Cary CAD 300b SE Monoblock Amplifiers
Original price was: R78,000.00.R32,000.00Current price is: R32,000.00.
The Cary CAD-300B SE series are classic single-ended triode (SET) tube amplifiers, typically offering around 15 watts per channel in Class A, known for detailed, warm sound, using 300B output tubes, 6SN7/6SL7 input/driver tubes, and a 5U4 rectifier, featuring a chrome chassis with audiophile-grade components and requiring a break-in period for optimal performance. Key specs include a frequency response of roughly 20Hz-23kHz, 1.5V input sensitivity, and high-quality power/output transformers, available as monoblocks or integrated units (CAD-300SEI
Description
This set has been COMPLETELY rebuild by Alan Hobkirk and with his suggestions I bypassed the rather crude BIG capacitor filer for a super silent CLC filer. Nois approimately 20dB less! Its super quiet even on 103dB Horns!!
USER REVIEWS
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[Aug 03, 2002]
vinluvr
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:You-are-there realism with acoustic, small-room recordings, jazz, folk, and anything with a lot of mid-range. They are also a great conversation piece.
Weakness:Transient response under extreme loads. Bass doesn’t grab you by the ‘nads (but it is present). Those WE 300Bs won’t last forever. 🙁
This pair of 300s is actually a pair of 572s that I had Cary convert. I liked the 572s, but they generated a tremendous amount of heat, and I was going through the power tubes about every 3 months or so. I spoke with Kirk at Cary about the problem, and he offered to convert the amps to 300SEs. The cost was $1200 (I bought the 572s for $1300 used), and that included a new pair of Western Electric 300Bs! I couldn’t resist, and am glad I didn’t. The sound is even better, and the amps throw a lot less heat. Detail is first rate on acoustic, jazz and anything with strings. Bass is there pretty far down, tighter than the 572s. Are they as powerful as high end solid state? No, but they are also not in the least fatiguing. Definition on complex, highly dynamic rock music is not what you’d get with a pair of Krells, but it’s also not as bad as the previous reviewer might have you believe. The palpability of female vocals is something you have to experience to understand. This is not an ultimate setup for house, techno or thrash, but if you enjoy a wide spectrum of music, then you will find yourself seeing if each favorite sounds as much better as the last did. I believe the reason for the positive impressions is that most performance amplifiers (vocal, guitar, etc.) are tube-based, and tube amps best recapture the tonal characteristics of the live performance. Associated equipment: Cary 94P preamp Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CD player Soliloquy 5.3 speakers TMC yellow and white interconnects and speaker cabling Similar Products Used: Cary 572 monoblocks Bryston 3B Dynaco tube amp |
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[Mar 27, 1999]
Jim W
an Audiophile
The 300SEs have literally, and for the better, changed the way I listen to music. These were purchased at the end of a typically long chain of audiophilia, from Adcom 555 to Levinson 27 to Levinson 23.5 to ARC VT130 over the years. Finally got a pair of the Reference 3A Royal Masters (92 dB, 8 ohm nominal/6 ohm minimum impedance, no crossover), an appropriate speaker for SETs, a few years back and took the dive. Do you ever get the sense that the SE guys have more fun…well, you’re right. There’s a ‘rightness’ about the sound, an ease and microdynamic tactility, that I’ve never experienced with big push-pull tube amps or with solid state. Speaker matching is important, but not as impossible as some would have you believe. If you listen with your ears and not with meters, these just may be the ticket. No fatigue but not syrupy. I listen to rock, blues and jazz at moderate/high levels (often 90 dB average and 95 dB peaks) in a 14×16 room with no problems and very infrequent clipping. Do yourself a favor and at least hear these hooked up in an appropriate system – you may get off the “audiophilia nervosa” train forever. Try the Western Electric 300Bs if you can swing the freight, they’re worth the extra scratch. |
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[Jan 10, 2002]
Sasha Matson
Audiophile
Strength:Magical and sensuous 300B tube life
Weakness:Unknown future reliability, bought used.
