Bunch of Cary 300SEI in Audiogon
Nov 9, 2004 at 11:24 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 16

Len

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Just a public service annoucement
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There's a surge of Cary 300SEI in Agon at good prices.

That is all
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Nov 10, 2004 at 4:49 PM Post #3 of 16
I love my stock Cary 300SEI, although I might mod it a little bit with new caps and wiring. The sound is classic SET on my HD600s: rich harmonic structure, good resolution, incomparable liquidity, and very expansive soundstage (at least true when using my speakers).

This is one of the longest lived amp productions, so there's bound to be lots that turn up for sale on the used market. There's more for sale now then usual (about 5 or 6 units).
 
Nov 10, 2004 at 4:57 PM Post #4 of 16
I spent an afternoon listening to a stock Cary at a dealer, using the R10. The midrange was absolute magic. Full and lush. However, the frequency extremes were another matter. Percussive effects were awful. Example: On the album "Hooker 'N Heat", John Lee Hooker kept the beat by pounding his foot on a specially built plywood platform. Properly reproduced, the "stomp" is a complex sound that has a lot of impact and drives the music. On the stock Cary, it sounded like a piece of cardboard. Soft, no attack, no definition, no impact. Ugh. Maybe tuberolling would have helped.
 
Nov 10, 2004 at 5:23 PM Post #6 of 16
The 300B makes a huge difference. The Western Electric/Westrex has a wonderful midrange .... probably the best I've heard from any output tube. However, the bass is thin and the treble is grainy. Plop in an AVVT or EML 300B and problem solved.
 
Nov 11, 2004 at 1:10 AM Post #7 of 16
Quote:

Originally Posted by Len
The 300B makes a huge difference. The Western Electric/Westrex has a wonderful midrange .... probably the best I've heard from any output tube. However, the bass is thin and the treble is grainy. Plop in an AVVT or EML 300B and problem solved.


I had a chance to meet Dennis Had, and he told us the 300SEI is what he listens to at home for his personal musical enjoyment, not the 805C, not the V12i, etc, etc.

One thing I worry about SET in general is a certain vagueness of detail. Many SET's tend not to give you that absolute detail, allowing you to count hairs on back of throat, etc.

Does AVVT 300B largely solve this with the 300SEI? I happen to have some AVVT 300B's in my possession...
 
Nov 11, 2004 at 1:38 AM Post #8 of 16
The 300B is always a little on the lush side which might give the impression it's not as resolved as other amp types. I do not find it or any SET lacking in detail myself. All the nuisances are there, if only complimented by a touch of richness from the the even order harmonics (which is possibly what you dislike about SETs). Actually, with certain SETs like 45, I find the resolution/delicacy much more resolved then any other amp type. Everything is spatially delineated to perfection with a good 45 amp. I guess we would have to define detail. Yes, SETs sometimes rolls off the extreme high frequencies which also might be what you're talking about. We all know cranking up the treble gives the sense of "detail." The AVVT has great bandwidth, with good extension up top only bested by JJ Tesla 300Bs IME. There are a lot of 300Bs, including the fabled WE, that roll off the highs.
 
Nov 11, 2004 at 2:41 AM Post #9 of 16
Thought I might interject here, seeing as I own a 300sei and all. When I first switched from solid state to SET i noticed an overall decrease in bass weight and impact, but the improvements in midrange and lushness of the treble far outweighed anything else.
I recently swapped in an Emission Labs 300b over the stock Electro-harmonix, and by golly most of the bass is back! There was noticeably increased slam and impact on bass notes, as well as improved treble extension. These tubes are still breaking in, so I hope they'll only get better. 6sn7's I'm currently using are two Sylvania 6sn7w's, and a Tungsol roundplate. At this point I really cannot imagine any headphone amplifier sounding significantly better with my two cans.
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Nov 11, 2004 at 3:47 AM Post #10 of 16
Quote:

Originally Posted by NKT
Thought I might interject here, seeing as I own a 300sei and all. When I first switched from solid state to SET i noticed an overall decrease in bass weight and impact, but the improvements in midrange and lushness of the treble far outweighed anything else.
I recently swapped in an Emission Labs 300b over the stock Electro-harmonix, and by golly most of the bass is back! There was noticeably increased slam and impact on bass notes, as well as improved treble extension. These tubes are still breaking in, so I hope they'll only get better. 6sn7's I'm currently using are two Sylvania 6sn7w's, and a Tungsol roundplate. At this point I really cannot imagine any headphone amplifier sounding significantly better with my two cans.
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Have you tried the Ety's with 300SEI
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I imagine this combo will be highly synergistic (I have Ety's also).

BTW, what parts/options does your 300SEI have (oil caps, other upgrades?)
 
Nov 11, 2004 at 3:55 AM Post #11 of 16
I will try it right now. Expect a reply in about 10 minutes
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lol. It has stock specs... oil caps, 1% metal film resistors...etc
 
Nov 11, 2004 at 4:16 AM Post #12 of 16
Ok, quick impressions of Ety 4p with Cary: I think a little bit of the tube "roll-off" on the highs help tame the ety's hyper detail effect. Bass is still as good as reasonably expected from the Ety. The tubes add a warmth to the Ety's that I've never heard with them before (I've only used them with SS sources like echo indigo, ipod, meridian 551 integrated), and it makes the overall sound pretty relaxed and easy to listen to. But, if given the choice, I would probably choose to drive the Ety's with some sort of solid-state amplification because SS characteristics tend to highlight Ety strengths more.

What actually really surprised me about this quick impression is how big of a difference there is in sound quality going from W2002's immediately. I know it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges, but boy! It really pays to have a nice circumaural headphone vs. a canal phone. You probably didn't want to hear that, but it's true! lol
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Nov 11, 2004 at 4:24 AM Post #13 of 16
I'm a bit confuzed by your post NKT. Did the W2002 sound better or worse?
Could you describe the difference a bit?
 
Nov 11, 2004 at 4:29 AM Post #14 of 16
Better. By far. It wasn't even close. All across the frequency spectrum. Things were clearer, transients were snappier, greater sense of air, bass was more weighty, you name it. I honestly can't think of one thing the Ety does over the w2002 through my rig, besides isolation. But then again, the w2002's are WAY more expensive than Ety's.
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Nov 11, 2004 at 5:08 AM Post #15 of 16
Thanks for your impressions. Oh, well, I'll stick with SuperMacro for my Ety's for the proven path.

When I recover from my recent bleeding from the pocket, I will consider getting some good circumaurals, but how many headphones can you listen to. I already don't have enough time to listen to Ety's and my AKG K1000's. Not to mention my speakers
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