Richard Dunn
Banned
Still trying to pick a fight
sad little man I have never told anyone to buy my stuff, I *only* ask them to listen to it.
If a chinese valve amp is better to your ears then buy it.
Tube amps from Hong Kong from ebay!
- Thread starter Kostas
- Start date
Still trying to pick a fight
sad little man I have never told anyone to buy my stuff, I *only* ask them to listen to it.
If a chinese valve amp is better to your ears then buy it.
Richard Dunn
Banned
It gets what it deserves, the UK part has ripped off and BS'd the hi-fi public for about 30 years. Where it is providing value instead of rip-off it deserves to be promoted as with Chinese valve amps. AND the other rip-off merchants who buy these amps cheap put a new name on and sell them for 10 times as much deserve to be shown up for what they are.
I am *extremely* pleased to sell direct and not to be part of this rip-off. You on the other hand are a defender of this rip-off, what is your excuse?
Brian
Eating fat, staying slim
I wonder why I only see the first line of your reply in the thread, but all of it when I click on 'Quote'?
I was going to say there will be good and bad just as in any other country. As ever, it is wrong to generalise.
Didn't think I was generalising, since in my previous post I mentioned the retailer .
I have two ming da integrated amps and a ming da mm/mc phono stage. They sound pretty good to me. I also have an Emiile valve integrated which cost serveral times more and it aint several times better. The main downside is a lack of puff when driving my magneplanars beyond a moderate level but then they are a bitch to drive well. Having said that, I don't think valves are better than ss or vice versa they are just more slippers and cardigans.
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
Your valve amps might be 'pipe and slippers' mine are most certainly not.
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
Sorry Rodders, some valve amps can be 'pipe and slippers' but they don't have to be, regards Keith.
frayededges
Second flat rock on the left
Isn't UK voltage supposed to be standardised at 230v?
That said... info from the Russ Andrews Website
Patrick Dixon
Imagineer
Originally, the UK mains voltage supply was specified at 240V RMS +/-6%. Some while ago, the specifications were changed (230V +10%, -6%) to allow harmonisation across Europe. However, in practice UK mains voltage remains the same as it ever was ie about 240V.
What this means is that if the amp is designed to run at 220V and you run it without any changes at 240V all the internal voltages will be around 9% high. And if your mains is at the 230V +10% maximum (ie 253V) it will be even worse (and mains voltage fluctuates anyway).
So depending on the design margin, you may have capacitors running over voltage and valves dissipating excess current, neither of which are very good things.
Dowser
Learning to bodge again..
I bought a Music Angel Marantz 7 type (not sure why, cct seems to have very little to do with anything Marantz ) pre-amp. Cost me £82 delivered to my door. I added a decent volume control and source selector, rewired with a decent star earth and reverted the one DC heater supply back to AC (and removed the power LED it seemed to have been converted to DC for!) - it sounds great and has ousted my modified NAC62.
But, buyer beware - what I won in the auction did not match what was delivered. Externally the same, internally considerably different circuit. It was also too late for a Paypal claim, due to 9 weeks delivery... I'm not too upset, as said it still sounds great, but it annoyed me at the time.
Swapped some of the tubes recently - 5814's (made in USA stamped on them, I assume Chinese fakes) replaced with RCA clear top ECC81's. Better, but not by as large a margin as I imagined. Now trying to track down a decent NOS pair of ECC82's.
Richard
) pre-amp. Cost me £82 delivered to my door. I added a decent volume control and source selector, rewired with a decent star earth and reverted the one DC heater supply back to AC (and removed the power LED it seemed to have been converted to DC for!) - it sounds great and has ousted my modified NAC62.But, buyer beware - what I won in the auction did not match what was delivered. Externally the same, internally considerably different circuit. It was also too late for a Paypal claim, due to 9 weeks delivery... I'm not too upset, as said it still sounds great, but it annoyed me at the time.
Swapped some of the tubes recently - 5814's (made in USA stamped on them, I assume Chinese fakes) replaced with RCA clear top ECC81's. Better, but not by as large a margin as I imagined. Now trying to track down a decent NOS pair of ECC82's.
