45 Amplifier

Chaps,

Was going to post back in the 300B vs 2A3 but thought that it was way off topic.

The 45 amplifier now has about 100 hours on it and should be nicely warmed up and hopefully broken in to some extent. Previously I mentioned in the thread that the sound is a bit thin and lack the required extension I was after for the lows whilst the highs were somewhat tapered. The 100Hz was overpowering and somewhat drowned the low mids as well as the sub bass notes. Despite all that, it is a very sweet sounding tube with very delicate sound.

I chalked up some hours running it in as well as doing some chassis damping to the kit. The bass notes are now wonderful complete with superb extension and reproduction of sub notes in particular the pipe organ. Having damped the 100Hz thump, the frequency across the range is very neutral and has a signature of its own. The highs are better as well but no where near what the 300B will produce.

From that, I can form a preliminary conclusion that the tube for me is the 300B and not the 45. The 2A3 is not in the equation as the 45 beats it hands down. I formed my judgement based on:

The 300B has :
1) The ability to produce lusher tones.
2) Deeper and weightier bass.
3) Sweeter highs
4) Very involving (this is personal as the 45 is good as well in its own manner)
5) Marginally slower pace

The 45 has :
1) Very delicate neutral sound across the sprectrum
2) Marginally faster pace

I may need better speakers to see how the 45 fare down the road.

My philosophy is to get the best out of the tube amplification and speakers without using ancillary amplification or drivers to complement the sound.

Will update as I go along.

Best wishes.

If I may, what speakers u paired with ?

I tried my original Blueroom Minipods, Gre-pin, Loth-x + Vienna Acoustics. Will wait to get my pair of Tannoy Mercury S back from my friend to try. Are you running a 45 as well?

Nope, only tried 2A3+LothX years ago & now 300B with B&W DM4.

Heard b4 2a3 driving lotx aura , lotx ion4. Don't think the speaker efficient enough for 2a3. 2a3 driving a pair of klipsch k horn, yes. It can give u the bass n scale. As for 45, don't think your speaker is sensitive enough even the pair of gre-pin.

noodle88 wrote:Heard b4 2a3 driving lotx aura , lotx ion4. Don't think the speaker efficient enough for 2a3. 2a3 driving a pair of klipsch k horn, yes. It can give u the bass n scale. As for 45, don't think your speaker is sensitive enough even the pair of gre-pin.

Beg to differ from my test. The Gre-pins can reproduce the pipe organ from the 45 tubes superbly. I haven't tried that piece of music on the Loth-X but the drum piece I played on it sounds promising. I think the Loth-X's sensitivity is at 98db/w whilst is at 104db/w. If you have not tried the Gre-pins, bring your amp over to Yap/Octave and plug it into his Gre-pin. It will amaze you.

The 45s are very good as a toy for casual listening whilst my preference still goes to the 300B as it produces the "fuller + richer" type of sound I like.

Best wishes.

Brubusm, oredy tried the Gre-pin in yap place b4 u got ur pair. Just replace the kr 2a3 with EML45 tube into my 2a3 transformer couple preamp. 45 got better highs n quieter. If u don't need the power, 45 is the way to go.

Cheers,