China built tube amps


Well I had an interesting conversation today. I contacted a large dealer and let him know I would like to buy a certain integrated tube amplifier that is made in China. I was told he wouldn't sell me one. He said they are all junk.  Prima Luna, Line Magnetic, Cayin, etc, etc, he said forget it. If you want a tube amplifier buy an American or European built unit that can be serviced.

So, I am new to valve amplifiers and I want to try one to understand what they're all about and sort of get my feet wet with tube rolling etc. I don't want to spend a lot of money at first which is why I was looking at Chinese built integrateds. So my question is, without getting into any particular brand other than what I have already mentioned, what is your experience with Chinese built tube amps? As a whole are they reliable? Am I wasting my money if I buy one according to this dealer? I have to admit I was rather taken aback by how adamant he was. Thoughts anyone?

128x128falconquest

Nice choice @falconquest.  Black Ice (Jolida) tube amps are well designed and sound very good…way above their price point.  Great place to start at a great value.  Jerrod is a great guy, super helpful and eager to spend time explaining all the details to improved SQ.  I started with a Jolida el84 amp (upgraded to Raven Blackhawk), use a Modified JD-9 phono pre, a Black Ice glass Tube DAC (really nice DAC at an incredible price) and a Foz Sound stage expander. I have spent time on the phone with Jerrod and others gaining input and advice.  Learned a lot from them and trust their opinions.  They are not just selling you. 
Fyi- Tube rolling and installing a QSA (Quantum Science Audio) yellow fuse made my amp much more alive and detailed.  Well worth it.  Synergistic Reseach’s purple fuse is highly recommended as well by many.  Enjoy!

I am just an open minded Commie sympathizer. I want to support every murderous xenophobic dictatorial regime I can find. Does Russia make amps? That would be my next purchase after I support communist Chinese regime with my hard earned money.

@dkzzzz Such purity will require tossing nearly every single electronic component you possess or interact with. You're supporting commie regimes and all kinds of injustice from all over the world with nearly all your material possessions and purchases.

I have a few systems the main primary system consists of mark Levinson reference gear. But I have four tube systems the best of e is an old melody that was made in Australia before they started to manufacture them in China. That system in many ways is as good as the big system. And it has built in China speakers that were engineered in Germany  with Norwegian drivers. The next system is a newer melody that was made in China not as nice as the Australian built one I was really disappointed in it until I changed a bunch of tubes that being said it was way down the food chain it was one of there cheaper amps vs one of there best. And I have two other no me cheap  eight watt amps one fires a bathroom system the other in a sauna. Bother were really cheap both seem really durable and both are fun to listen to but they don't hold a candle to anything else I have  but they still make music! And way better than the standard mid fi brands . You can go many different ways but personally if you want to get your feet wet nothing wrong with one of the real cheap ones. Run it for six months and discount it a bit and sell it and go on to the next one. Or go up the food chain a bit and at least with the ones I have way more tube rolling available. I personally am thinking about getting one of the line magnetic ones that is based on the old GE commercial amps from before the war. They are magnificent. But you pay for those ones. My bidlg solid state system I have a tube from end in it a arc reference phono stage a sonic frontier dac and transport and a Macintosh mr73 tuner. I do like a bit of tube beauty in my music reproduction.  If you decide to try a really cheap Chinese amp my cheap ones were 359 Canadian dollars or about 250usd ask your self what have you lost if you don't like it? Basically nothing. Buy a ten thousand dollar plus amp made in the western world and don't you think it will cost you way more to sell it than the total cost of the Chinese amp? 

 

Regards

@ jerryg123

It makes me happy to hear there are a couple of other M/C enthusiasts/racing folks here. I guess it's no surprise. Hi-Fi and motorcycles can both make beautiful music.