Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.
What reviewers think
Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.
What are hifi reviews useful for? (1) Identifying products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we often discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on most products—and are often apprehensive about publishing strong criticism or comparisons between products. Further, they seldom have more than a few products on-hand, often relying on their memories to compare past products. Always listen for yourself.
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300B Single Ended
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Manufacturer details
Features
Specifications
- Output power: 8W+8W (4-8Ω)
- Balanced headphone output: 4500MW+4500MW (32Ω)
- Single-ended headphone output: 1000MW+1000MW (32Ω)
- Frequency response: 20Hz ~ 50kHz (-1.5dB)
- Harmonic distortion: 0.5% (1kHz)
- Signal to noise ratio: 89dB
- Input sensitivity: 220mV
- Input impedance: 100kΩ
- Left and right output balance: <0.5dB
- Tubes: 2AU7 x2, 300B x2, 5U4G x1
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 360mm x 275mm x 170mm
- Net weight: 20kg
Description
The ORIGINAL tube amplifiers impress with their stylistic simplicity with modern accents and their sophisticated circuit layout. The two tube amplifiers OPA 2S and OPA 3S are timeless in design. The particularly elaborate and shapely tube protection round off the design experience.
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Brand highlights
Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:
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DESTINY EL34PLUS RC:
- Positioning: An entry-level tube amplifier offering warm sound with a refreshed, solid build.
- Description: Uses updated aluminum housing that minimizes vibration while preserving the tube's natural warmth, making it a practical choice for smaller rooms and budget setups. Compared to later models like the KT120SE or hybrids, it maintains essential tube characteristics without extra modern features, serving buyers who want classic tube sound at an affordable price.
DESTINY DC-222T MKII HYBRID AMPLIFIER:
- Positioning: A hybrid amplifier that blends tube preamplification with solid-state strength at a modest price.
- Description: Uses dual transformers with a tube-based preamplifier to deliver clear, direct sound similar to solid-state performance but with tube warmth. Compared to the simpler EL34PLUS RC, it introduces hybrid circuitry for improved accuracy and reliability.
ORIGINAL OPA 3A - 300B SINGLE ENDED TUBE AMPLIFIER:
- Positioning: A classic single-ended design that embodies timeless tube simplicity and sonic purity.
- Description: Uses premium 300B and 2AU7 tubes in a design that emphasizes traditional tube warmth and minimal processing. In contrast to more modern models like the KT120SE, it offers a straightforward, time-tested approach.
DESTINY KT120SE SINGLE ENDED TUBE AMPLIFIER:
- Positioning: A modern tube amplifier that integrates advanced features while preserving a traditional tube tone.
- Description: Features powerful KT120 tubes with selectable triode or ultra-linear modes and separate rectification for a precise power supply. Unlike the Original OPA 3A, it adds modern options such as Bluetooth connectivity and flexible operating modes.
DESTINY PURER 3.8 30TH ANNIVERSARY HYBRID AMPLIFIER:
- Positioning: A flagship hybrid amplifier that combines tube preamplification with high-power transistor output for ultimate flexibility.
- Description: Incorporates a monoblock design featuring a tube preamplifier paired with a transistor power section that automatically switches between Class A, A2, and AB modes to suit varying listening conditions. Compared to all other models in the lineup, it stands out by offering superior output power, advanced versatility, and robust performance.
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Avg. Product Price
$2,501-$5,000
Used For Sale
1
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Brand Popularity
555
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Products Listed
52
Founding Year
Our take on the brand
Destiny Audio creates amplifiers that deliver pristine, extended high frequencies and organic low-level dynamics reminiscent of high-end tube gear, often matching the performance of much more expensive equipment.
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Lab 12
Integre4 MK2
6490
6490
/
1
Reviews
Lab12 is a hifi brand known for their unique use of older Philips TDA1543 multi-bit chips in their DACs, which they implement in a distinctive way despite these chips typically being found in lower-cost devices. Their amplifiers and phono preamps feature Separate Rails, Separate Grounds technology and Fine Symmetry Design for enhanced channel separation, while offering extensive tube-rolling options for users who want to customize their sound.
