2. amps-preamps
  3. 1286194112

Best 845 tube out there?

I am running a pair of Cary CAD-211AE monoblocks with the standard no-name Chinese tubes shipped by Cary. Whilst I am happy with the sound, I think I should buy a pair of 845's to keep as backup in case something happens to these tubes.

Because I will need to buy FOUR of them, this rules out any tube that sells for stupid money (e.g. vintage RCA 845 tubes).

The only current production 845's I am aware of are:

- Shuguang 845 "standard"
- Shuguang 845B
- Shuguang 845C
- Shuguang PSVANE 845
- KR Audio 845

I have found reviews of the Shuguang 845B and 845C, but there is virtually no information out there on the new Shuguang "psvane" 845. Has anybody heard this valve, and is it a noticable improvement over the 845B and C? Also, what do people think of the KR?
amfibius

Showing 2 responses by fourlegs

fourlegs
4 posts
 
@ecll80 I also ordered a pair of Shuguang WE845 recently and they also arrived broken. Mine had broken glass at the top of the tube just where there is a glass spacer.

Personally I do not think it was a packing problem with mine and it looks more like a design defect because the glass spacer causes a pressure point on the tube outer glass. One of the tubes was properly broken there and the other one has a stress crack there and was ready to break, probably when the tube heated up.

I have previously always used Psvane WE845 (which I really like) but wanted to try the Shuguang version because of the ever increasing cost of the Psvane WE845.
fourlegs
4 posts
 
I'm also interested to hear how Oliver's tubes mature. I am back listening to my Psvane WE845 but I know at some point I will need new ones hence my interest.
More to discover