The Willsenton R300 Integrated Amp Review. Simply Stunning Single Ended Triode.

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Written Review: bit.ly/3ylOfLp
My Website: www.stevehuffphoto.com
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Today I review the Willsenton R300 Tube Amp. This is a beautiful hand made amp that is gorgeous in looks, has a beautiful auto paint finish, is hand wired, is silent as a mouse without hum or buzzing, and even comes with a remote. This is a dream amp for those with easy to drive speakers. Horns, Klipsch or even if your speakers are 90db efficient or better you can reap the benefits of this amp.
The is a single ended triode tube amp and uses the magical 300B tube. This integrated has tremendous bass energy as well as a big large warm midrange that creates vocals in the room. For under $1500 I declared this amp my BEST BUY of 2022 and possibly the best Integrated amp on Amazon Prime!
Enjoy!
Media Contact/Review Contact: [e-mail]

[@joenovak6393]

As an owner of 2 Willsenton R300's, "Skunkie Designs Electronics" has posted design issues (Power Supply board?) with this Amp. Willsenton has pulled the R300 and she is working with Willsenton on a fix. Would like to inform the community to those who own or future buyers.

[@dougg1075]

That is beautiful! Loving my my Willsenton R8 with Heresy IV.

[@mnmlist1454]

Thank you for reviewing the more affordable stuff as well. Love your channel.

[@davidstein9129]

Thank You for this informative, detailed, easy to follow review on this great amp.

[@liamporter1137]

So keen to know more about this amp. Thanks for sharing. Great review.

[@michaelbooth6007]

Great review!

[@splaff79]

So glad one of the big reviewers has finally caught on to this gem. It’s an absolute steal. With a pair of Klipsch heritage speakers, this thing will get plenty loud in a medium sized room and sounds absolutely fantastic with jazz, acoustic and female vocals

[@maximas76able]

Would I need a dac to run this amp? Or straight to cd player or computer would be ok? If a dac would be needed why?

[@splaff79]

@@maximas76able yes you would need something with analog outs

[@maximas76able]

@@splaff79 ok thank you.

[@larrywe3320]

That 4 piece system for $3K is a winner for most of us... Thanks

[@PetraKann]

8W is more than enough for domestic applications. There are vacuum tube amps that are rated at 2W per channel (and more expensive than the R300B) Willsenton make some Gem amps for the price. It's the tubes that can break your budget🤑 (Harley Davidson make bikes in China)

[@brianlewis5042]

Great review. I knew that the sound would wonderful. Just curious, did you do any tube rolling and if so, which set did you prefer. Tubes and high efficiency speakers = beautiful sounds.

[@robertwang7825]

If your spkrs need more power , then the R800i SET class A 50W will be more suitable. It sells for US1500 in China. Amazing deal for a class A amp. If your budget can stretch then roll the tubes and its world class.

[@welderfixer]

Drooling here!!

[@voodooyoudo1]

Great review! What dimensions do you consider a medium size room?

[@winchwhip]

Thanks for the great review! How would you say the R300 compares to the Boyuurange A50?

[@davidstein9129]

I have a quite lively pair of Totem Acoustic Tribe Floorstander Speakers. I am wondering if my speakers will pair well with this beautiful amp? My room is fairly small. I listen to pop music, folk, New Age, light classical, R&B & Soul. I never play my system louder than 50 db.

[@johnnguyen6026]

With inefficient speakers 6ohms nominal and 86db ( Elac Debut B6 ) would this amp do or will the higher wattage R800 be better? I like listening to vocals and jazz.

[@soohehleh6037]

Sir, can you please do a review of Cayin A88T, I eager to know how you would think about them comparing to willsenton R8 or this 300B. Thank you in advance.

[@winchwhip]

Would you know how the R300 compares sonically to the coincident Frankenstein 300B amp. Trying to decide between these two 300B amps. I’m familiar with how the R300 sounds but not the Frankenstein. Thanks for your time!

[@vicentvanmole]

Did you experience any switching popping noise while changing input selectors or on /off ? thanks

[@filmstylehd]

I am wondering if you have ever reviewed any of the balanced audio Technologies Equipment

[@fernandoinocian2510]

Can you do a review on the Willsenton r-35i el34

[@2ridiculous41]

You had Unos!!!??? I love those

[@davidstein9129]

If the unit does hum, where are the screws I need to turn to stop the noise?

