Yaqin Ms-300c 300b Vacuum Valve Tube Power Amp Review
Concluding update to Yaqin MS-300C review(south): finally got some Gold Panthera leo PX300B tubes & AudioCap Theta capacitors:
About 2 years from the original purchase and the upgrades/changes listed beneath, I broke open up the penny jar, found a good bargain from VivaTubes, and replaced the stock PSVanes with Genelex Aureate Panthera leo PX 300B tubes… and since it was shut enough to Christmas, some AudioCap Theta capacitors from PartsExpress. I'one thousand just thirty hours into the change, but quite happy. The amp handles more complex sounds with fleck more loftier-end clarity without getting also harsh. Moreover, the sound stage feels even more expanded, a trivial lifted, and smoothed out overall… but enough for me to take detect again. As hours laissez passer, I'm get-go to credit the AudioCap upgrade a flake more than the tubes for the improvement.
At this bespeak… I remember this particular Yaqin MS-300C amp is complete. It has reached its limit of "goodness" insofar equally what my ears tin actually hear vs. what I call up I'thou hearing because I've spent money on it. Over these two years, it has been more than worth the price and fourth dimension invested.
Side annotation on the rectifier: while I did like the 274B (more details on that below), even with the capacitor changes, that tube wasn't really right for this amp design. Information technology sounded great, but started to arc after awhile, so pulled it, and have been using the JJ and a JAN-Philips NOS 5U4GB without consequence (program on replacing the rectifier often).
Update to Yaqin MS-300C tube amp review (with photos) about a yr after purchasing:
I'thousand withal quite happy with this Yaqin tube amp, even without yet upgrading the 300B ability tubes. The almost significant improvements accept been: changing the rectifier tube and adding a bypass capacitor across the 2d pair of large caps after the rectifier. Both changes were immediately more noticeable than replacing all the pre-amp tubes, and I highly recommended doing both if you buy the MC-300C amplifier equally those upgrades improved the clarity and "3D feel" of the sound field.
Replacing Rectifier Tube: The "preferred series" 274B from thetubestore, while having a bit too much heating element dissonance for my tastes, made a noticeable difference to the sound. The filament fizz is not microphonic and does not enter the signal path, so if you don't mind it coming from the tube itself, then information technology gives a significant improvement to the presence of the unabridged soundstage; so much so that I found myself saying "Wow" again. The JJ 5U4GB rectifier tube is also noticeably improve than the stock 5Z3P – not as skillful as the 274B, but the JJ 5U4GB is inexpensive and makes less noise, and then it's a merchandise-off of preference and situation.
Replacing Capacitors:To make the amp more than cooperative with the rectifier tube – and see if I remembered how to solder – I changed some of the capacitors in two stages based on this post: Yaqin MS-300C Upgrade. First, the ii F&T 80uF/450v immediately after the rectifier, a 330uF /16V to lengthen the warm-upwardly time (now virtually forty seconds), and the 4 original 22uF/450v with F&T 22uF/500v. A couple months later, the second set of large ability supply capacitors were bypassed with a .1uF Solen Fast Cap, and since I didn't really want to spend over $200 on PIO capacitors, I replaced the .47uF and .1uF caps in the signal path with some cheaper Solen Fast Caps as well. Those started a bit vivid, but later on 20-30 hours, either my ears or the capacitors softened and settled into a pretty darn proficient listening experience. Eventually, the Solens in the bespeak path will probably exist replaced by Audiocap Thetas (full cost for that would be around $lx from Parts Express), merely can't see myself always digesting the toll of Jensen PIOs. Nevertheless, even with the cheaper Solens, I can really creepo upward Rickie Lee Jones'southThe Horses and conspicuously hear everything down to the quietest nuance.
"Aesthetic" Choices: The LEDs indicating input source wereWAY likewise bright. People who buy tube amps want to run across the glow of the tubes – not be blinded by LEDs – and so I inverse the resistors before each one. Information technology took some testing with progressively higher values, but ultimately the blue LEDs required 220k, and the green/crimson power indicator 20k. After that change, this tube amp became much more visually pleasant in a dark room.
Finally, the foreign-looking stuff: I couldn't stand the power transformer and choke covers. Too ringing similar drums, the logo-like white writing on the superlative is cheesy. And then I spent $7 at home depot for a canvas of underlayment wood and cutting it to wrap the transformer covers, which solved both issues. Also cutting about one.v inches off the steel choke encompass to make it shorter, and replaced buttons and volume knob with hardwood… because, well… why not? It'due south definitely not art, merely it solved the transformer cover problems, and is without a doubt my ain. If my carpentry skills ever improve, maybe I'll try to make some that look a scrap better.
ORIGINAL MS-300C TUBE AMP REVIEW :
I've owned the YAQIN MS-300C stereo tube amplifier for virtually two weeks, and have enjoyed information technology so much that it'due south simply been turned off when I sleep.
