Valve Amp

[Garay]

Hi Guys, can you help out ?
I love this "YAQIN MC-100B KT88 x 4 Vacuum Tube Hi-end Tube Integrated Amplifier SV PUS" (e-by) 261018870709

From Hong Kong, anyone any input on (1) the amp (2) buying from Hong Kong, it's all Chinese to me :(
I have a record deck, but it says at the back of amp Tape, DVD, CD, Tuner. no phono, can I still hook up my turntable to this ?

Would still love to build one myself though!

Thanx
Gary :)

[Reffc]

Hi Guys, can you help out ?
I love this "YAQIN MC-100B KT88 x 4 Vacuum Tube Hi-end Tube Integrated Amplifier SV PUS" (e-by) 261018870709

From Hong Kong, anyone any input on (1) the amp (2) buying from Hong Kong, it's all Chinese to me :(
I have a record deck, but it says at the back of amp Tape, DVD, CD, Tuner. no phono, can I still hook up my turntable to this ?

Would still love to build one myself though!

Thanx
Gary :)

A few observations Gary: Firstly it has no phono stage so no, you cannot plug and play a TT. You'll need a separate phono stage and you plug the output leads of the phono stage into one of the inputs (DVD, Tape or Tuner would do).

The MC-100B is quite a respectable sounding amp for the money but better to buy from a UK importer for peace of mind on warranty plus you need to be sure you're getting a 240V or 230V UK power supply and not a 220V as the latter will saturate at UK mains voltages. The preamp stage is no great shakes on that amp but the power output section is reasonably well designed by all accounts. You can use a separate (passive would do nicely) preamp stage though and use the Yaqin as a power amp only.

You'll also pay UK import duty plus VAT so closer to £600 by the time UK duty/import and shipping costs are considered.

Personally I would never import direct from China as you never know quite what you're getting unless from an authorised Yaquin distributor or direct from the factory, plus the UK voltage issue is important. The seller seems to have reasonable feedback and can supply UK spec version at 240V by the looks of it,so you pays your money and takes your chance. The biggest risk is if it goes wrong within the warranty period, you'll probably end up paying the shipping costs to get it returned.

They come up used quite a bit for reasonable money (half the cost) and are a worthwhile buy at that.

[Garay]

Thanx Reffc, your advice is taken on board, and appreciate your time thanx
I think I will pass on this one, stunning though it may look...

[anthonyTD]

Paul is absolutely spot on here,
Most of the units that are advertised on the nations favorite Auction site are for 220v use, and on testing them, i have found them to only need around 207v for all the voltages to be correct on the secondary of their mains transformers on load etc.In the UK, our voltage can vary from around 238v to well over 250v in some areas, so,anything designed for 220v is going to be over run on even the minimum voltage we see here in the UK.
My advice would be the same as Paul's, if you still want to buy one, try and get one through a UK distributor, only then can you expect to get one that has been designed to work on our mains voltages.:)
A few observations Gary: Firstly it has no phono stage so no, you cannot plug and play a TT. You'll need a separate phono stage and you plug the output leads of the phono stage into one of the inputs (DVD, Tape or Tuner would do).

The MC-100B is quite a respectable sounding amp for the money but better to buy from a UK importer for peace of mind on warranty plus you need to be sure you're getting a 240V or 230V UK power supply and not a 220V as the latter will saturate at UK mains voltages. The preamp stage is no great shakes on that amp but the power output section is reasonably well designed by all accounts. You can use a separate (passive would do nicely) preamp stage though and use the Yaqin as a power amp only.

You'll also pay UK import duty plus VAT so closer to £600 by the time UK duty/import and shipping costs are considered.

Personally I would never import direct from China as you never know quite what you're getting unless from an authorised Yaquin distributor or direct from the factory, plus the UK voltage issue is important. The seller seems to have reasonable feedback and can supply UK spec version at 240V by the looks of it,so you pays your money and takes your chance. The biggest risk is if it goes wrong within the warranty period, you'll probably end up paying the shipping costs to get it returned.

They come up used quite a bit for reasonable money (half the cost) and are a worthwhile buy at that.

[Garay]

Thanx for the input, I would never have thought about voltage, last thing on my mind, but it makes total sense, so guys thanx a bundle,
now while I have your attention, have you any views on Valve Amp Kits (DIY) was looking at Edison, but for £600+ the amp isn't stunning, in fact not even close, to placate my wife and get my own way it has to look attractive. I have a good friend who is an Electrical Engineer, so safety net is in place.
Again thanx allot, appreciated.
Gary

[anthonyTD]

Hi Gary,
Not up to scratch on the kits available these days, however, some of the world audio kits were quite good for the money, and had plenty of room for upgrading etc, not sure if they are still available though.Another route is the vintage one, but most are not' as you put it wife or aesthetically pleasing ;) as most were not really designed to be on show.Vintage Amps such as Mcintosh however were, and still are good amps, and were designed to be seen, but cost a packet,then you have the Stereo 20 type amps that are very good sonically, but not the prettiest!My advice would be to take your time, have a look at what's available, try and get to listen to as much as you can within your budget...
Hope this helps.
Anthony,TD...