[@argusargus2500]

Hi I've had this amp for about 4 months, it's really great. I replaced the original 300B tubes with Gold lion PX300B and the sound has changed a lot for the better. I play through a speaker with a sensitivity of 100 db. I have one small complaint about the amplifier, it is not quiet, I can hear 50 Hz in the speaker and even the lamps growl a bit. Changing the power lamps would help. Thank you for answer. Roman

[@HiFiHuff]

You may have DC on your line. This will cause buzzing in the transformer. If you have a ground loop issue, you will hear a buzz from the speakers. The one I have here is 100% dead silent. The power coming into our house can cause buzz, hum, etc. Conditioners will not fix this, but DC blockers and regenerators can.

[@startmeupaudio2235]

I just got mine this weekend - can't stop listening.Silent. But I did have a scratched remote and a weird blemish to the front panel - but hey ho...the import duties were only £81...much cheaper than expected.

[@DDuck777]

Where did you order from? Did you have to ask them to mark the price down.

[@brendanliddell240]

Thanks for the review. I've been looking at this for a while. Can you please comment on the headphone output? Would you recommend this as a headphone amplifier, or mostly for speakers? I'm hoping this could be used to pair with a Gustard R26 DAC and Sennheiser HD800S headphones.

[@st.michael9708]

Hi Brendan, I use the Shure SRH1540 Headphones, they are 46 Ohm, the Sound Quality with my R300 is excellent ! Your Sennheiser HD800S are 300 Ohm, I suspect that the R300 delivers enough Juice to drive them more than satisfactory.

[@spvlinn9009]

Great review! A pair of we 300b tube costs $1500 alone. It will be very interesting with that 10% transparency improvement wearing these, which you will pick this or Denise had?

[@HiFiHuff]

The Dennis Had is a hand made, hand wired amp created buy a legend in the audio world. It's a work of art. The Inspire amp is much more transparent as well. With the WE tubes it's $4k. The Willsenton is a beefier sounding amp but still has that 300B sound. Of course, sensitive speakers are required to get the most from any 300B amp.

[@sharms888]

Can you use this amp with the Buchardt S400 MKII

[@AnunakiAtlantis]

This is China Tube AMPS But amazing. I had another model from this brand.

[@fuqingshen]

How will this amp compare to the Willsenton R800?

[@urbenkam]

Amazing review. Question sir I have got dynaudio evoke 10 with sensitivity of 84. Do you think it won’t work on desktop near field setup? If not which speakers would you recommend for desktop setup plzzz

[@McgarickWAstate]

most of the magic will be ate up IMO

[@AudioElectronicsChicago]

Beauty

[@arliecrumpler3213]

The 5u4g rectifier tubes don't last. Mine lasted about 3 months. China HiFi was great and very honest about these tubes failing. They replaced them within a week with 274b tubes and I haven't had anymore problems since. There was no change in sound quality and I absolutely love this amplifier. I bought it directly from China HiFi and saved at least $375 as compared to Amazon. It was very easy to set up a user account with China HiFi and they are very quick to respond to questions or concerns.

[@user-ff8ww8bq9q]

New units from China HiFi as of Jan 2023 come with 274B rectifier tubes standard instead of 5u4g...Maybe because of stability issues. Also agree, this amp is amazing.

[@rmzidann]

It’s not the tube’s problem. The amp is poorly designed and blows rectified tubes. You are not the only one

[@markfogarty6749]

I have a single ended Reisong/ Boyurange A20 using KT88 as power tubes, outputs 9 Watts into my monitor Audio studio S20se speakers & has all the qualities you speak about, full & glorious sound, plenty loud in a small 10 x 17ft room. Sounds better than my 5 grand pre amp power amp set up

[@klepp19]

Hey Mark, is your Reisong modded?

[@maximas76able]

Do you use a dac mark if so what one?

[@V1ralB1ack]

simpler circuit. Pure open sound. Hard if impossible to beat

[@klepp19]

@@V1ralB1ack which one are you talking about? Reisong A12?

