Psvane WR2A3

[cainam]

First, I picked up my Steromoure kit in person, and I can't think of a better way to spend a day off from work. If anyone is in the area, definitely worth stopping by.

I ended up not having the time to do anything with the kit for a few months, but last weekend I decided that this thing FINALLY needs to go together. Got it powered up late Sunday night, and I only burned myself 8 or 10 times doing it. . . I have it set up as my computer system, and I'm listening to it now. I was a bit skeptical that 3.5w would be enough for a whole room, but it is clear all the way out into the hallway - and it sounds awesome!

The only issue I have is with one of the 12AT7 tubes. I was getting a lot of crackling static, and I swapped them. That cured the noise, so I'm thinking 1/2 of that tube is not quite right. Not a big deal, but it means I'm going to be swapping sooner than I expected.

I've read a lot of good comments about Psvane tubes, so I started looking at their stuff, and I came across a tube they call WR2A3. It is a completely new design, and it is supposedly a drop in for a standard 2A3. From what they say it is a hybrid that shares some design characteristics with a 300B. Has anyone tried these? I'm a bit curious, and I don't mind ordering a set, but I'd rather not if they are going to damage the amp or sound lame.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

That's really a lot of money for a pair of 2A3's.  They sure do look like 300B's with 2.5V filaments (like the JJ 2A3-40).

You could have carbon plate Sophias for a significant savings.

 

[cainam]

I took a look at your suggestion, but from what I can find a pair of the WR2A3 can be had for about $460, and the Sophia carbons are about $520 a pair. There are some available used, but prices are harder to compare.

 

[gstitt]

Hi,

Did you end up getting the WR2A3's? If so, I would love to get your thoughts on their sound so far in your Stereomour.

Thanks,
Greg

 

[cainam]

Hi,

Did you end up getting the WR2A3's? If so, I would love to get your thoughts on their sound so far in your Stereomour.

Thanks,
Greg

I haven't had the chance yet. I got sent to California for my job for the last 4 months, and I didn't take the amp with me to play with. I wish I had, actually. (I did manage to convince a guy in the apartment complex I was in to pick up an old Fisher 500c by telling him I would pay him $100 more for it than he paid if he didn't like it. He kept it. . .)

Since I was looking at replacing the 12at7 tubes anyway, my thought is I'll pick up a pair of those from Psvane. I know you can't judge sound for a completely different tube like that, but at least if they are poorly made I'm only out $75, not $475.

 

[Mordicai]

Ive been using the JJ 2a3-40's for a couple of years. I'm very happy with it. I've found it to be a significant upgrade over stock

 

[gstitt]

I ended up getting a pair of the Psvane 2A3-TII tubes. They take a long time to break in, but the wait was worth it. They are wonderful now at 350 hours on my Stereomour. I'm still intrigued by the WR2A3's. Maybe those when it comes time to retube.

 

[cainam]

Another little update -

Just got my Psvane 12AT7 replacements. Literally 15 minutes on them so far. They seem to be very well matched from the factory. The tone is changing as I am listening to them. At minute one, the bass was MUCH louder. Not muddy or BAD, but definitely more pronounced. Now, it seems to be backing off. Both tubes seem to be going through the change, because I can follow it side to side. Overall, very nice sound, and the build quality looks good. That's about as far as I want to critique them until I get some time for break-in. . . BUT. . .

As far as the WR2A3, it looks like I am going to be ordering them, and not just because I want to try them - I have a bad Sovtek 2A3. The thing is sounding like a reverb unit. Very surprised, because a week ago it was fine. Swapped side to side, and the problem follows the tube. The amp is staying off until I get a new pair, just in case it is getting ready to short.

 

[cainam]

The Psvane WR2A3 pair showed up a few minutes ago, and I'm back up and running!

The boxes that the tubes are packaged in are HUGE. No problem with damage. Got a picture for what it is worth. The glass on the WR2A3 tubes is completely bare, with no printing or etching at all. The gold Psvane logo is located on the base, and it is very nicely done. Unfortunately, the socket orientation is 180* off from allowing you to see it. If I was starting from scratch with these tubes in mind, I would probably rotate the sockets, but I'm not pulling it apart just for that.

One thing I was worried about was if the heaters would draw more power and pop the fuse. Not normally something to think twice about, but this isn't a standard design. Turned out to not be an issue.

Overall, the sound is very good. The hybrid design in theory is able to put out more power (since this is a 2A3 & 300B hybrid, it should be capable of about twice the power.) The rest of the system needs to support that though, and I don't plan on blowing my ears out. Either way, the gain is a bit higher. The attack on drums seems more assertive, and I wonder if the power reserve may have helped? Mids are crystal clear, highs are like precise little needle points, and the bass is well controlled and not at all muddy. The Sovteks were good, but these are better. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3 playing right now, and I have no complaints.


Just like when I swapped the 12AT7s out, I am noticing even more bass. I have a small Definitive sub in the system to help the little bookshelf speakers out, and I had to turn it down a bit. I use this system on my desktop for my computer, and I have the output equalizer complete zeros across the board, so that is the closest thing in my system to tone control. It doesn't need the signal messed with at all to sound excellent

I'll see how the things all settle out in a few weeks. Gstitt mentioned earlier in this thread that the Psvane 2A3-TII took some time to break in, and I've seen on several reviews that long break in times on all Psvane tubes is common.

 

[Natural Sound]

Nice to see that people are happy with current production tubes. My only experience so far is with Sovtek and Electro Harmonics. One day, when my NOS stock starts dwindling, I'll start exploring other options. 

 

[wallyhollywally]

Hi,
how are they playing now?

 

[cainam]

It has been over a year since I got the Psvane tubes (and I have no idea where the time went.)

Hi,
how are they playing now?

I almost forgot about this thread.

They took a while to completely break in and settle down, but at this point they sound VERY good. I use the stereo on my computer, so there isn't much that they haven't played. Music, YouTube, movies, and video games are normal.

They have kept their balance from right to left perfectly. Both channels have the same volume & tone.

As for overall sound, I can honestly say that they are EXCELLENT. Both the 12AT7 and the WR2A3 from Psvane seem to bring out the bass a bit more than the original tubes (Sovtek 2A3 & NOS 12AT7, don't remember the brand.) That is actually a good thing, as the Sovteks were a bit weak in lows. I think that the best way to describe the tubes is. . . I forget that they are there. They sound exactly right, and I have no reason to even think about them or wonder if I should have gone with a different brand. They work well in the Steromoure.