley Tube Queen” -met her at RMAF 2018 -awesome chick!!!
Audio Art is ALWAYS on sale. Their sale adds fill up my inbox....ugh - reminds me of going to “Michael’s” with the wife...(excruciating pain for a male-btw) where EVERYTHING is 50% off- can I trade “her” in for one EveAnna????
High-Cry factor:
Bonnie Raitt: I can't make you love me
Amy Winehouse: Love is a losing game
No one puts more thought into their reviews than you do.
Thanks man!
Such a great review. The dial sounds fun to mess with. Did you try any tube rolling, or is that a rabbit hole for you?
Didn’t try rolling! My wallet is already deeply discouraged as is!
Manley’s are something I have not heard. I remember a Roger Majeski RM 9. Ever heard one of those. Stay safe mate!😊👍🏻😷
Thanks, Great review! Manley always nails it with the design {for my taste}.
Keep Rocking!
have you tried listening to mono records, with different negative feedback value on each channel?? 😀
Good work as normal, I'm interested in getting a 300B amp would shortlist these. How would this compare to Danny's modified 300B. Any chance of a comparison on your Opticas?
I’d need to hear them side by side but I’m guessing the manleys can dial in what his amp is doing but also does so much more... that negative feedback knob is the key.
I don't get it? Why all the hate for Diana Krall? Live in Paris is a great reference album. It's not my first go to but it's up there.
I guess Ron thinks Diana Krall is the new Nickelback.
@@wjhamiltonjr Nickelback had a couple of ok ones.... but....
Hi Ron happy holidays and thanks for the review! Just wondering, did you let your wife keep the L82's and can you tell me who sells your equipment rack in this video? Thanks!
Sweet review Ron !
Thanks man!
Very nice review. Can I ask how would you compare these to the first watt amps?
Does this model still exist? I only see the non-monoblock version listed on the Manley website.
www.manley.com/hifi/nsepp
Weird side story. I bought a pair of 9 Kappas from a guy who worked for Manley. The guy who sold them to me had someone other than himself actually have the speakers to give to me at this other person's house. I know, not much impact, but weird.
Six degrees of Evana Manley.
Really surprised you didn't pair these with some horn speakers. Seems that would be a perfect match.
I’m not a huge fan of horns myself but yes - depending on the sensitivity, that would work out just fine.
Just noticed two of these in my local cash converters the 500 version,they wanted £8k
Starting to learn about tube amps. I am wondering whether a tube preamp is a good idea with them? Can you have too many tubes in the gain path? (I appreciate how it would assist with ease of scooping, but I still don't think that is the smartest place for the dip bowl)
Lol.... Dropping the needle on Bella Fleck . Yes sir.... Glad you got those back... Don't send them back. EveAnna is gonna strong arm you lol .. Those are just beast.. Fantastic....♥️💆
Nice job Ron
Thanks!
I wonder if they would work well with Goldenear Triton Reference speakers? Anyone? Speakers Sensitivity is 93 dB.
Wait, how did you say “anode”?
😜🤓
Hahaha! Probably not how I did!
He said "ANALNODE"
@@Newrecordday2013 What preamp were you using the Freya Plus?
Good work, Ron. Enjoyed this one. Did I miss what pre-amp you used? Maybe just a quick mention (or even a list in the notes) of associated gear would be helpful. Thanks.
Have you checked out Pathos amps with Inpol ?
Question Ron: When holographic fans speak of placement within the sound stage, how are these placements made? Aren’t most instruments recorded separately in secluded rooms...especially vocals? Are we to only hear true holographic placement with live recordings? Or is this something that can be done in the studio by engineers or mixer/producers? Inquiring mind wishing to be enlightened.
In the sound mix the sound designers place the recorded tracks where they want in the room. They put the drummer on the left, bass on the right etc. It's the same thing that happens when you hear The Beatles where the sound goes from left speaker to right, it's done in the editing. There are some recordings where the musicians are all in the same room and those are rare for modern recordings of mainstream music. You can hear where performers are in the room in both instances, but when Ron talks about hearing the performer sitting down or standing, that level of detail is reserved for how the performer was miked and how "hot" they were recorded and leveled in editing.
@@danielhifi3147 Appreciate that...I kept
my question elementary to get to this point. I have had the pleasure of hearing holographic presentation in person. Totally understand left to right placement. What I noticed the most during my demo experience was space between instruments and depth of field as well. Tube amplification was dispersed through a pair of Wilson Benesch speakers in a nicely treated room. It’s quite amazing to hear...and mind baffling. How is that created?
Are these integrated? Or do you need a preamp? If so, what did you use when reviewing these? Or what do you suggest?
They are power amplifiers so you would need a preamp. I used a number of preamps but landed on my Dodd Audio Tube battery powered preamp as the best pairing.
Did you previously review the Manley Snappers as mentioned in this video? I cannot seem to find it on your channel?
Hey Tom. Here you go: Manley Snapper Review ruclips.net/video/M2varHC-fWg/видео.html
@@Newrecordday2013 Hi Ron. Thanks for the reply! But I do not see a link to the the Snapper review?
ruclips.net/video/M2varHC-fWg/видео.html
Please!!! give some comparison to LTA stuff!!
Sure - the LTA sounds closer to the Manley with the Negative feedback cranked up. Can’t touch the “warmth of the manleys” but I don’t think that’s what they are going for. The LTA is closer to cleaner and more solid state but does offer a great soundstage!
Are Manley Snappers or this better than say an Arc Reference 75 or VT200 Mk II?
Haven’t heard those arc models so I can’t chime in.
so what are the differences compared to the snappers?
ruclips.net/video/M2varHC-fWg/видео.html
What is the best bookshelf speakers under $200 and $300?
You open to DIY?
@@Newrecordday2013 no.
Probably Elac debut 2.0s at that price.
@@Newrecordday2013 thank you.
Nice
Love this chann
Hey thanks!
How much does it cost and price for the preamplifier?
$10,699 for the pair.
What about the preamplifier
How much per pair?
$10,699
Wow 😯 price?
$10,699 / pair
7:19Tubey clear :)
I just now realized you are "The Savagegeese" of the audiophile world! Nothing more needs be said.
I’m not sure who that is but thanks!
@@Newrecordday2013 LOL, any car guy on RUclips will know. One of the best, and "used to be" underrated automobile reviewers in the business.
Looks like the amp URL is giving a 404 error
Fixed, thanks!
I'm an "audiophile" but music isn't my thing.
Movies are.
Desert island? I think you mean deserted island
Is that 10k a pop?
10k is for the pair.
That's a used car.....
Yup!
@@Newrecordday2013 Except for the tubes, the NEO 300B's will last much longer than a used car.
You never say how much they cost!
They are $10,699. Thanks!
17000AUD！！！！I rather buy some wonderful records.
Manley does not make one thing that isn't among the best
No Ron, I loved It ! Finally, Someone has said the sad truth about Diana Krall. Your comment hit me, like the Peter Finch performance, from the movie classic, 'Network' ..." 'Cause I'm Angry as Hell ! And I'm Not goin' to Take It, Any More ! " LOL God Bless You for Your Honesty !
Your the Best ! ! ! ;-) LMAO
#swoon