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Product Strengths
- Sixty-five watts per channel provide plenty of power to drive many speakers
- Different output tubes can be used, such as EL-34s, KT-88s, 6550s, and KT-120s, as long as they are biased
- A built-in, high-quality current metering system allows for instant selectable anode current for biasing, making it a tube roller's dream
- The headphone amplifier uses the power amp's output stage instead of op-amps, making it smooth, detailed, and exhilarating
- Sounds warm and a little tubey, providing a musical and satisfying experience
Product Considerations
- Has five inputs, all unbalanced RCAs, with no inboard phono and no internal DAC
- No XLR compatibility
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Allnic Audio T-2000 integrated amplifier had a quartet of KT-170s, and it was one of the reviewer's three favorite integrated amplifiers of all time
- The sound with the EL-34s was more linear but somehow less interesting—less three-dimensional—when compared to the KT-150s
Takeaway: The Lab12 Integre4 is a well-made integrated amplifier that delivers a warm, huge, and detailed sound, making listening sessions memorable. With enough power to drive most speakers, it's a great way to attain joy and happiness at the same level as more expensive gear.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Lab12 is a hifi brand known for their unique use of older Philips TDA1543 multi-bit chips in their DACs, which they implement in a distinctive way despite these chips typically being found in lower-cost devices. Their amplifiers and phono preamps feature Separate Rails, Separate Grounds technology and Fine Symmetry Design for enhanced channel separation, while offering extensive tube-rolling options for users who want to customize their sound.
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EAR Yoshino
EAR 534
5756
5756
/
1
Reviews
A Push-pull power amplifier with 50 watts per channel stereo utilising eight EL34 (four per channel) into 4, 8 and 16 ohms. Self-biasing operations with balanced or unbalanced inputs. Chrome facia.
EAR Yoshino is a British hifi brand where each product is handmade from start to finish by a single engineer, with their amplifiers featuring a unique balanced bridge mode output stage design that assigns separate windings to each electrode on the output transformer. Their tube-based equipment, inspired by founder Tim de Paravicini's professional recording studio experience, is used by renowned artists like Pink Floyd and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.
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Our summary
Product Strengths
- More musically convincing, more detailed, more harmonious, more linear, and more transparent than any other similar EL34 design at any price.
- Piano music is most perfect and quick, with purity of tone and tambour with proper richness and speed.
- Silent with totally black backgrounds, micro and macro dynamics are unrestricted and natural.
- Reveals its glory quickly due to its transparency.
- Excellent fit and finish and it worked right out of the box.
Product Considerations
- Thick or lean sounding cables will make the 534 sound thick or lean, and it needs top-quality isolation and support.
- The reviewer recommends buying the 534 new as they haven't auditioned the original from the beginning of the century.
- The only major flaw is that it doesn't have 500 watts per channel, but a custom one can be ordered for a very high price.
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs E.A.R. 890: The 890 is more robust and powerful, but not more convincing if your speakers don't need the power.
- Vs Cary Audio Custom 300B: The 534 is vastly superior.
Takeaway: The E.A.R. 534 is a musically convincing and transparent amplifier that reveals nuances in music. It is easy to place, beautiful to look at, and can make vocals and piano sound exquisite.
Video review
Our take on the brand
EAR Yoshino is a British hifi brand where each product is handmade from start to finish by a single engineer, with their amplifiers featuring a unique balanced bridge mode output stage design that assigns separate windings to each electrode on the output transformer. Their tube-based equipment, inspired by founder Tim de Paravicini's professional recording studio experience, is used by renowned artists like Pink Floyd and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.
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What competes at this price?
Leben
CS-300x(s) Pre-Main
4795
/
Released
CS-300X(S) is equipped with SOVTEK Tube EL-84 which has been welknown by audiophiles for its high sound quality against its small size. A high input sensitivity of EL84 does not require a complicated circuit and accordingly, it can create a low distortion output signal.
Leben is a hifi brand known for its hand-built amplifiers that use rare vacuum tubes like the NOS GE JAN 6197 and 17EW8, which create a distinctive sound signature. Their amplifiers require unusually long run-in times of up to 600 hours and offer unique tube-swapping flexibility, allowing users to fine-tune their sound to their preferences.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Beautifully constructed with a distinctly vintage look and high-quality components, offering pride of ownership
- Sweet sounding amplifier with a lovely clear presentation and great tonal character
- Provides a rich valve fluidity and charm, making music a wonderful experience from any angle
- Has a bass boost selector which gives users the option of boosting the bass response by 0, +3 or +5dB
- Point-to-point soldering
Product Considerations
- Only 15W of power, requiring careful speaker selection based on sensitivity and room size
- Does not have a phono stage built-in, so a separate phono stage is required for vinyl
- Lacks remote control
- Some audiophiles might find it 'dull', 'lacking detail', or even 'sluggish'
- Gets quite hot, so needs space around it
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Leben CS600: Noticeably lacking the CS600's wide-open presence and rock solid imaging
- Compared to a similarly priced solid-state amp, instruments had a depth and sense of solidity, fullness and presence that simply made them seem more real
- Vs Unison Research amp: The Unison Research sounded faster and more open and dynamic
Takeaway: The Leben CS300XS brings valve goodness to music with its beautiful design and clear sound, making it a great starting point for a cracking system. It focuses on the music, offering a wonderful listening experience.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Leben is a hifi brand known for its hand-built amplifiers that use rare vacuum tubes like the NOS GE JAN 6197 and 17EW8, which create a distinctive sound signature. Their amplifiers require unusually long run-in times of up to 600 hours and offer unique tube-swapping flexibility, allowing users to fine-tune their sound to their preferences.