Well friends, (and also reviews below, which were very helpful during the consideration phase), not all amps are created equal. Some things are just plain better, and those fellows in North Carolina at Cary are onto something. First, if you are concerned about low watts on paper, forget it! As one of the guys I bought it from said: “Every watt is a good watt!” At low volume levels these Cary’s maintain their musicality and substance, as if there was a loudness control, only better. And loud? You bet. I simply have lost any respect for watt ratings at all, they tell you exactly zip. Liquid, transparent, coherent, blossoming detailed mid-range, solid command down low, non-fatiguing and luxurious up high? All of the above. It is a priveledge to listen to music reproduction at this level of quality! Now, having said all this, one must be aware of the sytem synchronicity. In my case, I heard these little jewel-box-like amps with a pair of Sonus Faber Concerto speakers, and also without. Had made one plan, and promptly discarded it! What these do with the Sonus Fabers is simply unbeleivably gorgeous. Try some Audioquest releases on vinyl, for example (Am using a Rega Planar 25 with a Grado cartridge). To quote Sam from Stereophile, about Might Sam McClain: “Killer!” In fact, you can try mine – as my music has been released by Audioquest, and my collaboration with my audio guru and advisor Joe Harley continues to this day. He is well aware of these Cary’s!I simply cannot beleive that more of the world doesn’t know about this single-ended universe, or views it as eccentric. Well, every visitor to my living room whom I have sat down and made listen has become an instant convert – as they say, “I love when that happens!” Downside – (for me anyway) pricey – even used! But that is because they are actually still worth something used, you know, like a Bentley. If you want that buttoned down mid-west sound, then go get those ARC amps (which I also auditioned at home to compare, and in fact am using a tubed ARC pre-amp), but if you respond to those artistic boys from North Carolina and that southern luxurious magic that defies description (though I’m trying), then you MUST HEAR these Cary 300SE’s. You will thank me. Similar Products Used: Golden Tube |
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[Jan 27, 2002]
Ben Bernstein
Audiophile
Strength:Smooth midrange, sublte ambience, reasonable non-bloated bass
Weakness:High frequency loss – to soft sounding, not realistic on rock ‘n roll,
I have always had mixed emotions about SE type amp’s. I like the midrange smoothness but not the loss of detail in the higher freq’s. I just purchased the 300SE (1996) from a dealer who has had them new ,boxed and unsold for almost 5 years. What I got was the very typical SE sound smooth, smooth, smooth. Smooth to the point of boring. On some jazz and chamber music the results are very nice but just listen to some modern rock with some edge and the mystique dissapates into wow – where’s the music? The details get lossed in the liquidity. I wil say that compared to the Golde Tube Se-40 these are light years better in bass and have more realistic sound reproduction. At the end of the day I guess I’m not really an SE guy. Old Krell KSA-150 (or 250) running pure class A with the bottom and top to boot. The Cary is nice for background mustic or low volume listening but tonally to inaccurate to be defined as hi-fi. Similar Products Used: Golden tube, BAT VK-60 |
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[May 19, 1998]
Johann E Lee
an Audiophile
Long jewel boxes, these Cary amps. Unable to afford the monstrous 805s i bought the Cary 300SEs instead. Both pure class A and single ended triode designs. “But what can they drive?” At 12 watts max, they can drive my ProAc Response Two speakers , if I wish, to deafening levels. The Cary 300SE when seeing a speaker with benign These ladies focus on reproducing pure musical subtleties that you never knew were there in the recordings. And far better than many other amps, tube or solid state. Once a long time ago I would not believe that an amplifier, of all things could so affect the experience of listening to music. Do you remember the first time you heard music over the radio or listened to your own voice the very fisrt time you recorded yourself on a tape? That’s the experience of the Carys every day, at a much, much more elevated And they’re actually *more* transparent than the Cary 805s. You hear every one of the musical lines that are there all the way through. Every nuance of it. In Harry Pearson’s words, they possess a ‘continuousness’. Yes, that is what audiophiles mean by ‘accuracy’. These are true reference quality amplifiers. In a word, magick. |
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[Jul 10, 1998]
Bill
an Audio Enthusiast
I don’t have the newest “Signature” model. My understanding is that the “Signature” has more gain and can be driven by passives or direct by variable line level units. There may be little or no sonic difference. 300B single ended is a whole new ballgame. They flat out just don’t sound like other amps that I’ve heard. There’s more music there; and it sounds more like music than hi-fi. They play my Epos 14’s with great authority at pretty high volume. I’m a believer. |
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[Aug 08, 1998]
Also John
an Audiophile
Yes, they also drive ProAc Tablette50 Signatures well [I own a pair]. Also Sonus Faber Guarneri very well, too [I borrowed a pair for a week]. The Pro Acs sound light, airy, spacious; the Sonus Fabers are darker, with more bass, but much more closed in. Either way the Cary 300SE Signature amps are truly astonishing in their clarity & sweetness. But if you’re thinking of buying a pair, do audition the Pass Aleph3 which has 2-3 times the power & all the sweetness, though not quite the utter clarity. [They’re half the price, however !]
I have auditioned both the old & the new model 300SE amps. The old one is excellant, but the new one is clearer still & more linear. [They say it is also somewhat more extended in both the treble & bass, but I confess not to hear that. However, I haven’t heard the two side-by-side.] Either one is worth buying, though the newer one is clearly better, & sounds great right out of the box. |
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[Dec 18, 1999]
John Richardson
Audiophile
Strength:Silky smooth, three-dimensional sound
Weakness:I don’t remember any
I enjoyed reading Kelly Holsten’s review since it brought back some memories of my own. Like Kelly, Tom at Advanced Audio in Cary, NC really taught me a thing or two about high-end audio (and he sold me a system or two at the same time). One instance in particular really stands out. Tom is a pro at getting excellent sound out of his listening room, often better than I could get at home. One night a buddy and I went in and walked by the listening room. Some guy (a preacher I think) was in there with the lights dimmed listening to a string quartet (Frank Bridge, maybe?) using a pair of the Cary 300B amps driving Shahinian Obelisk speakers. Not a typical mating. I remember those speakers sitting up on squat stands singing like there was no tomorrow. For the first time, I had the illusion that there was really a string quartet in that room. I had to literally stop and collect myself. I don’t think I have ever really experienced that illusion to that degree since. I don’t remember, but I think the amps must have been the 300B push-pull version (about 20-30 watts per channel, if I remember correctly). One thing was certain though. I was sold on (1) Tom Hoffman, (2) Cary Audio, and (3) Shahinian Acoustics. By the way, all of this happened about 1990 or 1991. I probably ran into Kelly in that shop at some point. Wow! What an education. Similar Products Used: none (I own a solid state Bedini amp) |
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[Feb 25, 1999]
Tim Naff
an Audiophile
