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SEWE300B review (Read 19989 times)
Lon
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"Love without
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Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24742
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #100 - 09/29/24 at 12:39:36
 
Well said Donnie.

I made a change. In listening to my less than stellar recordings I kept being bothered by a bit of unruliness in the treble that became a bit fatiguing. By process of elimination I discovered this was coming from the Cryotone 12AU7 that I was using in the ZROCK2 and the input position in the SEWE300B. I replaced those with a pinched waist Amperex 7062 in the ZROCK2 and a pinched waist Amperex 6085 in the SEWE300B (both tubes I love) and played around with the gain and. . . well that fixed that.

I still have Cryotone 6922 type in the driver positions in the SEWE300B and those sound great and don't seem to have been contributing to that bit of fatiguing treble.

Edit to add: after posting this and listening a bit I realized that these Cryotone driver tubes had been in place for some time and I added Verafi Audio products to great success since then that have all settled in. . . why not try a pair of my Amperex 7308s in that position and see what those would sound like now?

I did so, put in a pair of white label US made. Sound is great! I love the Amperex sort of house sound, and in comparison to the Cryotone these are less "forward" and there is a small spoonful more room sound, more image bloom, a bit less "hifi" like and more how music played in a room sounds--the polite way to say it may be to say that the Cryotone seem a bit more analytical. I especially like what changes with the contrabass violin and the piano reproductions. (I used to think of this as a dollop of "warmth" but as my power has gotten cleaner and cleaner it seems more as just a difference in tonal presentation, slight, that gives a more "vinyl-like" sound perhaps; in my system now vinyl and cd and SACD almost have identical sound characteristics--a wider gap has closed, a good thing).

I'll leave these in for a spell, and see if the sound continues to seduce me. The Cryotone tubes will sound good in my audio/visual system in the meantime, replacing RCA Holland 7308s there. (Actually the differences between the 7308s and the Cryotones is as easily detectable and appear the same via headphones in the audio/visual system--the Anniversary modded glass resistor fitted CSP3 there really reveal so much--the rest of the system though is a tiny bit less resolving than the main system, and in the larger room the differences via speakers are less pronounced).

Something that has been percolating in my brain after a year, nearly two, of  listening to Cryotone tubes is that the process really does yield good results, and I believe that the claims of longevity are likely true, but . . . the source tubes are still Eastern European or in the instance of a rectifier Chinese, and there are still aspects of these tubes that are fundamental and different than the best NOS tubes. . . the cat's meow would be a Cryotone Amperex 7308 or 7062. . . but that just isn't possible, I understand that.
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Lon
Seasoned Member
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"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24742
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #101 - 10/12/24 at 11:04:16
 
Okay, I was continually seduced and happy with the Amperex change from the Cryotone tubes, and the Cryotone tubes now in audio/visual system are also shining with the high resolution material I listen to there, so it's a win win for my musical satisfaction. The extra touch of richness and ease the Amperex tubes have brought has me just melting into the soundscape on the main system.

And then yesterday I finally found my pair of Holland made RCA 7308s that I have been looking for for a week, misfiled in a box of four dozen or so 12AU7 types, and put those in in place of the green ink USA Amperex I had favored before and BOOM there's just a drop more of the Netherland magic that is welcome.

So my main system's tubes are all from foreign nations now: Dutch Amperex inputs for the ZROCK2 and the SEWE300B, Dutch driver tubes for the SEWE300B, English voltage regulation tubes for the SEWE300B and Chinese (Shuguang and Psvane respectively) for the 300B and the rectifier tube for the SEWE300B.

These tubes are giving me amazing sound.
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Lon
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"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24742
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #102 - 10/17/24 at 10:13:25
 
Wow. The system is sounding so so good these days. And the level of transparency is high, yet with the ZROCK2 working so hard the sound is not at all etched, grainy or analytical, but musical--I am really crediting the Amperex 7308s and 7062s here, as well as the always firm yet also delicate anchor of the Psvane Treasure 274B-Z rectifier.

It is at such a level of clarity now that I have been able to really hear "footers" in their presentation-shaping character, and have played around with footers under my TTPSU for the Rega turntable and my ZBIT, components that I never really felt were much influenced by footers before. Under the TTPSU I have settled on a set of Japanese feet I bought off ebay years ago that are about 2" towers of aluminum partially filled with some fine beads. These give a very neutral and airy presentation compared to other footers I've tried there. And I have returned to a set of three VooDoo Cable IsoPods under the ZBIT which gives me a subtly darker presentation, I always enjoy that for most music I spin.

I have one more set of the Stack Audio feet on the way from Great Britain--these to replace the IsoPods under my PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter--the Stack give just a bit of warmth when the weight factor is just right that I am missing with the IsoPods and that will bring the vinyl playback up a tiny notch towards the digital playback.

Now that the weather is cooler listening sessions have been amazing!
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Lon
Seasoned Member
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"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24742
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #103 - 10/19/24 at 12:03:05
 
Okay, the Stack Audio feet arrived. I was going to put them under my phono preamp, but as recent experimentation showed me the subtle but significant improvement that differing footers made under the ZBIT I placed three of the four under the ZBIT. . .