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Fezz
Mira Ceti 300B
4795
/
Released
2022
The Mira Ceti 300B is one of the few Single Ended (SE) tube amplifiers in the world made with toroidal speaker transformers.
Fezz Audio distinguishes itself by being the first to implement toroidal output transformers in single-ended tube amplifiers, a design choice that enhances efficiency and reduces noise. Their Evolution series, developed in collaboration with the KABO & PYDO design studio, has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the Red Dot Design Award.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Beautiful and elegant design and high build quality
- Delivers a true single-ended triode sound field, offering enormous delicacy and a full organic sound presentation
- Simplifies the process of using tube amplifiers with automatic bias control
- Sound is concentrated in the midrange, dense, saturated, and organic
- Offers a variety of color options without an extra cost
Product Considerations
- Requires careful speaker matching
- The on/off switch's location on the back might be awkward
- The acrylic glass on the front of the tube cage might be scratched easily and its mounting is questionable
- May not be ideal for hard rock due to a tendency to smooth out some of the pain
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Unison Research Triode 25: The Unison has more interesting, bolder, more dynamic, transparent, and engaging sound
- Vs Unison Research Preludio: The Mira Ceti has better design, build quality, and sound performance
Takeaway: The Mira Ceti 300B is a beautiful amplifier that provides a delicate and organic sound, especially when paired with the right speakers. It's a great option for anyone looking for a quality tube amplifier.
Video review
Our take on the brand
Fezz Audio distinguishes itself by being the first to implement toroidal output transformers in single-ended tube amplifiers, a design choice that enhances efficiency and reduces noise. Their Evolution series, developed in collaboration with the KABO & PYDO design studio, has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the Red Dot Design Award.
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EAR Yoshino
EAR 834
4939
/
Released
Push-pull stereo integrated amplifier. 50 Watts per channel into 4, 8, or 16 Ohms. Uses 6L6, EL34, or KT66 output tubes. Self-biasing. Six line inputs and one tape output.
EAR Yoshino is a British hifi brand where each product is handmade from start to finish by a single engineer, with their amplifiers featuring a unique balanced bridge mode output stage design that assigns separate windings to each electrode on the output transformer. Their tube-based equipment, inspired by founder Tim de Paravicini's professional recording studio experience, is used by renowned artists like Pink Floyd and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Very fine sense of detail, especially in the midrange and treble
- Forward presentation makes instrumentalists and vocalists seem to step out in front of the speakers
- The controls have a luscious feel
- The amplifier is beautifully made with that thick gleaming fascia exciting unequivocal admiration
- Rhythmic nuances and microdynamics propelled musical lines along with foot tapping gusto
Product Considerations
- There's a small degree of hum from the mains transformer
- Can be fatiguing to listen to for long periods, especially with aggressive recordings
- Lacks the last word in texture and extension in the bass
- Doesn't present sharply defined three-dimensional images
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Blue Circle BC3/BC3.1 and Muse 150 monoblock amps, EAR 834 has softer and less extended bass, slightly less overall detail and clarity, and a somewhat foreshortened soundstage
- Vs E.A.R. 802 preamp combined with a CLASSÉ CA 100 amplifier, the 802/CA 100 combination was quite similar in sound to the 834
Takeaway: The EAR 834 is beautifully made, looks great, and has a special sound that can really draw you into the music and make you feel like you are there. It is an integrated amplifier with a design that invites extended listening sessions.
Video review
Our take on the brand
EAR Yoshino is a British hifi brand where each product is handmade from start to finish by a single engineer, with their amplifiers featuring a unique balanced bridge mode output stage design that assigns separate windings to each electrode on the output transformer. Their tube-based equipment, inspired by founder Tim de Paravicini's professional recording studio experience, is used by renowned artists like Pink Floyd and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.
