300B “AMERICANO”

Mono Blocks Power Amplifiers

Starting 2024 - F-300B Classic will be replaced by the brand new 300B Americano Mono Blocks. The front end section will be replaced by the infamous , audiophiler loving 6SN7 / CV181 preamp tube, along with a classical circuit design - it’s the sound everyone approve! And yes, we use the original Western Electric 300B specs and sound to engineer this amplifier. If you want a pair of new WE-300B tubes to come with your Americano mono-blocks, we are more than happy to assist to reserve a pair for you.

New spec 2024:

• Max power is raised to 8.7W @ 8 Ohms (7.8W before distortion), measured with a pair of old EH 300B (new tubes will increase the figures).

• Input sensitivity : 1V @ 220K Ohms

• Hammonds Canada 30W Sized Output Transformers

• Hammonds Canada Choke Transformers

• Hammonds Canada Power Transformers

• Mundorf ZN Audiophiler Coupling Caps

• Furutech Gold AC Inlets

• CMC USA Binding Posts 0-4-8-16 Ohms

• FINALE Canada “Pink-Lingu” Rose-Gold Plated RCA

• Standard colour : Classical-Hammertone Gray

• Tube Used : 6SN7/CV181 Pair / 300B Pair / 5U4 or 5T4 or 5V4 or 5R4 or 5Z4G

MSRP : $7,500 USD / Pair (No tubes and shipping included)

Beautiful bass measured down to 20hz!

Signature Package (+ $1,000 USD )

Pictured BELOW

• UPGRADED to HASHIMOTO (Sansui of Japan) Output Transformers

• UPGRADED to CARDAS (USA) Speaker Binding Posts - Your choice of Copper / Gold / Rhodium (Pictured Bare-Copper)

• UPGRADED to MUNDORF (Germany) SUPREME SILVER OIL Large 0.47 uf Coupling Caps

• UPGRADED to HAMMONDS (Canada) 300 World Series Power Transformer (Runs cooler and world voltages)

• UPGRADED to FURUTECH (Japan) Rhodium AC Inlet (Optional Gold, for those who prefer the sound of it.)

• REMAP the circuit to unleash the HASHIMOTO Output Transformers (Each model of output transformer have different specs / sound / timing / inductance / character / difference in bandwidth from high to low / insert loss / and all other measurable parameters…etc). Now you suppose have a better part (like a better drive-train / transmission being installed on an race car) - but you need to remap and tune the ECU/Computer in order to unleash the full potential, or else, in a direct change without remap - it could be worse!

Finalé F-300B Classic

Single Ended Triode Mono Blocks Amplifiers

2020 Debut

What’s New?

Designing “simple” tube based amplifiers to tease out the best from a given power tube, is what Finale Audio is passionate about. Finale audio and Triode labs have had a focus on 300 B single-ended amplifiers from day one. “we started making tube amplifiers back in here in Toronto when interest 300 B amplifiers was in vogue. With a number of good products on the market, we had to have something special right out the gate -- the F-300B Classic Mono Blocks was our answer. Many consider the 300 B power tube to offer the very best that tube sound has to offer. The 300 b is known for its magical triode signature sound and grand / colorful presentation.

Entering 2020 , our 300B Mono Blocks almost became a classic. The new 2020 F-300B Classic Mono Blocks is a result of our long brilliancy in making 300B tube amplifiers. And we merged the two previously offering, original F-300B (Built on a strong metal production chassis) Mono Blocks and the F-300B Walnut Edition (Constructed base on a small wood frame) together to officiated this new production of “300B Mono Blocks”. It is perfect for those who are looking for a pair of true high end 300B amplifiers that is entirely design, built and hand made with Canadian ingredients, with proper “hi-fi” grade transformers, that is designed and made to last and give you years of good reliable playback. Circuit wise, there is no change, as it was perfect since Day 1. What is challenging is how NOT to raise its price while improving it - and I think we did it!

The Highlights:

• SE-X Driver Design, by maximizing and unleashing the very best potential of a single powerful 12AX7 tube to command and control the output tubes in the most effective manner (in single ended / SRPP mode), the key lies in the preciseness, accuracy and efficiency to achieve this simple-best approach design (it can't be done on other tubes because they don't have as high gain ability). We very much appreciate the sound result from this, than using a 2-stage design that is needed on most other pre-amp tubes such as 6H30 / 6922 / 5687 and so on. It will have more phase shift, more roll offs, less natural, more distortions, and you name it.

