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
We'll I have received a pair of WE211 yesterday, 11 hours use now. I've been told by german distributor that Psvane is offering 12 month guarranty for the Extreme Series so I bought them quick ..
Valvulator,
How does the WE211 sound compared to your Elgrods? I know you haven't had them for long, but what's the initial impression??
Hi Mikewen,
First impression is visual, we211 is a true replica so it doesn't have a bigger or thicker glass. It's visually very similar to GE. So this is dissaponting when compared to the Elrog bigger, modern and high quality internal structure and really black graphite.

From the point of view of sound is too early to compare, 30 hours running now. Still too much HIFI sound no coherence. But yes they are very quiet. Despite what may seem to what I say i have a good first impression .. I'll let you know !
.

I would like to offer a testimony on my experience with the KR845 tube.

I purchased two sets of KR845's for my Audion Elite tube amp back in January of 2011. I keep a log for my tube hours and cartridge hours.

It is april of 2014 that i write this, so that means i've personally owned them for 3 years.

I checked my log book and i have 627 hours of listening on my first set of KR845's.

So, that is 3 years and 627 hrs that i have not had an issue.

Note FWIW these KR845's have brass bottoms. I have seen aluminimum colored and copper bottom versions. I have not owned those. I'm not sure what production run the brass bottom version is or if that has any relevance.

I have not heard the WE845. I own the 845B and C.

The C's burn brightest and have alot of shove. The B's are more beguiling. The KR845 is the most neutral of them all. Has more resolution than either and lots of shove. It does not give a vintage tube sound but sounds very modern and sophisticated. It has brilliant timbre and provides a great base point to dial in the rest of your system around, especially if you are committed to use a 845. The A and C are so different in this regard that no cable or cartridge change could ever give you the kind of headway the KR gives you just by having it in your tube amp.

So, while there are some bad experiences out there with KR845 in terms of reliability there are some very positive ones out there too. My experience with them has been extremely positive, sonically and in terms of reliability. The KR845 in my system and in my elite are a essential ingredient in the level of playback i have achieved. I could not go without them.

I recommend asking your amp manufacturer if the specs for the KR845 that you intend to purchase are electrically compatible first, before you buy them.

.
Shuguang have the new 211T inside by the pics I see very similar to Psvane T or Mark II.

Opinions or experiences??????
The price is very competitive, better than Psvane T or Mark II.

Shuguang 211-T features introduced by Shuguang Company.

. the product is completely original reference RCA211 design
. High permeability unleaded large glass shell design, both to accelerate the cooling effect inside the tube, so that the entire tube and more aesthetic
. imported vacuum melting high purity high density graphite material, the anode dissipation power than similar products to enhance 20% , fine processing technology, reflects the extraordinary value
. U.S. imports of high-thorium tungsten cathode, both to ensure a large dynamic distortion, and other manufacturers overcome the weaknesses easily broken filament.
. platinum gate, the gate is not without any radiation phenomena in higher operating temperatures
. resulting in positive tolerance design conductive rod and anode, no work flashover or die skew the transport situation
. extension tube gold pin design, so tightly hugged her and header, no signal is missing
. maintain and exceed the original tube sound characteristics
Soothing series pin and socket are all genuine gold plated (24K), withstand Salt experimental test, ten years do not fade do not fade, good conductive properties.
. fully maintain and exceed the original tube sound characteristics
. precision pairing, no parameter drift