[jambaj0e]

Hello Western Electric 300b!

Since my Psvane Acme 300b tubes flashed white and sent my Cayin Ha-300 amp to repair (replaced a wire-wound resistor) last month, I thought might as well upgrade my tubes, and the Western Electric 300b was the obvious choice.


Took almost 3 weeks to have one allocated and shipped straight from the factory, but it's worth having.

Compared to the stock TJ Full music, this is already a much more dynamic, musical tubes. Better mids, open treble, tight bass, wider Soundstage, and much better image separation are what I noticed right out of the box.

This is also a better tube than the Psvane Acme 300b tubes, at least out of the box, but not by a substantial amount. I'd be willing to bet the sound will continue to get better after a few hundred hours, though.

What I also noticed at first power on, though is a lot of clicks, pops, and pings, which freaked me out, but they disappeared after a few minutes. I did read this is common with these new tubes, so crossing fingers.

 

[dadracer2]

Hello Western Electric 300b!

Since my Psvane Acme 300b tubes flashed white and sent my Cayin Ha-300 amp to repair (replaced a wire-wound resistor) last month, I thought might as well upgrade my tubes, and the Western Electric 300b was the obvious choice.


Took almost 3 weeks to have one allocated and shipped straight from the factory, but it's worth having.

Compared to the stock TJ Full music, this is already a much more dynamic, musical tubes. Better mids, open treble, tight bass, wider Soundstage, and much better image separation are what I noticed right out of the box.

This is also a better tube than the Psvane Acme 300b tubes, at least out of the box, but not by a substantial amount. I'd be willing to bet the sound will continue to get better after a few hundred hours, though.

What I also noticed at first power on, though is a lot of clicks, pops, and pings, which freaked me out, but they disappeared after a few minutes. I did read this is common with these new tubes, so crossing fingers.

They look fabulous and like a work of art in the box. Keep us up dated with how they settle in. It seems as if the QA at PSvane isn't as good as it could be and you were lucky not to sustain any more damage. Can I ask what 6SN7 you are using as I cannot tell from the photos, are they Tung Sol?

 

[jambaj0e]

They look fabulous and like a work of art in the box. Keep us up dated with how they settle in. It seems as if the QA at PSvane isn't as good as it could be and you were lucky not to sustain any more damage. Can I ask what 6SN7 you are using as I cannot tell from the photos, are they Tung Sol?

Thanks, and yeah, let's hope these will fare better. The 6SN7s here are the Sylvania 3-hole Bad Boy that I had paired w/ the stock TJ Full Music. I'm gonna use them while burning in the WE300B for a week, then try on my more expensive and rarer Sylvania 6SN7W metal tubes.

 

[dadracer2]

Thanks, and yeah, let's hope these will fare better. The 6SN7s here are the Sylvania 3-hole Bad Boy that I had paired w/ the stock TJ Full Music. I'm gonna use them while burning in the WE300B for a week, then try on my more expensive and rarer Sylvania 6SN7W metal tubes.

Good luck with the WEs I am sure they will be of high quality manufacture and should not blow up your HA300 again. What kinds of difference have you had with your 2 sets of Sylvanias may I ask? I was looking at Tung Sols as I heard that 300B amps pair well with a GTB version 6SN7. I think overall and for the price of the HA300 itself that it does come with pretty decent stock valves and that is certainly not true with some other companies out there.

 

[jambaj0e]

Sigh, so I'm having problems with my Cayin HA-300 again. This time, I'm getting this buzzy, pitchy hum, almost like buzzy air coming out of a balloon or if you rub your hand across a balloon. I thought it may be my new power cable, but the old one does the same. I changed all the tubes, and it's still doing it. It's sometimes constant, sometimes intermitten.

I haven't added any new devices in my room, so I can't imagine it's some new RFI or anything. The noise doesn't register on the VU meter, nor is it affected or muted by the volume knob. What can be causing this @Andykong ?

