I was just about to post my concern about safety.... thanks for sharing that Stereo5 |
I had a yaqin back in 2005. It caught fire and I came close to losing everything. It was a cheap piece of junk and the amp had sharp edges all over it. Cut my hands on it as well. Bought it brand new off the ebay seller in Hong Kong or perhaps China, its too long ago to remember correctly. That was the last Chinese amp I ever owned. It was a hybrid, solid state outputs and tube input. Power transformer and the entire circuit board was burnt to a crisp and that smell lingered in my house for a long time. It also took out the crossovers in my Vandersteen 2ce speakers. Richard Vandersteen insisted I played the speakers too loud, until I told him about the amp catching fire. |
@lowrider57 , yes I was referring to you. Your statement, then, does not make sense. Sorry, no offense.
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The lowest I would ever recommend for a tube amplifier would be Yaqin as mentioned above. Any less and you are seriously gambling your money. I'd also stay away from older Jolida units as they have issues with the PCB boards - I've been down that road with a SJ302a and it wasn't fun or cheap. Shuguang also had some decent amps but I'm not sure you'd find any at a 'budget' price.
If you wanted to get a feel for what tubes were and not worry about the hassle, I'd recommend checking out the Dayens Ampino solid state integrated. Its got that tube sound to it and would be a safe bet to see if you want to jump down that rabbit hole. When I got this in, my Shuguang 845 monoblocks set to the side for several months while I enjoyed the Ampino. |
I had a Bada for a while, a Chinese hybrid tube headphone amp, drive the bejesus out of my Sennheiser 600s, hence the hybrid. Dunno if they are still around, maybe.
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As noted, many of those economical tube amps from Amazon are made in China. Not a bad thing, but I agree with @lowrider57 :
the Yaquin is a cut above, also the Cayin's are very good. word has it their integrateds are based on the classic McIntosh designs.
You also have the option of a "DIY" tube kit. but Again, I would not buy indiscriminately on Amazon, but go to an audiophile site that sells them, like Bottlerocket or others out there now that are on their 3rd, 4rth, 5th, design iteration and getting better all the time.
But as will all things audio: depends on your budget.
But if I were you, I would look for a used Cayin or Yaquin. You pay less, and if it doesn't work out, you can sell it on the used market for the same price you paid and you dont lose money. |
I agree with @atmasphere , although I bow to his expertise. |
If YOU are referring to me, I know this is a different OP. Just informing him that I would not trust a cheap Chinese amp in the long run.
You get what you pay for. |
I have a pair of Mirage OM 10 Towers that are 6 ohm and 91 db
sensitivity. Should not pose a problem for any of these. Also have a
pair of Castle Conway 3 Towers that are 8 ohm and at least 88 db
sensitivity. @will62 None of these amps make enough power to drive speakers with efficiency as low as those in the quote. You would want 10X the power at a minimum. A Dynaco ST-70 is a good suggestion and there are many versions of that amp available. |
@roberjerman, "Save your money and buy a REAL tube amp from Will Vincent (autospec)"
I think that's a more than excellent way to go. Will's standard rebuilds are Dynaco ST70 restorations with upgraded parts and aesthetics. Considering how many of these amps made 40 - 60+ years ago still work well, you can't go wrong. With modern resistors and capacitors, what too many consider as the lowly ST70 can hang with almost any modern amp, and beat a lot of them. And as also mentioned, if you want a different flavor or spin on thing, Will does a lot of custom work
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YOU need to read the current thread. You are confusing this OP with another. This OP has not purchased any tube amp as of yet, ( including a Yaquin ), just sayin. Best.....
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Read the current thread, First Tube Amp. The OP is auditioning a Yaquin, a highly regarded Chinese built tube amp found on Amazon.
These seem to be a cut above the mass produced Chinese amps and may be a keeper.
Also, sensitivity of the speaker is not an indication of how well a low power amp will perform. You need to look at the impedance at any given frequency. |
Save your money and buy a REAL tube amp from Will Vincent (autospec). I have his SE45 amp and it is superb! Need more power? Will can build you a 2A3 or a 6L6/EL34/6550 single-end amp! Beyond these PP is needed for more power: his Dynaco ST70 clones are excellent! |
You get what you pay for. Some Chinese gear can be good, but amps at this price range will be riding the very bottom of the barrel. They will have been cranked out of a factory with very little concern for quality or perhaps even safety. |
Yes, I won't buy anything that does not come with a money back guarantee.
Based upon reviews I've read, people using amps with as little as 87 db sensitivity into 8 ohms are not having any trouble driving amps like these or the Musical Paradise model. Trouble in Paradise though since that one is out of stock and may be for a while. They move fast.
I have a pair of Mirage OM 10 Towers that are 6 ohm and 91 db sensitivity. Should not pose a problem for any of these. Also have a pair of Castle Conway 3 Towers that are 8 ohm and at least 88 db sensitivity.
A guy using the Musical Paradise which puts out 6.5 watts per channel has a pair of Sonus Faber speakers that are a mere 87 db sensitivity and he said they are easily driven beyond a reasonable comfort level for audio with that amp.
Medium size room at the moment 15 by 14. Will likely be in a smaller room in a couple of years since I doubt I will be staying in my present home. |
You provide very little information on your situation for one to provide reasonable advice. Regarding the amplifiers under consideration:
These are low watt amplifiers to be mated to speakers with high sensitivity and a benign impedance load. Also fits best in a system playing into a small to medium size room and not playing rock music at high volume. If this is your situation, then give one a try. Be careful with the amp and I assume it can be returned to Amazon after a trial period with little monetary loss. |
