Clone DarTZeel amps?

Pindac,

My friend, I have owned Don Sachs' tube preamps for at least 10 years, I also have Don's KT88 amp which together are a tuneful proposition. Don's amp was supplanted some years back when I got a Wells Audio Innamorata SS amp. I preferred the crisper, better defined transient response and better LF response.  Then I got the clone amp and in every possible aspect of its SQ, I reached a level of sonic joy I never expected to hear, certainly not for the paltry sum of $800 delivered to my doorstep.  

I ordered a clone amp for a somewhat well-known tube gear designer who, like you, is open to possibilities, which is as it should be. (I am assured that the tariff on the amp will be no more than $80, which is a trifling amount given its performance.) He, like me, possibly you, and many others, prefers a tube preamp for the aspect of the euphonic sound, and a SS amp for its better ability to handle transient response and of course both LF and HF extension.

I finally parted with my Cube Audio Jazzon speakers and acquired a pair of BMR Philharmonic Monitors and, notwithstanding the fact that the the Cubes were 4X as expensive, the Monitors might very well be end-game speakers for me, simply sensational, which of course benefit with my REL sub.  

I have reached a synergy with my system components and am going to just sit back and enjoy the music.  

A final note:  at the same time I got the clone amp, I did a trial of the Orchard Audio Starkcrimson Stereo Ultra 2.5 class D amp, which costs $2900.  Two of my audio pals preferred the SQ of the Orchard amp over the clone amp, but only by a modest margin.  There is no doubt that had I not owned the clone amp, I would have been delighted to have the Orchard amp in my system.  Ralph at Atma-Sphere has stellar Class D mono amps, but they cost around $5500 and would be worth the price.  That is my thinking, at any rate.  There is always better gear available, but not always the coin of the realm to acquire them.  The clone amp is the biggest no-brainer purchase I have ever made in 50 years of being in the clutches of audiophillia.  Good day.  

@whitestix Your selection of Amp's that have been compared to the Clone Amp. through description given, suggests the End Sound of the Clone brings to the fore, a perception that it has Valve Power Amp' traits with an 'X' Factor for how well the frequencies are tidied up balanced between the ranges.

There is from my experiences, not much separating certain Amp's where a BOM for the circuit parts on an  Amp' retailing at £50K retail and an Amp' produced by a very knowelgable EE, for the similar  BOM, can easily be very close in their performance. Only traits that show out in the End Sound will change an impression of how the impression of the experience had is formed.

I am expecting to be quite taken by the New Design SS Power Amp' to be encountered near the end of October.

It is great that those with an interest in audio equipment, who are with a restriction on how they spend to buy items are able to be made aware of products that can be acquired between $1K - $2.5K. What really is impressive, again experiences had have proved this, is that at the Commercial offerings retail price side, an Amp to be a fair comparison can cost 20x extra. 

I know I am late to this thread, but thought I'd contribute my opinion.

First of all, I doubt anyone is expecting any Chinese clone to sound as good as the original. But what they do, is sound much better than an equivalently priced amp from the new market.

The circuits are from original schematics, that have been freely available on DIY  forums for years, sanctioned for use by the original designers/manufacturers. 

I do not own one of these amps, or another amp clone, but I do own a clone of a FM Acoustics 255. It sounds fantastic. Huge soundstage, detail, dynamic. It was about $350 including shipping. 

I a friend and I compared it to several other preamps, the least expensive of which was over $1.5K, and it bested all of them. 

I don't need it to sound as good as the original FM Acoustics, all I need from it, is to sound better than preamps costing several times its price. 

I also own a D.Klimo tube phono stage, that also cost about $350 including shipping. It still has the generic Chinese tubes installed, and it still sounds great. It is dead quiet. 

And finally, there is no intellectual property theft for any of the clones I've ever seen on Alie Express. As I previously said, the schematics for all these clones have been available on DIY forums for years. They are in the public domain. That goes for: Krell, Dartzeel, FM Acoustics, Bermester, Accuphase, etc. 

The only probable IP theft going on, is with high end cables. 

Well, I tried to buy the black widow 260 wpc DartZeel clone and the seller could not deliver.  I was up to trying it.  Given my overwhelmingly positive experience with the new 55 wpc Audio Van Alstine NP1 amp, once my refund is processed I will likely pick up the 225 wpc AVA monoblocks instead.