• Class A 8W (Max) / Block The amps are tuned for refinement over raw power, it's more useful and solid than you think.

• Autobias Safe / Reliable / No Troubles / Durable tube lifes

• DC Filament Supply / Direct coupling for quiet, stable and most linear playback

• Finale Audio Pink-Lingu RCA (Rose-Gold Plated)

• Mundorf Audiophiler ZN or EVO Oil Coupling Caps

• FURUTECH Japan Gold AC Inlets

• 5-way Binding Posts 0-4-8 or 0-8-16 (Ask about upgrades to CMC or Cardas)

• Standard Finish : British Racing Green / $500 for other of our 9 factory colours or $800 for car paint

The Technical: The most popular direct heated triode tubes of all time!

• It's not easy to master the beauty it of it - circuitry wise, although it seem easy to construct, but it is hard to master.

• It IS expensive to unleash its potential, on the hardware side. And that is why most 300B amps on the market either fail in this regard or or measured far from the best, because they had to work within a specific budget. Unfortunately, there is no way around quality with budget, at least with tube amps. So, high quality tube amps, especially triode tube amps, are supposed to be expensive.

• The first thing in getting it right is the output transformers, without a good quality and properly-made pair by a HiFi transformers manufacturer, the 300B will not sing and unleash its potential. You can get away with other tubes, but not 300B.

• Here, a high-quality pair of Canadian made , it is specifically designed for triode tubes such as 300B. It is often designed for high fidelity, single-ended, Class-A, with frequency response at least 20 hz to 20 khz.

• We don't just focus on the outputs, even the choke transformer we pick are of high quality (made by Hammonds Canada) and important to both the sound and circuitry. Each of them is HIPOT tested (100%) at 1,500 VAC, and each of them is vacuum-impregnated with polyurethane varnish to yield for quietness and long life operations.

• For the power transformer, it's even more serious - again, made in Canada with conservative designs (that is reliable and able to provide seamless power deliveries) - CSA certified and made with high quality specs such as passing HIPOT test of 2,000V RMS, and made with Class A insulation (105 degree C) and so on.

• All these transformers are not just used because they are good, it also has to do with reliability and safety that we care very much about.

SPEC

• Rated Output: 8 W + 8 W (Max)

• Operation: Class A Single Ended Triode Auto bias

• Speaker Outputs: 4 / 8 ohm or 8/16 ohm

• Total Harmonic Distortion: Less than 1% at 7W or 6 - 8W with upgraded Hashimoto Transformer, depending which models of OPT being used

• Hum & Noise (A-Weight): 88 db or better at rated output (It’s quiet, if not the best!)

• Frequency Response: 20-20,000Hz+/- 1db at 1 Watt

• Input Sensitivity and Impedance: Main Input - 1V / 220k ohm +/- 10%

• Footprint: 12” Width x 9” Depth

• Preamp Tubes: 12AX7 Pair

• Power Tubes: 300-B Matched Pair

• Rectifier Tube: 5U4 or 5V4, or 5T4 (A smaller output version of the 5U4. It draws only 2 amps, which makes the transformer work cooler).

• MSRP : $6,000 USD Pair

Testimonial by Professor Robert McCrory (Fine Art) :

Well, it looks like magic in my room right now. The 300Bs are glowing along with the Maestro 6922 and I can't believe what I've heard. I had a listen to a flute concerto and the timbre was so thick I felt the amps were just pouring out harmonics. Like the woods sound had a brilliance all to itself (ignoring the note itself)...simply brilliant and to be honest a very new sound to me. The music is of course something I know well, but dang, there is a 'sound' to it all. Yeah, I guess that's the magic. It's letting me hear everything there aside from the notes.

It was amazing, I laid down to listen to a few pieces of music, and for about an hour, during a few 'new sounding' periods, my ears woke me up from a short nap to tell my brain that they heard something different. At that point with my brain fully conscious, it was almost a state of euphoria to wake up hearing music that sounded so different. To top that, it sounded so much better than all my systems before this. I've learned music so well on my other systems without having to think about the sound (like walking), however, with the Maestro 6922/F-300B producing sounds that were closer to flying, my brain had to force itself awake from such a new state of consciousness.