And. . . .

Boy I really like the difference. In this manner the entire pathway of digital in the system has Stack Audio feet in use. . . and the cumulative effect is great. Very satisfying.

I put the fourth Stack Audio foot under the turntable's TTPSU (separate power supply) and that was a subtle improvement as well.

And then I got an even wilder idea. I have a set of three "Mad Scientist" footers that I bought in a lot of Mad Scientist discs from a fellow audiophile. Never really knew what to do with them definitively before and set them aside. I got the idea to try them under the ZBIT. . . and I really fell for the sound. Just a tiny bit more relaxed sounding even than the Stack Audio feet, a touch of darkness as well. So I moved the Stack Audio under the PS Audio NuWave PHono Converter and just as I suspected. . . that give me the touch of richness and clarity that I expected compared to the VooDoo Cable IsoPods, and narrowed further the gap between digital and vinyl playback in this ystem.

As a result of all this. . . I ordered another set of three to place under the Groovetrace modded Rega RP3. That should be the final upgrade for a whileI really didn't want to spend the money and probably should start selling a few things. This "hobby". . . it keeps me cash poor. But it's also so rewarding.

Edit to add: I'm back a few steps. The Mad Scientist feet are no longer in use, IsoPods are back under the phono preamp, and the Stack Audio are under the ZBIT. . . that seems the best set up so far after all has settled in. When I get my next set of Stack Audio feet in I'll experiment with them under the phono preamp and the Rega and see which one is best. And I'll probably find a way to order another set. . . .
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Kamran
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Sarah

Posts: 1104
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #104 - 11/05/24 at 02:38:05
 
I’m really glad you liked the Stack Audio feet Lon—-love em! After reading your post, I want some for my ZBIT as well lol—how many did you put under it (considering the narrow chassis)?
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Innuos Pulse Streaming Transport and Phoenix Net Switch-Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC-Ic0n4 Autoformer Passive Pre-Sarah 300B SET Amp-ZBIT-GIK Room Treatment-Caintuck Audio Magnum Baffles—Li Audio Fast 15 Drivers-P.I. Audio MajikBuss & Puritan PSM 156 Conditioners
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Lon
Seasoned Member
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"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24742
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #105 - 11/05/24 at 11:38:53
 
I have three under the ZBIT (and the ZROCKE2, DAC, SACD transport and the NuWave Phono Converter), four under the power generator and the amp, and one under the power supply for the turntable (smaller and much lighter than the ZBIT).

They are about ten percent better I would say than the IsoPods from VooDoo Cable I was using, and all the IsoPods displaced went into my two other systems and made improvements there. A win win!

The Stack Audio feet allowed me to hear into tube changes a bit more fully and I have ended up wtih different input and driver tubes in use as a result.

I am enjoying great sound!
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Kamran
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Sarah

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Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #106 - 11/07/24 at 14:00:54
 
Awesome—glad to spread the Stack Audio love!
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Innuos Pulse Streaming Transport and Phoenix Net Switch-Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC-Ic0n4 Autoformer Passive Pre-Sarah 300B SET Amp-ZBIT-GIK Room Treatment-Caintuck Audio Magnum Baffles—Li Audio Fast 15 Drivers-P.I. Audio MajikBuss & Puritan PSM 156 Conditioners
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Lon
Seasoned Member
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"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24742
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #107 - 11/07/24 at 15:50:21
 
I'm trying to pretend I don't need to replace the IsoPods under my speakers. Maybe if I'm ever really flush with cash again. Right now I have to save up for when my ZROCK3 hits the "Parts Pulled" status.
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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Lon
Seasoned Member
****


"Love without
guts is
worthless!"
Philip K. Dick

Posts: 24742
Re: SEWE300B review
Reply #108 - 11/11/24 at 12:10:23
 
OMG. . . I seem to have hit upon the perfect tube complement for my system and room and requisite speaker positioning. . . I haven't even thought of touching a tube for days which is unusual. The RFT 7308s are a big part of it, they were a bit too bright before but with the Sunbeam Holland made 12AU7 and an orange globe Holland Amperex 12AU7 I don't think I had ever used before (the Sunbeam in the SEWE300B and teh Amperex in the ZROCK2) brightness is not an issue and there is detail and also an easy flow.

Vinly playback and digital playback are on equal footing (though of course each distincly their own) and I'm spinning away and enjoying all the listening. Which is what it's all about, ewpecially in this particular stretch of time. Color me one VERY happy Decware camper. Now I just have to live through the wait for the ZROCK3. And manage my money a bit better.
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HR-1,ZBIT,ZROCK2,SEWE300B,CSP3-25mod; Rega RP3 all GrooveTracer mods;PSAudio:PST+DSD, DAC Mk II, P15,NPC,PowerBases,AC-12 pwr cbls, Reference spkrcbls; Mapleshade SamsonV3; VooDoo:Cremona+Amati interconnects, IsoPods; headphones: Sennheiser HD800S,ZMF Ori,Oppo PM1
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