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Most audiophiles and music lovers may believe or argue that the best sounding power amp probably is 300B SET tube monoblock amp with no negative feedback. The argument why/how 300B SET is the best sounding in terms of music maybe last forever! To own a 300B SET monoblocks could be every audiophile's dream. Here is your chance.

2004 Brand New Dared VP-300B Tube Monoblock amplifiers by DARED Electronics Co. LTD (click to see the manufacture site). This is a pure vacuum tube (high-end) monoblocks. It is specially designed for the audiophiles, and music lovers. This is a new model of the Dared product lines. It has successfully marketed in Japan and Europe earlier this year. This amp is North America version, which uses 110 Volts only. This amp is designed with a separated power supply, three pieces with two monoblocks and one power box. This beautiful amp is designed with Class-A Single-Ended Triode (so-called "SET") for 300B power tube with no negative feedback. The separated monoblock amplifiers for each channel create maximum separation and eliminate any interference between the channels to preserve true sound stage. The high-current, independent toroidal power supply is exceptionally quiet. Since the power supply is separated from the amps, it eliminates any interference between the power transformer and output transformers. Thus, it can preserve the high resolution of details and gives pinpoint imaging with maximum sound purity. This amp has a volume control and accept wide range of level inputs (CD, Tape, etc.). So it is "integrated amp", but it also accept a feed from any preamp (just turn down the volume if your preamp’s gain is too high). So it also is a Power amp. This amp is brand new, sealed in original box.

  • The preamp stage use well-known low noise 12AU7 type tube and the drive stage use classic 6SN7 type tube to drive the 300B power tube. The combo of 6SN7 and 300B tube give best SET sound (audiophiles love it)! To learn the 12AU7 and 6SN7 tubes, please click:Tube Asylum and type "12AU7" or "6SN7" to search all the discussion about 12AU7 and 6SN7. This pair of monos come with Chinese 12AU7 and 6SN7 tubes.

  • The power stage uses a 300B triode tube to Class-A Single-Ended which give 7 watt. This amp has self (auto)-bias, so there is no need of bias if you change any tube within common 300B type. I have listened a demo of this unit with different brands of 300B tubes, the sound of this amp is unbeleiveable. It produces superb resolution of all level details, and gives spacious soundstage and pinpoint imaging with very clear, extended highs and lovely tighten bass. To those who have been looking for a best amp to experience true live music, but you cannot afford one. Here is your chance. You just cannot pass by this one.

    IMPORTANT note: This package is BRAND NEW, which sealed in original manufacture box. This sale includes every thing you see in the pictures (plus all the power cables which are not showing in the pictures), except for the two 300B tubes. The 300B tubes are NOT included in this sale. Due to the fact that the 300B tubes are widely available in USA today, and that most audiophile like to try own favor brands of 300B tube, so I do not include the 300B tube in this sale. I think this is most cost-effective way so that you can spend less for the amp and buy your own favor 300B tubes. To see the review of comparison among different 300B tubes, please click: 300B comparison Review and Nine different 300B tubes recent review. To learn more about 300B tube, just click:Tube Asylum and type "300B" key word. If you like to order 300B tubes, just type "300B tube sale" under Google or Yahoo , you will see all the ads under Sponsored Links. Or you can try following online dealers: full music, Dydn, TubeStore.com, or SuperTNT.

  • The frame uses all aluminum alloys (chrome), and the front and side panels are solid wood. Gold plated speaker jacks. It uses high quality capacitors and transformers and optimal designed board. All wiring of point-to-point, point-to-board, and path on the board are optimized to be shortest possible. It has superior transient response and produces precisely details and very accurate sound. In terms of price vs. performance, this new Class-A single-end 300B monoblocks certainly embarrass other brand names of 300B or 2A3 monoblocks in the market.(key words the Audiophiles and music lovers always search: tube amps, SET, Class-A, no negative feedback,300B tubes. What else dose an audiophile need to ask for?
  • A great review article by Sam Tellig on Stereophile magazine (2003 May issue, page 27 - 29) for the PP model VP-10 amp. You will love this amp if you read this review article. But, only regret Sam Tellig has on VP-10 is that VP-10 is NOT SET. Yes, Sam got his wish this time, the VP-300B SET does all. The sound of VP-300B is much better than that of VP-10.

Often asked questions (I try to answer following questions by citing Daniel Cheever’s Thesis as reference – Please click here to see his thesis):

Q1: Why does it use class-A single-ended triode (SET) for 300B tube on this amps since it only outputs 7 watts per channel (block)? A1: Yes, the class-A is most inefficiency. However, most audiophiles like the class-A single-ended triode mode's benefits. Because the whole audio waveform (360 degree) is amplified within single valve, there is no crossover distortion at all. The class-B or class-AB push-pull will produce crossover distortion that is exaggerated for clarity in sound. Also, class-B and class-AB needs two valves to amplify single waveform, which means two tubes and other components associated with the two tubes have to be exactly matched, otherwise it will introduce an-symmetric distortion. The capacitors/resistors and tubes will not keep in exactly match over time due to the aging. Because VP-300B adopted a well-known SET circuit design (the circuit is classic and simplest) and all the signal paths are absolutely shortest possible (I wonder if there is any other amp available on the market with the total net signal path being shorter than that of VP-300B), this amp has a superior transient response. It is fast and transparent. To understand why, please read Q6/A6.

