mdm1979 Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 Looking for recommendations on valve amps under $1000. To be used with an entry level turntable. Unsure of the speaker type. Im researching on behalf of someone. Thanks
Tony M Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 If you can get hold of a Ming Da MC34ab, you'll be laughing. It really is "as good as it gets" for around the 1K mark. Of course, if the budget were higher, you'd be looking towards one of Earle Weston's creations or similar. But for "cheap as chips" valve amps in the bargain basement league, the Meixing's take some beating .
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 Looking for recommendations on valve amps under $1000. To be used with an entry level turntable. Unsure of the speaker type. Im researching on behalf of someone. Thanks Points: * Choose your speakers first. Always. * After choosing your speakers, then and only then, can you decide on which amplifier will suit those speakers. That maybe a valve amp. Or not. * Do not restrict your choice of amplifier to one type of technology. * There are good valve amps and crap valve amps. * There are good SS amps and crap SS amps. * Consider second hand. * There are no good (new) valve amps for less than a grand. 4
Mondegreen Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 ZB's comment +1 Lukasz Fikus from Lampizator has modded various cheap Chinese valve amps, you can see the articles on his site. He cites bodgy, unnecessary and nonsensical circuitry, and goes about modifying these for the better. So this is one way to go about it. However unless you're very confident working with very high voltages, and have a background in electronics, forget it.
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 Check out used amps Agreed. There are some excellent SS and valve amps available second hand.
Malcolm Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 ZB's comment +1 Lukasz Fikus from Lampizator has modded various cheap Chinese valve amps, you can see the articles on his site. He cites bodgy, unnecessary and nonsensical circuitry, and goes about modifying these for the better. So this is one way to go about it. However unless you're very confident working with very high voltages, and have a background in electronics, forget it. Also a waiste of money in the long term . The time it takes the cost of parts plus labour if you can't do it yourself . Better to save and get something decent from the start . Cheers 3
firefly0071 Posted August 7, 2014 Posted August 7, 2014 Points: * Choose your speakers first. Always. * After choosing your speakers, then and only then, can you decide on which amplifier will suit those speakers. That maybe a valve amp. Or not. * Do not restrict your choice of amplifier to one type of technology. * There are good valve amps and crap valve amps. * There are good SS amps and crap SS amps. * Consider second hand. * There are no good (new) valve amps for less than a grand. I think you forget that the dual use of a valve amp is that it can act as a heater for warmth in winter. 1
Tony M Posted August 8, 2014 Posted August 8, 2014 (edited) Well, everyone else has provided sensible, considered advice, while I've dived in head first with an overly-enthusiastic recommendation that doesn't even meet the OP's criteria. I have seen the Ming Da at less than $1K recently, but I wouldn't be game to buy from that source, so it's more realistically closer to the $1.5 mark shipped, and still great "bang for buck" IMO. Edited August 8, 2014 by Tony M
Malcolm Posted August 8, 2014 Posted August 8, 2014 (edited) Does the OP need a phono stage ? Here's Earle's site & pricing http://www.westonacoustics.com/default.htm http://www.westonacoustics.com/page001.html Cheers Edited August 8, 2014 by Malcolm
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted August 8, 2014 Posted August 8, 2014 Does the OP need a phono stage ? Here's Earle's site & pricing http://www.westonacoustics.com/default.htm http://www.westonacoustics.com/page001.html Cheers I stand corrected. It is possible to buy a good quality valve amplifier for less than a grand. 1
Ruffy Posted August 8, 2014 Posted August 8, 2014 That would have been my suggestion if he has to have tubes, a Weston Acoustic Troubadour. Local, good quality, service. Ticks all the boxes
Brendo09 Posted August 8, 2014 Posted August 8, 2014 Would people not rate Eric Mcchanson's amps as good quality?
