An excellent review and a rare comparison of 2 great prewar output tubes. This is one case where the measurements and the listening correlate well. The 2A3's have lower distortion and wider bandwidth and you can hear it. The 300B's are more mellow have higher output. That about sums it up. Of course, transistor amps can blow these tubes away for raw power, but if you want truth, then I would go for the 2A3 tubes (or the 45 tubes if you can tolerate even lower output). It would be fun to compare these with some postwar tubes, like the EL34 or EL84!
Nice reference point. Everyone looking for advice, keep in mind that you can get any sound from any good tube amp as the difference in sound of tubes can be HUGE. So it's generally better to look at power figures and general characteristics rather than analyical / warm / musical presentation bc that's something you can dial in with driver tubes alone if need be (not to mention other tubes / components in your chain). Hope that helps :) Also tube prices play a role, totl 300b will often be as much as an entire budget amp 😂 and that's for a pair. Not sure how the price to performance scales with 2a3 😅
What a great video!!! I want the 300b in black paired w/ Panasonic s700 CD player & a denon sacd player and last but not least a pair of blumenstein orca loudspeakers 92db sensitivity. Perfect for the type of music I listen to. 1950s west coast jazz & east coast hard bop jazz. And classical music. Perfect!!! Cheers from Tucson Arizona USA 🇺🇸
Great comparison and review and good system components to use as a reference. Beautiful looking amplifiers. Nice n simple with 3 inputs. 👍 No internal DAC, phono stage, etc…looks like very nice amps. I prefer using my own separates. Would’ve loved to have seen inside gut shots of the amps. I enjoy the sound of both tubes but prefer 300B’s. That depends on the application though. Bravo! Good job 👏 👏👏🔊🎶🙂👍
Hi, just great to see this compare as I have a 2a3 amp CAd2a3 from cary I think about 1990 ish and have always wanted to try 300b, have you tried bi-amping with the two amps
What a great video you had me laughing out loud at some moments with you’re blunt honesty and almost maniacal humor. The content was also really good I felt you really told how you’re impressions led you to a decision that most wouldn’t have made. Something to work on, it felt like your audio was slightly in-front of your video frames. That or maybe your mic is super forward.
Exceptional comparison. Enlights people that think that buying the best components and putting them all together will give the best sound whereas the reality is it all comes down most of the time to the personal choices and prefs.
Nice one! I have been having internal debates with myself and done a lot of reading for 300b vs 2a3. Your review confirms a lot of my understanding so far. I have been leaning towards 2a3 because I like rock and metal and I need that speed and instrument separation. The only thing that worries me is your conclusion that 2a3 may not be suitable for harder sounding speakers. I exclusively use vintage JBL, you can hear some of the character on my channel, they are usually on the brighter side. Do you think bright and harder sounding speakers would be an issue with 2a3?
It's hard to tell without listening to your system. In general, I like vintage JBLs in terms of sound and I would definitely not refuse to try 2A3s. Perhaps your amplifiers will achieve the right balance with these speakers, who knows? I'm definitely in favor of experimentation. :-)
I have used single ended 2A3 amps for years in different settings. With Harbeth Compact 7 (86dB) in a 200 sq ft room, moderate volume is fine. Don't expect ground shaking volume for opera and rock music. Even with 105dB BelleKlipsch, volume is loud, but damping/control for the speaker units is still not very great. I am now usiing it with Tannoy Turnberry (93dB), most music sound satisfactory with this combination. Again, in moderate volume to my taste. I also use 2A3 for desktop nearfield listening (Rogers LS3/5A, 83dB) for Spotify using computer. It's very good, detailed and lush sounding, for no high volume is needed for near field listening in office.
7:25 they don't have a characteristic tube amps sound.. this the problem with commercially produced tube amps. They apply global negative feedback to keep the THD % as low as possible, because this looks good on the sales brocher and very appealing to naive commercial tube amp buyers. However, it kills the classic tube sound of warmth, organics, and weight in the music. Also, they use the cheapest and crappiest new production tubes possible.
@@ampli-fi I checked and was surprised to find that they are over 90db efficient. I always associated electrostatics with in efficiency and solid state behemoths. For context: I listen with a power amp that has about 2watts per channel (45 tubes). My loudspeakers are 98 DB efficient. Thank you!
I was surprised too, because I usually listen to them with Parasound solid state amplifiers. And when I was offered to try these Fezz amps I was skeptical.
Arguably, you cannot expect to hear altogether minute differences from these valves out through a Net setup via YT whatever combo you're using at home - and don't say you just listen to the laptop speakers(?).
An excellent review and a rare comparison of 2 great prewar output tubes. This is one case where the measurements and the listening correlate well. The 2A3's have lower distortion and wider bandwidth and you can hear it. The 300B's are more mellow have higher output. That about sums it up. Of course, transistor amps can blow these tubes away for raw power, but if you want truth, then I would go for the 2A3 tubes (or the 45 tubes if you can tolerate even lower output). It would be fun to compare these with some postwar tubes, like the EL34 or EL84!
Nice reference point. Everyone looking for advice, keep in mind that you can get any sound from any good tube amp as the difference in sound of tubes can be HUGE. So it's generally better to look at power figures and general characteristics rather than analyical / warm / musical presentation bc that's something you can dial in with driver tubes alone if need be (not to mention other tubes / components in your chain). Hope that helps :)
Also tube prices play a role, totl 300b will often be as much as an entire budget amp 😂 and that's for a pair. Not sure how the price to performance scales with 2a3 😅
Very helpful comparison between 2A3 and 300B tube sound.
