Inexpensive Tube Amps

Here's an old standby - Jolida. An old used one might be a good inexpensive investment. I've heard them make magic with Thiel 2-ways, low efficiency btw.
http://www.jolida.com/product/fusion-1102

Having read this thread and being a long time AG user, it seems a great lesson in the fact that there are many paths and many people in this hobby. Threads like tubes vs SS go on forever, but that is what makes it fun. My own personal preferences are for quality used stuff, just like I never buy a new car. But others go differently. For me the fun is in finding a good or even great piece of classic gear and upgrading it. Will it match my friend's Macintosh outfit? Of course not, but I can't afford that so I do the best I can. I think that is what the OP is after. 

I recommend the McIntosh 275. 

In all seriousness though, I own the Musical Paradise MP-301 and love it. It is an absolute steal for the $$, especially if you upgrade the tubes. It is designed, supported, and shipped by an Asian guy who lives in Canada. It is manufactured in China. The guy has a day job so it is a hobby type of business. The amp is in its 3rd revision. 

It’s so easy for people to look down upon audiophiles that are new or have a minimal budget . In the price range you listed , avoid circuit boards . Also get something that uses common tubes that you can keep for a better amp when you move on . Get what you can adford and enjoy the learning experience . Someday when you move up/on, this will be the second system in your office . I had a Yamaha RV-X 1400, 105 wpc x 7. I changed it for an Anrique Aound Labs 30 wpc integrated. Had a really fun time . They were in the same price range and the 30 watt tube amp sounded better . If you can get to the $1k range , build a Bob Latino or buy a Will Vincent . You will love it , especially with upgraded driver tubes . New production power tubes are really quite good . Quicksilver is one of many quality affordable amps too . On the used market $1k will get you something that will have adequate power and decent sound quality . Interconnects , cords and tubes will be useful when you move on . As far as the sub $500 stuff , listen to the advise and don’t be afraid to return a couple . You fill find a synergy that will please you . And remember , like alcohol , drugs and women , tubes are highly addictive . Enjoy my friend , life is too short . Regards , Mike B. 

Hi will62,

Trying to answer the question you actually asked.  There were a couple of threads on these amps over at Audio Karma.  Here they are:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/nobsound-el34-single-ended-class-a-tube-amplifier.669...

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/aiqin-oldchen-tube-amps.720003/

I have the second amp, the 5-tube Oldchen (Aiqin).  It is single-ended and has point-to-point wiring (rather than a circuit board).  It has a good tube sound and ~10W of power.

That said, I have mostly been listening to TPA3116 and TPA3250-based chip amps lately.  Although the Oldchen sounded better for some types of music, I feel the chip amps sound better overall.  But they are all fun!

I hope this helps a little bit, happy shopping!

 

I have a Line Magnetic integrated amp that is made in China. I also borrowed a SET amp from the same company that really got hot. I think this is a good company, but I would be very concerned about the safety of much cheaper budget amps. There are some companies that have oversight and quality control but they are few and far between in China. I had read a couple of articles about workers swapping parts and the inferior parts goes into an amp, the quality parts gets stolen to be resold later.
You can go super budget, but for anyone offering safety advice, like myself, I would take heed????

If you buy the cheap Chinese garbage, make sure your house has good fire insurance.

" I want to try one just to see how the sound compares to my Yamaha and Denon solid states."

the nobsound will sonically blow away your solid state gear, if you have very efficient speakers. If not these SE amps will run out of headroom pretty fast.

Also need to remember the Chinese amp manufacturers have come a long way in the last 112 years. I tied some of the earliest Chinese models that did not work right out of the box. Had to redo a few solder connections before they would work.

If you look beyond the SE amps, the music angel amps offer more power and sound really good, even better if you hot rod them with better parts.   

If you are looking for pure value, the best value in Chinese amps are the RFTLYS brand. Its amazing what they offer for 400 bucks.

