any good?

[steve dixon]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400091986274&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_949

seen this on ebay don't know a lot about it but quite like the styling and mark levinson has a good rep, yes i know that mark levinson doesn't have anything to do with it anymore since he sold everything.

anyone have any thoughts about it, e.g. build quality, sound, price??
cheers
steve

[Themis]

This amp was sold also as part of a system (with the LS1 speakers). The system's initial price was under 2000$ (see http://www.redrosemusic.com/spirit.shtml).
You have a review here : http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/February%202003/107/801618/Red+Rose+Music+Spirit+system#header-logo

[Spectral Morn]

To high a starting bid price and no actual photo of the item.....walk on buy imho.


Regards D S D L

[DSJR]

There's a pic now. Don't tell me, it's another "all fur coat and no knickers" product..;)

[Themis]

Yeah, but still, it is not the actual amp's photo... ;)

[REM]

Didn't this amp finally do for ML when cheapo Chinese knockoffs started circulating? Extreme caution advised, methinks.

[Ali Tait]

I believe this amp is Chinese built,with ML just sticking their moniker on it.When challenged on this,they claimed to have liberally sprinkled it with fairy dust.I'm sure you could get this amp for a fraction of the price if you look around.There will probably be lots of threads on Audio Asylum or DIYAudio about this.Not sure if it's still made though.

EDIT-I seem to remember the amp got some positive reviews,but if you are looking at going down this route,it might be worth looking at this-

http://www.chinese-hifi.co.uk/Jungson.htm


If you look down the page,you can see the Jungson JA1/JA99 and the JA88D.These are the same amp,with one obviously being a pre/power.These have had some great reviews,and I was going to get one myself before the A370 came up.See here for a Hi-Fi World review-

http://www.china-highend-hifi.com/Reviews/Jungson%20JA-88D/jungson.pdf

[The Grand Wazoo]

The way I understood it (& I may be waaaaaay wrong – happy to be corrected) is this:

Red Rose found a cheap amp that was selling on the Chinese market & contracted the Chinese manufacturer to build the thing with substantial modifications. They did some marketing, got good reviews for it as part of the system with the speakers & cables.

Then the Chinese company decided to cash in & started selling their original version (with low quality &/or unsuitable components) a little more aggressively & internationally. Potential buyers were led to believe it was the real thing, but direct from the factory & therefore cheaper. Some folks bought them & were disappointed at the performance, but still believing they were the real thing rather than mutton dressed as lamb, the word got around that the Red Rose version was crap.

I've never heard it, but I don't believe that Mark Levinson - the person - would be involved with a product so badly flawed as this has been described elsewhere. .......or get involved in a scam to sell a ropey old Chinese amp with no change other than to put his name on it.

[Ali Tait]

Perhaps so,I've heard the story both ways.Just because something is made in China though,does not automatically mean it has to be inferior,with inferior components.The Mr Liang 845 I had was built like a battleship!

[trane]

now i can't of course recall the website where the whole stuff was made clear and public (~5) years ago but it was really ML who badged the same chinese amps as being RR - there was a scandal in the USA about that as well. here in Hungary we have a dealer who buys pretty great amounts from chinese hi-fi makes jungson majorly included and then distributes them all over europe - and he also confirmed the case as having happened so...

[Dave Hewitt]

Hi all
The Korsun amp v6i that I had was supposedly the same as Red rose but at atenth of the cost.
Dave.

[DSJR]

I believe Jadis got into severe trouble for re-boxing a good but relatively cheap DVD player and upping the price by several factors a year or two ago..

Speaking of US top end, I hear there's been some "headaches" at Krell, who allowed a 40% venture capital stake in the company last April time which has gone a bit sour I believe...

[hifi_dave]

We had the Red Rose system on demonstration for a while to gauge the public reaction. If we had sold any, we would have taken it on as a product.

Unfortunately, good though it was, the prices were totally outrageous for an OK Chinese range and we didn't manage to sell a single unit.

As has been mentioned, the products were relatively inexpensive Chinese products with the Mark Levinson name attached. They were sold to the well heeled through a boutique shop in Manhatten (IIRC) and were bought by those with huge amounts of disposable on their way to a champagne lunch. The concept didn't manage to travel the Atlantic. As has happened on a couple of occasions, Mark Levinson didn't stay around too long and the company pretty soon faded away.

[Ali Tait]

Interesting Dave.So were the ML amps identical to the OEM version?

[The Grand Wazoo]

Just because something is made in China though,does not automatically mean it has to be inferior,with inferior components.

No sorry Ali,
That's not what I meant to infer or imply - I'd just heard that this particular one was ropey, just as you can get ropey products from any country of origin.

[Ali Tait]

Yes indeed.There's a lot of ropy Chinese stuff too! Some of it is very good though.

[Marc B]

I've just sold a Dussun V8i (my 2nd one) which is the same as the Redrose Affirmation.

There used to be pictures online showing the insides of the Affirmation and it was identical to the V8i but they seem to have been pulled from the net.

Check the insides of the Dussun amps , they don't use bad parts. Kimber/VDH cables throughout etc.

Nice amps , though probably not the last word in delicacy and detail.

[Kris]

I believe Jadis got into severe trouble for re-boxing a good but relatively cheap DVD player and upping the price by several factors a year or two ago..

Goldmund and Theta do the same. Bog standard cheepo Pioneer DVD player in a new bling chassis. (although at least Goldmund add a toridal transformer).

[steve dixon]

well, well, well it's been sold for one bid at the opening price, no i didn't buy it, after all i've read here it seems there really is one born every second.
thanks anyway
steve