I bought a used pair of Cary 300SE monoblocks a couple of years ago. They came with a pair of the banks of additional power supply capacitors that are described in the review by Kelly Holsten. (The capacitor banks are still available from Cary, but they’re pricey and require addition of a socket on the monoblocks.) I use the 300SEs with a Cary SLP-94 preamp and play them through Infinity Composition PRs, which have about 93dB efficiency. The Infinities have built-in 100 watt woofer amps and an impedance curve that rises rapidly below 100 Hz. The rise in impedance helps these low-power amps avoid current limiting on heavy bass material. My listening room is roughly 20 feet by 30 feet by nine feet. There has been lots of speculation on why SE amps sound so appealing. Even Dennis Had (of Cary) has suggested that the even-ordered harmonics produced by SEs may have a euphonic effect. Consider that lower power class A push-pull solid-state amps are regarded by many experts as sounding better than their high-powered Class A counter parts, possibly because they have fewer parallel output channels that must be created by splitting and then must be recombined. Consider that SE amps are class A and, in the case of the Carys, have only one output channel. Consider that all push-pull amps have the signal split into at least one positive and one inverted channel, with some crossover distortion associated with recombination. At low volumes, this crossover distortion can contribute a significant fraction of the total distortion. Consider also that a single ended tube output stage, operated class A, approaches *zero* distortion at low signal levels. Finally, consider what we find SE amps doing best: smooth, lifelike resolution of detail at relatively low volumes. Okay meter-heads, jump in. Say that claiming measurable superiority for SEs is heresy. Say that they are unscientific. Just remember that real science begins with observation — there is nothing less scientific than making measurements, using a model to predict performance, and then refusing to accept that predictions don’t match performance. In this case, performance is listener appeal. Period. So, if the model does not predict performance, the model is wrong. Period. My suggestion is that a model that assumes a euphonic contribution of SE-generated even-ordered harmonics may be wrong as well. These amps may just be the cleanest, clearest amps available, when operated at low levels. |
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[Sep 18, 1998]
Kelly Holsten
an Audiophile
I have been too many audio stores in my lifetime, some obviously better than others, although none were able to match an in home experience….except ONE. Well, let me just get to the point. This was the BEST sound I had ever heard in my life. I just turned out the lights and listened. And OH WHAT SOUND IT WAS! The soundstage was so deep and articulate, I was almost shocked. The definition and complete natural qualities of the sound coming from this setup left me literally in tears. It was almost BEYOND goosebumps to the direct communication of the musical event itself. I listened to music that I didnt even LIKE and it moved me! The communication of emotion and nuance from these little 8 watt amps was something I had never experienced but at a live event, and even then, it almost felt BETTER than live if that’s possible. The laserdisc player was a precursor to the THETA laserdisc player based machines. I stayed for several hours listening to these 300B amps and left remembering them to everyone I knew, whether they cared or not. They had limitations I have since heard the big 805 Carys and I still think the original 300SE amps were the best they had to offer. By the way, they also had this experimental massive box of power filtration hooked up to the monoblocks…a double bank of monster blue caps! I never heard any of Had’s designs again with that contraption hooked up but I do think it made a difference as well. Only years later did the single ended craze start to take hold. It started with me back in that store in 1990… kh |
im going to do this in 2 parts. right now im giving a early quick review, then in a month or so when i settle into the 300b tubes i want and break them in and get a better feel for these amps in my system. i will go a little more in depth. it seem i do this all the time and then forget about the second part.lol.
first off, 90db speakers on 15w amps….. yea it drives em with ease. its only 2 clicks beyond where my 100w snappers would be on the volume dial. i could hardly believe it when i first turned them on.
but if i listened loud to the snappers at 12 o’clock im only at barely 1 o’clock with these amps. i got alot of volume dial left too!!! makes me very happy. i was worried about this.
i found the rectifier tubes sitting at my front door this morning and ice cold i pulled them out and put them in the amps, i couldnt wait. gave them 5 minutes to warm up and fired it all up.
one thing i will say is these amps are definitely not new, cary made them for 14 years and started in the early 90’s. i think these were said to be made around 2004.
the tubes i presently have in these are a pair of 1960’s brimars 6sn7’s in one amp, and a mismatched single brimar and a brand new electro harmonics cheap one in the other amp. the rectifiers are new 1964 nos mullard gz37’s.(cv378’s)
the 300b’s are new stock electro hamonics with about 10 hours on them.
so im not where i want to be tube wise. the rectifiers and one of the brimars came in smashed up , so i had to order new tubes and wait to fire these up until today.
straight up as soon as i dropped the needle in the groove the first thing i noticed was the position of the singer. where with my snappers she was standing back behing my turntable and to the left a little bit, now she is standing in front of my table and dead center.
maybe its the 300b magic im hearing already but everything is thicker sounding and more natural and more pronounced. the strings are resonating more the reverb is better. the midrange is super smooth and relaxed. yet not overly warm as i though it could possibly be.
the bass is (believe it or not) way better. still very tight, yet adding a little needed mud to it. my snappers could do great heavy bass with the cd player and on my old turntable. but since i got the merrill things were tightened up and i was hearing all the bass notes i was missing before. there are actually instruments playing that.lol. now im still hearing the notes but these 300b’s are giving me the ability to get down lower and add a little deeper bass to the overall sound. i never would have guessed it. my 2 greatest fears with changing to these amps was that they wouldnt drive my speakers and that i would lose my bass. both have proved to be a non issue and im so happy about it.!!!!!
Oh yea back to the midrange, instead of how some instruments used to jump out at you. they now are in line with the rest and a nice even beautiful presentation. the soundstage was good with the snappers and is just as good if not a little more spread out, and a little bit better separation. so far about 5 or 6 albums in, i am thrilled with these amps. this is the first cary product ive ever owned, aside from a borrowed cad 120 a few years ago, i dont have much experience with the company. 300b magic is finally in my house. doug just mentioned to me that i have the least amount of watts on the shark now.lmao!!!! 15w baby!!!!
ive heard lots of tube amps in my day and alot recently. but for a 2004 pair of little compact amps these are unbelievably impressive. and even though less expensive than my snappers im saying a good step up musically.
and once again the sonus faber venere 3.0’s have impressed the hell out of me being able to easily do anything i have asked of them. now running smooth with 15w pushing them. i never would have guessed they would do it so easily.
so far there is a definite overall improvement in the sounds in my house.!!!!!