Richard
I've checked UK mains voltage with a DVM on a few occasions, different locations. 240, on the button, every time. I did the same thing in France, 220V, bang on, every time. I think the elec generators are pretty good at what they do. The spec may have changed, the practice is the same in my experience.
The thing they get *really* upset about is frequency - the rules on 50Hz are very stringent and they have to adhere to averages over 24h and all sorts.
The thing they get *really* upset about is frequency - the rules on 50Hz are very stringent and they have to adhere to averages over 24h and all sorts.
I've actually measured anything from 218 to 256 volts in my home!
I've been using a Yaquin mc 100b for 2 years with no problems and now also have the mc 10l. The mc 100b drives mid range units and the mc 10l is driving tweeters .Both these amps have been modified with replacement tranformers to run on 250 volts.I,m still looking for a valve amp to drive my bass units ,but for now I'll stick with a Quad 405.
Will when time permits mod these amps ,slight changes to heater and main psu's ,change input section to eliminate volume pots and selector switch's.Also using a yaquin ms 12b phono stage .On this I ripped out the line stage as it's sterile and built my own line stage which gives a far better sound stage with depth and width.
Will when time permits mod these amps ,slight changes to heater and main psu's ,change input section to eliminate volume pots and selector switch's.Also using a yaquin ms 12b phono stage .On this I ripped out the line stage as it's sterile and built my own line stage which gives a far better sound stage with depth and width.
TheDecameron
Unicorns fart glitter.
When Chinese Plasma cutters came out the Welding dealers in Uk said they were rubbish etc . I got one at a third the price of Italian or British equiv.
It`s still cutting and welding and owes me nowt.A Group Buy is the way to go. A pallet of amps would save big time on freight. I`m recommending Tony to organise it
lexi, I need a safe opened, Royston, can we meet?
PS my name is Lyons, not Decameron
tomek
pfm Member
I bought a Music Angel Marantz 7 type (not sure why, cct seems to have very little to do with anything Marantz
But, buyer beware - what I won in the auction did not match what was delivered. Externally the same, internally considerably different circuit. It was also too late for a Paypal claim, due to 9 weeks delivery... I'm not too upset, as said it still sounds great, but it annoyed me at the time.
Swapped some of the tubes recently - 5814's (made in USA stamped on them, I assume Chinese fakes) replaced with RCA clear top ECC81's. Better, but not by as large a margin as I imagined. Now trying to track down a decent NOS pair of ECC82's.
Richard
This pre is really based on the pre section of the original Marantz 7 circuit. You don't need a pair of ecc82 or ecc81.
At the input you need two ecc83 and at the output one ecc82. The most important for the sound (IMHO) is the ecc82 on the output. Try to get new paired JJ ecc803s from ebay and one JJ ecc802s with gold pins frome the seller tubeshop-24
IMHO those tubes are probably the best aviailable tubes from the new production, but nothing beats old Telefunken or Valvo.
You can get Valvo valves cheaper than Telefunken. From my experience Telefunken have more details and space and Valvo more bass and PRAT. At the moment i have a mix - at the input 2x Telefunken ecc83 and at the output one Valvo ecc82 with 45° cathode.
Also very important in this pre is star earthing and good HQ output caps.
I started once a thread about it here:
http://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27742
Dowser
Learning to bodge again..
Hi Tomek - I bought this based on your thread referenced above, but was then pissed that what I bought was completely different internally...there are a few different Music Angel designs out there, buyer beware! I was still happy after doing similar mods to yours though...but it has now been ousted by a Croft Micro II. Much better sonically, and a fantastic phono stage to boot
I must have a clear out some time - I have both the DIY'ed Music Angel and OE Yaqin MS-12B pre's sitting here doing nothing for last 12 months or more!
Richard
I must have a clear out some time - I have both the DIY'ed Music Angel and OE Yaqin MS-12B pre's sitting here doing nothing for last 12 months or more!
Richard
wirbeltier
pfm Member
Would have a M1 Line for sale....