Thanx for the input, I would never have thought about voltage, last thing on my mind, but it makes total sense, so guys thanx a bundle,
now while I have your attention, have you any views on Valve Amp Kits (DIY) was looking at Edison, but for £600+ the amp isn't stunning, in fact not even close, to placate my wife and get my own way it has to look attractive. I have a good friend who is an Electrical Engineer, so safety net is in place.
Again thanx allot, appreciated.
Gary

[Garay]

Hi Guys, had a look around regarding voltage 60hz v Uk 50hz and what this means to sound equipment (http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul03/articles/mainsproblems.asp)
I must ask, is there any way round this?. For me, it's a beautiful amp, e-bay seller, Colnbrook UK, still the problem with (1) Turn Table, unsure what I need to connect this to the amp, (2) Voltage
You will have gathered by now I am relying allot on you guys to steer me right, is there a plug to rectify voltage problem ? and where can I buy a >"separate phono stage and you plug the output leads of the phono stage into one of the inputs (DVD, Tape or Tuner would do"<
Or in deed a new transformer, is that possible ?
DIY building amp, I have yet to see an amp that's stunning in looks being sold in the UK for the price of the YAQIN £639.00. and 2nd hand, there way above my budget,
I apologise for my ignorance in these matters, I simply want to listen to some nice sounds without the need to learn Electronics, and I am finding it surprisingly difficult without electronic know how.
Again many thanx,
Kind Regards
Gary

dug up.. Power AC Adapter 90 Watt for ACER TravelMate 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 280 series 19V 4.74A
Compatible with:

For Acer
TravelMate 200 210 220 230 240 250 260 280
Technical Data
Voltage:19V
Capacity:4.74A
Plug size:5.5*1.7mm
Output in Watts:90 Watts
Input Voltage:AC 100-240v, 50-60Hz, 1.5A

Condition:NEW

Included:include suitable plug (options: EU, US or UK)

Plug Type:clip adapter just a thought :rolleyes:

[hifi_dave]

I think you need to consider a sensible amp and not just go for interesting looks. The important things are sound, reliability, practicality, back up and safety.

[Reffc]

Dave is right. Searching out a sensible UK spec amp on performance is important but you can still search one out with the looks you want if that matters as much as the performance to you (it does with some people). There's no sensible or economic way around the voltage issue unless you buy a 240 spec model. Phono stages are easy to sort. A good cheap new or used phono stage can be bought for under £100. Plug your TT into the phono stage inputs and plug the phonostage output leads into one of the amplifier inputs (doesn't matter which one). Don't even consider building a valve amp kit unless you're competent and klnowledgeable enough to understand the safety risks involved. Valve amps need testing, biasing etc, and they contain lethal voltages. As Anthony has suggested, KT88 WAD self build amps are good and you can find already built and tested ones that come up occasionally for sale and these (and the 300B push-pull WAD amps) are very good indeed as a first foray into valve amps plus hold value reasonably well as they sell by reputation.

However, none of this is relevant at all unless your speakers are capable of being driven properly by a valve amp such as the ones suggested. It would help to understand what you're using for speakers before anything other than general advice can be given. We can only provide advice; the consequences on your system (and wallet!) are down to the choices you make so you need to think through a little more what matters to you most...looks or sound quality?

[Garay]

Thanx Dave and Reffc, for getting back so promptly I appreciate that.
The looks are very important, your eyes taste the food before your tongue, so I am hoping to get and amp that's good looking and good sound, what I have seen so far in my limited but persistent searchings, are apparently fab sounding amps, but not much to look at, now I know to Audiophile folk this isn't the way to go, and perhaps I'm coming across as a bit of a twat, but like you I know what I want, as for DIY haven't built anything like an amp, but I have worked with electrics a great deal in my job, competent with a iron and some solder, re: the Speakers at the moment I have old Tannoy 633 and Tannoy V1, 633's are bi-wire nice sound, had these from new,

This is the spec from e-bay YAQIN MC-100B KT88 x4 190939471488
SPECIFICATIONS:

