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
My experience with Pacific Valve is less than stellar. I will say that my Doge 8 is a nice piece of equipment.
IMO who and where you buy from makes a difference in amps from China. May wish to check out amps from Quest for Sound. I have the SQ-88 integrated. Rock solid build and wonderful sounding.
I totally agree with Atmasphere, the thing to waych out for with the chinese gear is the transformers...I doubt they are reliable. I will purchase either the Tri TRV-35se or rogue tempest III. One made in Japan, the other USA...You get what you pay for in my book.
If I were you I would go with a JWN amplifier custom made by Jim Nicholls. He offers a lot of different options; and since you are new to tube amplifiers you can communicate with him directly to find an amp that meets your needs, tastes, budget, etc.. rather than shooting in the dark. His amps are affordable and you get a lot for your money and a direct contact if you have any issues/ questions.