I did some digging around for some tubes and was able to replace ALL the tubes on the F-300B after I found the ones needed. It's pretty amazing what has happened. And strange. And I like it a lot. Quickly speaking, things have become much closer to the 'real' instrument sound. All my guitar recordings sound like the sound I would hear from the guitar when sitting in a practice room listening to a friend play. The guitar is a warm instrument and the 300B amps have moved to the 'warm' sound of real wood on a very well-made instrument. Amazing! But, this new warmer sound did not slow down the speed of the amp. They are much faster in the mid-bass for example. And to top it all off, when Glenn Gould is raging on a nice bass melody line on a Bach piece, each note moves right along with his fingers. If it's staccato, the amp portrays its realism of quickness. If it's a sustained whole note, the bass sound does not get flabby as the note stays open. It stays crisp, tight, and portrays a nice low frequency, AND you can hear the piano string moving. :D hahah!!!! Man, when i heard all this i wanted to drink a beer! And most important to me. When the cello strikes a lower octave note(s), I can now feel the body of the cello when the lower register is being played. 

Written in July, 2020. Associated equipment’s : MQ88CU/SIT3.

Signature Package (+ $1,000 )

• UPGRADED to HASHIMOTO (Sansui of Japan) Output Transformers

• UPGRADED to CARDAS (USA) Speaker Binding Posts - Your choice of Copper / Gold / Rhodium

• UPGRADED to MUNDORF (GERMANY) SUPREME EVO SILVER GOLD Input Signal Caps

• UPGRADED to MUNDORF (GERMANY) SUPREME SILVER OIL Coupling Caps

• UPGRADED to FURUTECH (Japan) Rhodium AC Inlet (Optional Gold, for those who prefer the sound of it.)

• REMAP the circuit to unleash the HASHIMOTO Output Transformers (Each model of output transformer have different specs / sound / timing / inductance / character / difference in bandwidth from high to low / insert loss / and all other measurable parameters…etc). Now you suppose have a better part (like a better drive-train / transmission being installed on an race car) - but you need to remap and tune the ECU/Computer in order to unleash the full potential.

F-300B RS AMERICA Mono-Blocks

Using the Triode Lab’s 211 / 2A3GT Chassis, it’s big enough for us to design something in between the Classic / Americano mono’s and the Monza RSR.

The Americana is same grade / level to the Monza RSR, but with just one 300B - some diehard 300B fans claims one tube in SET format is it’s finest voices. And we can’t disagree with them - especially with the resumed product ion of the Western Electric 300B. It is the best or nothing!

Like the 300B EVO Integrated. The same front end / preamp stage is used. Pre-amp Tubes: 12AX7 / ECC83 / 5751 Pair (12AT7 could be substitute as well when 12AX7 is not available , but not as quiet). And then uses the driver tubes such as : 6N6 / 6DT8 / 6922 / 6FQ7 / 6CG7 Pair (They all offer a different good flavor) - or even the 6H30 “Super Triode” - we thought of making a fancy , space-age, rocket science name for this decoded driver stage, but we decide not to follow suit with others in marketing exaggerating.

And of course, the important power supply stage uses proprietary power transformer made by Hashimoto for us - specific for running 300B Mono Blocks. We also use their high end choke transformer for filtering, and the combo promises very quiet operation, and virtual noiseless when you put your ears against your average efficiency hifi speakers. Dual Mundorf (Germany) M-Lytic high quality ECAPS are so in place for its main supply duties, one is more than enough, here just no hold barrette for best sonic and prolonged durability tandem up two caps.

MSRP : $18, 000 USD / Pair (Full Hashimoto SET Transformers - 6 Pcs)

F-300B MONZA RSR Mono-Blocks

• Hashimoto x Triode Lab 30W Flagship 300B Output Transformers (Design by Triode Lab / Engineered by Hashimoto)

• Hashimoto Choke Transformers x 2 / block (Large type)

• Hashimoto 300B Power Transformer (Custom design by Triode Lab / Engineered by Hashimoto)

• Power Output / Mode : Class A 16W / Channel (Auto-bias)

• Preamp / Cathode follower & impedance matching : 12AX7 Pair + 12BH7 or ECC99 Pair

• Output Tubes : 300B Quad

• Rectifier Tube : 5U4 / 274B / 5T4 or GZ32 / 5V4 Pair

• FINALE Canada “Pink-Lingu” Rose-Gold Plated RCA

• Cardas Rhodium Binding Posts 0-4-8-16

• Furutech Gold IEC

• Mundorf Silver in Oil Coupling Caps

• Mundorf M Lytic HV Power Supply E Caps x 2 / Block

• QQQ Japan Rectifier Tube Socket and Driver Tube Sockets (Optional 300B CMC tube socket)

• The Monza RS-R is only constructed on pure copper chassis.