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted August 8, 2014 Posted August 8, 2014 Would people not rate Eric Mcchanson's amps as good quality? Let's see some internal photos. Earle has posted internal photos of his products. They are the epitome of quality. Earle winds his own output transformers to astonishingly high standards. Far, far better than any off-the-shelf transformers I am aware of. In fact, until I checked, I had no idea that he was able to produce an amp for less than $1,000.00. I do not doubt that he pays himself far less than the minimum wage. 2
mdm1979 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Posted August 9, 2014 Thanks for all the suggestions. The Ming Da MC34ab looks beautiful but I think the Weston Acoustic Troubadour is the way to go.
Guest Muon Posted August 9, 2014 Posted August 9, 2014 Either would be fun, can't lose Are you going to get any customisations with the Troubadour? Anyone know if Earle has done a phono stage? that would be interesting. Earle?
Tony M Posted August 9, 2014 Posted August 9, 2014 (edited) Thanks for all the suggestions. The Ming Da MC34ab looks beautiful but I think the Weston Acoustic Troubadour is the way to go. I'm not disagreeing with you, but I think you should go back to the advice given by ZB. Only decide on the amp when you know what speakers it has to drive. One of the reasons I hopped in with the recommendation I made was that the amp in question has both triode and ultralinear modes and is powerful enough to drive most speakers. I'm sure the Troubadour is an excellent amp and may well be the better choice with reasonably efficient speakers. With less efficient speakers, though, the Ming Da might be at a significant advantage, especially if your friend likes dynamic music at higher volumes. The design integrity and construction quality of the Weston amp is a given. The Chinese amp does appear to be well designed and built and certainly sounds very good to me with Yamaha NS1000M's and a range of other speakers, but it is a lesser known quantity and probably a riskier purchase overall, besides being potentially in excess of the suggested budget. The bottom line is that, until you know what speakers it will be used with, you can't begin to guess which will be the better amp. Until you hear both amps with those speakers in the setting in which they will be used, you won't know which will sound better. And, worst of all, until you've lived with either of them for a few years, you won't know for sure which is the wiser purchase in the longer term - something we mostly find out in hindsight. And these are only 2 recommendations/suggestions out of the myriad of possibilities out there. Edited August 9, 2014 by Tony M 3
mdm1979 Posted August 9, 2014 Author Posted August 9, 2014 Cheers for that info Tony M. I don't think the speakers are going to impress the audiophiles. I think they are http://www.lenwallisaudio.com/products/speakers/sub-sat-system/dome5-1 and I'm sure a few will think a valve amp is overkill for those speakers. I'm just researching for a girl who wants to make her bf happy. Ok get your minds out of the gutter, haha
Malcolm Posted August 10, 2014 Posted August 10, 2014 Cheers for that info Tony M. I don't think the speakers are going to impress the audiophiles. I think they are http://www.lenwallisaudio.com/products/speakers/sub-sat-system/dome5-1 and I'm sure a few will think a valve amp is overkill for those speakers. I'm just researching for a girl who wants to make her bf happy. Ok get your minds out of the gutter, haha It's not a case of being over kill it's a case of will the tube amp be able to drive the load of the speaker . If that's the speakers Earle would be able to give advice which of his amps will be able to drive them . Cheers
henry218 Posted August 10, 2014 Posted August 10, 2014 The good news is that you should not need a lot of power for it, if you are listening at nearfield and assuming its highpassed to the subwoofers
keshav Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 buy a yaqin, then get Joe Rasmussen to upgrade it. Stock, they still sound great, review well and can sound UNREAL after Joe has played with them Keshav
Once was an audiophile Posted September 8, 2014 Posted September 8, 2014 buy a yaqin, then get Joe Rasmussen to upgrade it. Stock, they still sound great, review well and can sound UNREAL after Joe has played with them Keshav Just wait untill a second hand jlti one comes up they loose value very quickly.
keshav Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 I am looking for one. know anyone who wants to sell? Keshav
frankn Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 Like all equipment it pays to audition if you can. I had a Jlti KT88/120 v2. I don't have it any more. I kept it for about a year before moving it on. They are not bad but they are not as good as some ppl suggest. They do probably benefit from tube fooling around, WarrenM made some suggestions in another thread Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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