Douk Audio. Any experience with any of their products?

Only their springs and I got a refund on the newer version because I felt duped. They were plastic, not aluminum like the originals. I prefer not to deal with China unless I have no choice, like iPhone. 

I have a tube singe input pre-amp and a tube buffer unit. Both built like tanks both trouble free for 3 yrs?. I also have 2 Schumann Wave generators both working fine. They are nice people to deal with. They seem to be hit or miss but I have nothing but good things to say about my limited experience with their products.
Hope this helps.HG NYC

Hi, thought I’d jump in here.
First: I have no connection with Douk Audio.
Second: I’ve been using Tube/valve amps since the about 1987, starting with a pair of Audio Innovations 800 (6b4g) Monoblocs and currently a pair of BottleHead 2A3 Monoblocs.
I bought my first Chinese valve amp in the early 2000’s thinking that it would be a waste of money, when it finally arrived I was very pleased with the sound quality, it was, quickly, followed by a monster 6 channel valve amp for my home theatre system (still have that) over the intervening years I’ve had a number of Chinese amps, pre-amps, CD players and Dacs all of these have provided very good performance apart from a pair of KT88 Monoblocs that were sold to me by someone who knew them to be faulty (eBay).
My current collection includes:
Douk:
Little Bear Ipod amp, being a tube design the battery life is restricting but the sound is good. Tube was rolled by the previous owner.
Little Bear tube based MM phono stage, sounds very good. Haven’t got round to rolling the tubes yet.
EL34 amps:
Reisong A10 straight out of the box it sounded very good, so I bought another, they now run with Chinese 6L6GC tubes and are sounding even better. Point to point wired version with "better" transformers.
Nobsound NS-03d straight out of the box it sounded very good, sounded even better with British MOD Mil spec 6L6g, Raytheon Mil spec 6SN7s and Russian 5U4G. Now kept as a spare.
Nobsound NS-10d similar in design to the NS-03d but without the posh wooden trim and ammeters. Again out of the box it sounded very good and again when equipped with the tubes as above the sound improved.
All of the above are single ended designs, and are the point to point wire versions which are supplied with "upgraded" Psvane EL34b tubes and "upgraded" transformers.
Explained: If you look on the Doukstore site each of the above amps (and many others) is offered at a number of prices/options, the lowest priced option has PCB mounted components and base model tubes, the next price-point gets you the point to point wiring, better transformers and Psvane EL34b’s, spend a bit more and you can get a cage for the tubes.
Would I choose the basic low price option, no I wouldn’t, it would certainly cost more to upgrade one than a simple tube rolling exercise.
In short, over the last 15 or so years I’ve experienced only one (Chinese) amp failure, to be fair it cost £70 new and wasn’t economically viable to repair.
Two "failures" due to a repair tech who promised improvements but delivered the opposite, both pre and power amps that worked very well before he worked his magic.
Just so you know the speakers used to pass judgement- 1970’s Shackman (Dynastatic) hybrids or Gennexa LX5 pro (Linaeum tweeters).

ese gear manufacturers. Their EAR phono stage clone is really good, as are their tube pre amps

 Not all, but some of his preamp/amps are good value,, But or much superior quality shop chinahifi,,which carries Cayin stuff, which to me iis equal to PL and just below Jadis,, Yes I did say Just below Jadis. Maybe superior to PL in amps/preamps. 

I purchased a  chinese tube preamp from Douk about 1 yr ago,, he was kind enough to allow me to ship it back to a  china office in California,,I kindly gave hima  $100 restock fee, = all worked out OK. 
So yeah  he is a solid seller,,I know a  friend here on audiogon who had buys from Douk, and no issues, 
= 100% solid. 
Zero complaints,
Amy will respond,, although agree their english could use improvement,,,but then my english ain't all that  polished,,,
I'm from New Orleans,,what do you expect :-))

I bought their 6P1 (Nobsound) amp two years ago. 

The BAD:  the cheap on/off switch took about an hour for me to reassemble and get working right.  Then, this year, a channel began to fail, then completely failed in a puff of smoke.  I got in touch with them (they tried, but communication is ... well, 'amusing')--couldn't find a schematic, but I did manage with their help to id a capacitor and resistor to replace.  Probably spent 50 or more in ordering and shipping stuff (some of my 'guesses' turned out to be incorrect), including another set of power tubes, which I believe I don't need. Finally got it going.  Still static--eventually located a bad solder joint (that may have been bad from the beginning).  Now it "seems" fine.

