Darthfunk Posted May 14, 2007 Posted May 14, 2007 Hey guys iam itching for a 2nd set up for my Master bedroom as my love nest is goning to be up in a months time. Will need some advice and recommendations for an affortable tube amp/mini amp ($300-$400 if its possible). Will be matching it with an Usher S-520. Cheers!
DJQ Posted May 14, 2007 Posted May 14, 2007 wah... count me in too... still hoping to try Dared mp5. but i will be pairing it with my B&W 601 S3. bro darthfunk do u already have a tube amp?
Darthfunk Posted May 14, 2007 Author Posted May 14, 2007 wah... count me in too... still hoping to try Dared mp5. but i will be pairing it with my B&W 601 S3. bro darthfunk do u already have a tube amp? Bo leh no tube amp. Wanna try some cheap entry level tubes for my bedroom only. Was also thinking of those mirco mini amps.
2100 Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 When going for cheap china amps, be sure to swap out any of those crazy cheong parts and/or cold solder joints. They have a knack of using recycled computer parts and really lousy stuff which can just barely work. And it doesn't help that they squeeze the parts into such small spaces and the heat builds up leading to component failure (usually the caps fail first as they can't do 85 deg C for long). Even Cayin and Dared are not spared, oscillating issues and stuff when the conditions are wrong. Later going to swap out the coupling caps which have the brand REALCAP to Auricaps. Its not funny when my IR thermometer shows these REALCAPS are operating at about 90 deg C (!!) as they are very near to the EL84, ECC82/83 which are cluster f***ed together with no "breathing holes" around da tubes. Actually if you are operating for an extended period, the tubes shd not be encased as it will heat soak the OPTs (mine are), but luckily nowadays a lot are more open concept. I hope the Nichicons they used are not cheong ones.
DJQ Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 wah meaning if i buy 1 china one i must open up and overhual it huh. i like the Shanling tubeys but hell those china ones are a few k's. ::)
2100 Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 wah meaning if i buy 1 china one i must open up and overhual it huh. i like the Shanling tubeys but hell those china ones are a few k's. ::) Those are the better ones. You do hear the big difference in the better setups. Some of them do use decent stuff like Mundorf M-cap and M-cap Zn for interstage coupling. Consonance does use auricaps for their better stuff. At this technical/price level of tube stuff, you'll be surprised how much difference resistors and caps give you the final sonic presentation, more than tubes (eg 2A3 vs 300B - the difference in power and overall control esp bass). Surprisingly the China OPT are quite good in sound (actually heard Tamura nowadays outsourced OEM in China too), so mai hiam buay pai. The OPT are usually expensive and dictate the highest % slice in the overall fidelity slice. With auricaps costing the price of a regular CD and even the best FEP Teflon Film Tin Foil caps costing less than a Mo-Fi LP, it is a no brainer to mod actually.....even before playing with tubes. Probably $500 on 2pcs of metal base Sylvania 6SN7W improvement is around $50 worth of caps.
Darthfunk Posted May 15, 2007 Author Posted May 15, 2007 Bro locally any cheap tube amp or mini amp to recommend or should i try out Dared MP5 from JB? Cheers!
Spunky Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 Bro locally any cheap tube amp or mini amp to recommend or should i try out Dared MP5 from JB? Cheers! MP5 is more like a integrated amp with a tube input stage and solid state output. But it's really COOL looking! Skyaudio HERE has a used el34 mini amp for sale. u can go and audition.
2100 Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 wah meaning if i buy 1 china one i must open up and overhual it huh. Just an update, changed my Cayin HA-1A cathode follower from some fugged up no-brand electrolytic to Blackgate NX, and the interstage coupling from REALCAP (!!) to Audience's auricap. Wah lan eh, can only use expletives to describe the new sound. Absolutely no horse run. The fidelity leap is more than from the stock chinese toobs to Tesla 803S, Tesla 802S (not cheap!) and JJ EL84.....to give you a rough idea. I actually wanted to go all the way and yank in the Solen FEP teflons but....too ex. And the best part is one of the stock electrolytic cap was plugged in the wrong way. 8) Coz Printed Circuit Board got white and "transparent" green printing to line up with the cap's white line, one side's cap is different from the other side one. I told you liao, Chinese really power. Its like tube manufacturing, the ulu low-end ones reaping low profits will be done by cheap labour (which is already F cheap in China), while the good stuff like 845/300B will be done by the trained workers. Its the same with Hous, AS, PL....coz all OEM from Spark-Cayin or some other. Maybe just extra QC or something. ;D
synthesis1624705793 Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 This is the inside of Dared MP5. Seems to be well built. So what can be modded; those green caps near the volume control?
Darthfunk Posted May 15, 2007 Author Posted May 15, 2007 Guys what do you think of this Trends TA-10 Class-T Stereo Audio Amplifier? About $190 dollars damm cheap! http://www.trendsaudio.com/EN/Product/TA-10_feature.htm http://www.goodsound.com/equipment.shtml
2100 Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 This is the inside of Dared MP5. Seems to be well built. So what can be modded; those green caps near the volume control? Yes, looks like they using Silver mica stuff. (my Almarro 318B stock also!) Size doesn't look too big, so i reckon pretty manageable uF. I think they may rate it as pF, so the numbers may look large. A 0.22uF Auricap is only $17 each at Auntie's. But the MP5 is a hybrid tube/SS, so i do not know if the transistor may that out some of that "magic". Coz solid state when not done right/properly sounds really not nice. Darthfunk, the Trends is a really good amp....will not loose to 1K solid states after mods, if you do not need the power. Again, simple mods like changing the Bennic cap and using battery power. ;D Sorry, mod again.
