Elrog 300B Review - The Best 300B Ever?

Huh, interesting. Studio B uses AC filament heaters (Craig thinks they sound better), but I’ve never noticed any hum with the Elrogs in it and there’s a number of people on HF/here who have used one of the Elrog 300B variants in the Studio B without reporting any hum. I want to say someone has used them in a Balancing Act over on HF, too. Anyway, poking around it seems that it depends on the sensitivity of the speakers re: whether the hum will produce in AC heated amps, so could be possible depending on what you’re using. Always found the Studio B to be dead quiet re: hum or buzz, though, so could also be something in Craig’s designs.

 

Studio B filament power is provided by an LM3886 IC audio amplifier. It provides current amplification of a 40 KHz oscillator. Technically it is AC power but at 40 KHz. The common assumption for AC filament power is AC mains frequency, 50 or 60 Hz plus a few harmonics. Craig solved this issue by using a much higher AC frequency. No hum or buzz. The original AC mains filament noise issue remains a valid concern.

 

That is too bad. I wonder what other manufacturers that can make good 2A3s? I heard Linlai Elite before although in different amp (Woo WA33), that one is pretty good but more SS sound than either Elrog ER300B or MO.

 

A friend of mine compared the ER300B and the Linlai Elite 2A3 on the Elekit 8900 and kind of had a similar experience. Although I do think the 2A3 in general is still capable of better resolve than the 300B (especially the inner details) and on a good 2A3 amp, I’d be more than happy with a Linlai WE2A3, or the ubiquitous NOS RCA black plate 2A3.

 

Yeah as much as I enjoy the Studio B as I have it now I’m unsure how much I would like 300B’s in a more “traditional” design without the added negative feedback and Craig’s OPT’s. My tendencies tend to go more toward what people describe 2A3’s as sounding like, similar to what Marv says other SBAFers say about them vs 300B’s. Maybe one day I’ll brave having the filament heater wiring changed to do a 2A3 Studio B, but for now the Elrogs (extended/“neutral”) + Yggdrasil GS (incisive/plankton) + a Bendix 2C51 (neutralish) + USB nervosa (cleaner by a smidge) gives me all the resolve and detail I need with HD800’s. If anything I had to dial it back a bit by changing out the rectifier to an RCA JAN 5R4GY from a Mullard GZ34 to get more body and toobage. Gotta be a good chef.

 

My Elrogs (non-mo version) were dead quiet on my EC Studio 300B with all headphones I used. I do hear hum and random clicking on more sensitive headphones when using WE300B with stuff like Utopias, etc. There is a noticeable loss of extension at both ends when a/b'ing the WE to the Elrogs.

I found the best synergy on the Studio with WE396A and Mullard GZ34 metal base but the latter prices are sky high now. Bendix sounded too neutral if we're talking about such thing as too neutral.

 

Yeah the WE396A is needed for me also for body/less neutrality with my Elrog (also “regular,” non-Mo/TM version) 300B’s when I use a Mullard GZ34 rectifier. My Mullard is a fat base Blackburn and not a metal base, but my understanding is the metal base just adds moar/a refinement of that same sound signature. I preferred the Bendix 2C51 only if I either used it with more “typical” 300B’s vs the Elrogs (so: like the WE new production 300B’s) with their more fat midrange and sweetness vs the Elrogs’ extension at both ends, or if I changed the rectifier to something with more body and slam/toobiness like the RCA JAN CRC 5R4GY I’m now using.