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McIntosh
MHA200 (75th Anniversary Edition)
2800
/
Released
2021
The MHA200 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amplifier is designed for discerning headphone enthusiasts who demand the most from their headphones. Its versatile set of connectivity options, including balanced inputs and outputs, allows for nearly all headphone types to be connected to enjoy an extraordinary personal listening experience.
McIntosh is one of the most iconic amplifier brands in the world, recognizable for its signature blue LED displays and distinctive industrial design. With a legacy spanning decades, McIntosh is known to many, even outside the audiophile community, and is sold in both mass-market retailers and specialized hifi stores. Their amplifiers are characterized by a warm, tube-like sound that enriches the midrange and smooths out the overall tonal balance.
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Our Summary
Product Strengths
- A lovely, lush sounding performance that's hard to dislike and sounds smooth but far from lifeless, delivering high levels of detail in a cohesive and musical manner
- A sympathetic performer, it prefers to play to its inferior partnering equipment's strengths than overly expose their weaknesses, as many hifi audio examples tend to do
- It can cater for a wide range of headphones and connections and it is a benchmark product that's highly recommended
- Zero musical flaws to report and is nearly perfect in execution
- A stunning design to the eye and ear, it is overall a wonderful addition for the perfectionist who wants the very best performance at home or even in the studio
Product Considerations
- The volume control operation lacks linearity, making it hard to make subtle changes in level
- No input selector, so one should only connect one type at once
- On some samples, the volume control is loose and wiggles in its chassis housing
- The octal AC socket is a bit of an odd choice, considering most users might prefer IEC
- The depth, snap and weight of the low end was dynamic and exciting on some recordings and less than stellar on others
Comparisons (according to reviewers)
- Vs Musical Fidelity M1 HPA—the MHA200 has a lush warmness to the music that brings strings to life in a way that makes the M1 HPA sound somewhat sterile in comparison
- Vs EAR Yoshino HP-4 reference—the MHA200 was a touch brighter than the reference, though only slightly
Takeaway: The MHA200 is an enjoyable product with a rich, balanced, and powerful sound, that's more forgiving than most rivals and can be enjoyed for years to come. This headphone amp is perfect for personal listening, design, and operation that will work its magic.
Video review
Our take on the brand
McIntosh is one of the most iconic amplifier brands in the world, recognizable for its signature blue LED displays and distinctive industrial design. With a legacy spanning decades, McIntosh is known to many, even outside the audiophile community, and is sold in both mass-market retailers and specialized hifi stores. Their amplifiers are characterized by a warm, tube-like sound that enriches the midrange and smooths out the overall tonal balance.
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McIntosh
MHA200
2800
/
Released
2021
The MHA200 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amplifier is designed for discerning headphone enthusiasts who demand the most from their headphones. Its versatile set of connectivity options, including balanced inputs and outputs, allows for nearly all headphone types to be connected to enjoy an extraordinary personal listening experience.
McIntosh is one of the most iconic amplifier brands in the world, recognizable for its signature blue LED displays and distinctive industrial design. With a legacy spanning decades, McIntosh is known to many, even outside the audiophile community, and is sold in both mass-market retailers and specialized hifi stores. Their amplifiers are characterized by a warm, tube-like sound that enriches the midrange and smooths out the overall tonal balance.
Expand Details
Our Summary
Product Strengths
- Delivers a lovely, lush-sounding performance that is hard to dislike, described as smooth but far from lifeless, delivering high levels of detail in a cohesive and musical manner
- Creates an astonishing space and three dimensionality to the sound, reminiscent of high-end systems
- Features a rich, balanced, and powerful sound that is more forgiving than most rivals
- Superbly made and engineered with solid casework
- Largely unphased by most headphones and can drive a wide range of headphones
Product Considerations
- Volume control operation lacks linearity, making subtle changes in level difficult
- Really needs a balanced source and headphones to deliver its best performance
- Has no input switching, so balanced XLR and single-ended RCA inputs cannot be used simultaneously
- Lacks a remote control for volume adjustment
Takeaway: The MHA200 is a well-built headphone amplifier that delivers a refined and musical listening experience with a spacious soundstage. It is ideal for users who want a dedicated headphone amplifier and appreciate the rich sound of tubes.
Video review
Our take on the brand
McIntosh is one of the most iconic amplifier brands in the world, recognizable for its signature blue LED displays and distinctive industrial design. With a legacy spanning decades, McIntosh is known to many, even outside the audiophile community, and is sold in both mass-market retailers and specialized hifi stores. Their amplifiers are characterized by a warm, tube-like sound that enriches the midrange and smooths out the overall tonal balance.
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