Output power:
30W×2 (8Ω) Triode (TR) connection
60W×2 (8Ω) Ultralinear (UL) connection
Distortion:
≤1.5%
Signal noise ratio (SNR):
≥90dB (A)
Frequency Response::
5Hz~80KHz (-2dB)
Input sensitivity :
INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER mode: 0.25V
pure Power AMPLIFIER mode: 0.6V
Vacuum tubes:
KT88×4 6SN7×4 12AX7×2 (You can also DIY it with 6550EH×4 6N8P×4 6N4×2)
Input Power Voltage:
AC110V(±10%)/220V(±10%) 60Hz/50Hz (230V & 240V version will take 3-7 work days to order)
Dimensions:
390mm x 490mm x 190mm

Weight:
30kg

Packing Include:
Set Tubes, operating instructions and Standard 1.5m Power Cord
If I can ask of you a little more re: AC110V(±10%)/220V(±10%) 60Hz/50Hz (230V & 240V version) problem solve or ?
A warm thanx for your help, I certainly do appreciate your advice
Regards
Gary

[Haselsh1]

OK, for what it’s worth, I have had experience with Chinese valve amplifiers and it was certainly not good.

In 2006 I invested around £450 in a Yarland Pro 200 SE 300B single ended amplifier of about eight Watts per channel. I had no issues with the low power output as my loudspeakers at that time were rated at around 93db/W/m so that amplifier was well capable.

The amplifier lasted around three years before bright blue flashes started appearing in the two power tubes when switching on. I took the amplifier to an electronics expert who tested everything over and informed me that all of the internal voltages were all over the place and some were dangerously high for the valve in question. I ended up selling this beautiful sounding amplifier for sixty quid as a casework for a project. Had I known what I know now, I would have bought a variac and run it through one of those.

Buy cheap, buy twice.

Be warned, all is not what it appears.

[Haselsh1]

I would like to add though that the Yarland's sound was exquisite on female vocals and acoustic guitar. I so wish I still had one running through a variac as I am now heavily into Agnes Obel and she would sound orgasmic through a 300B single ended amplifier. Alas, not with my current loudspeakers.

[Reffc]

Thanx Dave and Reffc, for getting back so promptly I appreciate that.
The looks are very important, your eyes taste the food before your tongue, so I am hoping to get and amp that's good looking and good sound, what I have seen so far in my limited but persistent searchings, are apparently fab sounding amps, but not much to look at, now I know to Audiophile folk this isn't the way to go, and perhaps I'm coming across as a bit of a twat, but like you I know what I want, as for DIY haven't built anything like an amp, but I have worked with electrics a great deal in my job, competent with a iron and some solder, re: the Speakers at the moment I have old Tannoy 633 and Tannoy V1, 633's are bi-wire nice sound, had these from new,

This is the spec from e-bay YAQIN MC-100B KT88 x4 190939471488
SPECIFICATIONS:

Output power:
30W×2 (8Ω) Triode (TR) connection
60W×2 (8Ω) Ultralinear (UL) connection
Distortion:
≤1.5%
Signal noise ratio (SNR):
≥90dB (A)
Frequency Response::
5Hz~80KHz (-2dB)
Input sensitivity :
INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER mode: 0.25V
pure Power AMPLIFIER mode: 0.6V
Vacuum tubes:
KT88×4 6SN7×4 12AX7×2 (You can also DIY it with 6550EH×4 6N8P×4 6N4×2)
Input Power Voltage:
AC110V(±10%)/220V(±10%) 60Hz/50Hz (230V & 240V version will take 3-7 work days to order)
Dimensions:
390mm x 490mm x 190mm

Weight:
30kg

Packing Include:
Set Tubes, operating instructions and Standard 1.5m Power Cord
If I can ask of you a little more re: AC110V(±10%)/220V(±10%) 60Hz/50Hz (230V & 240V version) problem solve or ?
A warm thanx for your help, I certainly do appreciate your advice
Regards
Gary


240V version.

[Ali Tait]

Just make sure it is actually 240v and not just a sticker put on.

[jasonC]

i bought a YAQIN amp from the very seller you are thinking of buying from.
the seller sent me tracking number when the amp was posted along with pictures showing me the amp boxed and showing me the address label
i asked for 230v and was sent that 230 v but the amp had 220v on the back, the seller told me this was because YAQIN did not make 230v plates
if that is true i do not know so it may have been 220v o9r may not.
one of the valves arrived broken but the seller once i told them and sent them a picture of it smashed(they asked for picture) they sent me within a week a replacment
i was not blown away by the sound of the amp so sold it on.
it was huge though, to big for my hifi rack

their is a uk company who sells valve amps based on kt88 valves for around £325 i believe with £25 delivery
http://www.hifiandaudio.com/se_amplist.htm

and this one is alittle more at £425 but in stock as of now
http://www.hifiandaudio.com/e34i.htm