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Thread: Chinese Clones - Good value for money or rip off?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default Chinese Clones - Good value for money or rip off?

    Have you been looking around ebay recently? Douk audio seem to producing clones for many famous high-end and classic marques. I've found Sansui, Naim, EAR, and now Accuphase. Should we be taking these guys seriously and think about trying some of these clones. Just think you could save a lot of money. I've been messing around with EAR 834 clones for 6 months and have to admit to being a bit smitten. So, what do you guys think?
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  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: cheltenham

    Posts: 746
    I'm matt.

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    I think component choice is just as important as the circuit but I'd imagine it's less important with a good circuit. The old Naim amplifier circuit is quite noisy but all the tants used for coupling help hide the rough edges. You've only got to try replacing them with polypropylene caps to hear those rough edges shine through.

  3. #3
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

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    Have you got a link to one of these clones of old marques, Andrew? Sounds interesting.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,779
    I'm Martin.

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    Found the Douk Audio eBay site. Madre mia they have a lot of interesting stuff on there. Lots of cute valve amps and a cute passive pre, Not sure about compatibility with UK mains though.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=douk+audio&rt=nc
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    The 'Little Bear' products are worth doing a search for.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Apr 2016

    Location: Gravesend and France

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    I'm paul.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Found the Douk Audio eBay site. Madre mia they have a lot of interesting stuff on there. Lots of cute valve amps and a cute passive pre, Not sure about compatibility with UK mains though.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=douk+audio&rt=nc
    I've had several bits of Chinese kit with 220v mains transformers and have no horror stories to tell. Still use a Chinese dac and had for ten years. Have a Chinese valve amp that John Howes modified to run in triode mode and he said he couldn't buy the components for what I paid for the built amp.
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  7. #7
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

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    I'm Martin.

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    Quote Originally Posted by paulf-2007 View Post
    I've had several bits of Chinese kit with 220v mains transformers and have no horror stories to tell. Still use a Chinese dac and had for ten years. Have a Chinese valve amp that John Howes modified to run in triode mode and he said he couldn't buy the components for what I paid for the built amp.
    It is something that is worth being careful about though, One minute the amp is on fire, then the carpet. Then you realise you should have bought that CO2 extinguisher when you considered but rejected the idea some months previously. Then you call the Fire Brigade, and big, capable men come round and sort out what you should really have not let happen in the first place.

    If you have a wife and or daughters present even worse; your male role model status takes a bashing. Regardless, they will still be patronising to you in a friendly, blokey way. Then you find that after paying the excess, the payout from the insurance company, if you get one at all, is way less than you have paid in premiums.

    In short, worth making very sure it is all UK spec,
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

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    I'm Geoff.

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    Nah. Sprinkler system and you're sorted.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

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    I'm Grant.

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    If you have a mains regenerator it puts out 230 v so wouldn't be much of a stretch for a 220 system. Only 5%
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  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

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    I'm Neil.

    Default Chinese Clones - Good value for money or rip off?

    I wouldn’t risk it myself. Could have fake caps, and a component is the sum of its parts including layout / grounding, so it wouldn’t sound the same...
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

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