I think I'm ready to take the plunge with a tube amp, and like so many other destitute audiophiles before me I'm turning to china for the answer. After pouring through the internet and threads here on the topic it seems there are some decent amps like the Yaqin mc-100B and mc-10l and not so great ones like the mc-5881 (terminal hum) . Have any of you guys tried some of the more obscure units out there like the Sweet Peach (class A, SE and 13wpc) or any of the FU50 or FU29 based amps out there, are there any that are simply junk?
The Music Angelo XDSE KT88 is a pretty decent amp,especially with some good small signal tubes. There is however some room for tweaking and improving (warranting discussion here).
Some of the Audioromy FU amps are also said to be OK, but maybe questionable build quality with the very high voltages used.
I believe the Sophia Baby is also manufactured in China.
Svein
Some of the Audioromy FU amps are also said to be OK, but maybe questionable build quality with the very high voltages used.
I believe the Sophia Baby is also manufactured in China.
Svein
I've enjoyed some time with a friend's Melody/Onix SP3. They are ridiculously well built for the $$: 56lbs, $500 used, pretty as-can-be. I'd really like to hear some of the nicer Melody offerings (PP 2A3).
Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
This is a reality check topic that keeps getting swept under the carpet and squashed... but keep popping its head up due to the following:
- Traditional western worldwide consumers and marketplaces have been totally outclassed and beat in the open market place by the Chinese tube amps in the past couple years, and they are coming on even stronger. It's all about value vs. dollar to the end user consumer. That's all that counts.
- Popularity of tube amps in general have surged due solely to Chinese amp manufactures offering great products that the common man can now afford and enjoy, vs. only the select wealthy few that could afford tube amps in almost the last century.
- Consumers are a lot more aware of what the world has to offer now, especially the availability of Chinese manufactured goods into western markets at sometimes half or less the cost to more informationally aware consumers. This especially applies to enthusiast markets like audio and electronic goods.
- Consumers are finally winning a long tenured road of overpaying on the open worldwide western market price, and tube amps are a perfect example.
Birdyman- Try Yaqin (Yaoin) and the MC-100b to start. It won't cost you 8 to 20,000 thousand dollars "worth of value" like the traditional European and American manufactures have forced down everyone's throat for a 100 years so far, and the only hassles with it and many others like it so far is where and how to obtain them (Ebay is common, and places like Audiogon will not allow hardly any of them from the companies themselves or authorized sellers- they wont allow or add the name brand categories, just a few here and there from average consumers like we all are in the end).
If youre in N. America, try Canada. Taabnac (via Ebay) is a authorized Yaqin dealer.
Once, and if ever. companies like Yaqin etc ever finally work out the legal and forced blockage of mainstream direct sales in the USA, it's all over folks. It will be (and almost is) a revolution in the availability and affordability of good tube amps for everyone. Heck, look at cell phones..........
- Traditional western worldwide consumers and marketplaces have been totally outclassed and beat in the open market place by the Chinese tube amps in the past couple years, and they are coming on even stronger. It's all about value vs. dollar to the end user consumer. That's all that counts.
- Popularity of tube amps in general have surged due solely to Chinese amp manufactures offering great products that the common man can now afford and enjoy, vs. only the select wealthy few that could afford tube amps in almost the last century.
- Consumers are a lot more aware of what the world has to offer now, especially the availability of Chinese manufactured goods into western markets at sometimes half or less the cost to more informationally aware consumers. This especially applies to enthusiast markets like audio and electronic goods.
- Consumers are finally winning a long tenured road of overpaying on the open worldwide western market price, and tube amps are a perfect example.
Birdyman- Try Yaqin (Yaoin) and the MC-100b to start. It won't cost you 8 to 20,000 thousand dollars "worth of value" like the traditional European and American manufactures have forced down everyone's throat for a 100 years so far, and the only hassles with it and many others like it so far is where and how to obtain them (Ebay is common, and places like Audiogon will not allow hardly any of them from the companies themselves or authorized sellers- they wont allow or add the name brand categories, just a few here and there from average consumers like we all are in the end).
