I was just asked by an online audio buddy, if any of the Chinese tube amps on Aliexpress and such sites are any good, or if all of them are trash awaiting victims, lol?
I have NO clue, so thought I'd ask here. He wants to buy a reasonably powerful tube amp, and has sent me photos of some amazing looking stuff! But does any of them have sound to match? I'm guessing they probably are all the same.
I have NO clue, so thought I'd ask here. He wants to buy a reasonably powerful tube amp, and has sent me photos of some amazing looking stuff! But does any of them have sound to match? I'm guessing they probably are all the same.
Line Magnetic has a good online rep., but the prices may surprise you. This is not the cheap Douk & Yaqin stuff.
Integrated tube amplifier Line Magnetic Audio
jeff
Integrated tube amplifier Line Magnetic Audio
jeff
There is some decent stuff out there. "You get what you pay for" applies, as always. However, there is one caveat - at the right price, some of those amps make a great platform for mods, improvements, etc.
I got a Chinese tube amp for half price ($400 instead of $800). The chassis, transformers, and tubes, sockets, components alone were worth more than $400. It sounded "good" but not amazing, out of the box. I've replaced a lot of the cheap caps and whatnot, changed the topology, and enjoyed it for years. I have more plans for upgrades. I don't regret my purchase whatsoever.
If your buddy isn't a tinkerer, and just wants it to be fantastic out of the box... well, buyer beware.
I got a Chinese tube amp for half price ($400 instead of $800). The chassis, transformers, and tubes, sockets, components alone were worth more than $400. It sounded "good" but not amazing, out of the box. I've replaced a lot of the cheap caps and whatnot, changed the topology, and enjoyed it for years. I have more plans for upgrades. I don't regret my purchase whatsoever.
If your buddy isn't a tinkerer, and just wants it to be fantastic out of the box... well, buyer beware.
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Thank you guys. I don't think he knows enough to know how to Tinker and make it sound better. I know he was looking at amplifiers under $1,000, which look like they should cost 10000. I just asked him what he's after, and he referenced my old ekco EV55SE integrated amplifier. This is what he's looking for. I will be honest, and tell you I bought the amp from a neighbor moving out. I do not know anything about tubes oh, so I don't know how to advise him to get that kind of sound the Ekco had. Especially considering he wants to spend under a thousand, and I think that ekco was 3000.
More information. He just said what he liked about the echo was well it had a nice warm sound he attributed to tubes, it had the drive Dynamics and extension of a solid-state amplifier in his opinion. Is there a particular tube number that will get us in that direction? Such as kt88, el34, Etc? Or is it just a matter of finding the right design with any of these tubes? If that's the case I don't know how to help him. I don't know the general tube differences. I just know he said he doesn't want that overblown, soft tubey sound. Whatever in heck that means.
It sounds like he has pretty high expectations. That Ekco amp is a $4000 55 watt per channel KT-88 push-pull, full of high quality components. A budget Chinese amp isn't going to come close, IMO.
Another thing to keep in mind is that tube amps don't necessarily play nicely with just any kind of speaker. What speakers is he planning to use with it?
Another thing to keep in mind is that tube amps don't necessarily play nicely with just any kind of speaker. What speakers is he planning to use with it?