[@V1ralB1ack]

@@klepp19 Set amps like the a12, a20 and 300b set are all simpler in the best way. Each channel (left and right) is amplified by 1 tube each. Solid state amps and class ab amps push and pull the signal ripping it and then putting it back together. This creates problems but allows more power. Set amps generally have less power than push pull but that's okay because speakers generally don't use much power and power usage goes up exponentially so the push pull won't play more than slightly louder at the max volume but will sound considerably worse.

[@craigosterberg5045]

Thank you

[@cybergod77]

thks for the review. Wondering why there's no auto biasing for their amps?

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

AITO BIAS !!!!!

[@RumblestripDotNet]

While they have been out for a bit and reviewed for others, I'd love to see if you could get some Van Alstine products in for review.

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

Agree .................Frank VA build great amplifiers !

[@V1ralB1ack]

I bought this amp the moment it came out. It's my favorite amp ever. Currently it's powering my ls50s and has also powered my tekton towers and my polk legend l200s. And it powers my HD58x jubilee headphones to sound better than headphones I own costing 5x more

[@maximas76able]

How did it pair with your tektons I have some 95db Tekton mlores coming and really think this amp could be the one.

[@V1ralB1ack]

@@maximas76able the pairing should be great just don't hook it up to the 4 ohm tap. Stick with the 8. Your tektons will sing

[@scarecrow9046]

No one talks about the headphone amp.Does this amp handle headphones good?I been wanting a tube amp that also does well with headphones I’m currently using the sennheiser 660S and I love them. I also would be running the Lintons with it also. So what do you think?

[@maximas76able]

@@V1ralB1ack how much does it cost to replace the tubes and how long do the tubes last for. Thanks!

[@V1ralB1ack]

@@maximas76able 10 years on the 300b power tubes, 3 years on all the other tubes.

[@bojanpounarov2561]

Hi together, how is this amp workling with headphones? Can it be also used with low impedance headphones like Meze 109 Pros or Meze Elites?

[@lattugatartaruga]

the manual shows output impedance of the headphone amp: 8-300ohm - I have tested headphones: Argon mk3 (50ohm), Hifiman Sundara (37ohm), Koss ksc75 (60ohm) - iem's: Sony mh755 (24ohm i think?) and even the high sensitivity Campfire Audio Andromeda (12.8ohm-112.8dB) and they all sound great with a zero noise/hiss black background - even with the Andromeda. I do not listen at high volumes so I never felt the need to go far past the 9 o'clock on the volume knob. Believe it or not, the Koss sound incredible on this amp. I do not have the headphones you mentioned, however, in terms of power, this amp will do. Whether or not there will be synergy, that's another story. Hope this helps.

[@scottchegg1209]

Ming da best Chinese 300b transformers awesome. Run mine with pavane acme 300b

[@stephenforfa2822]

Where did you buy those floor lights on each side of your equipment cabinet?

[@fonzcarrillo3355]

I found similar ones on Amazon. Modem floor lamps.

[@jeangauthier2005]

those my proac response 3.8 at 89db can fit with the 300b from willsenton

[@cirrus1964]

No!

[@douxreveur131]

Does Willsenton sell a kit with all the replacement tubes? How often should they be changed? I'm wondering because I found that the complete change would cost about 500 dollars at TAD in Germany (I'm in France).

[@maximas76able]

Id like to know the same thing but im in canada how much is the replacment tubes? Thanks!

[@douxreveur131]

@@maximas76able Hi. About 500 US dollars I think. My speakers are Totem Staff made in Canada ;)

[@maximas76able]

@@douxreveur131 hey thanks man!

[@filmstylehd]

I am running a bat 56SE and a bat 33SE preamp. With Cornwall 4 speakers.

[@scottchegg1209]

I have Cornwall 4, Zu druid 4, spatial m3s hologram. Amps leben cs300xs, audio note p1se signature ming da 300b, ming da KT 150, music first reference pre.

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

And invite batman ..............

[@welshrarebit9238]

300B amps and Zu are a great match

[@neilfisher7999]

Interesting. I have DWs and have considered a tube amp. This one seems like a relatively affordable option. I have also considered Primaluna, which are more expensive.

[@aaronh888]

Decware makes the 6w SE34I.6 for only a couple hundred more. Although I guess its not 300B?