The Cary Audio 300 SEI Tube Amp Review 2025. Thirty Years of Magic.
The Cary Audio 300 SEI Review. Thirty Years of Magic.
By Steve Huff
The Video Review
The 300SEI decked out with a full suite of PSVANE 300B and 6SN7 SUMMIT tubes. The best tubes they make and this setup truly improved the sound of the amp in many ways.
Tubes are desirable by many audio lovers because tube amps of old, or the classic designs, always brought warmth, groove and big bass. They were less about the analytical details and more about the “feels”. Most modern amps these days that use tubes try to go for a more modern “faster” sound but there are still some out there that bring that old school tube flavor but albeit… with a little modern flair. That’s what I enjoy in a tube amp…music with emotion, blood, sweat and tears. If it is lean and bright, yuck, not for me.
Lately I have been treated to some mighty fine HiFi with tubes this year. The Nagra HD Preamp was something to experience. The Nagra Tube DAC and HD DAC X were as well. Also the Galion P75 Tube Preamp which surprised me by being much better than I imagined it could be for the cost. The Fezz Equinox Tube DAC is in my system now and it’s one heck of a DAC far surpassing its price point and I mean FAR. Recently a Fezz Titania tube amp arrived for review, it’s awesome and will be reviewing it soon. The Heaven 11 Billie MK3 also in the house for review, which is a hybrid tube and SS design. I have been listening to a lot of tube designs over the last year or so and this sound and groove has infected my brain to where I just want to listen to tubes right now.
The 300B RESERVE series from RayTubes.com ups the warmth some and adds a glow, beauty and presence not heard with the stock tubes.
300B
Ever since getting in that Oilily 300B Tube integrated amp from Amazon that set me back $1100 I have been listening to it non stop. I am a sucker for a truly great 300B tube sound and the Oilily brought it. If you missed that review, you can see it here.
I have been enjoying the Oilily 300B amp so much that while on Amazon searching for other tube amps to check out one day, and possibly review, I saw the legendary Cary Audio 300 SEI offered and it was shipped and sold by Amazon, brand new. It was also “Prime” eligible. The Cary 300 SEI is an all tube and all analog USA made Single Ended Triode amp. The sweetest sounding kind of tube amp you can buy in my opinion. I love S.E.T. amps and always have as they just bring a gorgeous fluid sound filled with emotion.
These tube amps sound a lot sweeter and more dimensional than any of the SS amps I have had through these doors (though less explosive, dynamic and transparent) and the 300SEI is one of the coolest 300B amps ever made IMO. Looking for a fleshed out midrange that brings blood, sweat and tears to your room with super realism and body? A good 300B will do that for you while also delivering an immersive soundstage with 3D imaging and warmth.
I wanted to buy this amp as well to compare a USA made 300B to a Chinese made 300B but before I talk about what I did with that 300 SEI on Amazon in 2025, let me back up 4 years to 2021.
Back in 2021 I saw a Cary SEI 300 on Amazon and it was priced at $3800, which at the time was $1500 or so less than Cary was selling them for on their own website. I ordered it as that 300 SEI has been a dream amp of mine for DECADES and at that time in 2021 I had the funds to do it. I wanted this amp back in the early 2000’s but couldn’t afford it back then, so I never did buy one, until 2021.
Before I talk about the 2021 experience (and it wasn’t good) with the 300SEI let me back up again to the late 90’s and how Cary Audio was my 1st HiFi “Love”.
Back in 1998 I was big into my audio system, just as I am today. I had some Sonus Faber Guarneri speakers (1st gen) that I bought used online from Italy. Around this same time I fell in love with Cary audio mainly for their old school looks that went with their full on tube amp designs. Back then I wanted something special for my speakers in both sound and looks so I bought a pair of Cary 805C mono amps with their gorgeous SLP98 preamp to match with them. I could have afforded the 300SEI back then but I had a larger room and it just wouldn’t have powered the Guarneri I had at the time. I was hoping that the 805C would do the trick, and they did, very nicely.
The 300SEI uses 3 6SN7 tubes in addition to the 300B tubes. There are zero digital bits inside of the 300SEI. These are the stock Chinese made 6SN7 tubes. I upgraded to PSVANE 6SN7 SUMMIT tubes for a nice upgrade.
The years flowed and flown by and by the mid 2000’s I had tried other Cary products such as the V12R EL34 amp, The Rocket 88R which used KT88 tubes and the SLI80 which was their hottest integrated amp at the time. I also had their 306/300 CD Player and just had a thing for Cary Audio back then. I snagged a set of the Dennis Had “Six Pacs’ as well which were EL34 mono amps, like a mini V12 but split into two black boxes. Loved those amps to death. I also owned the beautiful SLP-98 Preamp…twice! Love that pre.
As the years moved on I eventually moved on myself from tubes to solid state when I had to re-tube an 845 amp with an $800+ re-tube bill. I was also wanting a cool running amp at the time as my room would get so hot when running a class A tube amp. I also wanted to try out some big power designs for a change to see what I may have been missing. Back then Cary was run by Dennis Had who designed all of the tube designs they sold. Dennis has long ago retired from Cary.
