Psvane 300B WE and ACME review
When asked by a customer about the sound difference between the Psvane 300B Western Electric Replicas and the new Psvane ACME valves I had to decline to comment as I hadn't had the chance to listen to the new ACME yet. As Mr B is such a valued customer I offered to lend him a pair of each so he could make up his own mind, as long as he could report back his findings. He gladly agreed.
Mr B was one of the early customers of our in-house brand, Glasshouse 300BSE amplifier kits as detailed on these PAGES.
He has extensively upgraded the kit over the years which now boasts
- Audio Note C-core Ultra-Hib outputs transformers
- 1mm silver wire everywhere
- Black-Gates everywhere (N-types, Wkz types, FK-types)
- Audio Note tantalum resistors everywhere.
- Audio Note silver coupling caps
- Dueland Audio caps in the input stage (0.47uf)
- 5687 buffer valves replaced with JJ gold-pin EC99’s (big upgrade because for the life of me I couldn’t find a satisfying 5687).
On the left, we have the Psvane 300B WE and the right the new ACME.
Psvane 300B WE replicas-
Sublime. I' never had the pleasure of tying original WE300B valves, but if they are anything like these then I understand what all the fuss is about. Shockingly dynamic and expressive in the midrange/treble, and confident and tight in the bass... AND they still manage to be beguiling and musical! What more do you need from a 300B? After listening to these I don't think I will ever consider anything other that WE replicas or WE originals in the future.
Psvane ACME 300B-
Lush midrange. Very musical. Lovely unfatiguing and satisfying sound. My previous 300B valves were the original 300b-z black treasures (which were developed by the same team I believe?). You can tell these are from the same family, but they have managed to take the sound to a whole new level of quality in all areas. Highly recommended.
Picture of the Glasshouse 300BSE showing off the lovely blue glow of the electron cloud of the Psvane 300B WE Replicas.
In the end, Mr B kept the 300B WE Replicas and sent the ACMEs back. Many thanks for your fabulous input, Mr B.
If you fancy telling us about any of your projects then please do not hesitate to contact us at info@hificollective.co.uk
To read more about the Psvane 300B WE Replicas, click https://www.hificollective.co.uk/catalog/300b-psvane-westernelectric-replica-pair.html
To read more about the Psvane 300B ACME, click https://www.hificollective.co.uk/content/psvane-acme-300b-valve-matched-pair.html