Review of the BorderPatol SE300B EXD Amplifier by John Richardson of Part Time Audiophile
If you are one of those fortunate souls in the market for a no-compromise single-ended 300B amplifier, should you consider the BorderPatrol SE300B-EXD? Damn right you should!Summing up, you get a copper and wood clad amplifier, overbuilt power supply, artisanal build quality, and great application of modern technology. Gary Dews has really thought this thing out, and he’s gone to tremendous lengths to get the most goody out of the classic 300B tube in the single-ended configuration possible.No, $13,500 isn’t cheap, even in the overinflated world of high-end perfectionist audio. You’d still do well to shop around at this price point, paying special attention to speaker matching. As I hope to have pointed out, I thought the BorderPatrol SE300B-EXD was swimmingly good with the very efficient single-driver speakers I used with it. But the Living Voice IBX-R3 speakers? Well, if I had to opt for one or the other, I’d probably go with Gary’s more powerful push-pull P21-EXD amplifier. The extra power was nice with these less efficient speakers, and that amp’s more detailed and slightly cooler presentation seemed a bit of a better match with the more reticent and warmer Living Voice speakers. Well, at least to my ears…That said, the BorderPatrol SE300B-EXD is a real honey of an amp. It is therefore eminently deserving of a PTA Reviewer’s Choice Award. So, congratulations again to Gary Dews and BorderPatrol Audio. This reviewer trusts (nay, expects!) that they will keep up the excellent work for years to come.
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