Dared VP-20 amps ?

[MacTube]

Anyone ever heard of these - could have put that better - anyone have any experience with them? Been offered then - mono-block with seperate power supply. But little on the Net about them except a 6Moons review. what I'd like (as new to valves) is some ides re. pre-amp. Will feed in a good quality digital source.

[Spectral Morn]

Anyone ever heard of these - could have put that better - anyone have any experience with them? Been offered then - mono-block with seperate power supply. But little on the Net about them except a 6Moons review. what I'd like (as new to valves) is some ides re. pre-amp. Will feed in a good quality digital source.

Hi I used to work for the Dared UK distributer.....they are not anymore I should add, nor am I involved either. They (Dared)are okay. Build quality is reasonable but not exceptional and sound quality is quite good too. However Dared are not interested in warranties or the like; we had to offer all of that of our own bat without any support from China (not that we had any issues with reliability then. I have been out of things for a year now as I was made redundant when he got into financial trouble/he still trades though. I can't comment on longer term reliability as a year has now gone by, and I haven't been in contact since loosing my job; the whole thing hurts way to much).

Dared sold the Eruopean distributors out by allowing a second similar range under the Fatman name to start up which frankly killed it for us. Fatman was so similar it was a waste of time to do Dared. Why would you undervalue your own brand that way :doh:.

Anyway these are very low power items that while they can be used straight via the volume control they actual sound better with a pre-amplifier in the signal chain. It will depend on your speakers as to if they are suitable or not.

How much are they being offered to at and from where ? If you don't mind me asking.

Of the then Dared range (2/3 years ago), the MP5, VP300b and VP845 were the stars of the range, very good indeed but the psu and output transformers were too small in the other items IMHO/E. However in saying that they were cheap compared to other items on the market then thus the value for money was good.

Hope this helps.


Regards D S D L

[MacTube]

Hi Neil - thanks for the information. Sorry you had a bad experience with the company - sounds like bad faith to me. Interesting that they morphed into Fatman. I have heard a couple of these - not too impressed (especially build quality). The top end Fatman is on display in Selfridges in London (had a play while my daughter shopped). My connection with the amps is a friend of a friend and cost around £600 thou they are some sort of 'special' version which tends to have all to do with marketing.... Don't think they for me from what you have noted and I've picked up from the web.
Coincidentally there are a number of decent amp around (on my web explorations) a couple of Leben CS300 and a sx version as well as the 'new' Quad II-classic monoblocks and a A30 amp - which seems well liked....all around the same asking price (well ok the Leden sx is a 'bit' over)......oh and lots of Naim gear but I'm not going there!
Best
Mike

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Neil - thanks for the information. Sorry you had a bad experience with the company - sounds like bad faith to me. Interesting that they morphed into Fatman. I have heard a couple of these - not too impressed (especially build quality). The top end Fatman is on display in Selfridges in London (had a play while my daughter shopped). My connection with the amps is a friend of a friend and cost around £600 thou they are some sort of 'special' version which tends to have all to do with marketing.... Don't think they for me from what you have noted and I've picked up from the web.
Coincidentally there are a number of decent amp around (on my web explorations) a couple of Leben CS300 and a sx version as well as the 'new' Quad II-classic monoblocks and a A30 amp - which seems well liked....all around the same asking price (well ok the Leden sx is a 'bit' over)......oh and lots of Naim gear but I'm not going there!
Best
Mike

Fatman build is about the same as Dared, after all they are one and the same. I am surprised/shocked they are in Harrods not good enough to be there. However Henley designs are very good at getting the products they distribute into the most unlikely places.

The amps you list are very good, though I would put Leben ahead off Quad. The A30 Pure Sound is very good. What speakers do you use?

[Ali Tait]

Don't know your power requirements,but a Chinese amp I would recommend is the Mr Liang 845.Great sounding amp and built like a battleship-40 kg in fact.Had mine a couple of years and it never put a foot wrong.

[MacTube]

Speakers - good question. You catch me on a upgrade (or replace that which was good in the day QED240) so speakers will follow amp but some B&Ws somewhat big non-floorstanders - can't remember what model. So you can see how keen I am for some great sound! Hear you re.Quad (had a formative experience with a vicar's daughter while listening for his 303 system...) Yes wondered about China but tricky re. voltage etc and anyway some like Pure sound are built over there but rendered Uk friendly.

[Ali Tait]

The latest Liang amps are fine for UK voltage.I had mine in pieces several times for mods,and i can attest to the excellent build quality,and also that the mains transformers are specced for UK use.

[MacTube]

Thanks - will check out Liang....as never heard of it!

[Ali Tait]

Worth it I think.I've heard a few Chinese amps and the Liang was head and shoulders above the rest.Even Marco liked it! :)