AudiogoN Forums: Budget Chinese Tube amps

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 (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

11-30-11

Responses (1-53 of 53)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

11-30-11 Best of luck when you need service, you'll need it. Unsound

11-30-11 You get what you pay for. if you are on a tight budget look ... Kentaja

11-30-11 Unsound is right. i see from your previous posts you are on ... Rrog

11-30-11 I started with dynaco tubes in 1962; they are still good esp ... Stanwal

11-30-11 I tried an inexpensive chinese set amp, out of curiosity. t ... Lloydc

11-30-11 I'm sure it varies by brand, just like things built elsewher ... Meiwan

12-01-11 F the chinese. buy american, used if you have to. Paul_graham

12-01-11 12-01-11: paul_graham f the chinese. buy american, used if y ... Sebrof

12-01-11 Don't do it. a buddy of mine tried one (dared) & it was noi ... Pehare

12-01-11 The only good budget amps are used amps that weren't budget ... Donjr

12-01-11 I actually was the importer for one of the chinese brands me ... Trelja

12-02-11 There are three primaluna integrateds for sale on audiogon r ... Tomcy6

12-02-11 On your budget a dynaco st 70 by will vincent or bob latino ... Markwatkiss

12-02-11 Or the nice quicksilver gla listed now.... Pehare

12-02-11 Rogue - usa made is another good choice Facten

12-02-11 There is a used pair of quicksilver mini-mite up for sale ri ... Pubul57

12-02-11: Unsound
Does anybody know what speakers this amp is for?
Unsound (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-02-11 There are good importers such as pacific valve and grant fid ... Rccc

12-03-11 Cayin a-50t is a great budget integrated amp. 50jess

12-03-11 I second the pacific valve recommendation. vic is a straigh ... Bander

12-05-11 The various modded st-70's are indeed where you should be lo ... Schubert

12-06-11 I own a jas audio bravo 2.3 se integrated set amp running 6 ... W_waldecker

12-07-11 The ming da mc7r is a great preamp with some unbelievable so ... Leon55

12-12-11 There are many reasons to avoid products from china, but the ... Gopher

12-13-11 I'll throw in my 2 cents, and suggest that if you want to bu ... Sabocat59

12-13-11 I have an el34 based amp on order from jim as well but mine ... Metman

12-13-11 We used to make a guitar amplifier for a guitar amp company ... Atmasphere

12-13-11 Another recommendation for pacific valve. they're great guy ... Doc77

12-14-11 I recently ordered some speakers from stereo unlimited in wa ... Mcmprov

12-15-11 Maybe i lucked out, but i bought a 50wpc yaqin mc-10t el34 a ... Dividebytube

08-04-12 Purchased a cayin integrated s.e.t. 300b 10w/pc .great sou ... Dodger4

08-04-12 I bought a new factory modded/upgraded jolida jd502p power a ... Wolf_garcia

08-04-12 My old cayin ta-30 from paul at bizzybee was my first and on ... Nonoise

08-04-12 Ive had a jolida 102-b for about 8 years that i use for a b ... Raytheprinter

08-04-12 I remain surprised the travails of jolida, which forbes illu ... Trelja

08-04-12 Treja, that gives me pause, as far as turntables are concer ... Nonoise

08-05-12 Ive had a jolida 102-b for about 8 years that i use for a b ... Raytheprinter

08-05-12 Nonoise, i believe jolida represents an incredibly sound pur ... Trelja

08-05-12 M&c - i'll add another vote for the maryland, usa-based jol ... Ghosthouse

08-05-12 Trelja & ghosthouse, nothing like testimonial from credible ... Nonoise

08-05-12 I spoke to michael allen on the phone a couple of times when ... Wolf_garcia

08-05-12 When buying some gear, the who you purchase from perhaps as ... Glenfihi

08-05-12 I have had 2 jolida integrateds, the 502 and the 801. althou ... Leatherneck1812

08-05-12 Disclaimer- i don't have golden ears and absolutely not the ... Ghosthouse

08-05-12 Ghosthouse, point taken. unfallen angel it is. :-) all the ... Nonoise

08-06-12 Beware of anybody claiming to have "golden" ears.. ... Wolf_garcia

08-06-12 I always find the responses to these threads to be completel ... Gopher

08-06-12 I was about to post my rant and realized that gopher's post ... Johnsonwu

08-07-12 Agree with kentaja's comments about track record. plus, the ... Jburidan

08-20-12 If a well made chinese based amp isn't expensive, you can as ... Wolf_garcia

08-21-12 I have an audiovega valve tube amp (china) driving the highl ... Chuechue

08-21-12 Chiming in on this well-worn thread: i don't see any reason ... Br3098

08-21-12 Any chinese tube amp as good as an apples/apples vac model? Mapman