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Shuguang Treasure tubes....

I'm not sure if this is in the right place but this is about the tubes in my amp so here goes....Has anyone else given these Shuguan Treasure tubes a try?

I recently bought a used tube amp(VAC Phi 110) and the tubes that came with it were shot so I started poking around for some new tubes. I was looking for some Shuguang tubes, which are what I believe VAC supplies as standard/stock, and ran across Shuguangs limited production Treasure tubes. I poked around and did some reading, found a review or two and decided to give the only distributer for N. America(Grant Fidelity) a call. I spoke to a very kind and helpful lady who was patient with me(quite the task I might add!), was very nice and helpful and was darn knowledgeable on the tubes. Before I knew it my wallet had leapt out of my back pocket and I had splurged and ordered a matched quad of the Treasure Tubes, KT-88s. Within a couple of hours I had a tracking number and about a week later a box labeled "FRAGILE: GLASS!" was waiting for me when I got home from work.(A quick side note; during the short wait for the Treasure tubes to arrive I was using a borrowed quad of stock VAC KT-88 tubes and they were wonderful, great sounding tubes that I could live with forever....or that is until I found the Treasure tubes anyway.)

When the Treasure tubes showed up I ripped into the box and was shocked to see that each pair comes in a really nice presentation box with each tube very well protected in a foam insert, very classy. I removed the tubes, admired their beauty(they really are sweet looking tubes!) and popped them in the VAC and let them warm up for about 15-20 minutes. I then set bias on them and hit the play button expecting the usual tube break in time-wrong!...right out of the box these tubes sound fantastic! Seriously, I am shocked how at just good they sound fresh out of the box. Smooth clean highs, strong deep bass and all the other audiophile words we so endear. If they're this good right out of the box I can't wait until I get 100 hours or so on them. I'm no reviewer but I can say that these tubes offered a noticable improvement in my system and are worth every penny of their asking price, no doubt about it! So far they are chugging along and sounding beautiful and hold a rock solid bias, ZERO fluctuation.

Please understand that I have no affiliation with Grant Fidelity but when I run across a company that treats their customers so well and offers a product that performs at this level I feel I should share my experience with others, I'm one VERY hapy audionut!

Yes I actually do have a question and here it is; They(Grant Fidelity/Shuguang) also offer a 6SN7 substitute called the "CV-181", this is supposed to be a direct replacement for standard 6SN7's and I'm very interested in those as well. Has anyone else had the opportunity to give these tubes a try? Thanks for your replies.

Sincerely,
John
johngp
honest1
586 posts
 
OK, I've been meaning to get to this, thnaks for the prod. NOTICE: I used the old blue glass tubes, without the black coating inside. These were early production / prototypes, which are no longer available, but are supposed ot be very similar to the final (presumably better) black coated treasures. Using these in a pair of AtmaSphere MA1s, I found the Treasure CV181Zs to be on par with any of the old tubes I have used. I would not say better or worse, and I ended up using a combination of tubes to get the best sound. The Treasures have a nice even response, a lot of resolution, and an airiness. When I loaded up my MA1s w/ 4pair of theTreasures, though, it was too bright. It did take a while for me to figure it out, but adding in some Sylvnia WGT and RCA smoked glass resulted in a nicer sound.
The other thing that might surprise you about these tubes is their size. They use the same size bottle usually found on KT88s, and are quite impressive looking when you pull them out of the box. Make sure they will fit before you buy them. I stocked up on the blue glass ones, because I think beeing able to see the anode plates and the filament glow is an important part of owning tube gear, and I like the look of the blue glass. The opaque black tubes look cool in their own way, but I like to see inside.
glory's avatar
glory
1,614 posts
 
Honest,

Thanks for your feedback. The TS RP to me is the best 6sn7. Have you done an A/B with them and the Treasure?
honest1
586 posts
 
No, I have not tried any TS RPs. I've been intimidated by the cost, and the uncertainty of whether you're getting a real NOS tube or an almost dead old tube. There are certainly reputable sellers with good test equipment, but I have never gotten up the nerve to spend that much on tubes. I remember seeing some going for a lot less than the $300+, but I think they were used.
jtimothya
612 posts
 
The Shuguang Treasure CV181Z is relatively new on the market and while the literature and reports say the quality is there, they are rather pricey. Newer Russian and Chinese 6SN7s can have a shorter lifespan than tubes from the 50's and 60's. Does anyone have information on real or projected lifespan for the ST CV181Z? TIA
grantfidelity's avatar
grantfidelity
21 posts
 
The Treasure tubes lifespan:
- large power tubes - 3,000-5,000 hours under normal use
- preamp tubes - 5,000-8,000 hours under normal use

If the tubes were tested properly when sold, a good quality pair should last to its full lifespan.

Grant Fidelity is the first international distributor selling Shuguang Treasure tubes since Jan 2009. Out of the hundreds we have sold, the good quality ones (A grade) never have any one fail to now except occasional shipping related damage, which is replaced right away. No A grade tube fail yet during consumer's use. We have only sold B grade for 6 months - hard to tell how long B grade is going to last but price is largely discounted for anticipated shorter life due to inferior test results.

Sample tube test results are available at dedicated Treasure tube website: www.shuguangtreasure.com.
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