Anyone try the NEW 300B Tubes from Western Electric? Worth the Money? Better or Different than older Ones?

[mariovalvola]

The best I have had was Emission Lab 300B , much better than TJ and original Cayin tubes. EML 300b gave much lower distortion , see my data above .
I have yet to se any SET perform as well as Cayin 300 equipped with TungSol 6SN7 combination with EML 300B. I traced the tube curves and the EML was in fact more linear than the published original WE 300B curves

Attention. Measuring the harmonic distortion of a final tube, requires the use of a driver stage that exhibits truly negligible distortion. ( See Boele's article in AudioXpress on the new WEs ). If, as in your case, you leave an “ordinary” driver stage, you will create harmonic cancellations that could completely distort the final result. You will certainly not be able to isolate the real distortion of the final tube.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Attention. Measuring the harmonic distortion of a final tube, requires the use of a driver stage that exhibits truly negligible distortion. ( See Boele's article in AudioXpress on the new WEs ). If, as in your case, you leave an “ordinary” driver stage, you will create harmonic cancellations that could completely distort the final result. You will certainly not be able to isolate the real distortion of the final tube.

The measurements shown in my post above are with the complete amplifier, not just the single 300B tube. What we listen to is also the whole amplifier so I think the result is valid. Some distortion cancellation is likely going on but it helps right?
I also did Curve Traces in the 300B as a single tube using the Pentavac tube tester, and they exceeded Western Electric published curve linearity.

Compare with some Chinese TJ tubes

 

[mariovalvola]

Le misurazioni mostrate nel mio post sopra si riferiscono all'amplificatore completo, non solo alla singola valvola 300B. Ciò che ascoltiamo è anche l'amplificatore nel suo complesso, quindi penso che il risultato sia valido. Probabilmente si verifica una certa cancellazione della distorsione, ma aiuta, vero?
Ho anche eseguito Curve Traces nel 300B come singolo tubo utilizzando il tester per tubi Pentavac e hanno superato la linearità della curva pubblicata da Western Electric.

Confronta con alcuni tubi TJ cinesi

Thanks but... It all depends on what you want to measure.
If, as in this discussion, we want to evaluate the quality of the final device, measuring the overall distortion is counterproductive because we risk incorrectly evaluating the distortion of the individual device. Moreover, harmonic cancellation worsens intermodulation distortion, so I prefer to accept the “natural distortion of the final” by using drivers with very low harmonic distortion. If, for example, I measure a Linlai WE replica and an Elrog 300B, with a driver made with a 6SN7 SRPP (which even at only 20 Vrms has a fair amount of second harmonic distortion in the driver stage), I get better overall harmonic distortion with the Linlai than when I use an Elrog. If, on the other hand, I use a more linear driver (EL41 push-pull with interstage and input transformer), I get significantly better performance with the Elrog.

 

[mariovalvola]

The measurements shown in my post above are with the complete amplifier, not just the single 300B tube. What we listen to is also the whole amplifier so I think the result is valid. Some distortion cancellation is likely going on but it helps right?
I also did Curve Traces in the 300B as a single tube using the Pentavac tube tester, and they exceeded Western Electric published curve linearity.

Compare with some Chinese TJ tubes

You're right. Usually, EMLs distort even less than WE.