User Reviews/Feedback for Sophia Electric™ Princess 300B Carbon Plate Tubes

I had my initial impressions of the Carbons; but wanted to wait until sufficient break in to post my overall opinion of the tubes. Let me first of all say that my reaction upon installing the tubes right out of the box was positive. I felt like any coldness left in my system was being dealt a death-blow.

The lushness was a little to the extreme in the lower end; but I knew from experience not to worry. Things would change dramatically over time. Within ten listening hours I was impressed. The things that drew me to this hobby years ago were there in spades. There was still some smearing in the complex sections of the music; but the simpler passages had so much of the stuff I'm addicted to, that I listened through the yet-to-be-settled in areas to the lush, and yet focused magical midrange, in blissful anticipation of things to come. My uber-neutral Coincident system was eating these tubes up!

I've got about fifty hours on them now, and think I have a handle on the overall presentation these tubes afford. My initial optimism has been validated in spades. I'm able to peer deeply into the sound stage.

And the bass? Lush and inviting, and not the least bit woolly!

To summarize, I couldn't be happier with my tube choice.

On a separate note, thank you so much for the upgrade to the shipping! It did not go unnoticed, and was a pleasant surprise in this day and age.

Best wishes,

Terrence Rodgers
Phoenix, AZ

Hello Sue,

I have just received my Carbon Plate 300B tubes and I want to say how pleased I am with them.

My amp is Cary 300 SEI, CD is Cary 306 professional, cables and interconnects are Nordost Tyr, Speakers are Tannoy Berkleys with 15" HPDs and power cords are by Lessloss.

I want to say thank you so much for these great tubes and please feel free to use this letter as recommendation to others.

once again thank you -

Paul from Lithuania

Hi Richard,

Thank you so much for recommending the 300B Carbon Plate and Princess Rigid 274B tubes. These tubes make Western Electric 300B’s and my old rectifier tube in my Emotive Audio preamp sound dull and slow.

Your new tubes have brought life and dynamics to my system. They sound natural and full range without any brightness or distortion. They took about 50 to 100 hours to break in but the wait was well worth it. Thanks again.

If you come up with any future improvements to these tubes, be sure to notify me and I will not hesitate to buy them.

Charlie Anderson

Hudson, NH, USA

Dear Richard,

I had in my life, a good number of speakers and amplifiers (both, tube and transistor), but I fell in love instantly, as never before, with my first Avantgarde Acoustic, a UNO ... I was already in my second one, a DUO (much better) when a friend came to demonstrate his Audio Note Conqueror, which I ended up buying from him (it had several goodies, as Black Gate capacitors, etc; he was going to a newer Audio Note version). Initially I was skeptical if a mere 8 watts would be able to drive them, but it worked...

And now, with the Sophia Electric S.E.T. Princess carbon plate 300B tubes, the sound is simply incredible. It has all the "beauty" and "clarity" that only a 300B single-ended amp is able to show, but ALSO the best qualities, that are usually associated with the best transistorized amps., like SPEED, and a correct and defined low frequency, that goes VERY deep!!!... (Actually I don't remember hearing such a good bass, from ANY amp)

Note that I am comparing the Sophia Electric S.E.T. Princess carbon plate 300B tubes to the much acclaimed "Western Electric". These don't come close. They don't have the speed or the bass in the same category… With the Sophia Electric S.E.T. Princess carbon plate 300B tubes, you have everything, the "complete sound package". Nothing is missing…

I would like to congratulate you for a magnificent product: The "State of the Art", Sophia Electric S.E.T. Princess carbon plate 300B tubes!!! It couldn't be any better.

Best regards,

Decio