MSRP : $48,000 USD Hashimoto Transformers / $56,000 USD with EVO Package

Description : While the standard Monza is already the best quality in the world, here, we bring the 300B Parallel design to further push the "cost-is-no-object" territory. And we are happy to announce its design a success. The 300B flagship output transformers also tested better than anything we have used/measured - hats off to Hashimoto Transformers (aka Sansui of Tokyo). We had quite an interesting and different opinion when came to the design table on these specific output transformers. At last, we mutually agree upon on one set of engineering parameters that makes this the best or nothing.

The engineering of the Monza RSR mono blocks is totally different; almost everything is doubling up or separated half for better channeling / supply / and delivery.  There are also two pre-amp tubes on each channel versus one (12AX7) on the standard Monza, two external main power supply E-Caps on the the RSR , dual up use of two choke transformers to quiet up further, same as the high-end noiseless reference grade power transformer that is made to last forever (like many Sansui products from over 50 years ago) , not to mention, all the passive capacitors and parts are more, bigger or better.

The front end design is one of our best, and powerful enough we might use the same design to drive bigger tubes such as 845 / 211. Like the Monza, we use one 12AX7 for the most direct sound reproduction with fewest sound change / phase shift,  we adapted one more 12BH7 or ECC99 to act as cathode follower and input impedance matching. The front end uses highest grade 1% brand name resistors, and each 300B's power supply and DC heating stage is separately constructed, they are considered to be quite "beefed up" compared to the standard Monza. We take the power supply design very seriously with no hold barred fashion on the RS-R, and its technical design level to our top level. The enhanced and true high-end quality tube power transformer is designed by ourselves dedicated to our amp design (and custom made by Hashimoto Co of Tokyo in best audio grade standard) to handle the extra power on this design, special attention is paid to operating temperature and quietness to the refinement level we wanted, along with the tube's durability. There are also the dual individualized stages premium power supply electrolytic capacitors setup (e-cap here and after) for separated superior power delivery to the tubes (1st e-cap) and amplifier gain stages (2nd e-caps) separately— featuring high-end Mundorf “M-Lytic” capacitors. Then the dual Hashimoto high-end potted choke transformers are being setup for superior AC filtering for each/different sections, separately, which almost like double the power of filtering. One of the choke is in place to feed the tubes and its dedicated power supply. The second Hashimoto choke transformer is served to feed the dual e-caps, feeding the rest of the power supply stages.

EVO PACKAGE :

For those pushing the limits of the 300B tubes -

1. Further upgrade with Hashimoto’s secret / proprietary 50W sized output transformers for PSET 300B application (This is the hidden best design for their own). This is also one of the best output transformers we measured and tested thru out the last few decades.

2. Remapped preamp / driver stages for further addition power (still running on the conservative numbers for durability and safety).

3. Beefed up each of the individual 300B’s power supply.

4. Retune and revoiced along with the new transformers.

5. Input caps upgraded to Mundorf’s EVO SILVER GOLD OIL Coupling Caps.

6. 300B coupling caps upgraded to Mundor’fs EVO SUPREME Silver Gold Coupling Caps.

7. New RSR EVO Power Supply Enhancement (Not available on previous RS/RSRs) , which have the additional Double-Pi DC Link Circuits on top of the each Dual Choke Transformers arrangement on other RS/RSR models, for further quieter operations , smoother start up and more efficient / stable operations. Two Rubycon USA 500V+ Ecaps and one Wima Germany DC Link 10 uf / 600V Cap is used on top of each (dual) choke transformers.

8. Furutech Carbon Fibre Binding Posts 0-4-8-16

9. Power is measured with a increase to 18W @ 8 ohms before distortions - 22-23W at Max with minimal distortions.

10. Input sensitivities : 1.25V @ 230K ohm