EML 300B-XLS / TEST REPORT

By: Johan Schut    04-Sept-2003

I am listening for quite a while now to my 300B-XLS amplifiers, but hearing those is still a problem for me... because I  can't stop listening, and listening again ;) 

What a difference they make, compared to standard 300B's.  These tubes have a drive that makes me shiver.  We did a hearing session at my home, using following components: 

  • Philips CD-drive CDD882
  • Separate  DAC (PCM63 Burr-Brown) with tubes output
  • Tubes pre-amp (MU-stage) met 227 Meshplate
  • My 300B-XLS amplifiers  :-)
We never enjoyed the CD's that much before,  and the sound was totally decoupled from  the loudspeakers.  Something I never was able to hear before. What I noticed right away, was the  speed  of the gear combination.   With my transistor amplifier, I already thought you could feel the music.  Only  this time.... I was completely surprized because the music was "simply there", and the bass sound was completely under control.

I own a  test CD by Van Den Hul, and it has a digital recording of a drumkit (by Bernard Beeftink). This  recording is completely free of noise, and it seems to appear right into your living room.  With several of the transistor amplifiers I tested, this recording was difficult to reproduce, and it sounded as if these amplifiers were simply not fast enough.  For the 300B-XLS this was no problem at all, and during all of the session the music was completely under control, also the bass part.  I can assure you that after the session all of the listeners were enthousiastic, and it started several  tube projects :-)

Someone was building a 2A3 amplifier, and had regrets about his tube choice after he heard the 300B-XLS ;-).  I just wanted to tell you this.  I was "warned" about  the sound quality of the 300B-XLS, and  I must say  it is true!! 

Thanks again for  this top quality. 

Audio greetings,
Johan Schut