Q2: Since the THD is higher for most of tube amps comparing to high-end SS amps, is any better way to truly measure the amplifier sound quality in terms of music to human ears? A2: In terms of sound quality to human ears, a new method so-called "Total Aural Disconsonance" (TAD) is more proper than classic THD and IM for characterizing amplifier quality (see Cheever's paper), TAD correlates psychoacoustics of the ear resulted in mathematical derivation of the ears intrinsic aural distortion, combined with traditional THD and IM, it offer a methodology for weighing the harmonics based on a dimensionless figure of merit that quantifies the amplifier’s harmonic distortion envelops departure from the ears aural masking.

Q3: Why is the tube SET amp is better? A3: The tube SET amp has TAD over 20 times less than that of SS amps (see page 45 – 47 and 31 – 32 on Cheever’s paper). The tube SET has 4 times more linear than the SS amps (see page 67 on Cheever’s paper). The higher-order Intermodulation distortion of a tube SET is much lower (see page 49 - 51 and 67 – 68 on Cheever’s paper). Note: though his paper was done based on research of 45 tube SET amp, it is suggested that the results shall be applicable to 300B tube SET amp.

Q4: Why zero feedback? A4: It has been shown (mathematical proof) that even with minimal amounts of negative feedback will covert moderate amounts of low-order harmonic and intermodulation distortion into a multitude of high-order distortions (see page 54- 63 and 31 -33 of Cheever’s paper).

Q5: I alawys want to own a 300B amp, and listened to many demos in the Dealer showroom. But, most of them are very expensive (over $2500). How is VP-300B sound comparing to those >$2500 300B SET amps? A5: After listening to VP-300B, I am sure you will be laughing at those over-price 300B amps (click to see). Remember: when you compare two amps, you shall use same room setting, same speakers, same source and cables, etc, so you can listen to two amps side-by-side to compare (MSRP for this pair: $1700).

Q6: Now I seem to understand why SET amp is better in terms of sound quality. I listened to those low-power high efficiency speakers with 6- 8 watt SET at dealer's show-room, they sound amazing and much better than those over 100 watts high power speakers. Why is low-power high efficiency speaker is better than most of high-power low efficiency speakers? A6: Industry standard to measure speaker's specification is to measure a speaker at 1 Watt at 1 meter, speaker makers have to make a speaker to perform optimal at 1 watt. here is very important fact: feeling of sound intensity level of human ear is NOT proportional to the power of speaker, rather is proportional to a Logarithmic power (so-call dB). If your listen-room size is about 25 X 15 ft the usual listen level is around 90dB to 98dB, you usually do not want your sound level goes beyond 102 dB. Otherwise, it is too loud (of course it depends on who is listening and what type of music is playing). If you have a pair of speakers with 88 dB efficiency (at 1 Watt/m), so you need an amp to gain at least 14dB in order to reach 102dB level. The amp needs to power the speakers shall have at least 25 Watts (because of 10log(25/1)=14dB). For speaker with 92 dB, you need 10 watts power to get 102 dB sound level. I listened 92 dB speakers with VP-300B (10log(10/1/)=10 dB) at my living room 22X17 ft. They sound great! However, if you have a pair of speakers with 96 dB (at 1 W/m) you need an amp to gain just 6dB to reach 102dB level. That is about 4 Watts. Yes, you just need less than 4 watts to power a 96dB speaker to reach 102dB sound level. Most of SET amp has power less than 8 Watts (300B SET amp is around 6 – 8 watts, 2A3 SET amp is about 2 - 4 watts, and 45 SET is less than 2 watts). The speakers build over 92 dB efficiency usually are high-end ones that has a large magnet and very light weight of special coil/paper which is very sensitive with lower distortion and reveals much more details while playing music. OK, regardless of quality of speakers, now question is why 4 watt powered 96 speaker sounds better than 25 watt powered 88 speaker at same sound level (102 dB)? Just plot the curve of logarithm log(power/1) vers power, you will see that at beginning of few watts the slop of the curveture is much larger than at 25 watt range (the curve is getting flat at high power). That means the dynamics at first of few watts is much higher than at higher power ranges. Thus, low-power high efficiency show much higher dynamics and details to human ears. In fact that, in recording, the microphones is used way under 1 watt. Thus, few watts SET powered high efficiency speakers yeild far superior transient response. Of course, one can argure that true (100%) transient (transparent)response is not to use an amplifer at all, just directly to connect the speakers to the source of music medium. This is true, but there is no such high efficiency speaker available today. The best ones, like Lowther drivers, have about 97 - 100 dB at 1 Watt/m so you still need a few watts to power the speakers in order to reach sound level at 5 - 15 feet away.

Q7: Any suggestion for SET speakers? A7: If budget is your concern, then you may try: Fostex BK-16 Kit (under $650) click here to see info, or Omega TS1 (under $699) click here to see the info, or Moth Audio Cicada (under $699) click here to see the info . You will be amazed how good the sound come out with the VP-300B. For fully enjoying the SET sound of this amp, of course, you shall get a best speaker as you can afford. There are lots of good SET speakers.Click here to find: High Efficiency Speakers lists for SET mps or click:High Efficiency Speakers to search all the information for SET speakers you may be interested.

Tech Spec by manufacture:

Power of output

7 W per block (channel)

Frequency response

15Hz – 35 KHz –/+ 1.5 dB

THD

< 1%

S/N

>90 dB

Input sensitive

400 mV/100KOhm

Input Impedance

100 K Ohm

Output Impedance for speakers

8 or 4 Ohm

Voltage of Power

110 volt (60/50 Hz)

Weight

40 lb.