[iGrant]

300B listening comparison: 
TJ Full Music 300B/n, 300B/c, 300B/se, Shuguang Treasure 300B-Z, Shuguang 300B-98 on GF A-534B

http://grantfidelity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=281

Please post comments, questions there too, thanx.

Cheers,
Ian

[cryoparts]

I would love to hear more comparisons of the Shuguang 6CA7-Z with some other good EL34/6CA7 variants, the Genalex KT-77, the new Mullard, the winged C's, etc, when used as an output tube.  Looks to be a very interesting tube, I posted a while back about it here:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=63860.0

Peace,

Lee

300B listening tests:
TJ Full Music 300B/n, 300B/c, 300B/se, Shuguang Treasure 300B-Z, Shuguang 300B-98 on GF A-534B

http://grantfidelity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=281

Please post comments, questions there too, thanx.

Cheers,
Ian

[iGrant]

Missed the thread Lee, will post a follow up for you there. btw, cryo'd the TJ's too and worked very well. Read my short thread on our forum on cryoing a whole B-283 in the processors section? Worked well, but took about 500 hours to burn in

Cheers,
Ian

[cryoparts]

Cryo does add to the break in time, that's for sure.  But, the end result tend to be worth the wait, IMO (however, I may be biased...).  Do you have a link to your forum page that describes the cryo details?

Peace,

Lee

Missed the thread Lee, will post a follow up for you there. btw, cryo'd the TJ's too and worked very well. Read my short thread on our forum on cryoing a whole B-283 in the processors section? Worked well, but took about 500 hours to burn in

Cheers,
Ian

[cryoparts]

Never mind on the link, I found it on your forum.  Wasn't even aware that you had one until your link above, looks like a good place.

Moray James is a good resource to have if he is close to you.

One correction to your thread, you mentioned that the the tubes were treated at -300C, that should be -300F.  -300C would really be something to behold!   

Peace,

Lee

[iGrant]

Never mind on the link, I found it on your forum.  Wasn't even aware that you had one until your link above, looks like a good place.

Moray James is a good resource to have if he is close to you.

One correction to your thread, you mentioned that the the tubes were treated at -300C, that should be -300F.  -300C would really be something to behold!   

Peace,

Lee

And you wonder why the Hubble died, damn C/F , thanks for pointing it out. Talk with Moray often and he does ours and likely everyone in Calgary's cryo treatments.

Cheers,
Ian

[Jon L]

"Shuguang Treasure Series 300B-Z - Retail $600 USD Pair 30 day warranty, $650 Pair USD with one year warranty at GF.
TJ Full Music 300B/se Carbon Plate - Retail $700 USD Pair 30 day warranty, $750 USD Pair with one year warranty at GF."

WOW!  I hadn't realized these Chinese tubes cost so much 

BTW, is the Shuguang 12AX7 you tested the latest version (9th gen)?  Thanks.

[iGrant]

"Shuguang Treasure Series 300B-Z - Retail $600 USD Pair 30 day warranty, $650 Pair USD with one year warranty at GF.
TJ Full Music 300B/se Carbon Plate - Retail $700 USD Pair 30 day warranty, $750 USD Pair with one year warranty at GF."

WOW!  I hadn't realized these Chinese tubes cost so much 

BTW, is the Shuguang 12AX7 you tested the latest version (9th gen)?  Thanks.

Seen the price of NOS Western Electrics lately?. Last set on eBAy went for over $2k one was good, the other had a rattle inside !!!! I'd say the purchaser had a rattle somewhere too Still cheaper than the WE new production 300B, if and when they are in production. Shuguang and TJ of course have kept all their tube making machinery and staff.

The Shuguang 12AX7 is what we speck from them, level 6 quality. Am i missing something on 9th Gen?, they aren't Shuguang's gold pins, we have silver sockets.

Cheers,
Ian

[Jon L]

The Shuguang 12AX7 is what we speck from them, level 6 quality. Am i missing something on 9th Gen?, they aren't Shuguang's gold pins, we have silver sockets.

Cheers,
Ian

Shuguang 12AX7  9th Gen means made with 9th Gen tooling at the Shuguang factory, so any recent tubes should all be 9th Gen. 

BTW, I just noticed a review of Grant Fidelity A-534B 300B amp on Positive Feedback.
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue41/grantfiledity_534b.htm

Congrats on a great review.  The reviewer mentions using the headphone jack.  Is the headphone output directly taken off of the 300B tube output via resistors ( what Ohms)?  Thanks.

[iGrant]

Hi Jon,

All our stock tubes are direct from Shuguang's premium runs, so I would guess it's their latest generation, never asked them that question, but will soon. They know we want their best in the silver pin 12AX7B and we pay for it. It's an excellent stock tube for the price. We have had zero premature failures with it too.

The A-534B headphone jack is tapped off the 300B circuit, very handy for tube roll testing and sounds great, it is 32 ohm but with plenty of gain to drive just about any headphone with excellent performance. I don't get my Sen's HD-540's much past 10 o'clock and can push it towards 2 o'clock before the tubes start clipping.

[iGrant]

200 hour update on the Shuguang Treasure 300B-Z:

http://grantfidelity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=938

Cheers,
Ian

[DavidS]

Ian - interesting read, will continue to watch for your updates.  I have about 30 hours on my TJse's but now wondering whether I should have bought Shuguangs .  I am running Shuguang KT88s in my other amp - one of Bill Bakers Bella 3205s and this is the best tube I have heard in this amp - so know Shuguang makes a nice tube.  Actually even early days on the TJs they are sounding great as well in my 300b amp.

David   

[iGrant]

Ian - interesting read, will continue to watch for your updates.  I have about 30 hours on my TJse's but now wondering whether I should have bought Shuguangs .  I am running Shuguang KT88s in my other amp - one of Bill Bakers Bella 3205s and this is the best tube I have heard in this amp - so know Shuguang makes a nice tube.  Actually even early days on the TJs they are sounding great as well in my 300b amp.

David   

Hi David,

By the time I get to 300 hours on the 300B-Z's you should be close to 100 on your TJ/SE's. Maybe I can talk Rachel into letting you do a quick comparison for us on my burnt in pair. I don't think anyone can go wrong with either tube. Look forward to reading your thoughts on the TJ's, have you compared them yet to what you were running before?

Did you see the enjoythemusic review on your TJ's? It's linked from our site under reviews if you missed it.

Cheers,
Ian

[DavidS]

The Enjoy the Music TJ 300b review came out the same day I ordered my TJs.  Rachel and I discussed briefly - I enjoy reading Enjoy the Music but was probably the worst most muddled review I have ever read.  Read it twice and still didn't get it.  Think he and his panel liked the SE but didn't really like 300b amps in general or other tubes for that matter?

My 300bs have 40 hours on them and something magical happened in the last 5 hours (my amp is also breaking in).  A whole dynamics someone opened the curtains and let the light in thing and its a bright sunny spring day.  Would love to compare to the Shuguangs but probably need another 100 hours on the TJs which could be a month+ for me.  I have gone back and forth a bit with my KT88 amp (shuguangs there) and very different sound.  My Druids like the 300bs by a long shot while I think my GMA speakers prefer the power of my Bella 3205s.

[iGrant]

300 hour update on the Shuguang Treasure 300B-Z:

http://grantfidelity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=938

Cheers,
Ian