Please put me on the list for 2  being hopefully in the first 50 300B or Sarah amps  :D
Sent email and called but cannot get reply due to Decfest

Thanks so much for that I already have 2 UFO2’s on order since last December so will call and change them to possibly 2 Sarah’s or 1 Sarah 1 anniversary

I appreciate the post and information

agreed. I tuned into the live feed a few times but never saw the sarah hooked up.

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Sarah was hooked up on the West end of the room. (left side from the camera view) and was almost never unhooked. With the exception of the TORII MONOS and the ZKIT60 that were tried for an hour, Sarah was used on that end of the room for the entire event, so it is easy to revisit the live stream videos and hear it.

Steve

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Does anyone know the source/mfr of this 300B tube?

Brad

It's a Chinese company I think named CNG. This tube as far as I can tell (when Steve first posted about it I did an internet search) is no longer made, and a pair that looked like the same was 200 a pair.

There are a lot of options, a lot of options in 300B. I think in a few years when I have mine I'll start with the WE.

I can understand that. I'm still going to wait for the Decware for two reasons: I need another amp like a hole in the head and I can comfortably wait; I think that Steve's is going to be very different from others at the price point and beyond--the fact that he has that extra gain stage and that he is only trying to get four (dense) watts out of the 300B is where I think the magic is that will be worth the wait and may supplant my Monoblocks.

Lon, you bring up food for thought. Depending on the price if a Sarah 300B, I can certainly consider the possibility of getting on the list for one and forgetting about it while 3 years of a lesser one would be enjoyed and then sold.

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It's really all about the output tube IMO. A 300B tube needs more current so it needs two gain stages in front of it to feed the tube, at least at the operating point that Steve likes. As a practical matter it gives you more input tubes to roll, and that can either be good or bad depending on your outlook.

There are hours of Sarah playing at Decfest you can check out if you want to hear how it sounds, pretty sure no one did a H2H with a MT.

Thanks for the explanation of current for output tube CAJames. I'm assuming that means that though they both have an extra gain stage, the Sarah needs more than the 1V input that the MT can come to full power with.

I have listened some to Sarah via streaming, but know it isn't a true representation of the in-person sound. Maybe as Sarah reaches production someone will make comparisons, but it seems quite natural to wonder how it compares to both the MT and the Rachael since they are all similar wattage. I was just thinking with extra gain stages, the MT and Sarah may have even more similarity than power.

Too bad about DS. Thought he would have new material for his online roasting.

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Slander is an untrue or defamatory statement spoken orally. Libel is an untrue or defamatory statement in writing. FYI.

I can't seem to figure out how to quote a previous message but to Brad's question about the $55 300B tube I believe this is probably the one.  I ordered it and I would say it is very good for $55, probably better than a cheap Psvane, but nowhere near as good as my EML XLS or KR 300B tubes.  I am not allowed to post the link on Aliexpress but the store that has them is called Hi-end Tubeaudio Store and the tube is the Guiguang NOS 300B.  There is also a slightly more expensive version called the Guiguang NOS 4300B that I haven't tried.  

UPDATE OCT 25th 2022

I finally got our chassis in after being months past due and the silk screen is 1/8 inch off center and the circles and hash marks are all missing.  Not a single contact during this time to explain the delay and now the blame game between painters, screeners, and file formats.  It feels like ordering food from McDonnalds drive through where no human can be at fault for getting your order wrong or the low quality.  We have done business with this Chicago based outfit for over 20 years without any serious problems.  The past two years have been almost unbearable with delays and redues.   Sadly having them re-done is a high risk of getting more of the same and loosing even more time, so I will probably just make these in the classic Decware style of being unmarked.  The layout is intuitive and the clean look may actually look a lot better anyway.


SOUND UPDATE:  

The amp was extensively tested during the show on both days and was very well received.  Even on the small T6 bookshelf speakers the 4 watts captivated the room.  A direct comparison was done in video 2 between the TORII MONO's and the SARAH 300B.  You can find the videos here: https://www.decwareproducts.com/livestream

or here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO14X7TvgezjaUgmbHikiAZ90O_c5x8NY


These videos were made with the room mics for the live feed which have no bass response below 50Hz.  I bring that up because the little speakers have bass well below that and was discussed in the last two videos on Youtube.

