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Sound quality chinese tube amplifiers

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dvjorge

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Joined 2011
#1
Hi guys,
I am thinking on buying a Xiang Sheng tube amplifier model 278A. It will be my first tube preamp. I am doing it because I listened an hybrid system with tube preamp with ss amp that sounded very good. It was Rogue Audio preamp. Since tube gears are very expensive in US, I want to try the chinese stuff. I am not sure if these will perform as better as any recognized tube brand such as Cayin, Jolida, Rogue Audio, etc. I mean those low priced chinese brands such as Xiang Sheng. The preamp I want to buy is a copy of the legendary Marantz 7. My only concern is some quality. I have a friend who has a Vincent (hybrid) preamp that has excellent sound and makes the difference in the system. Any help will be very appreciated since most of you are experts in this matter.
My goal is to get a real tube sound and be close to a high end sound with my limited budget.
Thanks,
Jorge.
 
#3
Have you seen how ugly are those Dynaco kit ??
I am sorry but your answer don't benefit me. If I would have money to buy I real amp, I will go for another and not that one. It is a preamp what I need and I am asking you about the quality of those made in China.
Thanks,
Jorge.
 
#6
mach1 said:
An outdated design easily bettered by many preamps described on this forum.
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Glad you said it and not I. 😀 If they cloned it, it's a mediocre performer, especially the phono section. If they didn't, it's not a Marantz 7.

But the question is, what does dvj actually want? Something that makes him think he has a Marantz (which is certainly achievable, whether or not this particular vendor has done so) because he... well, wants a Marantz? Something that switches sources, raises the volume up and down, equalizes his phono cartridge, drives his interconnects and power amp input, and doesn't audibly color the sound? The chances are low that this unit will do that. Color the sound in some way that makes him think "tubey?" That's possible, but I don't/can't know what dvj thinks is "tubey." Most Chinese designs marketed as knockoffs are pretty badly designed and have questionable reliability. But "badly designed" to me (who values output sounding like the input) may not be to someone who wants an effects box.

That was a long-winded way of saying that your "better" and my "better" may not be dvj's "better."
 
#8
Then, you guys can suggest me a real cheap good quality tube preamp kit. I am able to build it myself. I will try it with my B&W CDM series and my Paradigms Reference speakers. The power amp is Musical Fidelity. I am running it with a SS preamp but want to try tubes.
Jorge.
 
#9
dvjorge said:
I am not sure if these will perform as better as any recognized tube brand such as Cayin, Jolida, Rogue Audio, etc.
Click to expand...

The 1st 2 of those are Chinese.

Quality of Chinese amps is pretty variable. Many of them should be considered "pre-builf" kits (you buy them, they'll make sound, but pretty quick you want to start modding them).

With no iron except trafo (with exceptions of things like the "Heretical"), the Chinese have a smaller advantage.

What are your needs for a pre-amp? Inputs required? Phono?

dave
 
#13
Buy a Jolida FX-10 for less than $450.00, 10 watts per channel or try a Jolida JD101CRC for under $650.00, 20 watts per channel. Available in the good old USA from several online vendors including Morrow Audio. Don't get caught up in the old "I need megawatts" folly. If you have speakers that are reasonably efficient those power ratings will be more than you ever need unless you have a huge room for your audio equipment. :smash:
 
#15
dvjorge said:
Ok, here is the preamp. Take a look to it , and let me know what can be wrong with it or what do you think if I upgrade the tubes with quality non-chinese tubes ??
Click to expand...

That's advertised as a headphone amp (the 50k output impedance spec, if correct, means it's useless for that purpose, as well as dubious for driving any power amp with less that 1M input impedance and cables with any significant capacitance. If not correct, it makes one wonder if anyone there knows what they're doing. And, of course, there's no way to tell from photos if it's a good design, poor design, or what. Replacing tubes will not fix a bad design any more than replacing pistons in my Kia will turn it into a Ferrari.

It's not the answer you're looking for, but here's the answer: you have to decide what it is you actually want. An effects box? If so, there's no way to tell without listening if an effect is the one you're looking for. A clean, transparent, and reliable preamp using tubes? Then you're either going to spend some significant money OR you're going to have to dig in, learn some electronics, and build one yourself. Other possibility is buying a used name-brand unit off EBay or Audiogon, but that will be cheaper, not cheap.

But at this point, it's not even clear if you want a preamp, a headphone amp, or an integrated amp, much less functional requirements.
 
#16
Specifying required load impedance, but calling it output impedance, is a common mistake. However, a required load impedance of 50k means that it is not a headphone amp - unless it is intended for high impedance WW2 headphones.

The distortion of <1% at 1kHz, and the display of valves in the front panel (like in some streets in Amsterdam?), suggests that this is an effects box for people who like "tube sound". Fine if that is what you want.
 
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