Audiophile I am not, but I am a former recording engineer so have a niggling perspective. Previous owner of a couple smaller integrated tube amps, and driveling the YAQIN MS-30L button-pull amplifier for nigh a yr before buying the MS-300C. I was happy with the MS-30L, but chose to upgrade to the MC-300C because I wanted a Class A with 300B tubes. The MC-300C fit that bill without breaking the banking concern (well-nigh $1150 new).
The MC300C is a fauna in that it weighs almost 60 pounds. Information technology's very well built and manifestly fun to look at – though I could practice without the polished, mirror-like surface area, which only shows off my lack of cleaning skills. Since the 300B tubes aren't cheap, I'1000 using stock PSVane 300B tubes that came with it. Even with the stock preamp tubes, the sound quality is impressive.
Bones MS-300C tube amplifier specs:
Tubes: 300B ten 2 (power tubes), 5ZP3 (rectifier tube), 12AT7 x two and 6N8P 10 2 (pre-amp tubes).
Output power: eight.5W per side – or 9.5W depending on which user manual you become, evidently. (That'south more than enough power… unless you own those ridiculous belfry speakers with 10 drivers and a 60db sensitivity rating.)
Frequency Response: 5Hz – 56kHz
Point To Noise Ratio: >84db
Other notables: remote command, pure-mail stage, the typical YAQIN user manual with terrible English then you become a chuckle reading it, iv and viii ohm load, headphone o/p.
Yaqin MS-300C upgrade / modification note:
Afterward about 100 hours of being perfectly happy with the stock setup, I replaced the preamp tubes: 12AT7 tubes with JJ gilt pins, and the 6N8P tubes with Tung-Sol 6NS7'southward. After a few weeks those have settled in quite nicely. "Wee bit smoother" is how to describe that change.
The power transformer adult a slight buzz (as all do; even if in the smallest amount). The existent issue, however, is that the transformer and inductor covers are fairly resonant. At outset I just put an big rock on the comprehend which more often than not solved information technology. Eventually, I took the 20 minutes or so to open it up, take the cover off, and insert some isolation washers on the transformer mount, which solved the problem and something I'd recommend if your ears / mind tend to seek out buzz and hum.
After about 5 months of heavy use, one of the 300Bs also adult a very small hum – but I'm 1 of those "hum seekers", and thus far no one else has noticed information technology. It's really just really audible if leaning into the speaker. Swapped the tubes to confirm; pins and socket are clean, so I'll await until the holidays when there'south a shopping excuse to supervene upon the stock 300Bs with the Gold Lions everyone seems to rave about.
Listening to the MS-300C Amplifier
Subsequently plugging in, warming upwardly, and checking the tube bias (it was biased a bit hot out of the box), I ran it through some of the old records I've had forever and pretty much know how they sound.
They almost certainly sounded better.
While the EL34B amp I've been using for awhile sounded good (and slightly wider with KT77's in it), this amp with the 300B tubes immediately had a stereo image with a softer loftier end that feels equally though it extends well beyond your speaker placement. Depending on the mix of the runway, the stereo prototype is almost unsettling. There take been many times when I've been defenseless off guard by the 3D feel of a trumpet stab or a really wide synth.
What is also hitting is this thing has handled any genre of music I tin can throw at it. Early Floyd, to debut Ricki, to mid Björk, to late Radiohead – the YAQIN MS300C simply smiles and nosotros both enquire for more. Chris Wood's bass is almost tangible, Etta'southward subtle throat rasp demands a deep sigh, the air in Rosa Passos' vocal floats in the room, and I've fallen in love with Bebe's vocalisation all again.
I can't beget to buy every tape I want, so as well stream a lot of music… this is where those who fancy themselves and "audiophile" smirk and insult, right? Yet, the MS-300C either distracts from, or effectively masks the normal upper-harmonic ripples you hear in Pandora and Spotify streams. The encoding flaws are still there, just there's so much more "goodness" in the audio that my ears, at least, don't really care or discover anymore.
Depth is also much ameliorate than whatever other tube amp I've previous owned. Other amp / tube combinations often make strange merchandise offs between depth and width. What makes this special, though, is how the depth compliments the width. Information technology'southward not so much the two forces are pulling against one another as wrapping around (that'due south the only way I tin can depict it).
Frequency residue, top to bottom creates yet more smiles. Even though about serious listeners scoff at the stock Chinese 300B tubes, these have a very impressive overall balance. Everything is there, nothing wolfs or sinks, and y'all tin hear the whole mix without anything getting lost. If the track is besides compressed the tubes will kickoff to become "dislocated" – that could also exist the rectifier tube trying to keep up, but it's actually the mixing engineer's fault, anyway, non the tubes. ;)
Obviously, it's no secret at this point that I like this amp. It'due south well worth the price, even with the stock tubes. Take care of it and information technology'll definitely take care of you.
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Published: by | Updated: 12-fourteen-2018 16:28:25
Source: https://www.politusic.com/music/gear/yaqin-tube-amp-review-ms-300c/
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