Dennis Had retired from Cary Audio quote a while ago and today Cary Audio still sells all of these designs when it comes to their tube offerings. The 300SEI was released for the first time in 1994, or around 31 years ago. It’s still in production today and this is awesome to see. The SEI may stand for “Single Ended Integrated” as this is a single ended triode amp, one the best you can buy for that touch of sweetness and warmth in audio. Cary states that this amp puts out 15 WPC. It uses two 300B tubes and three 6SN7 tubes. Easy to find tubes so nothing rare or exotic here.
I threw in some 300B Reserve Tubes from RayTubes.com and they upped the SQ nicely
No Merry Go Round Here
Most HiFi companies these days release “V2, V3, V4” of amps, preamps or dacs or whatever every couple of years to keep the income flowing with the promise of “it’s even better than the last one” claims. Over at Cary, these tube designs are timeless and it says a lot that they have never tried to release another version of this amp in over 31 years. It’s still as gorgeous today as it was back then.
They offer some upgrades on the 300SEI with capacitors and the like, but me, I prefer the tried and true stock version as that is how it was designed by Dennis Had back in 1994. I feel the upgrades alter the sound of the 300SEI and makes it lose some of its charm. I did get to hear one with all of the added upgrades quite a few years ago and thought it was a more dynamic sound almost reaching into a solid state like presentation. Again, I love the stock sound as to me, this is what this amp is all about so I was not interested in the upgrades personally.
Now lets get BACK TO 2021 with my 1st Cary 300 SEI Purchased on Amazon
I bought that 300SEI in 2021 for $3800 plus shipping and tax with the intent to finally buy my dream amp. Amazon shipped it to me, was brand new in the sealed double box and I was happy to finally get this amp in my system. I was excited to get it set up and hooked up. Sadly, when I did take it out to admire its beauty (this is a gorgeous amp) and set it up I saw the input select knob was sort of broken. I could get it to switch but it was loose and sloppy. I installed tubes and plugged it in to see what this 300SEI was all about and I had some Fleetwood Deville speakers ready to roll with the 300B tubes. When I powered it up I heard the transformers buzzing like mad, as in LOUD, direct from the amp (not speakers). Arg I hate that and I hate noisy amps.
I tried listening to it but even with the music at mid level the buzz was heard at my seat. This was 100% not acceptable to me for a $3800 price tag. I did not review it back then in 2023 but instead sent it back to Amazon for a refund. I never saw this amp on Amazon again, and I checked and checked…
Then in 2025 I saw ANOTHER 300SEI on Amazon!
After my Oilily 300B review I told myself I would love to find another Cary 300SEI and give it one more chance, and even compare it to the much less expensive Oilily. Maybe I got a lemon last time in 2021? It happens for sure. In any case it wasn’t but a week later that I saw another Cary 300SEI on Amazon, via prime, shipped and sold by Amazon, here in 2025.
This time the price was $3600 but I didn’t have the funds. I told myself “well, if I ever see it here for say…$2800 I will buy it” and lo and behold the next day it was reduced to $2400 and I bought it instantly.
Yea that price is a steal of a deal for this USA made legendary amp, at least that is what I thought as it’s $1500 less than it is on the companies own website, while on sale.
As I waited for the delivery I hoped it would not have the transformer buzz of the last one and all would be well. When it arrived I noticed the main outer box was opened and resealed so I instantly thought they sent me that old one from 4 years ago that I sent back, just repackaged! When I bought the 300SEI this time it said it was “NEW” so I was not happy about the box being opened. I filmed the unboxing in case there were any surprises. When I got to the inner box, that one was fully sealed and factory fresh so I was happy about that, so no surprises (besides the remote which I will touch on soon). It all looked brand new, with wrapping and all of the Cary packaging tricks still intact. Maybe they repaired the old one? Could be, I have no idea. I just wanted it to work as it should.
THE FIRST LISTEN
I had been listening to the Oilily 300B amp for weeks with my Icon 12 speakers from O Audio (review HERE). Before that and even as early as a few days ago I was listening to the $25k Devialet Astra, which is the most stunning solid state integrated amp I have ever used or tested. The Astra is faster, leaner and delivers ultimate imaging performance and yes, it sounds solid state. The Oilily is warmer, richer, more luxurious yet still very detailed and open. Smooth, very 3D and with a huge midrange and a mid bass hump of sorts. Bass is big on the Oilily. It’s thunderous on the Astra.
Devialet Astra Integrated Amp
As I removed the Oilily 300B Chinese amp I replaced it with the USA made Cary 300SEI. Tubes were installed and I powered it up. After a few moments I listened for any buzzing and it was not there. I mean, if I went to the amp and stood above it I could hear a slight hum from the transformers (The Oilily is SILENT after 30 seconds) but this is not heard at all in my seat, even with music off. Phew. I wish it were 100% silent but it is what it is.
So all is good an/or “acceptable” and this is quite a normal thing for some older tube amp designs. They usually have some sort of sound from the transformers but as long as that doesn’t present a buzz or hiss from the speakers I am ok with it. I just can’t stand loud buzzing transformers and I have heard this more than I like over the last 5 years.
I love a quiet amp and this 300SEI was almost dead silent but not as silent as the cheaper Chinese made amp.
The Cary is a pure classic. Here it sits next to the Oilily amp.
When I started listening to my Tidal and Apple Music playlist I instantly heard the difference between the 300SEI and the Oilily.
Now, let’s remember that the Chinese made amp puts out 8 watts per channel. The Cary states that the 300 SEI puts out 15 watts, so almost double. I believe this as the Cary has a greater sense of power and heft behind it, but just a teeny bit. This could also be an illusion as the gain on the Cary seems higher than the Oilily.