If you are looking to just try one of these inexpensive amps out, just make sure your speakers are easy to drive before you buy, otherwise you will not be happy.

@will62 no need to get angry with people trying to help you.  I went back and re-read all the posts and pretty great consensus on Quicksilver as well as some awesome advice that you should heed.  Not seeing anyone really recommending that stuff, but you seem hell-bent on probably spending the same that you would on a quality used pair to buy some new Chinese junk.  Have at it brother.  They'll probably be back on here for sale at some point.  Listen to @tonydennison.  he knows what he's talking about

I don’t know anything about those, but like my father always said "if you buy cheap, you get cheap". I would save your money and pick up a used pair of mono blocks from a reputable dealer. Look into american made QuickSilver. www.quicksilveraudio.com I have circa 1990’s M60’s - 60 Watt Mono blocks that I love. Bought them a few years back. good luck.  If you are in NJ, go see (or call) Johnny at Audio Connection.  http://www.audioconnect.com/   He is a wealth of knowledge

@will62 I think your attitude stinks. This is a free and open forum, with people who are jumping in trying to help you. Read, and use the information that is best for you, but come on man. Apologize to everyone else whose info might not cater to your needs, as they are still trying to help. BTW, if you read your initial post/question, you do not sound like you have heard any tube amps at all. Much success to your purchase. Always, MrD.

My Yaqin arrived this week.   Definitely above average build quality.  (Sound quality still under review) Honestly, it was better than I anticipated.   Nice thick faceplate, well finished chassis sturdy as hell, quality connectors, and seriously beefy transformers.   No cosmetic flaws I could find.  Only area where it looks like they saved some money is the two knobs up front, which seem to be chromed plastic.

Driving a pair of full range speakers with what amounts to a tube headphone amp.....priceless! I feel like im responding to a post that was started by Sam Tellig from Stereophile! LOL....and YUK= low watt SE amps imo. of course eveyone has one...opinions that is :-)



Matt M

If your interest is STRICTLY in opinions on $50 Chinese, slave labor built, tin audio equipment, maybe you could stick to the fake Amazon reviews.

people are just trying to help you out.....dude.

Will62:

I feel your pain. I've seen these inexpensive and (at least in pictures) attractive Chinese tube amps and have wanted to know what people's experience is. From the comments I've seen (and look above at some of the responses) it seems very hit or miss. Some folk have great experiences and others less good. It feels like there's little consistency, so you could get a 'rough diamond' or a lemon...I think you'd be OK buying from Amazon (check return policy)

Other than that (in no particular order):

• I've heard great things about Musical Paradise.
  
• I've heard Yaqin has above-average quality (but see Stero5's comments. Of course, that was 12 years ago)
  
• Quicksilver is a long-standing name in audio. I heard of them in the 80's! But they're expensive.
  
• Remember how the 'free market system' works. Bad products get a bad name and people stop buying. Do you want to be the 'canary in the mine' who finds out which brands are bad?
  

You 'pays your money and makes your choice'.

Good luck!

Gasbose

Will62 I feel your frustration and see this happen all the time on threads. It might seem as if members on here simply cannot help themselves when commenting on your thread with no first hand experience of the amps you had asked about, and perhaps you wish they would keep their alternative recommendations to themselves. 

Having said all of that, I have seen many times when this happens where the op took a different direction based on what the members on here recommended and the outcome turned out to be very positive for the poster.

Im just saying, I don’t believe there is any malicious intent going on here and it could very well be that very few if any members on here will have any experience with your choices.

Best of luck on your search.

addyson.  You are delusional.  I wanted feedback from people that had experience with the units mentioned.  Here is the OP:

Anyone have any experience with the following?  I want to try one just to see how the sound compares to my Yamaha and Denon solid states.  Since the Denon is living on borrowed time I will likely have to replace it this year anyway.  Looking at the Nubsound and noted a Germtune that is identical to the Nubsound but costs a bit more.  Reviews are largely good including those on other forums.

