Shuguang Treasure 'Black Bottle' 6CA7Z and Genalex KT-77's

rajacat · « **Reply #140 on:** 25 Aug 2009, 03:03 am »

I can't find the Shuguang Treasure 'Black Bottles on Lee's websight.

-Roy

santacore · « **Reply #141 on:** 25 Aug 2009, 03:48 am »

Roy,

Check out the first post in the thread. Lee purchased the tubes from Grant Fidelity.

cryoparts · « **Reply #142 on:** 25 Aug 2009, 04:25 am »

Quote from: santacore on 25 Aug 2009, 03:48 am

Roy,

Check out the first post in the thread. Lee purchased the tubes from Grant Fidelity.

Yep, Rachel and Ian are good folks.

Peace,

Lee

cryoparts · « **Reply #143 on:** 9 Sep 2009, 07:50 pm »

Well, as kind of a final update, here we go...

The tubes now have well over 700 hours, maybe over 1000 hours, and they are going strong and sounding great. So great, that I am going to pare back my EL34/KT77 collection by a few quads and stick with the Shuguang Treasure's. They earn my highest recommendation.

On another note, I picked up one of the Shuguang Treasure CV181's and am using it in the driver stage of a "freshened up" Singlepower MPX3. The results are so good that I am going to pick up a matched pair for the output tubes (the SP uses three 6SN7's) as soon as Grant Fidelity gets them back in stock and compare them to my current favorite 6SN7 types, the black Tung-Sols and my chrome dome Sylvania's.

In any event, if you have an amp that can use the Treasure's, and have the scratch to pony up for them, do it!

Peace,

Lee

iGrant · « **Reply #144 on:** 9 Sep 2009, 08:09 pm »

Hi Lee,

I know it is difficult but I'm sure we all trust your opinion. Was Cryo treating the Treasures a thumbs up?

Thanks

Ian

cryoparts · « **Reply #145 on:** 9 Sep 2009, 09:03 pm »

Quote from: iGrant on 9 Sep 2009, 08:09 pm

Hi Lee,

I know it is difficult but I'm sure we all trust your opinion. Was Cryo treating the Treasures a thumbs up?

Thanks
Ian

Yes. I don't want to turn this into an ad for my services, but cryo did make a nice difference.

Peace,

Lee

cryoparts · « **Reply #146 on:** 9 Sep 2009, 09:04 pm »

Quote from: iGrant on 9 Sep 2009, 08:09 pm

Ian

Ian, when will the CV181's be back in stock? Shoot me a PM.

Lee

richidoo · « **Reply #147 on:** 9 Sep 2009, 11:02 pm »

Quote from: cryoparts on 9 Sep 2009, 09:04 pm

Ian, when will the CV181's be back in stock?

"Mid October" said my recent email from Rachel. The batch due in September did not pass inspection. I have a pair coming for my Manley Neo Classic 300B amps, which already have Treasure 300Bs and sound awesome just finishing 300 hours about now. Better than Sophia and SED 300Bs. Very clear and powerful, for a 300B that is....

Your research and findings makes me wish I kept my Manley Snappers and retubed them with Treasure 6CA7. I sold because I was so tired of lousy EL34 tubes. Oh well, live and learn.

Thanks for sharing your tube journey Lee. That was fun!

Tyson · « **Reply #148 on:** 9 Sep 2009, 11:07 pm »

Have you compared the Black Bottles to the KT88's from Gold Lion or Penta Labs?

cryoparts · « **Reply #149 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 12:23 am »

Quote from: richidoo on 9 Sep 2009, 11:02 pm

Quote from: cryoparts on 9 Sep 2009, 09:04 pm
Ian, when will the CV181's be back in stock?

"Mid October" said my recent email from Rachel. The batch due in September did not pass inspection. I have a pair coming for my Manley Neo Classic 300B amps, which already have Treasure 300Bs and sound awesome just finishing 300 hours about now. Better than Sophia and SED 300Bs. Very clear and powerful, for a 300B that is....

Your research and findings makes me wish I kept my Manley Snappers and retubed them with Treasure 6CA7. I sold because I was so tired of lousy EL34 tubes. Oh well, live and learn.

Thanks for sharing your tube journey Lee. That was fun!