The 300 SEI delivers what I would call the ultimate “Cary Sound”. It’s a bit dense, beautifully warm but at the same time has tremendous organic detail retrieval and a huge 3D soundstage. Drums sound awesome on Cary gear, big and alive. The sound just makes me move with dance music while making me emotional at times with the way vocals are done. BTW, this amp with my Icon 12 speakers had me and Debby dancing to some EDM and it was loud, powerful and really sounded like we were in a club. This amp has big bass and a powerful sound for being a 300B amp. It can play the right speakers as loud or soft as you like.
The midrange is butter and for these ears, all out magic. As good as it gets in the midrange for me with the 300SEI. Bass is also crazy good, and very similar to the bass of the Oilily so I would call them even here. Yea, the sound of this Cary is super sweet and also very refined. With some music it is almost as if there is a very small reverb tank inside of the amp. I remember this effect when I had the 805C back in the 1990s. It’s something to behold with female vocals as we get to hear everything including those trails that linger in space. The Oilily also does this BTW.
I was listening to a song called “Nothing” from Nobody’s Wolf Child and had goosebumps when the vocals came in. Surreal, floaty and ever so present in my room. Listening to this track with both amps, the Cary and Oilily I hear the Cary as a touch more dynamic and punchy and with more treble energy, but it’s slight. The Oilily is a bit more transparent. These amps sound very similar and those without a trained ear may not even hear the differences.
I cued up all kinds of music with the 300SEI and no matter what I pulled up from bluegrass to jazz to 70’s rock to all out thrash metal the music was freaking awesome, it sounded just so good with a density and solidity to the sound. The speakers here help a ton of course as you will need something that has synergy with the amp and the Icon 12’s were proving to be pure gold with the Cary and the Oilily but the Cary was a touch warmer, fuller bodied and refined. The Oilily was lighter in the mids by a baby hair and a little more sparkly in the treble in direct comparison, if not a bit more transparent and open. I preferred the sound of the Cary with some music and the Oilily with other music. At the end of the day, both are so damn good in sound quality. There are cons to the Oilily though, and I will speak on those further down.
THE REMOTE of the 300SEI
This amp shipped with a crazy big 50 button+ AVR style remote that does not seem to fit with the vibe of the 300SEI. It looks like it belongs with a Denon AVR HT box. I mean, all we need with the 300SEI is a two button remote. Volume up or down. To use it you must choose “amp” from the low res screen and then the volume will work. I guess the positive is that this remote will not get lost as it is so big!
TUBE ROLLING and other SPECS
The Cary 300SEI has three single ended inputs vs the Oilily single input and this right here could be a make or break for some looking for a fantastic 300B integrated, so the Cary wins here. The 300SEI also has a very well regarded headphone amp that sounded so beautiful with my Verum headphones from Ukraine. This is a stellar head amp and if you like that plumpness, big solid bass and a creamy midrange this amp will deliver the goods for you in the headfi department. The head amp of the Cary sounded better to me than the one in the Oilily. So another win for Cary here.
PSVANE sent me an entire set of their summit series tubes ti try out, which are the best they make. They sent me 300B, 6SN7, KT88 and 845.
As for tubes, this Cary amp uses two 300B tubes and three 6SN7, which ironically are my two fave tube types of all time. When a 6SN7 is used in a preamp the sound is always to my liking as they also bring a density and realism along with a glow that is hard to describe. Get some really good 6SN7 tubes and you can be in heaven with this amp. As is, the stock tubes are fantastic.
A set of RayTubes.com 300B RESERVE tubes. These are incredible.
SWAPPING 300B tubes. Better than stock?
The stock tubes are basic Russian or Chinese 300B tubes but nothing fancy here. They will get the job done and they sound really good but when I swapped in a set of 300B Reserve tubes from RayTubes.com HOLY WOW the sound improved by quite a but in these ways:
- More depth in the soundstage
- SUPER QUIET, no noise or crackles
- More tuneful and tighter bass
- The soundstage height was now a smidge taller
- Voices are bigger and more present
- There was more clarity and treble extension vs stock
- Tubes are coated with a grey color so are opaque
These tubes from RayTubes are truly magical. You can see them here at RayTubes.com
I then loaded in some of the newest flagship 300B tubes from PSVANE, the SUMMIT Series. Now the sound changed again and here is what I noticed…these are superb 300B tubes!
- More spatial and warm vs RayTubes
- slightly more treble energy vs stock but still open and super smooth
- Midrange was richer with more expansive forward stage
- Bass was not as full in the mids..slightly more open sound.
- More “presence” all around and more liquid
- Super QUIET as well, no noise.
- These are clear and see through with a big “S” printed for “Summit”
- When I added the summit 6SN7 tubes it tied it all together and sounded so much more refined than stock
You can buy the Summit Series 300B on AMAZON HERE
The SUMMIT 6SN7 are also at AMAZON HERE
So both of these fantastic 300 B options (and 6SN7) are a very nice improvement over stock but which you prefer will depend on your tastes. The PSAVNE Summit 6SN7 were also a very nice upgrade as these upgrade the preamp tubes. These may have made a bigger change than the 300B did!
How about the Western Electric 300B, the Holy Grail?
I also had a set of Western Electric tubes here and these are usually known as the worlds best 300B. When I inserted these into the amp the is what I heard:
- A lighter more airy sound up top vs the others
- Less bass in the mids, so a lighter midrange that was more transparent
- Lighter lower bass that made the entire presentation sound more 3D and floaty.
- Spatial and ambient recordings were magic with a huge stage of the holographic type.
