For years I sold new Jolida and Black Ice Audio gear. And I have sold a lot of vintage SS gear. I have auditioned a lot of gear over the years. I bought an Old Chen EL34 amp. Very good build quality. Best sounding amp I ever heard. Self Biasing. Many people wonder if a Chinese made amp is safe- what? Why not? I have a set of kitchen knives made in China- 20 years old and still razor sharp. Also, silver wiring makes for very clear sound, but amplifies the upper frequencies and is not so good with bass. I prefer good quality solid copper. The Old Chen EL34 is not junk. The transformers do not get hot, only a bit warm- that is a sign of good transformers. And one does not need to spend $3000 to get a good SS amp. Any piece of gear can only be so good. Beyond that you are throwing your money away.
1st full tube amp Oldchen EL34
Picked this up inexpensively to try on my Klipsch Quartets or Chorus 1s. Do not know much about vacuum tubes. I have recapped many ss amps but this is foreign to me. Seeking any and all advice on various nuances.
I have a significant amount of silver coated copper wire encased in PTFE, was considering replacing the wiring. Have not opened it up yet so more to come based on what I find. Thanks for any feedback.