Why cheap Chinese amps etc... (very long)
 

"Cessna172" wrote in message
.205...
"Keith G" wrote in
:

One here is
currently auditioning my 'spare' Dynavox and comparing it with a very
respectable 'midfi' ss amp - so far he hasn't dismissed it...?

Nope, and it is being played exclusively now for a week or two to get the
Roksan Kandy MkIII out my ears.



And don't forget you are on valves that must be getting for at least 6/7
years old!! ;-)

Why cheap Chinese amps are not the chopping block for high-end tube amps
 

The consumer grade stereo equipment that is coming from China now, is
****. About the only name worth buying is PIONEER. And that make has
DEGRADED much since it was first made in Japan. Yes, the Japanese can
make the BEST electronics, equal to any the Germans or USA can make-
but they only make it for THEMSELVES. The stuff their companies export
anymore, is SECOND CLASS to the stuff they make for their own home high
end market. The Japanese make fine tube amps, and even reintroduced
the 8-track cartridge in a limited degree to audiophiles there. But
not here.

The lineup of stereos at your local "Circuit City" looks mighty nice
and is cheap enough- most are under $200- but pick one up and look
what's inside- CHEAP, ****TY IC power circuits that will BLOW OUT with
sustained high volume playback. I bought a complete Technics system
back in '86 and had to replace the main power amp IC 2 times so far.

The vintage tube and transistor units from 1950-70's era, and a few
from the 80's, are a far superior VALUE compared to what's available
new now.

Why cheap Chinese amps etc... (very long)
 

"Keith G" wrote in
:


"Cessna172" wrote in message
.205...
"Keith G" wrote in
:

One here is
currently auditioning my 'spare' Dynavox and comparing it with a
very respectable 'midfi' ss amp - so far he hasn't dismissed it...?

Nope, and it is being played exclusively now for a week or two to get
the Roksan Kandy MkIII out my ears.



And don't forget you are on valves that must be getting for at least
6/7 years old!! ;-)

Wonder if my Roksan will still be working after 8 years?

Volume is the problem I think. Last night I listened at high volume
settings (for me anyway!), and I started to get a bit of weight and attack
to the music. It was far louder than I can normaly listen because everyone
wasn't in bed!

Is this a limitation with most valve amps?


--
Cessna172

Why cheap Chinese amps etc... (very long)
 

On Tue, 3 Jan 2006 11:45:02 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote

Before making such sweeping generalisations, try listening to the Lab
5 speakers. They are truly high-end, and even good value in that niche
market.

OTOH, Jute is absolutely correct in what he says about the OPTs on
Chinese amplifiers.

Before making such sweeping generalisations, try actually *listening* to a
recent one....

Keith, since your *speakers* don't have any bass, you're not going to
notice the problem........... :-)
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

Why cheap Chinese amps etc... (very long)
 

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 3 Jan 2006 11:45:02 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:

"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote

Before making such sweeping generalisations, try listening to the Lab
5 speakers. They are truly high-end, and even good value in that niche
market.

OTOH, Jute is absolutely correct in what he says about the OPTs on
Chinese amplifiers.

Before making such sweeping generalisations, try actually *listening* to a
recent one....

Keith, since your *speakers* don't have any bass, you're not going to
notice the problem........... :-)



Surprised to see *you* dismiss my 'Pinkies' so readily!! :-)

(I still got my 38 Hz Ruark Paladins... ;-)

Why cheap Chinese amps etc... (very long)
 

"Cessna172" wrote


Wonder if my Roksan will still be working after 8 years?


The chances of you keeping *any* amp that long are a little slender, are
they not....???



Volume is the problem I think. Last night I listened at high volume
settings (for me anyway!), and I started to get a bit of weight and attack
to the music. It was far louder than I can normaly listen because everyone
wasn't in bed!

Is this a limitation with most valve amps?


Is what a limitation? Volume levels?

Your Kandy is what - 120wpc? That amp is *nominally* 40wpc - perhaps some
kind soul here will tell us what it really likely to be, with those wooly
old 5881s biased at -35V....???

(Don't be suckered in by the old valve vs. ss watt adages - watts are watts.
Valve watts are usually *bigger*, but they ain't any *louder* - big
difference! ;-)

Why cheap Chinese amps are not the chopping block for high-end tube amps
 

"Keith G" wrote in message

I think some of the people here who are 'not UK based' have no
idea what a toughie it would be for most people to even get to
*hear* a valve amp, never mind buy one at the prices of up to a
year or so ago!

