Ming Da MC-3008-A2 Mono Blocks


Can anyone comment on the sound and quality of the Ming Da MC-3008-A2 Mono Blocks from Pacific Valve?...

I can't find any reviews. The tube topology is (2)12AX7, (2)12AU7, (2)300B, (2)805 tubes.

I am also curious, how would it compare to the Ming Da 845 amp?...

I am going to run it as a integrated amp with a Cambridge Audio CDP 640v2. Speakers are Paradigm S40 v3.
88man
Wow! Most U.S. vendors are sold out of these amps, and can't believe no one owns these amps to comment??...
I have no direct experience with MingDa amps, though I own 845 20 Watt SET amps and speakers with the same efficiency as yours, so I will comment on amp/speaker matching.

The 805 tube is rated for MAXIMUM 125 watts power dissipation, meaning that the maximum clean power you can get out of one tube without melting it is 125/4= 31 Watts. Since no one in their right minds runs a tube at 100% dissipation, a more realistic figure is 25 Watts in class A, maybe 30 pushing the tube into class AB2.
So, the manufacturer's marketing department is pushing the numbers (many tube amp manufacturers are guilty of over-optimistic specs).

A SET amp is usable up to roughly half-power until distortion becomes a problem...in your case, 16-20 watts is a confortable power level.

However, your speaker's specs ask for a "Recommended amplifier power: 20-200 Watts".
So, if you like to listen to loud music, the MingDa monoblocks will be a borderline match in terms of power.
Ideally, to play loud in an average size room, you should look for more tube-friendly speakers or buy a push-pull tube amp with say, 70+ Watts per channel.
If you only listen to chamber music and folk singers or your room is really small, the MingDa amps may do.
I hope this helps
Casouza, thank you for sharing your honest opinion on the topic of realistic power levels of the 805 SET amp. I am planning on using the amp in a 14x15 room for classical music. For a bedroom, I'd like to budget around $2-4k for a 845 or 805 amp - something with decent output transformers based around a good design.