I'm guessing that most of these Chinese made chip amps are similar. Yes it may be the cheap and easy solution and sell the monos for nostalgia money
My experience has made me very picky with these amps. Chinese builders have the urgent desire to eliminate any part they can, even if they do not understand what it is good for. So, no, not all Chinese are equal...
(Many of these guys building HIFI gear seem to listen only to high pitched Chinese music. Emperor Xi has said it is the only valuable music on the planet, superior like anything Chinese. This may explain some problems with China audio. Our barbaric music may hqve a little different spectrum.)
So even the cheapest components are spared or replaced by even cheaper ones.
So even if they use a real Texas Instruments chip, the implementation may be better or worse.
This AYIMA is very near to the recommended construction and uses adequate parts. I can only comment on this one, which is really good.
I may add one thing: If you find it disapointing, harsh and narrow sounding after an hour of burn in (not days! Just let it get warm), inside may be an NE5532 OP-amp. Mark it and install another NE5532 that you know to be real. I prefer to solder them out of old, broken gear from the pre-China fake aera. That should set things right. I don't think you can be sure what is inside any OP amp you find in China. Probaply their BB labeled, expensive "upgrade" ones are real 35Cent NE5532?
(Many of these guys building HIFI gear seem to listen only to high pitched Chinese music. Emperor Xi has said it is the only valuable music on the planet, superior like anything Chinese. This may explain some problems with China audio. Our barbaric music may hqve a little different spectrum.)
So even the cheapest components are spared or replaced by even cheaper ones.
So even if they use a real Texas Instruments chip, the implementation may be better or worse.
This AYIMA is very near to the recommended construction and uses adequate parts. I can only comment on this one, which is really good.
I may add one thing: If you find it disapointing, harsh and narrow sounding after an hour of burn in (not days! Just let it get warm), inside may be an NE5532 OP-amp. Mark it and install another NE5532 that you know to be real. I prefer to solder them out of old, broken gear from the pre-China fake aera. That should set things right. I don't think you can be sure what is inside any OP amp you find in China. Probaply their BB labeled, expensive "upgrade" ones are real 35Cent NE5532?
Exactly!
I had such an amp, even bought in europe at soundimports (they erased my customer feedback, pointing out fake op-amps ...).
Check the + and - inputs of the opamp with diode tester. A real 5532 must show 0,6 V in both directions (input diode pair).
I suppose some of those cheap "5532"s are just relabelled 358s.
