Can anyone help me out on where to get a couple Shuguang Cv181-z tubes? I'm a newb to tubes and see a bunch from China on eBay. Are the blue ones the same as black and current? Thanks for any help.
If I understand the history correctly - the blue glass version was their first wave of their tubes. The black glass is the upgraded version as it is a carbon polymer coating that is supposed to -- enhance performance, reduce stray electron emissions (reduce noise/increase clarity).
https://www.ebay.com/i/223139362664...B2wVRFf9vBpO-goE2DhvzERlJZiqYrVwaAp3DEALw_wcB https://www.thetubestore.com/shuguang-natural-sound-cv181-t Pair --> https://www.amazon.com/Shuguang-Treasure-Cv181-z-Matched-Replace/dp/B011QZ4N1O
Never drink and shop on the internet, pounded a 40 last night and this morning see that I have a National Union & KenRad VT231 shipping to me...lol. Yeah I'm a light weight.
Can't be that much different, I wouldn't know. Just have the Z type myself, and hear the PSVane tubes are better. The guys who helped develope the CV-181 made the PS Vane tube.
CV181-T are their natural sound series -- this is their highest grade. The black treasure -- CV-181-Z are the middle grade. There is a standard grade too, but i honestly don't know much about that, but i am certain it was three tiers altogether until that group split off and formed PSVANE. You can't go wrong with any of those tubes however. And as @JKDJedi points out the PSVANE stuff is even better - it continually has improved with their production tubes.
Honestly @mrwasabi whatever you can afford. I think the PSVANE CV181-TII is the successor. They also had made a treasure globe 6sn7-se which looks like an old school light bulb. I heard they were good too but not cheap. But my budget limited me to the older black treasure tube cv181-z which is really a fantastic tube that I would highly recommend.