[@dddtriple]

300B is 300B plus the Decware waitlist is stupidly long about 1 to 2 years out at the moment 😂

[@joshuaschneck]

Anybody try upgrading the capacitors on this amp??

[@YouSoundButtHurt]

Will you be comparing this to the Dennis Had I saw in one of your shorts?

[@MusicLover-01]

The reap question is, did you try swapping out the 300b tubes for Western Electric and preamp tubes for NOS and compare the sound to the Dennis Had amp? If not would you be willing to try it?

[@jasonyang3589]

Curious about this as well. Pls test

[@hamzatatta952]

what Is the name of the speaker cable, that sounds beautiful

[@cirrus1964]

speaker cable don't sound, they conduct!

[@2HatHudders]

Would love a sound demo to demonstrate the differences between a modern tube amp like the R8 compared the R300 to distinguish the difference with the Set Class A 300b amps. This R300 shows they are also making better looking amps too, it looks stunning. Significantly better in appearance compared to the R8 and I love my R8. Great review as always.

[@V1ralB1ack]

your r8 should sound better than solid state amps costing multiple times it's cost. the 300b will have a spooky clean midrange and and a much sweeter sound. Set amps have unbelievable midrange, transparency, big natural sound. Your r8 is a class ab push pull. It will sacrifice a lot of those things for more power.

[@2HatHudders]

@@V1ralB1ack thank you for these comments. Very helpful

[@charleskatz2606]

Huh?You owned Avantegardes and didn't keep them?Love to have a head to head vs the current DeVilles or the Klipsch's

[@HiFiHuff]

That was 20+ years ago. The very 1st version when all that was out was the Uno and Duo. I went to Kevin Deals house (where he started his shop) and bought his demos for $6500. They were nice, but not the be all end all. Had some horn honk, bass was weak, and they were hard to place in a room.

[@recordcollectornews]

ok im in

[@MegaPete]

Looks nice

[@HiFiHuff]

Thanks Peter!

[@robertwang7825]

The people that make the Willsenton are supposedly the same ppl as Line Magnetic , based in Zhuhai , GD province in Southern China , close to Macau. That’s why the product is very reliable.

[@therevrockinrollin]

Are some levels of LM made in the US still? Great review.

[@robertwang7825]

@@therevrockinrollin I don’t think they were ever made in the US. As far asI know , 2 brothers formed Line Magnetic in China. Tube amps is very labor intensive , requires a lot of hand soldering and accuracy. It can only be done cheaply in China. Even Prima Lunas are made by them and maybe some other brands too.

[@therevrockinrollin]

@@robertwang7825 I’m getting them confused with someone else. Thank you.

[@mrmaschinaadventures]

@@robertwang7825 Yes, Prima Luna is made by the Cayin company here in China. Cheers

[@dddtriple]

I think they use the Willsenton brand just to keep the local LM dealers happy 😅

[@jasonhodges6113]

Has anyone ever used the Willsenton R300, R8, 800i (or any other brands for that matter) as a POWER AMP and not as a full integrated? In general, reviewers seem to simply mention that capability in passing, but I'd really be interested in anyone with experience doing this. Thanks in advance.

[@chrisbrant6596]

I use a tube preamp w aux and phono stage into the preamp input and it sounds amazing thru my LaScala Al5's.

[@jasonhodges6113]

@@chrisbrant6596 Thanks for the reply Chris. I have a solid state integrated amplifier - Peachtree Nova300 - but want to try tubes. I can use the Nova's preamp out to run one of the Willsenton's, but before I did that I wanted some sort of affirmation that works well - so thanks. What I'd love to try is the opposite... Tube Class-A preamp and solid state amplifier. That's supposed to be the best of both worlds.

[@j.craigh.3480]

I know you said high efficiency speakers. My Elac uni-fi 2.0 UB52 are impedance 6 ohms and sensitivity 85 db. Do you think this amp will pair well or are my speakers not sensitive enough?

[@armandseglitis6297]

No, but Willsenton R8 will drive them perfectly.

[@j.craigh.3480]

@@armandseglitis6297 thanks!

