I love this guy; his passion, his authenticity, his knowledge and his ability to talk to ‘all of us’. And let’s not forget the shirts! One question I have is this: how does his neighbours deal with the sound? I’d love to know the answer.
Previously he's commented that he typically listens at moderate levels. The rest, ... I'm guessing; -Quasi nearfield or midfield listening (lower levels) -Robust, fire rated masonry walls between units, perhaps air gapped (ideal) -Guttenberg's a straight up gangster
You sold me. Well, you and cheapaudioman and zero fidelity. I've had it for a couple of weeks now, I paired it with a pair of Klipsch RB 61 II speakers, and feed it with an IFI Zen DAC 2 connected to my computer. I have the speakers on 26" stands, positioned for near-field listening at my computer desk, and I couldn't be happier. Anybody who is tube-curious and has some efficient speakers should definitely look at this amp.
Love these solid budget finds that you recommend. Funny to stop for a minute and realize that this is the 3rd item I've purchased based on your reviews. Thanks for being such a valuable resource!
Agreed. I subscribe to absolute sound & stereophile to get back into Hi-Fi and man the equipment prices cost more than most cars. But do you have the A10? If so how do you like it? As this would be my 1st Tube amp. Thanks
Steve. I’m glad you are reviewing this hefty little guy. By the way, it is 12W x 2 I got the Boyuu after Sean review. It is driving my Klipsch RP-600M and the experience has been eye-opening (first tube amp in my life). I also have been tube rolling and it has been a lot of fun. I have experimented with JJ KT77, Tung-sol El34b, Mullard El34 and Tung-sol 7581A So far Mullards have given me the perfect sweep spot between solid state and tube, including bass tightness and control, but I keep coming back to the included Chinese Shuguang El34 for tear-jerking vocals. The Tung-sol 7581A (technically 6L6) are also amazing specially with my vinyl rig. I have to disagree about the transparency thing. In my experience the transparency of this amplifier, especially in the midrange is amazing. You can really hear every word and every nuance at that level. Low and top end transparency? well, that will depend on the tube itself, but it is achievable, especially with tung-sols.
Thanks Mr.Engel for sharing your experience, very interesting! I'm too about to purchase this amplifier, just wanted to ask you about the output power, seems hard to know exactly..did you actually measure 12 watts? Many other claim is 6 wpc, based on Sean's statement, but don't know if someone's really measured it..thanks for your help!
@@lucapeterle8728 Hello. probably, the power should be 6 watts. But these are only numbers !! My Elekit TU-8200 is 8 watts and what it does is amazing. You have to try it at home, it is an experience where the figures are not so important. Best regards from France.
@@douxreveur131 Thank you so much for your advice!! (And sorry for the late reply by the way!) Best wishes and have a lot of good times listening to music! "Merci" from Italy!!
I've had this amp for about 3 weeks now. It's an excellent pairing with my Zu Omen DW's or Klipsch RP-160 (predecessor of 600m). I was using a Yamaha A-S1000 prior. The Reisong has fuller, fatter bass but is also just as detailed as the Yamaha while still being smoother overall. Impressive budget amp!
Bought one tonight and because you guys have brainwashed me, I’ve already bought a set of replacement tubes! This is going to take pride of place in my study system between my Sansui SR222 MkII, Goldring G1042, ifi Zen Phono and Monitor Audio Bronze 2 speakers. I wouldn’t mind but I wasn’t even supposed to be collecting records again, but, oh well!
I've had my eye on this. With your blessing I took the plunge. Fingers crossed. $359 shipped through Amazon. This will be my first tube amp that I don't plug a guitar into!