 

[dadracer2]

Sigh, so I'm having problems with my Cayin HA-300 again. This time, I'm getting this buzzy, pitchy hum, almost like buzzy air coming out of a balloon or if you rub your hand across a balloon. I thought it may be my new power cable, but the old one does the same. I changed all the tubes, and it's still doing it. It's sometimes constant, sometimes intermitten.

I haven't added any new devices in my room, so I can't imagine it's some new RFI or anything. The noise doesn't register on the VU meter, nor is it affected or muted by the volume knob. What can be causing this @Andykong ?

Could it be an earthing issue? Have you checked all your other cables going into the amp to be sure they are seated fully? Otherwise not sure, sorry.

 

[jambaj0e]

Could it be an earthing issue? Have you checked all your other cables going into the amp to be sure they are seated fully? Otherwise not sure, sorry.

Yeah, I've unplugged and replugged my amp, swapped power cables, swapped tubes, unplugged and replugged my XLRs and RCAs, took off the RCA completely since they're not what I use between the TT2 to the HA-300, then tried only RCAs no XLR, but still the same issue.

 

[Andykong]

Sigh, so I'm having problems with my Cayin HA-300 again. This time, I'm getting this buzzy, pitchy hum, almost like buzzy air coming out of a balloon or if you rub your hand across a balloon. I thought it may be my new power cable, but the old one does the same. I changed all the tubes, and it's still doing it. It's sometimes constant, sometimes intermitten.

I haven't added any new devices in my room, so I can't imagine it's some new RFI or anything. The noise doesn't register on the VU meter, nor is it affected or muted by the volume knob. What can be causing this @Andykong ?

Yeah, I've unplugged and replugged my amp, swapped power cables, swapped tubes, unplugged and replugged my XLRs and RCAs, took off the RCA completely since they're not what I use between the TT2 to the HA-300, then tried only RCAs no XLR, but still the same issue.

Did the hum remain constant or change when you switch among different impedance or volume position?

You can reset the system with cables and power cords that you used previously and the hum remains, so we can ruled out the cables. What is your source to your TT2? computer to USB? Can you remove the USB and test the system with coaxial or optical? Just to eliminate the hum is USB ground related?

 

[jambaj0e]

Did the hum remain constant or change when you switch among different impedance or volume position?

You can reset the system with cables and power cords that you used previously and the hum remains, so we can ruled out the cables. What is your source to your TT2? computer to USB? Can you remove the USB and test the system with coaxial or optical? Just to eliminate the hum is USB ground related?

The hum sometimes fluctuates in pitch and can be intermittent. I can't remember if it change w/ impedance, but volume doesn't affect it, nor does it go away at 0 volume.
Strange thing is when I swapped to optical or COAX, the hum is still there. Also, when I use the TT2's headphone jack directly, no hum.

Now it has been fine all the way to yesterday afternoon when I listened to it before I went running. Then I didn't listened to my system until after I ate dinner and took a shower, and that's when the problem started.

Nothing was physically touched on my system other than the power button and volume, and no other new devices were plugged in.

But, good news is that this morning, I powered it on this morning. There was a little fuzz for a few seconds, but nothing since. It's been about 20 minutes in, no awful hums, even when I start and stop songs

 

[Andykong]

The hum sometimes fluctuates in pitch and can be intermittent. I can't remember if it change w/ impedance, but volume doesn't affect it, nor does it go away at 0 volume.
Strange thing is when I swapped to optical or COAX, the hum is still there. Also, when I use the TT2's headphone jack directly, no hum.

Now it has been fine all the way to yesterday afternoon when I listened to it before I went running. Then I didn't listened to my system until after I ate dinner and took a shower, and that's when the problem started.

Nothing was physically touched on my system other than the power button and volume, and no other new devices were plugged in.

But, good news is that this morning, I powered it on this morning. There was a little fuzz for a few seconds, but nothing since. It's been about 20 minutes in, no awful hums, even when I start and stop songs

That's good start, let's hope this will remain in good shape from here on.

