[stockstinks]

I need help trying to choose a good but cheap integrated tube amp.

My friend owns a Jolida and I think is sounds really good.

I have found 2 brands on Ebay... JOLIDA VS YAQIN

Cay you guys help me choose between the two?

I am sure that some of you could help me. I really can use any info that you will share with me.

Thanks.

[max190]

Welcome stockstinks

Music only 2ch ?
Budget ?
Used or new ?
What spkrs do you own ?
How large is your room ?
How loud do you like to listen ?

[trianglezerius]

Jolida is American owned there for making warranty work much easier....

[stockstinks]

Hi Max,
I need it for 2 channel stereo sound in a bedroom with either my Energy rc10 bookshelf's or maybe my Merlin signature series 2's

[stockstinks]

Also, I was thinking that I would like to have a newer amp. Not vintage.

And I do like to crank it once in a while but I could leave those times to my main system.

[bacobits1]

Check out Vista Audio.

http://www.vista-audio.com/
I have the i34 and depending on speakers, room, and budget of course, Boris makes a nice amp.
Great backup service.

D

[Bob in St. Louis]

I love my 40wpc Jolida 202-A.   aa
I didn't know they where American owned, that's cool.

Bob

[Zero]

I'm going to be the antagonist here and say: neither.

*crawls back into my hole*

[bunnyma357]

I have a Yaqin MC-10L and I really like it, but there is a lot of risk with getting something with a warranty that is questionable. I have had no problems at all, but it is a gamble.

A lot depends on what your budget is and how comfortable you are with assuming some risk for a better price. I think the Jolida's also have some optional features that might be valuable to you like Remote Control on more models and maybe sub outputs.

For me it came down to price and I probably wouldn't have gotten any tube amp if I didn't go with the Yaqin, since I was looking for something under $500 delivered with decent power. There are lots of used options, but at the time tubes were a little too foreign to me to go with a used amp, if I were buying today with what I know now, I'd be looking at used amps probably here or on Audiogon.

Jim C

[Minn Mark]

I'd look at Audio by Van Alstine before looking at used equipment.

www.avahifi.com

Its definitely worth your time to take a look, more so to call; you'll talk to Frank directly.
AVA is also wholely American owned, operated and assembled. 30 day trial period and multi-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Can't find that from used equipment.

Regards, and Happy listening

M

[NachoTune]

Well I just got an used Almarro A205A tube amp (review: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/almarro4/mk2.html).  I use a Cambridge Audio MagicDAC running iTunes as the source via USB.  It all feeds Rega Jura speakers as our bedroom setup.  I really like this amp - detailed, lively, 4.8 watts but plenty of power to drive the Juras.  I also have Naim separates with Rega R5 speakers in one room and McCormack separates running Magnaplanars in another.  Each has its own sound which I like.  The Almarro setup is much cheaper  than the others (which was the goal) and is great for the smaller room. If you want a tube amp, you might want to listen to them first unless you choose an integrated that has universally good reviews, like the Almarro since Jolida and Yaquin are reportedly darker sounding tube amps.  If you know what that means and you like it, then great. 

If you are looking at a tube amp, also consider an Opera Consonance Cyber (some models have headphone jacks!), the Glow One, and the Almarro.  I have heard that Yaquin can have reliability issues.  See Grant Fidelity's comments since they source their amps from Yaquin.  Also, many people like Dared amps sold under the name of Fatman since they combine tubes with an analogue iPod dock.  The amp is also a low power amp that may also require sensitive speakers.

Exciting!  Good luck!

[Bob in St. Louis]

Well I just got an used Almarro A205A tube amp

I had the use of this amp for several months (depending on who you bought it from, it may have been this amp).
I liked it very much, had no complaints whatsoever. For my use it didn't have enough 'umph' for HT use. But otherwise it was a beautiful sounding amp.

Bob

[saisunil]

In today's market - why buy new when you can get used tube amps at great price ...
I have a modified Jolida amp that I want to sell but I will lose some money in this market, so it is just sitting on a shelf.

So I'd say check the Sale post here and on audiogon, you'll have a lot of choices.

The advantages of buying from people on Audiocircle is that you are generally buying directly from product owner or manufacturer and not from re-seller, so the communication will be good.

I have not heard YAQIN amps but if you are willing to buy used in today's market - buying direct from China does not save you much. If you want to buy new tube amp - you may be able to get a good discount - given all the inventory piled up...

Good Luck

PS: remember to keep some budget for decent tube - most stock Chinese tubes are not very good sounding