Supratek Owners Thread

dentdog -
Are you saying you talked to Mick about the Psvane T11s? Please understand I'm not trying to be obtuse, I just want to understand. Whenever I've traded emails about tube-rolling with Mick he basically advised me to spend my money elsewhere. Like a new DAC. If he's said that the Psvane T11s are the best, I'd like to know it.I've been trying to get a handle on the Shuguang & Psvane tubes. Many folks rave about them sounding better than virtually all the famous NOS tubes. However, I've also run across quite a few posts where people state that they failed much earlier than expected.It also appears that the Chinese tube manufacturers have gone crazy, creating multiple flavors of 6SN7 tubes. My recent searches have turned up:the above mentioned Psvane C-181-T11 Mk IIs - grey internal coating.
harder to find are the previous C-181Zs which some found better than the first gen C-181 T11s, but they are out there. Black internal coating.
The so-called Western Electric "421" repro WE6SN7 (and these can be found in various sizes on ebay)Grant Fidelity special limited edition globe version of 6SN7SECossor version of globular 6SN7, with black internal coating.Also a new "British" version of 6SN7I could continue, but it would be tedious.I'm very interested to hear from those who have used any of these tubes for an extended period and how they are holding up.
Also, there are posts dating from 2014 that indicated that "Grant" of Grant Fidelity was seriously ill. If he's out of the picture, who's running the show at GF and Psvane?I know I'm rambling a bit, but also, which ebay dealers are trustworthy? I read tonight a post where someone paid a lot for (I think it was) a Psvane 845. It failed very quickly. When he informed the dealer, the chinese dealer stopped responding to his emails.If GF is sorting out all the highest spec tubes, what's happening to all those that don't make the grade? My guess is that they go on ebay...

Grant died back then. His wife took over and shifted the operation’s focus, since Grant was the developer (I had his very decent low cost dac). I assume she’s still running the show, but don’t actually know.

Thanks, highstream. Now if we can only get some responses about all these infinite varieties of new production 6SN7 tubes maybe we'll get somewhere.

I think it’s a bit early for me to give the wide range evals that you are looking for but will try to shed some light as far as possible. Bear in mind that I’m just a listener, not a golden eared evaluator.
So far I’ve tried Sylvania 1952 Bad Boys-nice even response, musical but maybe could have better bass. Then the Psvane C181T 11, very nice smooth with good bass. Newly acquired Ken Rad 6SN7, a nice surprise here, very clear vocals, great bass, good horns. Two nights listening. Going to go back and forth for a couple of months and settle on my go to.
Have also some GE 6SN7s and Sylvania chrome domes, as yet untested. Given a few months I could probably do better. Heck my Gen 3 is just now passing the 40 hour mark but it certainly is a great improvement on previous pre.
Most definitive impression is the Ken Rad bass. My speakers have built in active subs, plus I have a pair of REL 212s so when bass it there I know it for sure. Side two, DSOTM at the end I heard bass I had no idea existed. 
And when I mentioned output tubes to Mick I think he brought up the Psvane tubes. Not necessarily a definitive recommendation but alluded to them being good.

Thanks Dentdog.

One comment is that it appears that the marketing department of various Chinese tube manufacturers have become very good at developing variations that reference well-regarded 6SN7 varieties of the past. There are so many out there now!

I'm interested in learning about the relative longevity of the new production tubes. Anybody having problems with the Psvanes, or Black Treasure tubes or...any of them?