The GOOD:  the failure, I now think, wasn't due to a bad tube (as they suggested), but a power surge that hit here last year.  Hardly their fault (all my SS gear blew up).  Good #2:  even though I have almost 0 skills in soldering and barely more experience in electronics, I was able to fix it (I think).  Good #3:  the reason I bothered is because the sound is fantastic--WAY better than alternatives in the $700-1000 range (some  examples of which are now sitting idle beside it). So my advice is for $250, get yourself a soldering iron, and go for it!

I have bought several items off of douk audio. they are primarily a re-seller for chinese gear manufacturers. Their EAR phono stage clone is really good, as are their tube pre amps. Great value for the money.

Hi have a Nobsound NS-01P Tube pre amp I bought used on ebay. I have NOS-Mullard 12AX7 tubes with a vintage Telefunken rectifier tube.

It's about as basic as you can get in an active pre.

The unit is dead quiet and built like a tank.

I am very happy with it, punches way above it's weight class!

These guys do a GREAT job at a very competitive price!  Bought a Digital Amp from them.  Had some problems getting it hooked up.  They were very responsive and willing to make it right.  User error on my end.  Amp sounds GREAT and very competitively priced.  Liked it so much  bought a phono preamp.  Btw, they were willing to go the extra mile and replace the amp with a new one if we did not get it working.

Ok, this is a different model than I thought you were talking about.  This is clearly an active preamp, and does indeed have vacuum tubes.  And yes, it is not passive.  They would do well to get someone with stronger language skills to write these up.  

It might be ok, but one thing I do know.  The vast majority of the finest tube preamps and amplifiers operate on very high voltages.  This is one of the aspects of tube audio that makes it what it is.  This one however only has an 18V power supply.  It is cheap though.  MC preamps are usually in the hundreds if not thousands. 

This is the one I’m interested in; it uses 6J1 tubes. The ad only mentions “passive amplification” in the expanded Product Details — NOT the product description:

Look at this on eBay
HiFi Tube Phono Stage MC Turntable Preamplifier Mini Class A Single-ended Preamp

I suspect that it’s not passive at all, and the writer at Douk Audio got things mixed up.

it does seem awfully cheap for a MC preamp, but they explicitly say “for MC only”, so it appears to be a good bargain.

The cylinders you see are the transformers.  There are no tubes.  

Thanks pixelriffic for the definition; makes more sense now. What I understand you’re saying is that the voltage gain of the unit is from the transformers, not the tubes, correct? My question would be:  why even have the tubes — do they also amplifiy, or is it impedance matching, or both, or something else...??

It's passive since it uses transformers, rather than active electronics.  This one is pretty cheap for what it is.  The alternative is an active MC head amp.  These can get quite expensive.  

I am interested in the Douk Audio “MC” (moving coil) passive preamp, however I’m not sure I understand what the term “passive” means in this case; does that mean zero gain? A previous post seemed to hint at that definition of “passive”. If so, why would I buy a zero-gain preamp for a MC cartridge when what I need is amplification to yield enough voltage to drive a MM input on my preamp? That’s not amplification at all.

Or am I just really misunderstanding something here?

Thanks for any info anyone can provide.

Douk did not strike a good chord with me. I ordered a pre amp kit, board with some sockets and heat sinks, 24 dollars total. Not too bad, the board was good. The trouble begins when I am looking for a schematic or parts list. Their response was that the schematic is encrypted. The parts list is the circuit board. I have been making these type of kits for over 30 years. Even the basic kit gives you a shopping list of capacitance, resistance, voltage ratings, tolerances of these and so on. If I cannot decipher your board, don't insinuate that I am unqualified. I have been a tech for 30 years now. I have been unable to find out any more info on this preamp on the web.

doukmall is  a pretty reputable seller. Have bought 3 things from him including a pHono preamp with a ground hum issue. They took it back and issued credit. other items worked as advertised.

The last few years, the Chinese have really upped their game. Quality is much better, no more cold solder joints.

and the latest tubess from PSVANE Gray glass are reallly really good.

J

Like kotta, I just bought a Dun Mei Av21 buffer pre amp and put nos 12au7 tubes in it.  

