GOLDEN VOICE 2A3C
Given the unusual times we now live in and the Chinese New Year celebrated just a couple of days ago, I think this is a fitting upload because according to legend, firecrackers are used to chase away evil spirits!😉
About a year ago, I ordered a matched pair of Golden Voice 2A3Cs from AliExpress priced a little below $100, shipped. Within two weeks of receipt, one tube started arcing. I sent the above TV7 test video to the seller.
I was instructed to send a video of the defective tube getting smashed - good outlet for stress management.😆 A replacement GV2A3C arrived within two weeks after I paid the requisite $1.02 processing fee. This time the other tube started arcing. I did the whole routine again + $1.02 and waited another two weeks for the replacement. As luck would have it, in due time, that replacement tube started arcing as well.
At this point, the seller implied that perhaps I was a newbie and not handling the tube properly. Politely, I introduced myself as an experienced DIYer and directed him to this blog. The seller became friendlier and offered to send a matched pair of PSVane 2A3Cs as replacement. He also apologized in advance that I'd have to fork out a $5 processing fee. Disappointed by the high failure rate, I was actually negotiating for a full refund but according to him it was way past deadline, so to keep things simple, I accepted his offer.
I'm happy to report that this pair of PSVanes has been making music reliably since May of 2024!
SOVTEK 2A3 (mid 2000s)
This pair of Sovtek 2A3s have been trouble free since I acquired them in the mid aughts. If I'm forced to nitpick audiophile-style, if a typical American 2A3 is at the middle of the spectrum, the Chinese 2A3s tend on the bright side whereas the Sovtek is a bit darker.
The only issue I've had was, a tube base came loose on one of my Sovteks. Krazy Glue cyanoacrylate used to be my old standby for this kind of repair. However, in recent years, I've found that Titebond hide glue + rubber bands and a 24 hour curing time has proven to be more effective.
Monty Alexander Trio via Sovtek 2A3s!
Chinese bi-plate 2A3
In the early 90s, I used to pick up Chinese (Shuguang?) bi-plate 2A3s cheaply (~ $12/pr. if memory serves?) because I befriended a Jolida employee at their head office in Annapolis Junction MD, which was located in the same Industrial Park as Angela Instruments. These 2A3s looked like substandard copies of RCA gray bi-plates, albeit with shinier and lighter colored plates, but could withstand 18W plate dissipation and sounded quite decent. As I made connections in the hamfest and radio show circles, I was able to obtain reasonably priced American 2A3s. In hindsight, I should have kept a pair of those Chinese bi-plates for posterity. Heck, I can't even find pictures in my files. 😔
SHUGUANG 2A3B
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| Shuguang 2A3B |
Meanwhile, out of my frustration with the GV2A3Cs yet undeterred by my satisfactory experience with my 2A3Bs, I took a chance on a pair of recently manufactured Shuguang 2A3Bs for $75 pair, shipped! As soon as they arrived, both failed the shorts test on my TV7. I sent the above video to the seller and requested a return. No questions asked, a return authorization was sent immediately. I received my full refund as soon as the tubes were received by their US consolidator.
My nearly 18-year-old 2A3Bs jazzing with Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer!
In anticipation of the tariffs, I ordered another pair of PSVane 2A3Cs in November. I've been using them for two months - so far, so good! 🍻
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