If youre in N. America, try Canada. Taabnac (via Ebay) is a authorized Yaqin dealer.
Once, and if ever. companies like Yaqin etc ever finally work out the legal and forced blockage of mainstream direct sales in the USA, it's all over folks. It will be (and almost is) a revolution in the availability and affordability of good tube amps for everyone. Heck, look at cell phones..........
Having bought a Meng 6P1 and immediately sold it on after having had one look inside and had it on for less than 5 minutes I urge you to stay away from them.
I then bought a Ming Da (MeiXing) MC34-B which is the only factory in China that is ISO 9001 certified. Some years ago they had a bad patch and since then have been sold on and quality has been improved.
There are normally two prices - one is for the domestic Chinese market and is build with lower grade components than made for the export market. These inferior versions are finding their way to the rest of the world through some grey channels, mainly Hong Kong. (I worked and lived in Hong Kong for quite some time and quite a lot is slipping in. (Non relevant and generalizing part edited by moderator)
The amp has been winning some awards but since I cannot read Chinese I don't know what it is for.
At this moment I am looking seriously at building my own SE amp based on Alex Kitic's design, have not made my mind up if it will be the RH807 with a 6L6-GC or if ti will be the RH88 with the KT88 / 6550.
I like the 6L6-GC very much but it needs a decent design and the 807 is basically the 6L6 with the anode brought out as a top cap. (mainly for transmitter purposes).
For less power you may look at the small SE from Musical Paradise which has a 6V6 as a final and which is wel regarded in the Head-fi group.
AM
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Yaqin has a new model MS-34D. El34 pushpull with ultralinear/triode mode selection and remote control. And No, I am not a distributor of it. Just happened I am interested to get one too.
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I have a Music Angel and a Mr Liang 2002 boat anchor. Both are EL34 types. I bought the MA because the price and shipping worked out to US $175.00. The MA works great. Dead silent. The Mr Liang was a sloppy build and quit shortly after I started using it. A cap in the left output side ruptured. Some of the parts seem a bit under sized. I hope to dig into it when I have the time. Regards Dave
Honestly I was just looking for some casual, anecdotal feedback from all the guys who have pulled the trigger on one of these amps, I didn't mean to stir up the pot
. As far as getting "what you pay for" it is a half truth, people are more than happy to sell you a pile of rubbish for a huge sum of money however its obviously tough to get something substantial with very little outlay of money. Its about value and its shades of gray. Nearly all of what I have seen has been on ebay, are there other distributors for N. America on the web for these amps?
. As far as getting "what you pay for" it is a half truth, people are more than happy to sell you a pile of rubbish for a huge sum of money however its obviously tough to get something substantial with very little outlay of money. Its about value and its shades of gray. Nearly all of what I have seen has been on ebay, are there other distributors for N. America on the web for these amps?
There's an interesting article on the Audio Xpress website about modding cheap Chinese amps. It can be found here:
http://www.audioxpress.com/magsdirx/ax/addenda/media/blencowe2996.pdf
http://www.audioxpress.com/magsdirx/ax/addenda/media/blencowe2996.pdf
I've had two Chinese amps.First was a Mr Liang 2007 845.An excellent amp.Decent iron-I know because I tried the stock transformers against a pair of James and a pair of AE amorphous core.The stock were better than the James and only slightly edged by the AE.This is a very good amp,and the pcb's are as good quality as I've seen.The other is an Audioromy FU-13.A great-sounding amp.Build quality is not as good as the Liang,but this amp is in use 5-7 hours a day on average,and it hasn't put a foot wrong.I'd recommend either of these.
OK, here's another suggestion: spend some time learning the basics of AC and DC electronics and build your own amp. Why be reliant on someone else to do what you can do yourselves? By building your own components you get a much greater feeling of accomplishment and pride of ownership than you would plunking down hundreds of dollars on some product of very questionable quality made in China. Further, you will better understand what really makes a quality component and what is just marketing **.
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