I have a CSP325 + SE84UFO25. I'm on the list for a Sarah 300B, but have started thinking more about the Torii MK5. My room is 30' x 15' x 7'6", with front side and ceiling absorption panels. I really enjoy the SET sound and thought the Sarah would be a step up from the SE84UFO25. Aside from more watts I'm beginning to think it might essentially be a lateral move with the Sarah. Not to mention the dreaded "hum" that some folks are talking about. My Klipsch Forte I speakers are pretty sensitive.  I'm thinking about the push-pull Torii for a few more db's and the ability to use some of my less efficient speakers. So for anyone that has heard both amps, could I get your opinion on the overall differences?

Cheers,
Skip

 Lon, Thanks for that info. Interesting that you prefer the Sarah without the CSP3. I was excited with the thought of pairing them up, but now, I don't know.
  I just watched a video from Thomas & Stereo on YouTube comparing the Torii and the UFO25. Really leaning toward the Torii now. It seems like I'll get what I'm looking for. Two fairly different amps. One with the SET sound and the other for my less efficient speakers, like the Acoustic Control Corp. set in the photo.

Cheers,
Skip

Skip…I was originally on the list for a UFO25, but after a conversation with Steve, I changed my order to a Torii MKIV 25th due to room size and speaker efficiency.  A few years later I acquired a pair of SE84C+ zZen amps that I upgraded to the UFO’s and 25th Anniversay mods that I run in a mono configuration. So I do own both SET and Pushpull amps, and I love them both for different reasons. In terms of sound… the SET sound draws me in more than the push pull.  

I heard Kamran’s Sarah 300b amp, and it sounds amazing.  The sound is deeper and more 3 dimensional than my pair of Zen SE84C+ amps.  The Torii is a great amp, and you really can’t go wrong with either amp.  The Torii is a tube rollers dream and has great adjustability.  

I would place a call into Steve and go over some details like room size, speaker efficiency, the concerning “hum” with your speakers, your listening volume level, etc etc.   

Hope this helps.

Over the past year, I have been studying, working with, frustrated by, and ultimately learning to accept that my Decware 300B has a hum. If I don't hold that against it, which I am becoming more adept at, I'm happy with the 300B. Almost every night, however, I'll hear its hum during a quiet moment, which causes me to sigh.

I still hope to minimize the amp's hum further. My plan from a few months ago was to replace my 99dB speakers with 91dB ones, which I believe will soften the hum a bit more. That plan did not work out as expected, but I'm back in the hunt for a pair of HRv2. Bottom line, by the end of this year, I will have spent as much money on hum management products, strategies, and different speakers as I spent on the original purchase of the amp.

This issue was not on my mind this morning, but when I saw another's reference to it, I knew I wanted to jump in and add that if one is very sensitive to audio hum like me, this might be a risky amp to add to your system.

I would love to see a poll of all 300b owners, their speaker choice/ db level, cables etc and if they have hum. I've been waiting a couple of years for a 300b but I can't handle any type of hum so not sure if I should just cancel my order and be out my deposit or switch to a se84ufo25 or se341.6 (I have a couple quads of early mullard el34)and possible monoblock em. I already have a Torii III so I don't want to be redundant.
Anyone use a 300b amp from another company that is comparable in price but does not hum?
Tanks
JD

Thanks Lon,

I have never even heard a 300b amp, just always heard people rave about them in forums etc., also think they look beautiful, especially Steve's. Trying to find as much solace as possible after work/weekends trying to be a History/World Geo teacher in this day and age.

Congrats on the new dog!

JD