I have seen inside. The amp is worth $800 of that i have little doubt. You'd pay $600 for the other i saw (built by Yaqin but a different brand), and it is of at least equal value (ie you get what you pay for). Neither had the sonic quality of our diy El Cheapo variant (EL84 triode Class A) based on an HH Scott donor within the power limits of the diy amp -- 4W (and that cost <$300).
These inexpensive Chinese amps have to be considered as pre-built kits -- just screaming to be tweaked.
We kept the more expensive one because better iron means a better project.
The 1st mod to do to these is to damp the cans and the top plate -- they make great bells (the little slots on the sides by the output tubes also need some sort of damping -- they resemble tuning forks as is). 2nd would be to put a real filter in the power supply (at least CRC -- just C is a real shortcoming). Triode mode sounds so much better you might as well remove the switch and its contacts. Hardwiring all the wires that use connectors wouldn't hurt either (might as well use better wire while you are at it (even solid Cat 5 strands))
I believe there are a whole bunch of other shortcomings in this amplifier, but i am going to keep them to myself until we have a chance to test the options available to fix them.
dave
These inexpensive Chinese amps have to be considered as pre-built kits -- just screaming to be tweaked.
We kept the more expensive one because better iron means a better project.
The 1st mod to do to these is to damp the cans and the top plate -- they make great bells (the little slots on the sides by the output tubes also need some sort of damping -- they resemble tuning forks as is). 2nd would be to put a real filter in the power supply (at least CRC -- just C is a real shortcoming). Triode mode sounds so much better you might as well remove the switch and its contacts. Hardwiring all the wires that use connectors wouldn't hurt either (might as well use better wire while you are at it (even solid Cat 5 strands))
I believe there are a whole bunch of other shortcomings in this amplifier, but i am going to keep them to myself until we have a chance to test the options available to fix them.
dave
But Planet10... for someone brand new to HiFi, someone just coming from the realm of Best Buy or Radio Shack stereo systems, or someone like me who bought a "decent" system in the early 90's, the Yaqin MC-100B is an amazingly HUGE step up from there. It's a wonderful entry level first or second amplifier. Hell, it's a wonderful 20th amplifier.
What I'm trying to get at though, is that the needs of the beginner just stepping into the realm of HiFi are not the same as those of a "veteran" HiFi guy. The beginner doesn't need to be pushed into building his own amp from scratch, or told of deficiencies he's unlikely to be able to understand, much less recognize at this stage. He needs a recommendation on a good amplifier that won't bankrupt him, and sounds good enough that he won't be discouraged and unhappy with his purchase.
And that, my friend, is the Yaqin MC-100B.
Charles.
What I'm trying to get at though, is that the needs of the beginner just stepping into the realm of HiFi are not the same as those of a "veteran" HiFi guy. The beginner doesn't need to be pushed into building his own amp from scratch, or told of deficiencies he's unlikely to be able to understand, much less recognize at this stage. He needs a recommendation on a good amplifier that won't bankrupt him, and sounds good enough that he won't be discouraged and unhappy with his purchase.
And that, my friend, is the Yaqin MC-100B.
Charles.
ChopperCharles said:
That is all true, but what i had still needed saying... especially as this is a diy site. And maybe a buyer will be a bit more flush, and knowing that 2 amps look the same from the outside, but not the inside, won't dismiss the amp that costs more, maybe they are willing to spend a bit more for a bit more quality.
And knowing what i said, maybe a bit of a push towards diying their own, or looking into tweaking the Chinese amp they do get instead of just swapping it out when/if they find it starting to be not quite good enuff.
dave
True enough. Personally I came in with the idea to DIY my first amp, but there was so much information and so many conflicting ideas about what makes a good amp that I was overwhelmed.
There were enough good reviews of the MC-100B out there that I just went ahead and bought it, and I couldn't be more pleased. I ran this thing back-to-back with my buddy's Rouge Audio Tempest amplifier, and they were very close. Given some time we could both blind test which one was which... but couldn't put a finger on which was really better. They were just different. And he paid $2200.
I'll admit my ear isn't exactly trained, but that was the proof I needed. I didn't like an amp costing nearly 3 times as much any more than I like my existing amp. My buddy gave the nod to his amp, but said if he had to do it again he would have gone Chinese. The price for what you get it unbeatable - at least so far as purchased amplifiers go.
You can probably get much better for a similar price if you DIY, but the time investment to learn is also considerably greater, and considerably more daunting. I'm quite content to experiment with swapping tubes and playing with interconnects for the time being, while I learn more of the basics of tube design. Once I feel a bit more confident I'll tackle projects more my current skill level - like a volume control kit (infrared controlled motorized pot) for the MC-100B, and a tube phono stage.
Charles.
There were enough good reviews of the MC-100B out there that I just went ahead and bought it, and I couldn't be more pleased. I ran this thing back-to-back with my buddy's Rouge Audio Tempest amplifier, and they were very close. Given some time we could both blind test which one was which... but couldn't put a finger on which was really better. They were just different. And he paid $2200.
I'll admit my ear isn't exactly trained, but that was the proof I needed. I didn't like an amp costing nearly 3 times as much any more than I like my existing amp. My buddy gave the nod to his amp, but said if he had to do it again he would have gone Chinese. The price for what you get it unbeatable - at least so far as purchased amplifiers go.
You can probably get much better for a similar price if you DIY, but the time investment to learn is also considerably greater, and considerably more daunting. I'm quite content to experiment with swapping tubes and playing with interconnects for the time being, while I learn more of the basics of tube design. Once I feel a bit more confident I'll tackle projects more my current skill level - like a volume control kit (infrared controlled motorized pot) for the MC-100B, and a tube phono stage.
Charles.
crispycircuit said:
pchw said:
Ditto, and I was about to suggest to start a new thread as well
Here you go, I've started the thread: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1446802#post1446802
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