[@johnshore3095]

How loud do you listen and how close to the speakers? 1 watt will get 85dB at 1m 2 watts + 3dB 4 watts + 3 dB 8 watts + 3dB So if close 1m and less than 90 dB you should be ok.. Or buy efficient speakers. I have my KEF LS50s driven by a class A Musical Fidelity A1 20Watts on my desk.. but 0.7 m from speaker to ear.

[@j.craigh.3480]

@@johnshore3095 I listen about 1.8 meters away and not too loud. I doubt I reach 85 db in my room.

[@1324390]

I have the very same Elac UB52s hooked up to the Willsenton R8, which puts out 25W x 2 in triode mode or 45W x 2 in ultralinear mode. They sound fantastic. The R8 is similarly priced as the R300 except it's not a Class A amp.

[@robertendsley8312]

What is the difference between the Willsenton R8 and Willsenton 300.

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

First amp is a push pull class AB ( beam power tetrode ) and the latter is a single ended pure class A .......( triode )

[@sammys7518]

@@frankgeeraerts6243 Pure is a relative term. I designed a PP pure triode amp that is more pure than any SET amp due to SET's inherent problems/weaknesses.

[@funkyfurballs1078]

The LSA VT-70 is also a bargain...

[@merodig]

i heard that SET amps halve power at the bass end so 4W to the bottom end... I think 93db speakers need about 20W.

[@davidstein9129]

What does the term "rolled off' mean?

[@sammys7518]

It means less. For instance, if the highs are rolled off then as the frequencies rise into the highs, the sound will sound less and less loud. If the bass is rolled off, then as one goes lower in the bass, the bass sounds less and less loud. Hope this helps.

[@davidstein9129]

@@sammys7518 Thanks, That does help. This means that the term "rolled off" is highly subjective & needs to be made clearer ( Ex, "Slightly rolled off")

[@tonyhodgkinson4586]

I just looked on Amazon here in the uk, £4752 no way, far too expensive

[@101DV]

That is from a 'just launched' store on Amazon - that are usually suspicious/rip-offs. It isn't directly available in the UK - would have to been imported from Aliexpress etc for about £1245+ VAT with free shipping.

[@st.michael9708]

Hi Tony, buy it direct from China - HiFi, You will not get it cheaper ! Around GBP 1150.- All inclusive. ( except the Tories destroy the Pound again, the You will pay more )

[@Armanx11]

anyone try this amp with wharfedale evo 4.3?

[@cirrus1964]

No!

[@mr.b5583]

This is priced at 1900 CAD now on amazon!😢

[@xstensl8823]

Rega RS1 90db

[@robertendsley8312]

What is the difference between the R8 and the R300?

[@st.michael9708]

Hi Robert, the Willsenton R8 is push-pull A-B Amplificationwith Phase Splitting, the R300 is pure Class a, no Phase Splitting,the R300 sounds better with Stock Tubes as the R8 with upgradeTubes ( I have both Amps ! ) but the R300 needs efficient Speakers,92 db per 1 Watt or more !

[@sharms888]

@@st.michael9708 Which amp has stronger tighter bass ?

[@klepp19]

I own the Cayin CS-300b integrated. I wonder if the Willsenton is better?

[@ptg01]

If I recall correctly, most Cayin amps are AB's. Cayin is a much more well established brand too especially in Canada.

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

No it's not. It's made at the same factory. But the cayin has much better parts and layout.

[@klepp19]

@@AudioheavenDenmark Thanks for sharing!😊

[@philippembroke6739]

Cayin and Prima Luna are manufactured in Zuhai by Spark Audio.

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

@@philippembroke6739 and many more

[@JingoLoBa57]

And what is the difference between this and the far cheaper Reisong A50 Mk III?

[@dddtriple]

Point to point wiring and larger (and supposedly better) irons

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

Rubbish and faulty build/engineered amp !

[@JingoLoBa57]

@@frankgeeraerts6243 which one?

[@maxc7903]

I have A50 for over a year and bought R300 (2 weeks ago) Actually I am very surprised and confused, because A50 is so much better, more natural, relax, sweet sounding, more meat on the bone but R300 is way to bright and thin but with bigger soundstage and more details but is bright so it gets actually annoying. Difference is big…and it’s favour A50, I am wondering why, what I don’t know?