Darthfunk Posted May 15, 2007 Author Posted May 15, 2007 Darthfunk, the Trends is a really good amp....will not loose to 1K solid states after mods, if you do not need the power. Again, simple mods like changing the Bennic cap and using battery power. ;D Sorry, mod again. Since its for my bedroom i might just give it a try. Btw who can mod this amp locally? ;D Next up CDP, where to find a below $300 CDP but at half the size. ???
2100 Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 Since its for my bedroom i might just give it a try. Btw who can mod this amp locally? ;D Erm...its more like DIY. ;D It's cheap afterall, so spending 50 bucks labour is like bo hua. But if you do not have solder wick, iron, good solder investment, then.... :P But actually can just try out the battery power first, a 30AH SLA battery shd be sufficient and about $60 only. Though non-exotic, the stock Bennic XPP metallized polypropylene film caps in the Trends 10.1 version are actually quite ok (cost about $2)....same as Auricap actually (which is a $$ exotic cap actually).... Its be theorised that the main factor affecting the sound is the dielectric absorption...and besides the amp is targetted at mid-fi region, so this can pass. That doesn't stop people using it in better systems though. :) Of coz, the Mundorf Silver Gold is also metallized polypropylene. ::) You will not mistake a Bennic XPP sound for a Mundorf Silver Gold. Auricap in SG can buy, coz auntie vong is selling cheaply. For eg, 1.0uF is S$21, PCX is selling nearly usd18
synthesis1624705793 Posted May 15, 2007 Posted May 15, 2007 Guys what do you think of this Trends TA-10 Class-T Stereo Audio Amplifier? About $190 dollars damm cheap! Not for long. :P http://www.echoloft.com/cgi-bin/buysell/YaBB.cgi?board=hifi&action=display&num=1179155780
Darthfunk Posted May 20, 2007 Author Posted May 20, 2007 Just realise the DaredMP5 are left with red and black in stock :-\ Wonder when will they have stock for the Silver or White ??? Price is 200USD + 19 USD (shipping)
petetherock Posted May 20, 2007 Posted May 20, 2007 Bro where do you get this from, interested in trying a tube amp, and I guess this is the cheapest entry into it. Wondering if its enough to drive a pair of Usher 520? Wanna MO this? Just realise the DaredMP5 are left with red and black in stock :-\ Wonder when will they have stock for the Silver or White ??? Price is 200USD + 19 USD (shipping)
tinytok Posted May 20, 2007 Posted May 20, 2007 MIC Arai 6P1 full tube integrated at 10watts into 8 ohms is enough to drive my Wharfedale Diamond 8.4 in my 5by6m living room However, demanding track may sound demanding...after all this is a mini tube amp. With vocal like cai qing and fei yu qing, no problem at all. So far have problem playing sister drum and hotel california where the bass "octave" is not convincing. Anyway, the only time i heard sister drum playing nicely was during 1997 or 98 i think when i was at the hifi show listening it on Wilson Watt Puppy setup. other than that, worth my S$350+ bucks. What surprises me is that some CDs which sound okie in Solid state amp actually sounds like "dung" when play thru this amp. I wonder if it is so revealing for tube amp. CDs involve are those songs converted from LPs. In the process to bid more different MIC tube AMP. ;D ;D Bro where do you get this from, interested in trying a tube amp, and I guess this is the cheapest entry into it. Wondering if its enough to drive a pair of Usher 520? Wanna MO this?
hifiluv Posted May 20, 2007 Posted May 20, 2007 the MP5 is not a true tube amp, its has 2 x 6N1 preamp tubes with a SS power output. if u want a true amp, can consider tis - pretty decent power, 35W x 2, with EL34 power tubes, the last bid won incl shipping/ ins was 100GBP, so about $300, so its even cheaper than the MP5. however, the MP5 is very well built and real value for $, so end of the day, its depends on what u like.. i m now entreat to see which one (MP5 or mini tube) will outlast the other, ;D
petetherock Posted May 20, 2007 Posted May 20, 2007 Can you bros put the links to these amps Hoping to get something under $300? Thanks
Darthfunk Posted May 20, 2007 Author Posted May 20, 2007 Bro where do you get this from, interested in trying a tube amp, and I guess this is the cheapest entry into it. Wondering if its enough to drive a pair of Usher 520? Wanna MO this? Dont think this one can MO. It should be able to drive the Usher 520. Another cheap mini amp iam considering is the Trend TA-10.1 which cost $190. Note it wont go loud but if you are going to put it in the bed room like me then it should be sufficent.
petetherock Posted May 20, 2007 Posted May 20, 2007 Can't find any dared for USD 200, where did you get that darth?
Darthfunk Posted May 20, 2007 Author Posted May 20, 2007 Can't find any dared for USD 200, where did you get that darth? http://www.echoloft.com/cgi-bin/buysell/YaBB.cgi?board=hifi&action=display&num=1179464428 They posted in echoloft. I have emailed them they only have red and black in stock at the moment. I told them to email me once the Silver is in stock. There are a total of 4 colours red, black, white and silver. Here is their website http://www.johnblue-audio.com/
petetherock Posted May 20, 2007 Posted May 20, 2007 Thanks, red will suit me fine. Going to get soon, wanna do it together. PS: pm you on racks http://www.echoloft.com/cgi-bin/buysell/YaBB.cgi?board=hifi&action=display&num=1179464428 They posted in echoloft. I have emailed them they only have red and black in stock at the moment. I told them to email me once the Silver is in stock. There are a total of 4 colours red, black, white and silver. Here is their website http://www.johnblue-audio.com/
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