Nowhere do I mention that I need feedback on any other pieces of gear right now.  I am in fact finding mode and I have my own method of conducting research.  What you and some others have just achieved by your continued pressure to look at other gear that I don't have under consideration right now, is to steer me either towards one of the aforementioned amps in the links or in some other direction.  

Pissy?  Not really.  But I am ticked off at the responses I am getting since they are not what I asked.  I want to hear from people that have experience with the three amps mentioned right now.  That's all.

@will62

" From where I sit the reading comprehension of some of you is below average"

that will surely win you over some new friends with a comment like that.

"   I already did preliminary research and determined that these inexpensive imports offer most of what I am looking for at a fraction of the price. "

then if that is the case, buy one and stop arguing with everybody......

you started a thread, asked for opinions, members suggested to get something that would be a better value, and you get all pissy and start insulting people.            

buy something that you can build a system around and not have the urge to upgrade 2-3 months down the road....even if it takes you 6 months or longer to save up, it will be worth it in the long run.    then you can get off the merry go round for a bit.

Tubegroover. My initial query was straight and to the point. I wanted to know about the three amps that I linked to. I don’t see any other request for additional information about any other amps.

Over the years I've found this board to have some knowledgeable and helpful people.  But when it comes to these little tube amps it is obvious I am dealing with people that are fairly prejudiced and also have not had experience with this gear and to compensate for that lack of experience, steer you off in another direction.  

What I think most of you fail to grasp is that I have a limited budget for this.  If I had wanted to hear about alternatives then I would have asked specifically for advice or information about other brands or models.  I already did preliminary research and determined that these inexpensive imports offer most of what I am looking for at a fraction of the price.

I don't need people telling me to spend either several hundred or perhaps thousands on something like audio gear.  I already have to spend THOUSANDS of dollars on other electronic gear, home repairs etc.  Audio while important, takes a back seat to the other things as this stage.  

From where I sit the reading comprehension of some of you is below average.  Steering me into a direction where I have to spend money I don't have budgeted, I would like to avoid is not helpful at all. 

Oh well, just trying to offer an experienced and hopefully helpful viewpoint but your cute response makes me second guess. I know very well how the free market works as well Will. Again, good luck, it seems your query was looking for affirmation of something that you already decided, not other alternative options that may be more viable to someone on a shoestring budget. 

@will62 

keep riding the merry go round........

kalali. Thanks. Yeah, I am leaning towards what you suggested. The tubes are excellent from what I’ve read and they are easy to roll if necessary.

My A3 did drive my OM 10’s very well. They are 6 ohm and 91 db sensitivity. The Castle Conway 3’s were OK with that amp but I now have them paired with my old Yamaha A500 amp and there they shall stay. I bet the OM 10’s will be great with one of these little tube amps.

Wish I could biwire though.  The OM 10's really shine when bewired.  But will likely be more than happy with the sound of the tubes with them.

tubegroover.  Most likely I will buy from Amazon.  Or perhaps the Paradise model which is also a North American based company.

Again, those prices would be considerably higher if the products were manufactured here.  Since the companies in China are still around and selling these, knowing how the free market system works, they likely are making better products now than a decade ago.  If they sent out a lot of junk, they would go out of business.  

Will i too sense your frustration as Roxy54 described. Things do have a tendency to go off the rails a bit when inquiring on a budget Chinese product at such a reasonable price. I would only add these points in assessing whether or not to consider these products. Do you know a technician that can go over the amp prior to firing it up? Can you afford to send it back, presumably on your dime if it doesn't work out? What is the absolute limit of your budget, can you afford the risk if something bad happens beyond the amp? 