Bummer on the September batch. Good to know that Ian and Rachel are vigilant about the quality though.

My pleasure to report my results.

I am going to embark on the Treasure CV181 journey now... I've assembled all the usual suspects in the 6SN7 family, so we'll see what happens there.

Peace,

Lee

cryoparts · « **Reply #150 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 12:24 am »

Quote from: Tyson on 9 Sep 2009, 11:07 pm

Have you compared the Black Bottles to the KT88's from Gold Lion or Penta Labs?

Me?

If so, no, I haven't. The test mule amp (the EE M520) can only use EL34's or KT77's.

Peace,

Lee

richidoo · « **Reply #151 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 12:28 am »

Quote from: cryoparts on 10 Sep 2009, 12:23 am

I am going to embark on the Treasure CV181 journey now... I've assembled all the usual suspects in the 6SN7 family, so we'll see what happens there.

That will be fun - and this time I can participate!

cryoparts · « **Reply #152 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 12:31 am »

Quote from: richidoo on 10 Sep 2009, 12:28 am

Quote from: cryoparts on 10 Sep 2009, 12:23 am
I am going to embark on the Treasure CV181 journey now... I've assembled all the usual suspects in the 6SN7 family, so we'll see what happens there.

That will be fun - and this time I can participate!

Sweet! Should one of us start a new thread? I look forward to reading others opinions on these!

Lee

richidoo · « **Reply #153 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 12:52 am »

I'll let you have the honors, since you did such a great job on this one....

I don't have mine yet anyway. It has been delayed twice now so I am just ignoring it until they show up one day as a surprise. I hope stock will be better in the future. Imagine if you got addicted to it then one blew and you could not get a replacement for 4 months? At $150 each it's not something you keep a stash of spares. Rachel has been good at keeping me informed. Meanwhile the RCA GTs I have now are just fine.

cryoparts · « **Reply #154 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 12:57 am »

Quote from: richidoo on 10 Sep 2009, 12:52 am

I'll let you have the honors, since you did such a great job on this one....

I don't have mine yet anyway. It has been delayed twice now so I am just ignoring it until they show up one day as a surprise. I hope stock will be better in the future. Imagine if you got addicted to it then one blew and you could not get a replacement for 4 months? At $150 each it's not something you keep a stash of spares. Rachel has been good at keeping me informed. Meanwhile the RCA GTs I have now are just fine.

Cool, will do. I only have one (that I scored from an overseas friends who bought it from Ian--small world, eh?) at this point, as I am waiting for them to come back in stock to get a matched pair.

Peace,

Lee

jcspinks · « **Reply #155 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 04:01 am »

Lee, thanks for all of your reports; they led me down the righteous path. I love my 6CA7 Treasures.

cryoparts · « **Reply #156 on:** 10 Sep 2009, 04:06 am »

Quote from: jcspinks on 10 Sep 2009, 04:01 am

Lee, thanks for all of your reports; they led me down the righteous path. I love my 6CA7 Treasures.

Glad to be of service. Ian and Rachel have a real Treasure in these tubes...

Lee

rpf · « **Reply #157 on:** 27 Sep 2009, 01:09 am »

I'm late reporting but my assessment of the Black Treasure 6CA7s corresponds to those above.

In my Rogue Cronus, they bested the Svetlana and Tesla (original, not JJ) EL34s and the Genalex KT77 re-issues. The others gave more emphasis to leading edge transients and were relatively forward sounding. In comparison, the 6CA7s have a better balance between the leading edge transients, the held note, and the trailing transients, producing a more natural sound with a greater tonal realism and much greater depth. Individual images are also more dimensional, low level ambient information is increased, and the total effect is very analogue like. Nothing is lost in frequency extension or any other area.

The Black Treasures are very expensive

but very addicting (need a "shrug" icon here

).

Rob

toobluvr · « **Reply #158 on:** 27 Sep 2009, 01:53 am »

Shrug icon comin right up!

ecramer · « **Reply #159 on:** 27 Sep 2009, 04:32 am »

Wish i could try them in my quicksilver ms-190 but buying 8 of them is out of the question I have a octet of tesla non jj's on the way witch sholde kick things up a notch

ed