PSVANE205D Triode
(pricing: RMB 3,800/ per pair)
Author:Chen Yingguang (editor)
Series of PSVANE HiFi vacuum tubes, produced in Changsha, Hunan province, have achieved outstanding successes during the last several years, among which the big & slender amplifiers and rectifiers based on the America WESTERN ELECTRIC antique tubes in terms of design have received general praise of tube fanciers, and aroused an unprecedented hot purchase wave in the online sales market. The Tube World has listened to the PSVANE300B, WE274 and WE212 etc. those hottest WESTERN ELECTRIC replica amplifiers. While, in comparison, only the latest tested WE205D can be regarded as the most promising and most difficult work in PSVANE’s history. As I know, as one of the most fair-sounded and highest paid WESTERN ELECTRIC antique triodes, WE205D has never seen any successful replicas, while PSVANE has had made a change, the presence of WE205D showed the boldness and courage of PSVANE. When I had received 8 pairs of PSVANE WE205D of presents, I got a mixture of surprise and delight after tested them. I was surprised because the sound quality of these tubes might be far more competent than WESTREN ELECTRIC original antique tubes. I was delighted that if PSVANE Replica WE205D would be proved to be a success, it will shock the present tube manufacture world, because based on the WE205D triode, many wonderful tube manufacturers in our country would be capable to produce the tubes similar to WESTREN ELECTRIC antique tubes of 41/42/43 million.
Through 2 weeks successive detailed testing, now I can tell that PSVANE WE205D not only has the high sound quality as WESTREN ELECTRIC antique tube but also possesses a more stable and reliable operation. As I wrote this article, the whole performance of PSVANE WE205D has already surpassed the WESTERN ELECTRIC one. According to this, the adoption of the design and production of WE205D will be a tendency to the next tube generation. The modern 41/42/43 can be expected soon with Chinese present rich tube-producing experiences and high standard competence.
Actually, as a user of WESTREN ELECTRIC 41/42, my comparison process with WESTREN ELECTRIC 205D antique tubes are worth sharing with all of you.
My pair of 41/42 would probably be purchased from Vincent Gallo- the Los Angles film director and a player of WESTERN ELECTIRC. The way he played WESTERN ELECTRIC was as well-known as that of making nonsense films. The pair of 41/42/43 he had used for over 10 years was decided to be given to me by the reason of “his having played enough”. And I only chose the 41/42 (I was wary of the 211 amplifier of 43 at that time) which themselves were equal to a joint amplifier with using WESTREN ELECTRIC 264 as pre-amp and four 205D as post-amp,and two rectifiers, two push-pull amplifiers. The output was 2 watts or so, but only if be matched properly with machines, it can push many kinds of horn trumpets to play Pomp music. One editor of this magazine-Li Zhiwei, one time, when visited my home, I demonstrated to him use the 41/42 to push TANNOY Black to play the Ondekoza which has enormous low pitches, he listened to it satisfactorily, but had no knowledge of the money and time I have paid for 8 pairs of WESTERN ELECTRIC 205Ds.
I can still remember when I purchased the 41/42 along with 205Ds, 8 tubes were packed pretty well in transit. While unfortunately, the screens of two tubes were still broken. Vincent Gallo explained that because the tube screen of WESTERN ELECTRIC is fixed only on the bottom, it is easy to broken. Later, he sent another two to me, not until I had them plugged in occurred a big problem of the different luminance of tube screens, and parts of 205D even have turned red screens. Vincent Gallo explained, all 205D has gone through over half century’s history and were differed in standards and stabilities, and were needed to be tested one by one till the red screens begin to vanish. As a result, through several times of adjustments of my 8 pairs of 205D, only two red screens had vanished, that is, only 4 tubes could be matched to use. Having wanted to possess adequate amount of 205Ds to play the stereo music, I had to seek the fair tubes in the auction website of E-Bay. But I found that, most of 205Ds in the website were antique series, and the unused antique 205Ds were quite rare and high-priced with over 20,000 HKD per one. Had enjoyed the outstanding sound effect of 41/42 through single track, I knew I should move on, so I purchased many new 205Ds of NOS with 100,000 HKD successively, positioned and tested them one by one. It has been half a year since 41/42 reached to me, and in the following ten years, I often use 41/42 to listen to music, and every time I would be impressed by the most fair sound and richest music sense of it, which was unparalleled. On the other hand, I was afraid of the probable “disability” of 8 pairs of 205Ds, the appearance of hum and red screen would cost me much again. In the recent years, I know that PSVANE Replica WESTREN ELECTRIC antique tubes have received great progress, so after testing the WE300B and 274B, I felt they almost “resemble” to the antique ones, at that time, I really hope that the manufacturer could produce the replica 205D so that both I can enjoy 41/42 at ease and more manufacturers can design and produce other varies 205D amplifiers based on it.
The PSVANE WE205D coming out finally were produced to two kinds with different pins, one kind of pin is adopted to the antique WESTREN ELECTRIC and obviously is designed for such antique tube users like us (all WESTREN ELECTRIC 46 and 25B adopt 205D except 41/42), the other is to some like 300B in order to bring convenience to the tube manufacturers of the time to apply the 205D into new products. As a 41/42 user, the one I tested was absolutely the kind of WESTERN ELECTRIC pin. After got it, I examined carefully about the tube body, and I found the shape was a slight different from that of WESTERN ELECTRIC (see figure), but its screen was the same with WESTERN ELECTRIC as being fixed at the bottom. Anyway, it is the first new WESTERN ELECTRIC 205D throughout history, the level of sound effect should only be known through using.
When I had listening test of PSVANE WE205D, I used 41/42 to push the WESTERN ELECTRIC 4151 moving-magnet loudspeaker, the combination of which turned out to have the extreme high sound density, strong analyzing quality, the bright sound and vividness when playing human voice, folk dancing, as well as string music. Theoretically, the technical specifications of 8 PSVANE WE205Ds in hands are almost completely symmetrical, so I first had them plugged in following the direction to see whether one would have the appearance of red screen or not. The result was that 8 tubes were really completely symmetrical, and the brightness of the screen were also the complete same. After being opened, the sound boldness and the stretch of high and low frequency are obviously much better than WESTERN ELECTRIC antique tubes, at the same time, the most touching emotion and charm in WESTERN ELECTRIC have been preserved luckily. When broadcasting the CD of excellent sound stage and location, the sense of HiFi created by PSVANE was stronger immediately, not only in the clear sound lines but also in a greater sound density and accumulation. As an experienced WEATERN ELECTRIC user, I can hardly to accept this truth psychologically. The only reason of this could be, I suppose, PSVANE’s inheritance of rich past experience of WESTERN ELECTRIC Replica tubes. The production of 205D is not the work of one day, and PSVANE finally bring the greatest sound effect of 205D to a full play.
The evening before I opened PSVANE, due to its fair sound, I replayed many CDs in hands, and the conclusion was that 205D could be regarded as the masterpiece of all triodes of history. Tube fanciers all know that 300B is the classic one of triode which brings the shocking strength to hearts. But now I can tell you that, if there is a kind of triode is fair-sounded than 300B, it is right the 205D. The present WE205D produced by PSVANE can be compared with WESTERN ELECTRIC, which is really a big good new for 205D users. What’s better, in the future, DIY tube fanciers can use it in producing amplifiers, among whom many good manufacturers in mainland have more opportunities to design and produce the most fair-sounded 205D.