Yes, please let us know what you think about it. After you've had plenty of time with it preferably. I have an amp similar to this myself, but it's hand built, and uses 6L6 tubes. SET, or SEP (switchable), and about 5 watts in SEP mode. Which your amp is, most likely. It's a lot of fun, especially with a pair of vintage full range drivers. But it's not an everyday amp for me. I like to have the ability to crank up my main rig at will, and really pound out the rock. But for just throwing on some James Taylor say, and relaxing. It's spooky good with my Coral Holey Baskets, and will make you think Etta James is in the room with my Zenith 49CZ852's (so dynamic!). Very fun, and they're very upgradable too, if you ever want too. Good luck. ✌️
@@marcraley9624 Assuming you mean the RP-600M. I would definitely go Tekton if it were me. I'm pretty sure the Klipsch were measured at 89.5db sensitivity by John Atkinson in Stereophile. And while I'm suspicious of the ratings of the Tekton too. Simple physics will tell you that an 8 inch driver in a much bigger box, is likely to put out more bass, and (knowing these two companies designs) they should get louder too. I think they're closer to 94db or so (because of the specs on the tweeter), but I don't doubt the low frequency extension, at least in room. The Klipsch should most definitely need a sub to dig below 50hz with any authority at all, at least in most rooms. The Tekton should put out usable bass into the low 30's, unless the room is huge. That's a big difference. Plus it should be at least 3-4db louder at 1 meter (twice the SPL is 6db's). And this is where Tekton wins again. You can get Eric himself on the phone, and he'll guide you to the right speaker in his lineup. If the Mini Lore isn't the right one for you. Plus you don't have to buy stands for the Tektons, which may actually take up about the same amount of floor space too. At $575 shipped (should be no tax, unless you're in his state, which is Utah I think), compared to the Klipsch. On sale at $503 right now, but that's plus tax. They would cost me about me about $538 (RI 7% sales tax) delivered. Plus stands, and you really need a good foundation for them obviously. Now in my experience. The bass, and the sensitivity are two things you'll you'll notice missing quite easily. Anyone will IMO. All that being said. The room, again, and your taste matter. Also as far as imaging is concerned. I would expect the Klipsch to wipe the floor with the Tekton's. The reviews I've read of the Lore series indicate a diffuse soundstage, where as the Klipsch have no such issues. They also should have better detail. Me personally. Tekton, no question, even in a small (not tiny) room. But I'm not going to own them. You are. Good luck making your choice. Again, please let us know. ✌️
Steve, thanks for your review! Based on it I ordered one from Amazon on 02/01/21 and received it today, weeks before the estimated delivery date. I too am impressed with its build quality and sound, and I am very glad I made the purchase. The amp will sit in a cabinet underneath my 1938 Sears Silvertone radio with a tuning eye. I also purchased a vintage Fisher FM-2121 tuner for that vintage look. This setup is my secondary system in my living room, and is some serious eye candy. Simply magical!
Excellent! I have been wanting something just like this. I learned about stereo in my dad's Fisher 400 tube receiver back in the 60's. Thank you for showing us this amp Steve!
I was on the fence about this amp. When you mentioned it in one of your previous vids, I took the plunge, because you said you don’t review stuff you don’t like! Amazon, 7 left, prime, free shipping. Got it in two days. I beat the run on them. Playing on my Klipsch RB-61 2s not loud , but warm. Will try on my 1977 issue Heresy’s and 1979 issue LaScala’s. Thanks Bud!
Thanks Steve. Another great recommendation! I received mine 5 days ago so these are early observations. Used with Klipsch RP-600M. Source Sony Bravia TV 3.5 mm audio/headphone out. I have learned to use my ears instead of relying on specs. I will return things if I don't hear a significant difference. This is my first tube amp but wow! I don't know how people go back to solid state after tubes. I describe it as a more lifelike sound, open, airy, three-dimensional. Bass not as tight as SS but still satisfying if not oddly more satisfying. Treble not perfectly smooth. I toed the speakers out a few degrees from directly at me and it solved it. Shaun comments on this in his review as well. Keep in mind not fully burned-in for the 30 to100 hours as recommended. I was worried before purchasing because I consider myself a loud listener. However, I have yet to max out the volume with music or tv. Yes sounds great for movies as well. I'm at about 50% volume most of the time. Speakers are 8.5 feet apart, 11 feet away from the listening position and 2-3 feet away from the wall. I now find lower volumes are satisfying as well. Something I never expected. While there are more expensive amps out there I think you are most of the way there with this one. Thoroughly surprised and satisfied!
Great comment, point, stuff the regular guy, & gal has the ability to purchase... Don't get me wrong. I like. To listen to all of it. But this is refreshing to see. Someone so excited
I looooooove my Musical Paradise 6 watt tube amp! Tubes usually create a better soundstage and , for me, also bring the music alive in a way that I really appreciate!
Thanks Steve, have been a tube guy for 45 years. I have learned tons about China amps. Pass is totally right . Try the Musishare X7. I have Casta C Speaker
Got one of these. Strapped it into triode. Changed the input caps to paper/oil. Extremely well made, point to point wiring. Changed all the tubes to Soviet. Great, love it....
