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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
mgattone
25 posts
 
An issue with some of the brands that you mentioned is support - if the amp needs to be repaired, then you might have a more difficult time finding someone who is able (or willing) to fix it. I'd stick with Jolida or Cayin; both get good marks for quality and also have decent support.

-Mike
steelhead
318 posts
 
I do not know, and it is your money so it easy for me to spend, but,

I think it would be advisable to spend a little more and get a great company like Rogue behind you if buying new or buy used audio research, cj, bat, vac, quicksilver, get a nice component and all are great companies that stand behind their stuff.

Have Fun!
loomisjohnson
1,944 posts
 
i recently bought a yaqin for the same reason as the op states--to try tubes for cheap. as others have posted, build quality ain't great; however, it sounded surprisingly good--it made me want to buy better-built, snazzier tube gear. now, i enjoy the journey, so i'm not sorry i bought the yaqin, but if you're more into the destination, you would be better served to buy a more upmarket piece.
bigkidz
3,383 posts
 
Good versus what other tube amps? What sound are you looking for? Reviews are for suckers! You want good amp suggestions - Lafayette KT-550, Music Reference RM-200, Counterpoint amps (many upgrades available), ARC D-150, Quciksilver M-190s, etc. These are very good designed amps that offer excellent sound for the money and probably better then most other amps made today.

Happy Listening.
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,590 posts
 
M&C, What is your budget? I am not familiar with most Chinese tube amps. I have some experience with Primaluna. They are made in China under close supervision from the designer's firm which is based in Holland.

These are very well made amps. Lots of good reviews. They have continuous autobias, which I recommend for people just getting into tube amps.
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