- Metal and Rock didn’t sound as big or thunderous as with the other two sets (RayTubes and PSVANE)
- Honestly, I liked the others better than these in the Cary for most music.
- No noise though I was seeing some blue gasses in the tube, which looked cool
So yea, swapping the 300B tubes will change the sound of the Cary 300SEI. For many who use tube gear this is part of the fun of the hobby. Tube rolling is fun to do and I could imagine starting a tube collection as well. In any case, when I did this test with the Oilily I also heard these differences and it was even more pronounced. I will say both amps sound great with their stock tubes but do get better with upgrades. If you want more snap, dynamics and punch the RayTubes really excelled. If you want warmth, spatial and more glow, the SUMMIT tubes did the trick.
The EverSolo T8 Streaming Transport is an Excellent Streamer. I now love using it with Apple Music and Tidal. I switched from Spotify to Apple recently.
HAND WIRED is Better?
The Cary 300SEI is 100% hand “point to point” wired. No circuit boards and this is how they used to do it. Back then this was a big selling point for the Cary and was used in marketing for it (and still is today). When companies started going to all circuit boards they claimed it sounded better but to me, this is not true, at least in my experience. Circuit boards are easier and cheaper to do than hand wiring and IMO companies do this to save $$, not to improve the sound. The Cary 300SEI is just like if you bought it 30 years ago and this, to me, is what makes it special.
You have surely heard the term “They don’t make them like they used to” right? Well, at Cary they still make these old Dennis Had designs just like HE used to over 30 years ago. That’s pretty freaking cool.
This amp is one of the last 300B you can buy, that I know of, that is USA made and hand wired for under $4k. When you buy a 300SEI you are buying a piece of history as well.
THE 300B SOUND
Of all of the 300B amps I have heard in life, the Cary 300SEI brings what I would call a “True 300B” sound. You can get amps that sound more modern, transparent and crispy but for me, they don’t have the heart and soul of the Cary (or the Oilily). When I listen to this amp, the 300 SEI, it sounds like an instrument and looks like a work of art. It was created after all by one of the best tube amp makers in the USA back in the 90’s.
The 300B sound almost always bring an all out magical midrange. Voices that are large, present and 3D. Music should be well detailed and separated and clean, but with a solidity and bass that ties it all together. All out though, it is the midrange that is pure magic with 300B with treble that is clean, clear but never heard or bright. Female vocals are spooky good.
Some 300B amps are light on the bass for some reason, but the Cary is not one of them. One of the strong points of the 300SEI is the bass, and it’s big, juicy and plentiful. It’s not the fastest or tightest bass I have heard but it sounds plump, not sloppy. I love it as it makes my speakers come alive d0wn below. I like flesh on the sound and the Cary has plenty of that.
The Cary 300SEI is the definition of superb 300B sound.
I once had a $10k 300B amp in that belonged to a buddy and he thought it sounded lean in his system. He wanted me to try it in my system. When I did hook it up here it didn’t sound like a 300B amp to me, but sounded too clean, too light and a teeny bit sterile. I didn’t care for it at all. It’s not what you pay, but rather which amp brings the sound YOU LOVE the most. I prefer the sound of the Cary and Oilily over that $10k 300B integrated I heard a while back. Crazy, but it shouldn’t be. A more expensive amps sound may not be better to you than one that cost 10X less. Beauty and sound are in the eyes and ears of the beholder.
BIAS
The Cary is an all analog SET amp. This means it is Class A as well. It runs warm but not hot. When you set it up you have to Bias the tubes. Cary ships the 300SEI with a cable you can hook up to your multimeter to do this. You plug it into the amp and set bias to around 160. I tested mine and it was at 160 after 20 minutes of warm up so was done at the factory. When installing new tubes you must do this as well, after some time running the amp. Has to be warmed up. It takes just a minute to do but Cary used to ship their amps with the cable and a basic meter. I feel they should go back to this as some may not have a meter at home to do this with. I bought this meter from Amazon to bias my 300SEI. I used to have one but lost it so this one was cheap and works great. The Oilily does auto bias, or at least I believe it does as there is no bias port or way that I see to bias tubes. Nothing in the manual about it at all but most amps today are auto bias.
Cary 300SEI VS THE Oilily
Cary sells the stock 300SEI on their website HERE for $3800 and some change. They show the retail at $6495 but I have never seen them sell at that price. It’s always shown at $3897 or so. While I paid $2400 that was a one time deal as I think Amazon may have had my old one repaired and it’s sat on their site for years, maybe. I just so happened to look for a few days as they lowered the price, I feel I got lucky as there is a 15 year old one on eBay as I write this for $3800 USED.
So anyone who is going to buy a new 300SEI you will be doing so from Cary as there are no Cary dealers anymore, only direct sales. This means you will pay $3800 plus ship and tax for a brand new 300SEI. Is it worth it when the Oilily is $1099 on Amazon?
Well, this once again depends on your wants, desires, budget and ultimate goal. There are pros and cons to the Oilily.
The Oilily is a true bonfire bargain at $1099 but is made in China. If it goes bad, it may be hard to find warranty repair. That’s the only con of this amp that I have found as its sounds gorgeous and looks very nice as well. I do not know how reliable it will be as it’s a new company and new product from China but mine has been issue free for 2-3 months now. The Cary has been around for three decades. The Oilily is just as vintage looking as the Cary really but the Cary weighs double of what the Oilily does and I have to say, the Cary does look nicer in the flesh. They both sound like a 300B tube amp but the Cary brings just a teeny bit more beef, warmth, body and has a larger sound but a slightly smaller soundstage than the Oilily. It just fills my space with ease and sounds magical with my Icon 12 speakers that are 92-94DB efficient.
