After couple of years of trying it appears I have managed to get access to Takatsuki 300B and 274B valves from the distributor in Japan.
I would like to offer the first batch to AA members on a group buy basis.
Please pm for details if you are interested.
Just to say that Simon has run this by me first and I’m fine with it.
Grab a cut towards forum funding 
Have you had some to try yet Simon?
I dont have any here, but I have heard them in the past in a known environment and was very impressed.
I think most of the reviews and user experience suggest they are about the closest sounding current production 300b to the classic old stock 300B, and some even suggest they prefer the TA-300B to the reissue WE valves.
When I heard them it was just this impression of effortless big tone and coherent musicality, in a way very reminiscent of the WE 300B, which is quite a trick.
any hints on lifetime compared to a) WE b) contemporary better competition
No specific details, but I haven’t heard or found any tails of woe regarding failure of short lifespan. It seems they can take a little time to settle in and fully flesh out the tone, up to 250 hours reported, but no stories about problems.
Well, in classic AA style I have been in limbo with this for some months, but I have finally managed to re-establish contact with the Japanese. Whilst I have their attention it would be nice to get this group buy over the line.
If a nice pair of Takatsuki 300B is of interest, please get in touch.
Cheers
Hi Simon, be really interested to hear where you are at with this group buy and experience of these Japanese valves. Many thanks.
It remains on my rather lengthy to-do list unfortunately.
I was just about organised with it then Covid etc hit and it took a back seat. Maybe I should give it another go before the borders close on 1st Jan?
Well it had crossed my mind. What are you currently running Simon on your Model 5, kindest regards, Jonathan
What price/pr did you end up being offered Simon?
I like 300Bs that tend towards the classic WE sound, so big tone and structure and a musical coherency. I have tried a lot of different types, but certainly not all, and my favourite for everyday use are EH gold grids, with LV being the best current production types i have used, and WE still being the benchmark tbh
I would need to look back, but i think it was better than that, but it was some time ago and so much has changed since then…
Slight tangent, but there’s not going to be less tax & duty post-Brexit, quite the opposite - every import will be hit with it. I’d expect rate and VAT rises, too. And massively-increased delays…
Yay! Taking Back Control!
Is that the case with rolled over trade deals? Also, why might the duty on goods from non EU suppliers rise?
I claim not the slightest knowledge of the matter, but it’s what I strongly expect; rates of tax and duty are a soft target to recover some of the gigantic costs of both Brexit and COVID. …And there’s not much else left to tax…
Thank-you Simon, I’ve very limited experience, the LV’s are my only reference point with your beautiful Model 5. Looking for a valve set to have on the shelf, so value your recommendations.
As a low cost backup the EH gold grid are a good bet, they do a lot right, but are a bit grey through the midrange compared to the colour of the LV or the WE
The Takatsuki price is a bit strong for me as I need a quad.
I keep saying I should get LVs or similar as my WEs can’t last forever.
But they are over 10 years old now and still going strong!