It makes jazz sound less digital and smoother but I do have an audible hum from the power supply.  Is this normal? 

Hello timlub , thank you for advice, it seems that you have to wait seven  days from delivery before one can do that but I have it in mind . regards Albert . (Englebert )

@englebert
Albert,  In "My Ebay"  go to "Purchased" on this transaction,  look to the right side, where it says "Leave Feedback", click the drop down and choose "Return this Item".... Tell them the item "Is not as Described"  request a refund... Do it right away.  Ebay will get involved and you'll get taken care of. 

Ref . Douk audio and Amy . I have purchased the Hi-Fi 2.0 Channel Stereo Amp Board Kit/Set_UK and it was the biggest mistake I have ever made. Before I started the build I checked the contents and found that a number of components were missing so I made contact with Douk through Ebay and received a prompt reply from Amy saying would I purchase the missing parts in my country and they would pay .From that I assumed the reply was coming from China even though it was supplied from UK stock , I replied that I was not in a position to do that and if they could not supply the missing items I would complain to Ebay through the appropiate channels . I received a quick reply as follows.... hello dear customer wish you a very nice day OK will resend it the tracking number is JV093944637GB best regards Doukaudio-Amy")..... What they are sending I have no idea.  I am no pro. at building circuit boards and at the age of 91 I thought it would give me an interest having built a number of Heathkit items in the past but I am now in trouble reading the resister coding as no instructions are provided in the kit , just a bag of bits and two heat sinks , HELP. Albert Bennett.

@jaynewt I'd be interested to know too. Douk sell for $1600ish, but others sell for around 1/2 that. Are they the same clones?

Jaynewt- which seller did you buy your Dartzeel clone from? Prices are from 800 shipped to maybe $1600 shipped

thank you!!

I got the "6j1 Valve tube pre-amp preamplifier bass on music fidelity X10-D"
the ad exactly. For $13 bucks. It was an easy kit to build, tiny but I have to admit it held up.
I first put it in between a emotiva DAC and threadhold stasis amp. First my Maggie’s, wasn’t impressed. Laughed cause $12 I’m glad it made sound. But.. it started to warm up and sure I can hear that tube sound. Hooked up a pair of speakers with ribbons. It continued to open up. 
My preamp is a audible illusions modulus 1 tube and This little plastic pretty blue light toy sounded pretty good. damn well worth the $13 I spent. Perhaps,
Improving the cheap components like caps and resistors would make a serious difference. Tubes of course would make a serious deference.
The little engine that could. It's a fun hobby. 

Any particular tubes work with this size tube? These are smaller them 

Any experence with their passive pre?

I found some images of the Dartzeel amp.  Looks amazing, but I don't think there is any connection with the audio kits and components sold on ebay under the Douk name.   

I bought their Dartzeel NHB-108 Clone. It's nothing short of amazing, by FAR the very best amplifier I've every owned ( and I've had Krell, Spectral, MBL etc, etc). The build quality is extraordinary. They also shipped super fast too. Couldn't be happier, in fact I like it so much I may well buy another one.

Hello. I have a DOUK AUDIO USB DAC. It replaces my previous Muse DAC.
In comparison, the Douk sounds much less congested and the music comes alive with lots of detail, a solid base and great imaging. 
I did have a problem with the driver that came with it.
I was getting TICS and TACKS at random while the music was playing but not on pause.
I tried everything under the sun to get rid of it but could not find the problem as I thought the problem was with my Dell D-630 when in fact it was with the Xmos drivers.
I did an update and now the problem is solved. 
This DACsounds great.

I bought from Douk on eBay an integrated amp with an LED dot matrix display - I think the same (or similar) to the ones found on Mark Levinson preamps.

It’s a hybrid unit - 70W rated power output with a 5670 preamp tube in the front end.

Just 2 analog inputs and one USB in.

It says "A.Audio" on the front - no other model numbers shown.

I’ve had it for a few months now, and it works fine, and sounds decent (at least to me).

I mainly got it because I’m into equipment that has LED displays that I can modify.

Overall, I’m pleased with it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HIFI-Power-Integrated-Amplifier-GE5670-PCM2706-PGA232-USB-2-70W-Remote-Contr...

I got their DAC on Ebay.  Quite impressive.  I'm very satisfied.  Integrates well into my all-Herron Audio electronics.  I use an Onkyo CD player as a transport, co-ax works better than optical.  Intend to integrate a PC as a streaming source to the DAC.

