Western Electric WE 91E, Integrated Tube Amplifier, WE 300B Tubes, 2 x 20 Watt : New

Western Electric WE 91E, Integrated Tube Amplifier, WE 300B Tubes, 2 x 20 Watt
Retail price: € 9.995,00
(Non EU Buyers and EU buyers with a valid VAT nr pay € 8.260,33)

EN.
General: Reference tube amplifier featuring the renowned Western Electric 300B tubes.

Western Electric: Western Electric was the first manufacturer to produce the now highly famous 300B tube, starting in 1938. The manufacturer Western Electric is one of the oldest manufacturers in the High End audio world, founded in 1869, no less than 153 years ago. Though they were not immediately involved in high end audio back then. It was only in the early 20th century that Western Electric began making tubes for sound amplification, and they were also involved in high-quality audio installations for cinemas. Today, Western Electric focuses solely on manufacturing a select number of top-tier High End audio devices. These include power amplifiers, integrated amplifiers, a CD player, and a phono preamplifier. They also continue to produce individual 300B tubes which are among the best in the world.

WE 300B Tubes: The 300B tubes are manufactured by Western Electric themselves and have an average lifespan of as much as 40,000 (!) hours. You can get quite a long way with these 300B tubes; in fact, if you were to listen every day for 3 hours (without exception), the expectation is that your tubes would last some 37 years. No other 300B tube on the market comes anywhere close to such a long lifespan. Western Electric provides a 90-day warranty on the WE 91E, but if you fill out the warranty card and mail it to Western Electric within 10 days of purchase, the warranty on the amplifier is extended to no less than 3 years.

Technology: The Western Electric WE 91E is a very modern amplifier. On the front you will find an easy-to-read and dimmable LCD display showing the input, volume level, and a VU-meter. It is also convenient that you can connect a Bluetooth antenna to the amplifier, allowing you to easily play music via Bluetooth, which is handy for more casual listening purposes. Additionally, there is a high-quality phono input that can be switched between MM and MC.

The Western Electric WE 91E is a Single Ended tube amplifier, but thanks to Western Electric's advanced and patented circuit design, more than 2 times as much power is extracted from the 300B tubes. With this technology, the Western Electric WE 91E delivers as much as 20 watts per channel, whereas this is normally 8 watts per channel with ordinary single ended 300B tube amplifiers. Consequently, enormous, heavy output transformers are also a thing of the past. Of course, an output transformer block is still present, but it is of a reasonable size and weight. The output transformer block can be switched between 4 Ohm, 8 Ohm, and 16 Ohm variants. Which block sounds best varies depending on the speaker and its corresponding impedance. The weight of the Western Electric WE 91E is a modest 22.2 kg, which is mainly due to the solid yet stylish brushed aluminum housing.

Sound: The Western Electric WE 91E sounds extremely distinctive due to its special patented circuit and high-end 300B tubes. The first thing that stands out is how honestly the WE 91E sounds; the reproduction sounds effortless and open, as if it takes no effort to render every detail with precision. This is due to the extremely transparent character of the amplifier. The sound is clean, rhythmic, and exceptionally detailed. This is listening to 300B tubes in a way you have never heard before. The bass reproduction is also very solid and controlled, and not woolly at all. The 'typical tube glow' does not apply here; instead, you get an honest, spacious, precise, and highly rhythmic soundstage.

Ohm-Audio B.V. is an official Western Electric dealer. The Western Electric WE 91E is unpacked and ready for demonstration at our location; feel free to schedule a listening appointment and come by to be convinced by this very special tube amplifier while enjoying a delicious cup of coffee.

Specifications of the Western Electric WE 91E:

Brand: Western Electric USA
Model: WE 91E
Type: Integrated Single Ended Tube Amplifier
Output Transformer: 4 Ohm Transformer (Speakers 3-8 ohm) or 8 Ohm Transformer (Speakers 6-16 ohm) to choose
Warranty Ohm-Audio B.V.: 36 Months after Registration
Analog Inputs: 4 x Unbalanced RCA
Phono Input: 1 x Unbalanced RCA Phono Input, To switch between MM & MC
Digital Inputs: 1 x Bluetooth Antenna Input
Analog Outputs: 1 x Pre Out Unbalanced RCA, 1 x Line Out Unbalanced RCA
Speaker Outputs: 1 x Pair Speaker Connections for Spades and/or Banana Connectors
Output Power: 2 x 20 Watt
Finish: Champagne Gold or Black
Trade-in: Negotiable

Dimensions:

Dimensions: 48cm Wide x 38cm Deep x 28cm High
Weight: 22.2 Kg

Reviews & Manufacturer Website:

Stereophile Review: Western Electric WE 91E Stereophile Review
Hifi Advice Review: Western Electric WE 91E Hifi Advice Review
Manufacturer Website: Western Electric WE 91E