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

Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B with Wavelength Duetto 300B amplifier

Received date: April 30, 2012

Dear Sophia Electric:

After many hours of listening, to my ears, the Royal Princess 300B tubes (RPs) bettered my Western Electrics (circa 1997 S# 219032 & 219004) in several ways. RPs has deep and big sound stage, in this respect, WEs sounded more laid back and slightly veiled. The RPs also covered the highs and lows better than my WEs. I do not mean to imply that the WEs are bloated in the middle just that they sounded a little rolled off on both ends compared to the RPs.

The fuller frequency response from the RPs provided a more complete presentation for me. The additional information at the top and bottom helped fill in detail that made my listening more enjoyable.

I could not discern any difference in either noise levels or power output between the WEs and the RPs. I had absolutely no issues with the RPs in my Duetto amplifiers during my evaluation. The RPs now have 3 to 4 hundred hours on them without a hitch.

The Royal Princess is my new standard for a 300B. Purists may claim that it is not true to the sound of \xe2\x80\x9cvintage\xe2\x80\x9d WEs. I simply challenge you to try them and see if you don\xe2\x80\x99t experience what I did. My WEs are safely back in their boxes for my grand kids to do with what they like in 50 years!

I could not more strongly recommend Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B tubes to those of use on the hunt for 300Bs.

My System:
As you are aware my current set-up is very simple, Pure Music on an iMac feeding a Wavelength Cosecant (denominator) via a Nucleus USB cable directly to a Wavelength Duetto driving Vaughn Merlots. Except for the USB, all of the cables are Acoustic Zen.

The Music I listen to:
My approach was straightforward, limit changes to the tubes only and listen to cuts that I use to review any new component. The music I listen to is generally small group or solo vocalist, acoustic with a little electric mixed in. I mention this because small changes are very apparent. I listen for differences from my current set-up and then decide if the difference is something worth keeping.

The cuts I used in my review are music. I do not use exotic drum recordings or test tones but rather things I listen to and enjoy.

Jorma Kaukonen, Blue Railroad Train from Blue Country Heart
Alison Krauss, Empty Hearts from Forget About It
Ella Fitzgerald, Signing Off from Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie!
Nickel Creek, Somebody More Like You from Why Should The Fire Die?
Modern Jazz Quartet, All of You from Concorde
Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King, Pride & Joy from In Session
Jaco Pastorius, Portrait of Tracy from Jaco Pastorius
Motet Choir, Frojda dig, du Kristi brud from Cantate Domino
Natalie Merchant, I May Know The Word from Tigerlily
The Bad Plus, Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass\xe2\x80\xa6 from These Are The Vistas

Thanks,

CJ of Reston, VA, USA