Western Electric To Debut 777 rAMT Midrange Driver at High End Munich 2022

After successfully rebooting tube production in the US with the relaunch of the 300B, and introducing the stunning new 91E Integrated Amplifier, Western Electric has been busy in other areas. Charles Whitener, the entrepreneur and current president and CEO is determined to take Western Electric to a leading market position in home audio and is investing also in new speaker technologies. The first results will be visible at High End Munich 2022 with the presentation of the new 777 rAMT Midrange Driver.

The situation in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia are having a significant impact on the global supply of tubes to the audio industry. Both Ukraine and Russia are important suppliers of raw materials, and the sanctions are likely to cause further strain over the supply of source materials that all manufacturers of tubes need. In China there are also significant disruptions caused by pandemic lockdowns, transportation challenges, and cost increases. How many tube manufacturing operations remain viable? Western Electric says there is hope... in the US!

audioXpress readers have long been anticipating the announcement, and Western Electric finally confirmed that the company is taking orders for the new 91E integrated amplifier. Following the resumed production of the 300B triode tubes at the modern Rossville Works facility, Western Electric now launches a single-ended (SE) high-fidelity amplifier inspired by the 91A, its famous predecessor used in early Hollywood motion pictures. The new SE design offers over 20 watts per channel - a first for the 300B in a totally new design for the 21st Century.

Celebrating the reintroduction of the famous Western Electric 300B triode, now out of Rossville, GA, in this article, Richard Honeycutt asked key questions to entrepreneur Charles Whitener, the main force behind the revived Western Electric venture, which is also investing in new tube audio amplifiers and tube related electronics. Since a visit to the facilities wasn't yet possible but production had resumed, audioXpress provided an inside look at Western Electric and its reestablished operations. This article was originally published in audioXpress, May 2021.

Our May 2021 Glass Audio Special edition is certain to inform and inspire you. We reveal what is happening at Western Electric's new Rossville Works in Georgia, where production of 300B tubes is ongoing, we explain how to draw tube load lines, and we offer a valuable preamplifier design that enables you to compare the sound of tube and solid-state circuits from the same audio source. There's also a versatile stereo tube amplifier design to build, and plenty more audio electronics theory and practice in this edition. Now available online and in print.

The 150-year-old Western Electric will reintroduce its flagship product to market, the famous 300B electron tube. In time for its 80th anniversary, the 300B is returning to production this year, and the Rossville-based company announced they will restart the manufacturing in a brand new facility. Charles Whitener, Western Electric CEO, also confirmed the company will unveil a new single-ended amplifier called the 91E, as an homage to its famous predecessor the 91A, first introduced in 1936.