[@yellowswan64]

Why anyone would buy an amp if totally expecting the transformer will hum and the sound will be muffled and dull😅

[@dougmoore224]

Hmmm.....what has a more natural sound....the decware or the willsenton r300

[@DAVID-io9nj]

Just wish I could consider $1500 as "affordable". What is NOT affordable to you guys? That is a serious question.

[@saint6563]

It's a 300B SET integrated amp. Price others in this specific class of audio gear & "affordable" will become readily apparent.

[@V1ralB1ack]

it's a 300b amp. They go $10k-20k. This is a steal

[@HiFiHuff]

It's affordable in the realm of HiFi. Many 300b amps are $10k and up. You can get one for $4k, made in the USA but it is not an integrated. These days most really high quality integrated amps range from $6k and up to the stratosphere. In the realm of 300b integrated amps this is very affordable for the quality it brings.

[@dougg1075]

I know what you saying man. I’ve saved for a lot of my stuff over the years. It’s all in how bad you want it:)

[@douxreveur131]

My concern is the cost of replacing the lamps, about $500 for the whole set. I don't know if you have to change everything every time and how long the tubes of this beautiful amplifier last, which I also envy ! :)

[@steveee2511]

these vs primaluna vs cayin

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

Toyota vs Honda ...

[@cyphermote6857]

@@frankgeeraerts6243: When Honda wants to, they can make a product that sits in the league of a Merc or BMW. There is no audio equivalent of this.

[@gtrguyinaz]

Too low output and dampening for my dynaudio C5s… I prefer tube HYBRED preamp..

[@davij2727]

How authentic is this review? Someone who gets nonstop reviews sounds like paid reviews.

[@user-ff8ww8bq9q]

Probably but what's he's saying is true. I've got one, this amp is amazing with any genre once you swap the electron tubes.

[@davij2727]

@@user-ff8ww8bq9q how much did that run you?

[@user-ff8ww8bq9q]

@@davij2727 I purchased direct from China HiFi. I think it was about $1400 AU. I also purchased a somef tubes a cable and other gear. It's a really great amp IMO but I have not much to compare it too

[@robertyoung1777]

Take all reviewers with a grain of salt.

[@maxc7903]

I have A50 for over a year and bought R300 (2 weeks ago) Actually I am very surprised and confused, because A50 is so much better, more natural, relax, sweet sounding, more meat on the bone but R300 is way to bright and thin but with bigger soundstage and more details but is bright so it gets actually annoying. Difference is big…and it’s favour A50, I am wondering why, what I don’t know?

[@sopealay6863]

I had the same experience as you did with the R300. I was ready to return the unit after about 2 weeks into it, if it were not for the expense of return it would have been gone. A little over a month with the amp now and it really has settled in, the sound is big and bold, sweet in the highs and not fatiguing or bright, although it lacks a bit of detail I am very happy witht how it turned out. But looking back I have never found this amp bright in sound signature. Maybe a source or dac issue.

[@maxc7903]

@@sopealay6863 You were absolutely right, I changed the silver cables to copper ones and it eliminated the harsh sounding high tones. The copper ones don't sound as lively and clear, and not as airy, but they sound much more natural and thicker. After two months, the R300 already sounds much better than the A50 MkII. In a few days, the Denafrips Pontus 2 12th will arrive, and we'll see how it affects the overall sound :)

[@sopealay6863]

@Max c I must say you are in for a treat, I also have purchased the Pontus 2 12th edition. My first amp (Yaqin mc 100B) was rather bright sounding, hence the need for the R300 but after the introduction of the Pontus all the brightness went away and the detail, imaging and Soundstage appeared. I love my pontus and I feel it has been the best purchased for my system. Do give the Pontus some time to settle in also. Happy listening.

[@duylevan985]

@@sopealay6863 I just received it 2 days ago, I combined with gustard R26 and U18+ B&W 705 s3, how long do you think it will take to make the sound better?

[@michaelborza734]

Lol, word...made in ...

[@edwardbit8225]

Unique sound signature of a SET amp? what is this? any data,frequesncy response,Sinad,etc to confirm this?

[@sammys7518]

Typical SET amps tend to roll off in the highs and bass. That causes the midrange to be predominant.