Doesn't happen too often that I come across an audio company I've never heard of, but I came across this mysterious little amplifier on Facebook marketplace earlier today and I just had to bite. It comes from this company, "Dragon Audio" which has left almost no mark on the Internet. They seem to be an OEM company? I'm not sure. Here is their website: http://www.dragon-acoustic.com/
Anyways, here's a pic of the inside of the amp I bought. It's called the Alpha 1000. I'm not too familiar with amps and such, but it seems to be built from generally pretty good parts? Not sure. How'd i do? (Paid 100 bucks)
Anyways, here's a pic of the inside of the amp I bought. It's called the Alpha 1000. I'm not too familiar with amps and such, but it seems to be built from generally pretty good parts? Not sure. How'd i do? (Paid 100 bucks)
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1. There are like 1000 factories in Noida, near Delhi, making LED drivers. If your quantity is large, they will put your brand on it. Some make 10,000 every day, which implies automatic pick and place lines and conveyor solder equipment.
2. Expect the same for audio systems, a net search for defunct audio manufacturers will turn up many once famous names.
3. Many famous names get their stuff made in contract, so anybody can get a device made in their name by a contract supplier, not a big problem.
4. It looks messy, the wires near the heat sink will go early due to heat damage.
5. Capacitor quality, check if reputed makes are used, and 105 degree rated, or 85 degree.
6. What is your issue, if any?
2. Expect the same for audio systems, a net search for defunct audio manufacturers will turn up many once famous names.
3. Many famous names get their stuff made in contract, so anybody can get a device made in their name by a contract supplier, not a big problem.
4. It looks messy, the wires near the heat sink will go early due to heat damage.
5. Capacitor quality, check if reputed makes are used, and 105 degree rated, or 85 degree.
6. What is your issue, if any?
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Seems to be something like a valve on the front side, and there are two chip amps on a big heat sink, and I cannot see vents below the heat sinks.
The rest of it is normal quality, nothing special, the use of flat cables to direct board connectors is not good for long life.
Check out the price of new 3886 and 7294 amps, $100 new is about right here.
From their website, the company is mostly into speaker manufacture, and has like 20 technical staff, the rest are doing other things.
Location is Shenzhen, a famous center for electronics manufacture in China. And it seems an office in Hong Kong. Nothing remarkable.
Like I said, pretty generic, and you did not say how it sounded.
The rest of it is normal quality, nothing special, the use of flat cables to direct board connectors is not good for long life.
Check out the price of new 3886 and 7294 amps, $100 new is about right here.
From their website, the company is mostly into speaker manufacture, and has like 20 technical staff, the rest are doing other things.
Location is Shenzhen, a famous center for electronics manufacture in China. And it seems an office in Hong Kong. Nothing remarkable.
Like I said, pretty generic, and you did not say how it sounded.
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Your amp is a generic device most likely made by the same manufacturer as Magnat and in this case, the clone of a Magnat Ma-600
Wow. That's a carbon copy of what I have with a different badge on the front. Everything inside and out looks identical. Thanks for the info!
I bought it locally, so it was the cost of an hour round trip 🙂
It sounds excellent! I've been playing it through an MTM pair with Dayton RS180S-8's and RS28A-4's, and the sound is phenomenal. What sticks out to me the most is the bass. It is controlled and articulate, and punchy in a very satisfying way. Soundstaging and imaging is pretty good, but the system i have it hooked up to doesn't really accommodate proper judgement in that area.
It has a valve pre-amp, EC88 in the Magnat, which is priced above Marantz and Cambridge Audio...!
So you got a bargain, and it illustrates where the money was made, in most cases the marketing and traders got the money, the contract maker gets a reasonable amount for his work, not too much.
Dragon Audio has 1400 employees, about 50 times more than the name we see often mentioned here, 'Scan Speak', which had 24 employees last I checked.
Both are largely speaker manufacturers.
Power of the brand, head of sales for the Denmark based firm will get past the door sooner than the same functionary of a much larger manufacturer from China with a comparatively less known name....
Which is why the Chinese have been buying up the firms they see as reputed, but not doing well financially, just because a name means 10x or even 20x manufacturing to retail price realization.
Personally, would you buy from a small vendor or a large one, with quality of manufacture and quality of support as the parameters?
So you got a bargain, and it illustrates where the money was made, in most cases the marketing and traders got the money, the contract maker gets a reasonable amount for his work, not too much.
Dragon Audio has 1400 employees, about 50 times more than the name we see often mentioned here, 'Scan Speak', which had 24 employees last I checked.
Both are largely speaker manufacturers.
Power of the brand, head of sales for the Denmark based firm will get past the door sooner than the same functionary of a much larger manufacturer from China with a comparatively less known name....
Which is why the Chinese have been buying up the firms they see as reputed, but not doing well financially, just because a name means 10x or even 20x manufacturing to retail price realization.
Personally, would you buy from a small vendor or a large one, with quality of manufacture and quality of support as the parameters?
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I should mention I bought this unit second hand, thus the good price 🙂
I've been very satisfied with this amp! I've just been playing it in my bedroom system, but it sounds much much better than the Arylic 2.1 plate amp I was using before
So, if anyone ever comes across a Dragon Audio unit on the cheap, take a close look. I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised 🙂
Just obtain a spare tube, supplies can be erratic, it is a wear item.
Do give it a clean and tighten, as it was obtained used, though it looks clean enough. Particularly on the heat sinks, do not over tighten those fasteners.
I think this would have sold for a lot less than the 'Magnat' at list price.
Enjoy the music, do not let it get too hot, bad for electrolytic capacitor life, and that of the chip amps.
Do give it a clean and tighten, as it was obtained used, though it looks clean enough. Particularly on the heat sinks, do not over tighten those fasteners.
I think this would have sold for a lot less than the 'Magnat' at list price.
Enjoy the music, do not let it get too hot, bad for electrolytic capacitor life, and that of the chip amps.