I understand they made some recent modifications to their DAC power supply, so their current performance might not be the same as previous. 

This is one of several pieces that interested me.  For a single ended tube amp of this sort, the price is dirt cheap.  I did notice that what appears to be the same amp on Amazon, received several good reviews.  

One thing that did put me off was the response from Douk when asked for more info.  I wasn't necessarily looking for their deepest design secrets.  Although they claim the preamp I was looking at is based on an Audionote design, which is also puzzling.  You could not buy the raw parts alone for these prices, so it is tempting.  

I glad to see this thread...I am looking to maybe take a leap with their tube amps'  not intergrated....they are like 248.00 and up   On Ebay model NOBSOUND HI FI EL-34 single ended Class  A 34 amp  13W   245.00  for 245.00 I'm must be total crap... just dont know....If I had 1k to spend, Id buy something we all know...any comments are appreciated on this...Thanks  Otto

The Chinese tubes themselves are bound to be the weakest part.  Western NOS are best in breed, then the (former?) soviet tubes, and finally Chinese.  It can be quite surprising as to what a difference this can make.  Seems the chinese electronics like this example are quite a bang for the buck.  

Thanks for the update.  

Well... Today I took out the Chinese 12AU7 tubes which came w/the unit and put in the 1958 RCA tubes that I bought recently just for this pre-amp/buffer. Night and day difference for the better. What a great way to experience such musical sound for so little $. (Maybe the stock Chinese tubes needed more break in? But I have not read on the internet any praise for Chinese tubes, so decided to change out. Glad I did.)

Thanks Bill.  That's great to hear.  New components go through a break in period, so it's understandable the sound improved over time.  It's great to actually hear about the sonics of one of their products.   They seem almost too good to be true for the pricing.  I was a little skeptical when I could find no mention online from someone who had actually listened to one.  This hybrid looks very interesting.  

Thanks again.  

Dun Mei Av-21. Sorry...

Last night set up my Dug Mei AV-21 I bought from Doukaudio. (Using as pre-amp on top of my Adcam 5002 amp driving Dynaudio DM2/6 spks.) In a word...superb sound. I bought on Ebay an inexpensive input swicher box (JVC) which I will use between my CDP, tuner, record player and CD recorder. Haven't received this yet. I wanted to get familiar the sound to see how much the sound gets affected. Since the pre/amp, tube buffer is passive I had to turn up the volume. No problem at all. In the first hr. the sound was so-so. I heard the potential...the second hr. the sound blossomed. Unit is larger than expected and build quality appears excellent. Using the stock 12AU7 tubes which came w/the unit and may exchange w/some vintage RCA tubes I have in the future. Overall, too new to comment on long term longevity. But for the little $, quite pleased so far. Doukaudio promptly sent the unit (pack very well) and arrived in perfect condition. Hope this helps....Bill.

I do appreciate the info on ebay feedback.  What I'm really looking for is any experience with the sound of their products.

I've had a few things from them and have seen them mentioned in other forums. My overall impression is that they build decent quality stuff with designs as best that they can figure by some of the big names. A small dac that I purchased for my brother was very, very good for like a hundred bucks. I would not count on getting the highest level performance, but I would expect great value for the money. 

I bought a from Doukaudio a tube 6n11 preamp buffer and I just received the package MUCH sooner than expected and was packed extremely well. I'll be able to give a listen in a day or two. It looks extremely well-built and I'm hoping it sounds as good as it looks! Larger than expected dimensions. Will post a follow-up.

Thanks for the responses.  Glad to know they make good issues with failed products.  I'm really interested in finding someone who actually bought either a tube kit, or a completed tube amp product from these folks.  While they appear to have some good bargains, especially on the kits and boards, I have yet to find any real reports of experience with them.  

Yea 2 guys bought there stuff !!

Other than buying their USB cable, as ghosthouse did, I can't comment at any length. 

Purchased a 2-headed USB cable (separate power and signal legs) from Douk Mall on Ebay .  The first one they sent did not work.  Not sure why...but DOA (as was a 5 V Enercell power supply I bought from a different US-based Ebay vendor).  Bad luck on my part.  Douk Mall put a new cable (this one works) in the mail to me before they ever got their defective one back.  They were responsive via email though it was obvious English was not their first language.