The review of the Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B vacuum tube is now live in Positive Feedback Online’s Issue 57 here.
The Royal Princess 300B vacuum tube is a major achievement in my opinion, combining superb musicality and sonics into one package. I hope you enjoy the review, I really enjoyed writing it and providing an overview of 300B history that I think you will find both entertaining and informative.
Here’s some text from the summary and conclusions section of the review:
“The sort of musical realism and dynamic truths that L’Audiophile impressed everyone with in their Paris demonstrations using 300B amplifiers, Altec Onken & Voice of the Theatre systems, and playing records on a Platine Verdier turntable, I get to hear every day in my 300B SET, Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers, and vinyl system, and I have to say, I am always thrilled and edified by this new-old style of music listening.
My new-old style of Hi-Fi system has never sounded better than it does with the Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B vacuum tubes supplying the tunes, and in fact, I like the Royal Princess 300B vacuum tubes better than any other 300B I’ve encountered. The Royal Princess’ particular combination of spectacular sonic performance and intense musicality makes it totally unique in my experience. Usually you just get one or the other: the musicality of the ye olde Western Electric benchmark, or the linear ‘clean’ sonics of the various neo-300B tubes on the market, but with the Royal Princess you get both superior sonics and superior musicality in one package. That’s really cool.
The Royal Princess has an overall presentation that leans to the dark, warm, and musical side of life. Interestingly, the Royal Princess is also sonically very spectacular, being detailed, extremely dynamic, providing a huge sense of space, solid & vivid imaging, and a wide and deep soundstage. Usually you don’t find dark, warm, and musical combined with spectacular sonics, but in the Royal Princess you do in spades.
As I mentioned earlier, Richard said, “I think the Royal Princess as a new production vacuum tube not only has the vintage mid-range magic of the original Western Electric, but also betters it in the highs and lows. I think with the Royal Princess 300B tubes we have produced are the finest 300B vacuum tubes that have ever been made.”
When a manufacturer says something like that, it’s easy to dismiss it as hype, but in the case of the Royal Princess 300B I think Richard is exactly right. If anything, I think Richard is actually understating how good the Royal Princess 300B is. For example, I really liked the Western Electric 300B vacuum tubes I listened to in the Fi 300B mono amplifiers back when I wrote about them for 6Moons, but if memory serves me correct (and I think it does), the Royal Princess is much better through the mid-range than the Western Electric was. It’s also no contest in the bass, as the Royal Princess has better bass depth, definition, impact, and articulation than any vacuum tube—not just 300B tubes—I have ever encountered when driving my Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers—it is simply incredible! The highs too, are extended, refined, and have a naturalness to them that is breathtaking to hear.
These sonic and musical traits combine in the Royal Princess to deliver a breathtaking musical realism to recorded performances, with instruments displaying rich and detailed timbral textures, deeply infused tonal colors, and an overall sense of drama that kept me on the edge of my seat, listening into the music with anticipation for what was to come next.
The build quality of the Sophia Electric Royal Princess 300B vacuum tubes is impressive, and to see & touch them is to want them. Richard’s and Mr. Liu’s collaboration on the Royal Princess 300B has yielded a vacuum tube with stunning sonic and musical performance, and I tip my hat in respect to them for a job well done.
The only downside of the Royal Princess 300B is it is shockingly expensive at $1200 per matched pair (one-year warranty), but if you want what I think is the best 300B vacuum tube on Planet Earth for getting the most out of your music, I believe the Royal Princess is calling your name. Very highly recommended to new-old style music listeners everywhere.”
I hope you enjoy the article – thanks for stopping by!