The Oilily has a gentler sound, not as impactful or large as the Cary but it also seems to dig out more micro details that are filled within the soundstage with more treble sparkle. The Oilily also does heavy music well with my Icon 12 speakers. With that Olily I have noticed things in some music that I never did before. It’s a bit more airy but less dense in the midrange vs the Cary. With all of that said, the Oilily has its own kind of magical sound with my Icon 12 and I really adore both of these amps. The Cary is an American Classic and there is a reason it’s been around for 30 years and is being made today just as it has been made for all of these decades.
The 300SEI has a high “pride of ownership” factor going on
CONCLUSION
I have read a ton about the 300SEI over the last 30 years. Some have said it sounds bloated and colored. Some say there is no way it puts out 15 watts. Some love this amp and say it’s the best one they have ever owned or heard in life. Others love the headphone section and still say it’s one of the best in the business for this use. There are still 20+ year old 300SEI’s out there being used today and it comes with a warranty from Cary right here in the USA when you buy new.
I do not hear bloat at all here with the 300SEI and LOVE the way this amp does midrange and bass. It’s something to behold but this is tubes and a 300SEI is not going to sound like a Devialet Astra either. The $20k+ Astra will be faster, more powerful, more dynamic and slightly leaner…more “wow” factor. The Astra sounds like the best class D I have heard but the Cary may be the best Class A I have heard. Take your pick as both sound vastly different.
The Cary will sound a little romantic at times but can also sound big, bold and ballsy with heavy music. It sounds so real with old Jazz vocal classics such as Nat King Cole or Billy Holiday and with ambient stuff, the room becomes a 3D cockpit for immersion.
This sound of the 300SEI is not all about transparency but more about a richness to the sound with very good imaging and a realness with female vocals that can haunt at times. Instruments sound big and real with density . You can sit for hours as there can be no fatigue with this amp. It’s like an old school tube sound with a modern flair, as in more detail and more refinement than the old 60’s and 70’s tube amps..but not too much more.
Also, this amp can be “tuned’ to your preferences just by changing tubes out. Want more treble energy and pop, throw in some PSVANE Summit Series tubes. Want more richness, clarity and depth with warmth? Go for those RayTubes 300B Reserve tubes. Just want an airy sound with less bass impact? Western Electric has you covered. Just want an all around beautiful 300B vibe? Stick with the stock tubes for a while and see how it goes.
This amp has some special sound qualities. Just looking at it makes me feel good and knowing it’s a 30 year old design makes it even better. It’s a classic yet one you can still buy and own. The Cary is just the real deal.
The Fezz Equinox Tube DAC is SO GOOD! No way I will find better unless I spend $10k+
I wish more people talked about Cary as they are a company that is rich in history, legacy and they have created some of the coolest tube amps of our time. They all have a timeless appeal and look like works of art. The 300SEI is probably my fave Cary product and after that it would have to be the gorgeous and awesome sounding SLP05 preamp. Then maybe the 805C amps and the SLP-98 pre. Great stuff that gets overlooked today by so many and some of the coolest looking products we can buy, even today. Timeless designs that have been around for decades, still going strong.
This is a dream amp for some of you out there but is it worth the $3800 price Cary is selling it for today, on sale? For me, that would be a YES as I have heard some SS amps that cost 4X as much yet had less soul and magic, but then again had more of other things a 300B amp lacks (power).
If you have speakers that can be driven by 10-15 watts of power (89-107DB) and your room isn’t cavernous in size, the Cary 300SEI could be the magic you have been seeking. It’s also a USA made amp and many these days seem to be looking for just that, at least here in the USA ; )
With my Icon 12’s it is just stunning. With my Duet 15’s, again…amazing and soulful. It can even power my Buchardt E50’s nicely in my 13X18 space but not to crazy high volumes as these speakers love power. Those will be powered by the Devialet Astra or Galion stack when in. Even so, the 300SEI brings more power than you would think. I remember back in the day when Dennis Had released this amp. He talked of voicing it with B&W 801’s and said he was in disbelief as how it was powering those power hungry speakers. I wouldn’t personally pair this with power hungry speakers as your volume will be limited but to hear this amp at its best I would say try speakers in the 90-98db range.
Heck, even when I have a 300WPC amp here I normally am in the 1-5 watts of power range on any given amp on any given day. Proof that I do not “need” big power in this room. The Cary has plenty of volume on tap with my Icon 12’s no matter how loud I want to listen.
Switchable from 4 to 8 ohm on the fly
One more thing…low volume listening? One of the best I have heard in this area are 300B amps and almost any good 300B or SET amp will do this very well. It’s a pro of SET amps for me as we get to hear all of the flesh, sweat and blood within a recording even at low low volumes. The sound doesn’t get thin at ow volumes. It stays big rich and with big bass. The Cary does this.
The Cary 300 SEI is a legendary amp at this point in time just due to the fact that it has been available for 31 years now, in its original form. Pair it with the right speakers and you will have a lifetime amp that will move you each time you listen. In fact, this may now be my preferred amp for my Icon 12 speakers. It’s stunning in all ways..looks, simplicity and sound. Sure, the Oilily 300B at $1099 is also a stunner but keep in mind that warranty repair will be tougher as the company is based in China vs Cary, who are right here in the USA. Also, the fit and finish of the Cary is nicer and the ever so slight hum that comes from the transformers cannot be heard at my listening seat, even with music off. It’s an amp that touches and pulls at the heartstrings and as good as it is out of the box in stock form, it can get even better with some upgraded tubes.
It’s a classic and has been available in its original design and form for 30+ years. That says it all right there.
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