Shuguang 845B vs Shuguang 845M

Jeff, I would guess that having an active preamp (in my case, CJ Premier 17LS2) in the system would indeed make the difference, I've tried eliminating the linestage at various times, always went back to one because the "direct" route sounded too threadbare to me. Obviously YMMV. Dave

How long does the 845B or 845M last? I was told they are not very reliable?

Cheers,
Kel...

Hey guys..Slipped in a pair of "B"s and have to say..I like them better than my metal plates. They are 90% of the transparency, just a dynamic, but warmer and to my ears are smoother in the highs..just a tad softer and sweeter over the metal's..Bass is just as good as the metal plates..no red glow on the plates. The B's have a higher plate disapation rating and a better suited to my Dared amp.

Im also curious as to tube life expectancy of the Shuguang 845's.

One of my Shuguang 845Bs went after only three months. Warrantee is 30 days.

I've tried all the versions of Shuguang 845s. I like the 845Cs best. The 845Ms were reputed to have problems, but mine kept going for 2 years. The Ms and the Cs - both metal plate - have a similar sound, with the Cs being a little more transparent. The 845Bs are warmer and less detailed, and could be just the thing for toning down a system that's a little too much on the bright side. Cryoed 845As sound better than the stock version. They're bright by comparison with the other models - too bright for my taste - but could be good for putting life into an overly warm system.