What a great video!!! I want the 300b in black paired w/ Panasonic s700 CD player & a denon sacd player and last but not least a pair of blumenstein orca loudspeakers 92db sensitivity. Perfect for the type of music I listen to. 1950s west coast jazz & east coast hard bop jazz. And classical music. Perfect!!! Cheers from Tucson Arizona USA 🇺🇸
Merci. Those amps look well as they certenly sound. For me now I can't look out of the 845 or especially the 211. Did a nice job merci
Informative, witty and a very very nice Reference System. Great video you have a definite opinion and a new fan. Love from Canada🥃
Thank you! 🙏
The output transformers look different they also play a part in the sound signature.
Great information. Would love to see more content.
Eugen, have you had a chance of hearing the new version of Mira Ceti's compared to the versions you reviewed in this video?
How this Singe -Ended drives the Martin Logan ESL X ?
They have enought power for electrostats ?
Great comparison and review and good system components to use as a reference. Beautiful looking amplifiers. Nice n simple with 3 inputs. 👍 No internal DAC, phono stage, etc…looks like very nice amps. I prefer using my own separates. Would’ve loved to have seen inside gut shots of the amps. I enjoy the sound of both tubes but prefer 300B’s. That depends on the application though. Bravo! Good job 👏 👏👏🔊🎶🙂👍
Hi, just great to see this compare as I have a 2a3 amp CAd2a3 from cary I think about 1990 ish and have always wanted to try 300b, have you tried bi-amping with the two amps
What a great video you had me laughing out loud at some moments with you’re blunt honesty and almost maniacal humor. The content was also really good I felt you really told how you’re impressions led you to a decision that most wouldn’t have made. Something to work on, it felt like your audio was slightly in-front of your video frames. That or maybe your mic is super forward.
Thank you mate 🙏
Exceptional comparison. Enlights people that think that buying the best components and putting them all together will give the best sound whereas the reality is it all comes down most of the time to the personal choices and prefs.
Thanks for this video, very nicely done! Did anyone compare those Fezz to Elekit 8600 or 8900?
Nice one! I have been having internal debates with myself and done a lot of reading for 300b vs 2a3. Your review confirms a lot of my understanding so far. I have been leaning towards 2a3 because I like rock and metal and I need that speed and instrument separation. The only thing that worries me is your conclusion that 2a3 may not be suitable for harder sounding speakers. I exclusively use vintage JBL, you can hear some of the character on my channel, they are usually on the brighter side. Do you think bright and harder sounding speakers would be an issue with 2a3?
It's hard to tell without listening to your system. In general, I like vintage JBLs in terms of sound and I would definitely not refuse to try 2A3s. Perhaps your amplifiers will achieve the right balance with these speakers, who knows? I'm definitely in favor of experimentation. :-)
@@ampli-fi thanks for taking your time to respond :)
Gorgeous amps
Nice review. Keep it up!
Great video!
Is the 2a3 suitable for 4ohm loads and 87 db do you think? I get a little Skeptical about the power.
I have used single ended 2A3 amps for years in different settings. With Harbeth Compact 7 (86dB) in a 200 sq ft room, moderate volume is fine. Don't expect ground shaking volume for opera and rock music. Even with 105dB BelleKlipsch, volume is loud, but damping/control for the speaker units is still not very great. I am now usiing it with Tannoy Turnberry (93dB), most music sound satisfactory with this combination. Again, in moderate volume to my taste. I also use 2A3 for desktop nearfield listening (Rogers LS3/5A, 83dB) for Spotify using computer. It's very good, detailed and lush sounding, for no high volume is needed for near field listening in office.
How to get one I am living North America?
.. I prefer matching these SE amplifiers with speakers they were intended to.
Do you sell transformers? Where do I get them?😊
7:25 they don't have a characteristic tube amps sound.. this the problem with commercially produced tube amps. They apply global negative feedback to keep the THD % as low as possible, because this looks good on the sales brocher and very appealing to naive commercial tube amp buyers. However, it kills the classic tube sound of warmth, organics, and weight in the music. Also, they use the cheapest and crappiest new production tubes possible.
....the input capacitor will influence he sound way more than the tube :-)))))),...enjoy the trip
I don't doubt these low power amps sound good but I don't understand why they are so expensive.
Great effort here. But tube amps driving electrostatic speakers ?!!
Yes, it happens quite easily
@@ampli-fi I checked and was surprised to find that they are over 90db efficient. I always associated electrostatics with in efficiency and solid state behemoths. For context: I listen with a power amp that has about 2watts per channel (45 tubes). My loudspeakers are 98 DB efficient.
Thank you!
I was surprised too, because I usually listen to them with Parasound solid state amplifiers. And when I was offered to try these Fezz amps I was skeptical.
I use to own Martin Logan stats and tube amps like push pull El34 sounded a bit better than my class A Pass Labs amp.
which has faster attack speed,,, which has wider dyn range.. more life
seems u are saying 2a3 shows more accurate ,, and,,, micr detail,,, huh
Hilarious 😂
Borat
Man, when it's called "TUBES BATTLE: 300B vs 2A3" people expect to hear the difference in sound between those two, not to listen for a commercial.☹🤬
Arguably, you cannot expect to hear altogether minute differences from these valves out through a Net setup via YT whatever combo you're using at home - and don't say you just listen to the laptop speakers(?).