Sophia Electric: www.sophiaelectric.com
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your outstanding review, I enjoyed reading it. Have you heard about the takatsuki 300B as well? It seems it might be a very interesting competitor to the royal princess. http://robertmusic.blogspot.com/2011/07/heads-up-coming-very-soon-takatsuke-ta.html
Regards,
Gerard
Hi Gerard,
I haven’t had the opportunity to hear the Takatsuki 300B, but I’d like to as it looks like a wonderful tube.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Kind regards,
Jeff
Hi Jeff
Great first serious and in depth reviews of the Royal Princess tubes, Was wondering if you have heard the very superb sounding Shuguang Treasure 300B Z’s which are actually a mesh plate variant that I feel do not sound like a typical WE type 300B at all. 300B’s generally are thick sounding, being their sound character as opposed to other triodes, like to know that they are not a Full Music 300B SE in an ST glass envelope. After all they are pretty dearly priced.
Hi Dixon,
Haven’t had a chance to try the ST 300B Zs mesh plates, I’ll have to add it to my list of 300Bs to try.
For meshies I’m using the Sophia mesh plates, and they definitely aren’t thick sounding, but rather they sound very open and just a little bit bright.
Best,
Jeff
Had similar results with Royal Princess’s in Allnic t-1500 on Classic Audio Loudspeakers T-3.4 at Capital Audiofest
Great extention at both ends. Very fast, every Instrument sounded more authentic and real. Vocals were superb.
Truly better than the Carbon’s
Hi John,
That’s my assessment of the RP as well, very good extension on both ends, yet still very good timbrally.
Love those speakers of yours!
Kind regards,
Jeff
jeff…dave smith here. i will be taking delivery of a matched pair of the ‘royal princess’ 300B tubes this week to go into my chalice audio ‘grail’ SET monoblocks….my purchasing them was solely based on your great review. will keep you in the loop as to their maturity in the amps over the next 100-300 hrs..thanks for your review..
Hey Dave,
Holy cow! I just went out and looked at the web page for the Chalice Audio Grail monos – those are amazing amps! I feel lust bumps popping up all over my body!
Cool on the Royal Princess 300B tubes, I sure have been enjoying them. Let me know how those work out in your amps.
Kind regards,
Jeff
jeff…dave here..will do. the ‘grail’ amps are very special….possibly the best SET amps available..
jeff..dave smith here..the new ‘royal princess’ 300B is a great tube..i put them in last night and after biasing them sat back and listened for about 1/2 hr and then came back about 4 hrs later for another listen…much tighter bass and the soundstage was noticibly wider and deeper. vocals were much clearer and easier to discern subtle changes in intonation.the tubes they replaced were the sophia electric princess mesh-plate 300B…pretty cool..if they continue to improve it would be great…will see what the next 100 hrs brings…thanks for your review…..
jef..about 100 hrs into the RP tubes and they are ..as you noted in your review..significantly better then the previous sophia 300B..they are superb tubes that better the previous model significantly….thanks for your review..dave
Jeff,
Your alter-ego over at Tone Audio, Jeff, too, ha spoken pretty highly of the eaT vacuum Tubes. Have you heard these 300B’s and if so, what are your thoughts on the comparison of these to the Sophia Electric’s? Also, have you seen Western Electric is now manufacturing tubes again…
Hey Jonathan,
Haven’t heard the eaT tubes. Western Electric is back manufacturing? Wow! That’s great to hear! I may have to get a pair just for fun. Thanks for the heads up!
Best,
Jeff
Jeff,
Let me clarify, WE is “in the process” of remanufacturing… I spoke with a few people this week on this issue and a few think there will be more news at CES in January.
Out of curiosity, Jeff, have you seen the TJ Full Music 300B SE? The glass is substantially different the the Sophia Electric (SE – coincidence…?), but the innards sure look similar. Just curious if they are the same, minus the glass.
Separately, I’m in the process of testing some alternate tubes for the rectifier and the 62n7, in accordance with instruction from Richard. I’ll let you know the results of the experiments here when I do.
For now, I’m waiting on my replacement Black Gate caps, which are due to arrive tomorrow. I’ve got the soldering iron ready, and will make quick work to swap out the caps!