300B Valves

At the moment i'm saving for a BorderPatrol S20. But was checking around for valve options.
Western Electric for some people seem to be the best but at £275 a pop are they worth it.
What other cheaper alternatives are there what run the WE300 close.
Just want to see what other people prefer and if they had the money would it be a no brainer and go for the WE300.

How long do tubes last, Do they need replacing every two years say or just when one pops

 

A tough one, words like can and worms spring to mind

I've tried several :
Electro Harmonix Gold Grid, Ok but seemed a bit bright and sibilant to me but I must confess I didn't have them in very long as the WE arrived shortly after.

Svetlana SV300b - balanced, smooth a bit more laid back, overall very nice but the big problem with Svetlanas is the reliability. I've had several go down after not that many hours.A shame because otherwise I'd say they're a close alternative to the WE but having said that my amp does drive them pretty hard. Mine isn't an isolated case however if you read around the 'net (Tube Asylum and Audiogon)

WE. I have to say my favourite, lovely mids, better sound stage. Maybe not the most rocking valve but personally I think they're well worth saving up for.

I know some on here favour the Full Music/ Shugang Mesh which I haven't heard and the JJ 300b also has it's fans.

It's certainly a tough call but I wouldn't get too hung up on which 300b, I have certainly found changing the 6922 and 5687 in my amp to have a much more profound impact on the sound and anyway each of the three 300b I've tried had basically the same "300b sound".

If I could afford a BP20 I don't think I'd be worrying about the 300b for some while! I'm sure it is fantastic with whichever ones but do you not get valve options at the time of purchase?

There are some comparative reviews on the web, two on enjoythe music.com spring to mind.

Jeff

 

I thought long and hard about the 300B route but was happy to go down the 6B4G route instead. I know for some there is no substitute for the 300B but even if one can afford the likes of BP it's one hell of a periodic investment in tubes. If you like something like a 6B4G/2A3 alternative and don't need the 300B power there's a lot of money to be saved in tubes if not in initial amp outlay as well.

Ideally, One has to listen to 211, 845 etc. as well.

 

I used to use meshplates like the ones below in my BP 300BSE

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/diyhs_tj_tubes.htm

Shopping about will get you decent meshplates for about a hundred or so.

 

Hi Chris,

I would say the TJ Meshplate are ones to look at for good sound and valve for money. I have sets of TJ and WE knocking around the house and both offer excellent sound quality. I would say the WE have it in the mid and the TJs in the bass. TJs are cheaper.

You did have the valve option when you bought your Border Patrol amp in the past. I assume it's still the case now.


As for how long they last depends on which on you go for and how they are used. WE have qouted lifespan of over 40000 hours.

SCIDB

 

Thanks very much for the replys.
And you do get the option of valve choices but it's an extra 1k for the WE's.

 

TJ Meshplates here.....if you've seen Thorsten Loesch's reviews of 300Bs,that may help also.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1201/300b/

 

Cheers alex seen the review decided to go for the tj mesh plates and then go for the WE's for weddings and special occations ha ha