From what you described, the impedance setting probably won't affect the hum, but when you run into that again, do give it a try.

Since the system was fine before dinner and nothing was physically touched before it turn bad, logically it's very likely a HA-300 hardware problem. So let's keep a close eye from here on and don't change anything in next few days.

 

[jambaj0e]

That's good start, let's hope this will remain in good shape from here on.

From what you described, the impedance setting probably won't affect the hum, but when you run into that again, do give it a try.

Since the system was fine before dinner and nothing was physically touched before it turn bad, logically it's very likely a HA-300 hardware problem. So let's keep a close eye from here on and don't change anything in next few days.

Well, the bad news is that this morning, after half hour, the noise came back. Then I had to leave the house, and I just got home, so I'm trying it again to see if the noise come back again this time. It's so weird because of how it doesn't always appear, and it doesn't always appear around the same time

 

[jambaj0e]

So it's still making the buzz, and I turned off my Chord Hugo TT2 right away and it's still there, so it doesn't seem to be the source, nor can I replicate the sound through the TT2's headphone jack.

The buzz is also a lot quieter, so much so that I could barely hear it from the Tekton Lore Reference speakers, and it's just a bit there on my Audeze LCD-3.

But the biggest thing I found is that it's only coming out of the left channel. I thought it was both, but I flipped the headphones around, and it certainly traveled with the left ear cup!

And if anything, the "buzz" kinda sounds like a mix of air out of a balloon and static noise.

 

[Andykong]

Well, the bad news is that this morning, after half hour, the noise came back. Then I had to leave the house, and I just got home, so I'm trying it again to see if the noise come back again this time. It's so weird because of how it doesn't always appear, and it doesn't always appear around the same time

So it's still making the buzz, and I turned off my Chord Hugo TT2 right away and it's still there, so it doesn't seem to be the source, nor can I replicate the sound through the TT2's headphone jack.

The buzz is also a lot quieter, so much so that I could barely hear it from the Tekton Lore Reference speakers, and it's just a bit there on my Audeze LCD-3.

But the biggest thing I found is that it's only coming out of the left channel. I thought it was both, but I flipped the headphones around, and it certainly traveled with the left ear cup!

And if anything, the "buzz" kinda sounds like a mix of air out of a balloon and static noise.

Move the HA-300 and Huto TT2 to a different location, if you can find a place where you are absolutely sure that there is zero or very litter RF and ground interference, that would be the ideal testing spot. If the noise appear again, then you can eliminate interference as the source of the noise.

At that point, you really should send the amplifier to Musicteck for a thorough check. You probably won't like my suggestion but this is the correct suggestion IMHO.

 

[jambaj0e]

Move the HA-300 and Huto TT2 to a different location, if you can find a place where you are absolutely sure that there is zero or very litter RF and ground interference, that would be the ideal testing spot. If the noise appear again, then you can eliminate interference as the source of the noise.

At that point, you really should send the amplifier to Musicteck for a thorough check. You probably won't like my suggestion but this is the correct suggestion IMHO.

But the thing is, I haven't added anything new into the room in a year. The last thing I added to the system was that power cable that I've since took out. Plus, how could it be RF or ground interference when I didn't experience that the whole morning and afternoon with listening to music, but did so from last night into today? That is strange. Also, it is still only on the left channel, regardless of RCA or XLR cables used, too.

I'm waiting to cool the tubes down and swap the 300b tubes around.

 

[Andykong]

But the thing is, I haven't added anything new into the room in a year. The last thing I added to the system was that power cable that I've since took out. Plus, how could it be RF or ground interference when I didn't experience that the whole morning and afternoon with listening to music, but did so from last night into today? That is strange. Also, it is still only on the left channel, regardless of RCA or XLR cables used, too.

I'm waiting to cool the tubes down and swap the 300b tubes around.

Eliminate the unexpected is an effective method to debug an audio system, especially from third party perspective.

RF interference can be originated from a nearby location, ground interference can be orginatee from anywhere sharing the same main ground, theoretically.