The point is that there are going to be compromises beyond labor and lack of regulatory requirements in China. I would try one if i could afford it failing without too much expectation that it could be returned back to China. Sure they may replace broken parts but good luck returning and expecting a full refund. If it were me and i were in your situation i would seriously consider a used tube design from an established manufacturer at the limit of what you are willing to pay. At least you will be able to resell with little if any monetary loss. One can read the on line reviews and conclude all is wonderful in paradise but at THOSE prices paradise may be too much of a bargin or in your case risk. You have received several excellent recommendations on some mainstream  manufacturers and you seem very thoughtful in processing. Good luck! 

OP, the three components you had listed, it looks like the first and the third one are the same amplifier just rebranded. If it were me, I'd go with the one of those two since they seem to have less moving parts to go wrong. By the way, I also bought a Yaqin A3 on a whim a year or so ago and it lives in my office driving a pair of small bookshelf speakers. It sounds OK for the $130 that I paid for it but it is not a proper representative of what a tube amplifier can and should sound like. And yes its 8.5wpc can drive medium efficiency speakers - I tried it with my Vandersteen 2Ci for giggles and music came out but it is nowhere near the sound quality that comes out of those speakers when fed properly.    

addyson815.  I thought the point behind forums such as this was to exchange ideas and gain information?  Precisely why I posted.  Boards like this would not exist if everyone just went out and tried a component without asking other people for some information or advice.

sbuckley.  Thanks for the info.  Good points.

Quicksilver is a company out of California that's long been known for making Mono Power Amps, hence the poster referring to a pair of them.  They've also released their first integrated amp recently, which retails for around $2K.

Like you I have been researching integrated amps on a budget.   I decided this would be my time to try Tubes after having been Solid State my whole life going all the way back to when I built a Hafler DH200 from a kit, and progressing over the years through brands like Aragon, Krell, Arcam, and YBA.  I'd dispersed my system several years ago when the realities of work and family left little time for listening to music.   I'm now getting back into the hobby but doing so on a budget.

I've just ordered a Yaqin, which is on it's way now, from one of the sellers you linked to.  I considered waiting to save up for a Quicksilver, or a used Conrad Johnson, but you know what - I can listen now and save at the same time for a future upgrade.  I have many vinyl friends of old sitting in sleeves waiting to make my acquaintance again.   Like you, I've never heard what I ordered and spent some time considering the fact it's from China.   The many positive reviews of those who've tried them, some of whom clearly know of what they speak, convinced me.  Good luck!

see this many times in the forums  where the OP will ask for opinions on a certain piece of equipment that they are thinking of getting......and when members suggest that you the OP look at something better, the OP then bring up other issues that stop the OP from getting something better.      a lot of times , if you buy something "better" then you dont feel the need to upgrade a few months down the road and you get get off the audio merry go round for a bit.        

regarding buying used......the equipment that you bought used and had issues with, it wasnt bought here.....as you have no feedback.    if you were to buy a used piece of gear here and you had an issue with it, that seller would do everything they can to make things right with you.......as they dont want the negative feedback.

I get that not everybody has extra money to just buy what they want....and if you are interested in any of these amps , then why not just get one and try it out yourself vs starting a thread on it ?      if you get it and dont like it, then send it back ( if you can ).          

Thanks.  I am fortunate that I can even consider buying a new amp this year what with all the other projects that I have to spend money on.  Yes, I can save for something and that may happen if I determine I would be better off spending more.  But I have more reading to do.  The vast majority of reviews of these affordable imported amps are positive and that says a lot.  I think I read the review about one catching fire.  That was years ago and I would think the manufacturer made some changes in the design to insure that does not happen again.  A few times would be enough to deter anyone from buying once the word got around.

Never heard of Quicksilver except for the courier company out of Minnesota.  LOL  Will at least research this amp and go from there.

Quicksilvers  never require work on them. They will work the same in 400 years. Worth saving up for.

will62,
I understand what you're saying, and I guess audiophiles should be forgiven if they try to up the budget; it's just our nature, and they're trying to steer you to something better. I agree with you that some of these inexpensive ones that you have found probably sound very good, but as one poster cautioned, be careful to read available reviews to see that there haven't been any safety concerns, like catching fire. I read one such review on stereomojo I think, about an inexpensive Chinese that caught fire early on.
Anyway, Best of Luck. 

