Many times I have noticed guys calling for tube amp kits, this morning I noticed a plethora of them that have crept up on E-Bay.
This is just one, a 2 x 13W EL34 kit, the same company produces several different types, all reasonably priced.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Douk-Audi...I-/281545956092?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276
This is just one, a 2 x 13W EL34 kit, the same company produces several different types, all reasonably priced.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Douk-Audi...I-/281545956092?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276
I do like the Chinese English. Bit of a giveaway! Very poor seller score as well.
Super fast delivery Service（Located in German）
Super fast delivery Service（Located in German）
- Please advice shipping detail from ebay when you make payment(inclue telphone number,contact person,Input voltage,color etc..).
- Shipping Method --Item will be shipped within1 Bz day after FULL payment is received. It is noted that Paypal pending payment (such as eCheck) may take up to 5 working days to clear.
- No Combine Postage -- Combine postage is non available, even if you purchased several items per time, since AIRMAIL POST charges the postage based upon weight of the post, not quantity.
Yes, the purchasers of these wonders regularly show up here asking how to fix the problems. There's probably a decent EBay tube amp kit out there, but I've never actually seen one. What I've seen is LOTS of cut-and-paste design with no apparent understanding, basic performance and reliability mistakes, and counterfeit parts.
Chinese Watts are smaller than ours. You should use the factor 1.41.
13W (Cn) / 1.41 = 9W
There's an Australian seller selling that amp in the first post link (Doak), which I gather he must buy cheaply from China and sell it on. There seems to be quite a few sellers of that chassis/switch/knob style in a few different topologies which probably all come from the same factory or a load of similar back yard workshops together.
Before I'd seen the others on eBay I considered buying one to try it as it was remarkably good value for Aussie made and I've never owned a valve amp, thinking it was made here so the issues with our 240v+ mains on the Asian 220v transformers wouldn't be a problem, but when I asked for the schematic to see what I'd be getting if I did buy one and he said he'd send it in a 'couple of days', I was suspicious. That was a couple of weeks ago and I still don't have the schema. He also confirmed the transformers were non branded Asian made.
Looking around I realised that his amps were the same as the Asian ones all over eBay.
I subsequently Googled his eBay name and found him asking reasonably basic questions on a DIY forum, confirming to me that it probably wasn't worth the cash. However, he does get pretty good feedback about the amps.
Before I'd seen the others on eBay I considered buying one to try it as it was remarkably good value for Aussie made and I've never owned a valve amp, thinking it was made here so the issues with our 240v+ mains on the Asian 220v transformers wouldn't be a problem, but when I asked for the schematic to see what I'd be getting if I did buy one and he said he'd send it in a 'couple of days', I was suspicious. That was a couple of weeks ago and I still don't have the schema. He also confirmed the transformers were non branded Asian made.
Looking around I realised that his amps were the same as the Asian ones all over eBay.
I subsequently Googled his eBay name and found him asking reasonably basic questions on a DIY forum, confirming to me that it probably wasn't worth the cash. However, he does get pretty good feedback about the amps.
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Audio vendors asking basic questions on DIY forums (thus demonstrating that they don't understand what they are 'designing' and selling) are worryingly common. The somewhat alarming thought which comes from this is that it could be the wiser ones who ask questions; the others don't ask as they don't realise (or don't care) how profound is their ignorance.Stuey said:
To be honest I think for the price they may be OK, judging by the Aussie seller's feedback. It's just that you can only expect to get what you paid for...which I guess is fine. I mean, the one I was looking at was a 8W 6P3P/ 6L6GT-GC for AU$295, which is the cost of a few half decent transformers.
I entered into this tube amps passion by purchasing my very first tube amp, a single ended EL34 like this one: http://oi61.tinypic.com/2ikqpur.jpg
Its declared data:
Specification
RMS Power output : 12W
Output Load impadance: 4-8 ohms
Rated Power Band : 20Hz to 40Khz
THD: 8W 5%(THD)
Frequency Response : 35Hz to 20khz -1 db
25Hz to 40khz -1.2 db
S/N R : 90.5 db
Vacuum Tubes: El34 x 2 : 5670 x 2
Input jacks : 2
Weight: 13kg
Power Consumption: <120W
Power Requirements : 230v 50/60Hz,2A
Hand-made real wooden panel
My first thought is that it was sounding marvelous! After a couple of days, I bought some Russian tubes (6P3S and 6N3P) and I installed them in my amp. Despite I knew nothing at that time about BIAS, etc, I thought the amp sounds more powerful (6P3S has a lower dissipated power) and more relaxed. Then I begun talking with a gentleman that knows a lot more than me and he told me the amp has no more than 5 - 6 watts. I understood what 2 watts mean a lot later!
After a few months, I decided to build my own tube amp and I sold the Yarland.
What I can say about the Yarland amp is that it was pretty looking, heavy (13kg) and I think modding it could lead to a better sounding SE amp. It looks like earlier tube amps manufactured in China were of a better quality than the latter.
I would not buy again one of these amps. It is much easier to build one from the beginning than to repair a scrap one.
Its declared data:
Specification
RMS Power output : 12W
Output Load impadance: 4-8 ohms
Rated Power Band : 20Hz to 40Khz
THD: 8W 5%(THD)
Frequency Response : 35Hz to 20khz -1 db
25Hz to 40khz -1.2 db
S/N R : 90.5 db
Vacuum Tubes: El34 x 2 : 5670 x 2
Input jacks : 2
Weight: 13kg
Power Consumption: <120W
Power Requirements : 230v 50/60Hz,2A
Hand-made real wooden panel
My first thought is that it was sounding marvelous! After a couple of days, I bought some Russian tubes (6P3S and 6N3P) and I installed them in my amp. Despite I knew nothing at that time about BIAS, etc, I thought the amp sounds more powerful (6P3S has a lower dissipated power) and more relaxed. Then I begun talking with a gentleman that knows a lot more than me and he told me the amp has no more than 5 - 6 watts. I understood what 2 watts mean a lot later!
After a few months, I decided to build my own tube amp and I sold the Yarland.
What I can say about the Yarland amp is that it was pretty looking, heavy (13kg) and I think modding it could lead to a better sounding SE amp. It looks like earlier tube amps manufactured in China were of a better quality than the latter.
I would not buy again one of these amps. It is much easier to build one from the beginning than to repair a scrap one.
First post !
I am one of those who have provided positive feedback for that seller, having recently purchased that amp as a "toe in" to the valve amp world. A few months (and several hundred listening hours) down the track I am still happy with my purchase, and would say that I got more than I expected, given the price !
The following diyAudio thread may interest.. it is the thread that prompted me to join this forum.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/sili...ics-store/200533-6p3p-tube-amplifier-kit.html
This post probably seems like an add, but I have no connection to seller, apart from my recent custom.
Phil
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