Oh Keith, I thought no-one understood.

But listen, don't pick on our mascot. Patrick suffers from chronic
Davy Crockett Syndrome, and you really shouldn't make fun.

He can recite RDH4 backwards, and often does.

UK audiophiles have no need to resort to Oriental imports of
inferior quality. I'll make you something really good that works.

cheers, Ian

Why cheap Chinese amps are not the chopping block for high-end tube amps
 

"Ian Iveson" wrote in message
. uk...
"Keith G" wrote in message

I think some of the people here who are 'not UK based' have no idea what
a toughie it would be for most people to even get to *hear* a valve amp,
never mind buy one at the prices of up to a year or so ago!

Oh Keith, I thought no-one understood.

But listen, don't pick on our mascot. Patrick suffers from chronic Davy
Crockett Syndrome, and you really shouldn't make fun.

He can recite RDH4 backwards, and often does.

UK audiophiles have no need to resort to Oriental imports of inferior
quality.


???

What makes you think they are inferior? I'm prepared to concede that Pat
will/may have seen a lot more dodgy Chinese amps than we have in the UK, but
I believe you live in the UK - what *bad* Chinese amps have you seen?

It's this 'it's Chinese so it's inferior' bigotry that gets me - I have
spent money to *find out* for myself, I suspect a lot of the 'knockers' have
never even heard a Chinese amplifier....

(Kills me - it's a fair bet that most/nearly all of the people knocking
Chinese gear on Usenet do so on Chinese-built computers!! :-)



I'll make you something really good that works.


OK if it sounds better than this:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/jaau...aaudio300b.htm

and looks as good, I'll order one - 400 quid OK with you (with valves)...???

;-)

Why cheap Chinese amps are not the chopping block for high-end tube amps
 

I'll make you something really good that works.

OK if it sounds better than this:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/jaau...aaudio300b.htm

and looks as good, I'll order one - 400 quid OK with you (with valves)...???

Ha ha!


Martin
--
M.A.Poyser Tel.: 07967 110890
Manchester, U.K. http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=fleetie

Why cheap Chinese amps are not the chopping block for high-end tubeamps
 

Keith G wrote:

"Ian Iveson" wrote in message
. uk...
"Keith G" wrote in message

I think some of the people here who are 'not UK based' have no idea what
a toughie it would be for most people to even get to *hear* a valve amp,
never mind buy one at the prices of up to a year or so ago!

Oh Keith, I thought no-one understood.

But listen, don't pick on our mascot. Patrick suffers from chronic Davy
Crockett Syndrome, and you really shouldn't make fun.

He can recite RDH4 backwards, and often does.

UK audiophiles have no need to resort to Oriental imports of inferior
quality.

???

What makes you think they are inferior? I'm prepared to concede that Pat
will/may have seen a lot more dodgy Chinese amps than we have in the UK, but
I believe you live in the UK - what *bad* Chinese amps have you seen?

It's this 'it's Chinese so it's inferior' bigotry that gets me - I have
spent money to *find out* for myself, I suspect a lot of the 'knockers' have
never even heard a Chinese amplifier....

(Kills me - it's a fair bet that most/nearly all of the people knocking
Chinese gear on Usenet do so on Chinese-built computers!! :-)

I'll make you something really good that works.

OK if it sounds better than this:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/jaau...aaudio300b.htm

and looks as good, I'll order one - 400 quid OK with you (with valves)...???

I don't think Ian could buy the parts and materials for less than 400quid,
or about usd $700.
I doubt Sowter could do the 2 OPTs and PT and a choke for less than the 400
quid.

But unless otherwise proven, the OPTs and power trannys are probably not great
quality.

Nice paint on the outside though.

Ppl in the know would chuck away the chinese valves and use WE 300B........


Send a thankyou note to the Chinese Communist Party who
controls worker wages and conditions.

And if wages are usd $2 per day, and half the price is for chinese labour,
there is 250 man hours per amp, that's 5 weeks at 50 hrs per week of labour for
1 man.
But that just sounds way too much labour in a grimy noisy dirty mass production
chinese factory, and I bet no more than 2 man weeks of labour is involved.

The rest goes where? CCP? BMW for the boss?

I have seen quite a few dodgy tube amps, not all were chinese.


Patrick Turner.