Stereomour II upgrade to use 300B

JGK

New member
Currently I have an 8 watt 300B amp that I use with B&W 90dB sensitive speakers. I then purchased and assembled a Stereomour II 3.5 watt with JJ2A3-40 tubes. The difference in power can be heard in the low frequencies. I would like to know if there would be an upgrade to use 300B tubes in the Stereomour II?
 
The Stereomour does not have enough power supply voltage or current capacity to produce greater power than 3.5 watts.

Here's an analogy: race car tires will not make a Corolla go faster unless you also replace the engine and transmission with higher power/higher speed components.

Tubes in SET amps are typically about 25% efficient. So a tube that produces 3.5 watts output will dissipate about 15 watts in heat. A tube that produces 8 watts must dissipate around 32 watts as heat - which it can only do if it has greater voltage and draws greater current - in other words, a more powerful power supply. (You would need plate chokes and output transformers capable of the greater power as well.) The transformers will weigh about twice as much. When you use a 2A3-40, which is capable of dissipating up to 40 watts, into a 2A3 amplifier, it has the 2A3 power supply and dissipates the same 15 watts as a 2A3. It will probably last longer since it is not being cooked at its maximum rating, but it can't create any more power.

Hope that clarifies things - this is a common source of confusion.
 
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