I guess I didn’t make myself very clear in my initial post. No point in responding to most individual posts since they have gone off in a completely different direction than my desire to obtain information on the amps mentioned.

Some of these posts I find rather condescending. I have heard tube amps and that is the reason I am interested in buying one. I did own a Qinpu A3 hybrid which I liked very much despite its mere 8.5 wpc. Sadly it broke when I relocated a year ago and they are no longer made. BTW. That little amp easily drove both pairs of speaker I mentioned in the OP. Volume knob at 9 AM was more than loud enough for me. Thus, I am confident that one of the tube amps mentioned in that post should be able to handle either pair of tower speakers.

I liken the advice I am getting from most of you as somewhat insulting. If I HAD the money I WOULD look at more expensive gear. I have numerous projects that I have to address for the next year, and all require money. Some minor house repairs, buying a new audio processor, a new transmitter for my flea powered Part 15 AM radio station, a new computer, a new CD player, a new computer printer and more. I DO NOT have much money to spend on anything since I have so many things to replace at once. And the fact that the prices of some or most of these items could rise before the end of the year makes it imperative that I start buying now to save money. I have to take what I can get. I liken this advice to the following. I ask someone where to find a reasonably priced Chinese restaurant that has good food and instead I get steered towards a Seafood place that costs ten times as much money as I can afford for dinner. That doesn’t work. This also reminds me of a quick story from many years ago at my friend’s place. Someone that had trouble with his comprehension of a request. My friend and his wife had a friend over for wine and cheese. About 1 AM they were ready to hit the hay and when they ran out of wine and cheese they asked the friend to leave. At that point in time the friend’s only response was "do you have any more cheese?" He was totally oblivious to their wishes. And no, it was not me. But this is precisely how most of you are behaving on this subject.

Buying used, again is NOT an option. NOT an option. I have already purchased a Denon amp used that needed work a few months after I bought it. And it still apparently has some issues. Same for a Yamaha Receiver I bought last year. Still works but needs some work since a couple of inputs don’t work. Not worth it when you factor in the cost to repair such old units. I don’t want to spend hundreds on a tube amp of any type if it is used only to find it starts having problems which won’t be under warranty. I can’t afford that problem again.

From where I sit many of you don’t understand free market capitalism. There is a reason those amps from China are so cheap. Cheaper labor. Less government regulation for business. Those same amps if they were made in the USA would likely cost several times more money and many of you would then rave about how great it is that someone can build a tube amp of this nature for perhaps $600. But because it is a lot cheaper you dismiss them as crap.

I’ve read a fair amount of reviews on a variety of these Nobsound, Gemtune and Douk tube amps. Most people are not only happy with them but said they are the best amps they’ve owned or sound better than Solid State amps costing several times more. And a couple more people have said that they’ve had tube amps that cost thousands and these little Chinese made amps give you almost as good sound without the high price. That speaks volumes that they have good engineering and design and hopefully are well built. Yes, some have been defective but buying new allows me to return the unit if I don’t like it or it is defective. I don’t have that option with used gear unless I buy it on Ebay and get lucky and find someone that offers a Money Back Guarantee. But again the cost to do that is prohibitive at this time.

Apologies for the lengthy post but I really believe this is necessary to get through my message to a few people that don’t get it. think I will start a new thread on this with a different subject line. That may improve my chances of getting the information I desire.

had a primaluna for 7 years. great sound, have a Vista Audio I84. great amp 10 watts.  700.00 used

The OP's listed options implies a budget of <$300 but those particular models are not suitable for the target speakers. If you insist on that budget, you're better off looking for a hybrid model with 25-35wpc power and return it if you don't like it. The main problem with those moderately cheap priced amplifiers is their quality is hit or miss, crackling tubes, scratchy volume control, etc. They may actually sound decent if you happen to get a "good" one...

