2. amps-preamps
  3. 1322670676

Budget Chinese Tube amps - any good?

In the midst of searching for a budget tube amp. Lots of chinese made models keep popping up. The price on these amps are often really low and would give someone like me a chance to try the tube sound for cheap.

Do you guys have any good experiences with them?

Reason I'm asking is that I hear many conflicting experiences online on each amp. Some say their amps are really good, some say they are really bad - each model might have 5 good reviews and 5 bad reviews. I guess this is par for course with audio, where subjectivity is the rule of the game. However, chinese amps tend to have the largest disparity of opinions.

The models I've read up on so far are: Mingda amps, Miniwatt N3, Yaqin amps etc.
milesandcoltrane
kentaja
25 posts
 
You get what you pay for. If you are on a tight budget look for quality used amps from companies like ARC, Conrad-Johnson, Manley, VTL, Rogue. What alls these amps have in common is a solid track record of performance spanning decades. Built in the US, broad dealer network, service/support when required and if you own a tube amp the day will come when you need some level of service/support.

Your money, your call. For my money I want gear that has a solid track record. This is not the case with most auido products made in China.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Unsound is right. I see from your previous posts you are on a tight budget, but you want to try tubes. Why don't you look for a clean Dynaco ST70? If you don't like it you can always get your money back. Those little 3.5 watt amps you have been looking at require special speakers. Been there done that. Probably won't do it again.
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
I started with Dynaco tubes in 1962; they are still good especially if upgraded with modern parts. Why Quicksilver isn't more popular is a mystery to me; it is very good quality at a reasonable price. They often appear on here at good prices; buy one, you will know what you have and can get it repaired if necessary. They use good parts and have point to point wiring; which is a big advantage and hard to find these days.
lloydc's avatar
lloydc
753 posts
 
I tried an inexpensive chinese SET amp, out of curiosity. The build quality was poor, but it worked. I suppose I got a taste for the proverbial SET midrange sound. It was not good enough to keep, no real highs or lows, so I quickly reverted to my high-power American-made tube amp. The preceding posters all gave you excellent advice, especially for someone new to tubes.

There is gear built in China, but designed elsewhere and subject to European, American or Japanese standards of quality control, which represents good value. But if you had to choose between new Cayin or used AR...
meiwan
399 posts
 
I'm sure it varies by brand, just like things built elsewhere. Eastern Electric has a good reputation, as does Opera, and a variety of NA assembled brands designed and built by Chinese owners.
Maybe you could query specific brands you are interested in.

My wife was 'made in China'. She's very high quality, albeit not cheap.
More to discover