I totally agree Steve. A couple of months ago I bought the single ended SoundArtist SA34A, the same amp as the Reissong Boyuu A10, except the SA uses the more commonly available 12AX7 driver tubes instead of the 6N2J. Yes, the quality of this little amp is astonishing for the price! How can such quality point to point wiring be achieved at this price-point? Just amazing. I'm using it as a second system in a living-room driving some vintage Klipsch Heresy 1.5s with just a turntable input. I also have a pair of Ascension 250W 10" active subwoofers wired in parallel with the Hereseys to handle the frequencies below 50Hz. This little thing has oodles of power in reserve driving these 96dB efficient speakers. While the stock tubes have this thing sounding pretty amazing, there is a lot of benefit to be had from rolling the tubes, and the best part is that with such a low price for the amp, you have money left over for some really nice tubes! I currently have Tungsol EL34Bs and JJ 12AX7s, and the difference is amazing. Interestingly, I also tried some Gold Lions, but they sounded a bit too bright for this amp and it seemed to lose that rich-toned "tube life" that this little amp has in buckets. The Reissong Boyuu A10 and its sister SoundArtist SA34A have to be the bargains of this new decade so far.
This is one of the best reviews you have done. Although we appreciate all of the esoteric, high brow, audiophile aficionado, this interview was for the masses, the common man. Thank you.
Price on chinese website is $200+- depending on the options you choose, although changing option on the website is not working properly so it's challenging. But shipping basically brings it up to the same price as amazon. Also with amazon you can return as well if it doesn't workout for you.
Steve, bought this based on your review and the review from Zero Fidelity...wow, color me impressed! Using Tun Sol EL34B tubes instead of the stock Chinese tubes it came with and the sound is just marvelous. Running it to 97db pioneer cs99a speakers from a marantz turntable.
Steve, Thank you for all you share and post on your channel. I purchased an A10 over a year ago and rolled the tubes a few months after I heard about the A12 release. I am very pleased with the different tubes as they opened up the sound stage, flattened the range (better treble and bass), and brought a new sweetness to the amp. I can share the tube list with you if you are interested.
i bought my A10 and my two PAIYON 4-S speakers , from this guys , by the way , thanks Bro'ss , i am enjoying since i meet your videos , i have change the bulbs , as recomended on forum , i put one adapter for the prebulbs for from 6N2 to tungsol 12 AX 7 high power and change the rectifier for Tungsol 5AR4 and the two end bulbs for the TungSol EL 34 B , and this improve a lot the highs and gives more power and so more and clean bass to , i really recomend to do the upgrade , it is really worth , it allready haved sweet sound by the original bulbs , but with these tungsols thats really amazing clean high end sound , and not to forget this wonderfull bookshelf speaker from Paiyon , you dont need more power , thats very loud and clean , no distortion , highly recomend guy's ,...... and not forget , ladys ;-) sorry for my english by the way ;-) love you guy's , you made my year and still goes on and on , and on , and on , my amp works a lot , praticaly never gets off , hihihihi , so yes , i am in now , and i can call me a audiophiliac guy , thank once again , amazing guys you are , take my head off for you two ,respect, from Belgium Carl V.
Received my hand soldered A10 today. Interesting enough I just changed the sound profile of my AR90 vintage speakers to have a little more detail and clarity. I hooked my ascend speakers that have a ton of clarity and detail to the tube amp and wow! Never heard my speakers sound this way. Made my modern ascend speakers sound vintage! Super bass and mid heavy. Couldn't believe the amount of bass my ascend speakers were capable of after this amp. I need to listen longer, but the vintage tone is very apparent right away.
Yaqin have a stellar reputation. Been researching Chinese amps for over a year. You need to try one Steve. A bit pricier but impressive build AND components.
You can offset the low power by compromising a little by using a solid state subwoofer with it. With below 120hz on the subs, most of the important & complex audio spectrum is still being handled by the tubes. 6W/Ch is pretty loud if it doesn't have to produce below 120hz. Also low power does well in a small room.
