EL34 SE 12wpc for $200 new...anybody tried this?

You have to put it together, right?

Looks really nice. Great way to throw together a second system . For that price, I'm not sure you can go wrong.

Great way to throw away $200. Will you pick up the phone and call China when you have a problem?

I was on I90 yesterday heading into Seattle when I noticed something very disturbing. Trucks do not haul trailers anymore. They haul containers. Oh, I saw a trailer once in a while, but 90% were containers.

Heck no, Rrog, I'll get help on Audiogon!

My concern is that the trannies on the 200 one are awfully small. As a platform to try some mods on, the other one for probably 400 shipped seems interesting.

I read an article somewhere recently. At $.50/hr labor, American companies could not afford not to go to China for labor. Now that wages have hit around $6/hr, it's getting more common to consider manufacturing in the USA.

Ths364, no, they are assembled.

I know a prominent Asylum Inmate and restoration guy who uses this company to buy his tubes. I haven't tried them but others have and if you have to use regular vs expidited shipping it takes a long time to get to you. The point is don't freak out about it.
If I were to buy a single ended EL-34 amp I might buy this one. I would'nt expect too much out of it sonically. Even by Chinese street value these amps are on the inexpensive side and good trannys, caps, tubes etc. really do cost something. Make sure your speakers will be happy with 12 WPC

"Great way to throw away $200. Will you pick up the phone and call China when you have a problem? "

No, at that price I would just buy another one.

Markpao, Buy another what? Another POS? You get what you pay for. Whether you plan on doing mods or not it's still junk and eventually you will realize you threw the money away. Before you know it the only thing we will be making in this country is hamburgers and you know where that is leading us.