In the process of downsizing, I just sold my pair of Quicksilvers.  Lovely sound, the kind which all but a handful of Chinese product cannot approach.  Apart from the need for avoiding brittle (JJ) 5AR4 rectifiers, never a hiccup.  The dead simple (Dynaco) circuit, and the use of readily available parts provide both sonic and long term ownership benefits.  Apart from a transformer failure, an owner who understands tube amps (or any technician) will be able to keep it on the road indefinitely.

DEFINITELY recommended

PrimaLuna, their Dialogue Premium HP amplifier is to die for. Absolutely stunning sound and dynamic and built better than amps costing 3 times as much. Truly the best amp my Magnepans have ever played with. Glorious sound.

Cheers 

The Quicksilver amps that I have owned have never let me down and sound great. Very affordable as well as made in North America. They have just released an integrated. 

I have a pair of Mid Monos.... they are great amps.   I love them.  I bought a mint pair that was about a year and a half old for $1050, but honestly they are worth their asking price.    Mike Sanders support is top notch, one of the bsst in the biz.

I own mostly McIntosh, made in Binghamton, NY for the last 70 years or so. I do own GE Triton References and Triton 1 speakers, both Made In China, but the company is American owned and I never heard of any of their stuff catching fire. With the Trade War, we will probably be paying more than $100.00+ more for cell phones when the new models come out.

I personally would NEVER buy Chinese.....There are American options and reasonably priced. You buy Chinese and you always worry "will it stop working? will it burn the house down? Is it made out of lead?"

an example...

quicksilver minis $700, American made by hand

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/tube-quicksilver-mini-monos-2013-12-26-amplifiers-72058-greenbrier...

I have 2 friends that own Prima Luna. One has the high powered integrated and the other has 2 dialog mono blocks and a Dialog preamp and BOTH systems have been 100% reliable and they sound incredible. The friend with the mono blocks is using Vienna Acoustics speakers, some big floor standing speakers. The other person is running a pair of Vandersteen 3A signatures. I have listened to these systems with my friends, hours on end and musical, musical, musical they certainly are.

One more thing, if you are planning on getting an amp that is Made In China, you better do it now because there is a Trade War coming.  There are BIG tariffs going into effect for Chinese Made products so the prices are going to go up once the current inventory gets sold.  I am sure some unscruptilous dealers will jack the price up on their current inventory, just to get an extra buck or two so be casreful.

Be careful if considering PrimaLuna. Mine broke down three times in the first 10 months I had it. Never owned such an unreliable piece of hifi gear.

have you considered Quicksilver? MiniMites or MidMonos used would be in that price range. Ive used quicksilver for years and they are incredibly awesome.

I own  a Dared I30 tube intergrated amp 35wpc. I bough it 3 years ago from 
 China. I paid $850 shipping inclued .I love it have used it on a number of different speaker set ups.Dyanco A25s ,JBL 230s,JBL H810s,Sono Fabia Lutos .No problems what so ever .Plenty of power ,beauty piece of equipment .I alsio bought a Yashin tube Pre Amp paided about $250 shipping inclued used it with Carver power amps,Sherwood amp,and Marantz  Amps .Never a problem they are all SS amps.Sounds great.

For what its worth, I haven't had any experience with the hybrid designs but the Yaqin amps I've experienced (probably close to a dozen now) have all been solid for the money.  I'd still have no issue buying an all-tube Yaqin if I had a small budget.  Each piece I've experienced was also manufactured after 2005 so perhaps QC has gone up since then.

@stereo5 , I'm sorry to hear about the terrible experience you had. Not to undermine your story, but on this forum I've read about a PrimaLuna and at least two Jolida amps catching fire.
  So what's a buyer to do regarding Chinese-built amps? Do we consider these occurrences a low percentage of failure and continue to buy Chinese, or do we stop buying these components completely? I don't have the answer, maybe it's buyer beware.