For me it’s a case of Once bitten - Twice shy
Many years ago I purchsed a Raysonic SP120 integrated amp
- looked great
- sounded pretty good
- Designed in Canada and fabricated in China
- How could I go wrong.
After 6 months the tubes burned out (cheep chinese tubes?)
- replaced the tubes with ones of better quality
- sound improved a little
- 6 months later the tubes went again
- so I started digging and discovered there was a flaw in the build
- the mains transformer was not designed for 120v
- so the heater voltage was higher than it should have been
- Found a technician that knew all about this amp and its warts and he fixed it for around $300
- sounded much better,
- but compared to a NAIM 5i it lacked in every respect
- SO - I bought the NAIM
- I sold the SP 120 and glad to be rid of it
BTW - I now own a Bryston B135 - because the NAIM has a rather special "design feature"
- the power supply caps have to be replaced after 10-12 years
- cost of that little fix $450 and takes two weeks
- The Bryston comes with a 20 year WARRANTY
- and they stand by it !!!
So the moral of the story - know what you are buying
There are no guarantees these days - regardless of BRAND
- Except for Bryston that is (ask me again in 15 years) 😃
Regards - Steve