So soon, I will be diving back into the amplifier to build the first production sample in the new chassis, and then begin the process of breaking it in to compare it against the original prototype.

-Steve

I can't tell you for sure, but the direction it's leaning is towards the anniversary status where the amp is pimped out as much as it can be so very few options other than types of wood and knobs.

We will have a coupon from Western Electric for a discount on their WE300B tubes for the Sarah 300B amplifier as that is what we built and voiced the amplifier for.

The input tube, driver tubes, regulator tubes, and rectifier will all be premium selected and measured based on listening tests.  These will be included with the amplifier.  As well we will supply an affordable set of Chinese 300B output  tubes to get you started.  They will sound good enough to be the only tube you use, but won't last as long.  The WE300B will sound superior, as would the Cryotone 300B and both will last a lot longer.  Still I expect to get a couple years out of the stock pair which gives you time to save up for the good ones.

The amp will have two inputs and two volume controls.  It is the same size as the SE34I.6 and will be available in all the same woods.

Steve

My condolences, so sorry that your Dad has passed and so young. My Dad got me interested in music and good sound playback as well. There is so much to be grateful for with a good father. You're a good son helping your Mom out that way. Cherish the memories.

Yes, cancer is horrible. My late first wife battled non-Hodgkins lymphoma and MDA for two years and passed fifteen years ago. She had two bone marrow transplants and she was just 52 when she passed. I was certain that we would beat the disease and we lost. Then nearly eight years ago we lost my Mom who was deep in dementia and the only good thing about that was that I had the experience of losing my wife and was able to be some little help to my Dad when he lost his own.

We never know what time we have, and we need to love those we have as strongly as we can while we can.

I'm on the waiting list for a Sarah 300B but have a long wait! Still, eager to hear impressions now.

Man, Lon, you've had a rough go of things. So sorry to hear that.

Thank you so much, Kamran! That means a lot.

Bluemage, I want to extend my condolences as well.
There is little in life that is more impacting than losing a loved one.
Fathers especially, if you are lucky enough to have a great father as many of us seem to have been blessed in that way.

But, the suddenness! I can not imagine how tragic this is for your family.

My dad taught me to appreciate music as well and even after twenty something years now, I still think of him every day and I miss him, more at times, and I often find myself "quoting" things he taught me, best as I can.
He still lives inside me and that is as close as we can be for now.

Good luck getting things settled.

Bluemage,

So sorry to hear you lost your dad, deepest condolences to you and your mother. I lost my dad several years ago and mom a year later. I still think fondly of them each day and the inspiration they provided to all their children.

I hope you work through this difficult transition and find many happy memories to reflect upon over the months to come. Give mom lots of hugs!

HK

Wow. Over the weekend when I had a chance I rolled tubes in my system again and putting the sextet of 6N5P that Steve tested and matched for me a while back unto the ZTPRE and putting an Amperex 6922 pair in the Monoblocks and an Amperex 12AU7 I found in one of my tube boxes that I don't think I had ever used before into the ZROCK2. . .an amazing presentation arrived, giving me the sonic character I had been seeking and expected the Sarah would bring! The best sound I've ever had at home.

Maybe I don't need a Sarah--we'll see. It's still a long wait but I love these Monoblocks. And I know I will be very tempted to buy the new Mk 2 version of my PS Audio DSD DAC and it may be one or the other.

But there is still a long ways before I have to make a Sarah decision and I am hoping I can do both.

Bluemage, That is exactly how I feel about the silkscreening. I thought it a nice addition, both in looks and usefulness.

Brian

For me, the lack of silkscreening is not a deal breaker. I've been waiting patiently for 13 months, I'd prefer my amp sooner without silkscreening than with it at the cost of a few additional months' wait.

Anyone have experience with EML 300B tubes to relate?

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Has anyone actually read the WE warranty? My understanding is it is prorated, like a tire warranty. If your tube blows up after 4 years and 11 months you don't get a new tube, you get 1/60 of the cost of a tube.