I am just watching this now, but this is still relevant now. The way tube amps are measured for power is quite different to how solid state is measured. A tube amp at 6Watts, is much more capable than a solid state rated at 20 Watts as an example. Pair it with soem higher efficiency speakers, and you can blow away a lot of solid state amps. The need of a sub woofer will depend on the audio source you listen to and the speakers you pair it with
Mine just arrived from China. Still in box. 7 days ago I ordered and paid with PayPal. $360. Total with shipping to north central TX. Already ordered a pair of EL34 upgrade tubes. Going to connect with klipsch KG4s or Heresy I. This might not out perform my 1959 Sherwood recapped S5000 tube amp 20 watt......but maybe?? Great video review. Thx
I bought the amp based on this review. It shockingly heavy and well built. I'm using the Reisong A10 with Klipsch Cornwall IIIs and it sounds really great. Smooth sound with no harshness on good recordings. I changed to Tungsol EL-34s and Voshkod 6N1P preamp tubes and the bass deepened quite a bit.
I'm 100% in agreement with you Steve. Last April I purchased a Single Ended Triode design using EL34b tubes for power producing 8 wpc. I just checked the receipt and it was a total of $215.00 to my door. It isn't chrome but that textured charcoal grey coating you might see on industrial equipment. It only has a single input on the rear with the same 4/8/gnd per channel speaker jacks. I love the thing. It pushes my Heresy' perfectly. I rarely use my Yamaha gear anymore. I guess the big takeaway is the the fact that the Chinese manufacturers have really stepped up their game.
Hi Steve Good and informative review, bought one based on this review, It's built really well, and looks good in the flesh. Hooked it up to a pair of aquoustic 3050i s but although it sounded great it seemed to struggle I then tried my audio bronze bx2, it came alive, sounds awesome for the price, Using a cyrus dad1 cd player and it's very articulate, clear, and warm. For a first tube amp I'm chuffed.
yes that's way tooooo much info - but that's why I love your reviews. and today is Keith Richards's b-day. and tomorrow is mine - he was 43' and I was 42' but we are both still here. lol.
Carlos Bauzá The Dyna is a push-pull amp whereas this Boyuu is single ended. The Boyuu Reisong EL34 push pull is also 35 wpc and priced at $352 + shipping. A “good condition” Dyna (with no guarantee or right to return) is about the same on eBay. After having a tech go through and do any upgrades/repairs needed, you’re into about $500+. I like Dyna equipment (I have an SCA-80Q solid state amp plus an upgraded PAS-3X preamp) but for simple, easy ownership, I would go with a new product.
Wow, this tube amp has opened my ears to a whole new world! Im in a 10x10 room that has some sound absorbing panels up and this is absolute bliss with my 89db sensitivity speakers. I have the amp sound set half way and never need more. 6 watts goes a LONG ways! Now I need to find a tube amp that can push my huge floor standing speakers at 4ohm and 86 sensitivity. They want 100+ watts. Currently sending them 500w per channel. They sound good, but no where near this full and holographic.
Thanks to my shooting guns throughout my childhood and teen years, plus attending AC/DC concerts in the 70s, I can't hear anything above 12,000 Hz. I have no idea why I keep watching these reviews.
In the 1970'a, Magnaplanar Tympani 1 speakers with either Audio Research or Conrad Johnson tube amps and preamps changed everything for me. Stunning sound quality.
Thanks for the review, Steve! One of these popped on my local Craigslist for $400CAN yesterday so I snagged it. Think it's had under 50 hours playing time. Sounds lovely paired with my JBL 4425s. It's my first tube amp but after a recent tour of listening venues in Japan, I've been pretty much ruined for life and am on a tube quest now. Don't think I'll be trading in my SS gear yet but this is a very nice addition to the fam and a nice intro to tubeland!
I have the A12, my first tube amp. I thought it sounded good until I recently found out about the Skunkie Design mod. It now puts out 6 watts like it was supposed to out of the box. Before the mods Skunkie measured 1% distortion at .04 watts and 8% distortion at 2 watts. There is a huge difference in sound quality after the upgrades. I'm using the original tubes it came with for now until I get new ones in a few days. I highly recommend any one that owns an A10 or A12 to do this mod.
Being a Chinese who can only stay at home, I opened up their web site, and made the purchase. I have klipsch PR600M, denafrips ares, NAD..... and what is next... Thanks Steve.
Thanks to this video I bought my first tube stereo amp and the Reisong Boyuu A10 direct wired with the optional better tubes seemed the way to go. I hooked it up to my Swiss made Piega’s and I was disappointed. It just couldn’t drive the speakers. Then I decided to try what Steve suggested and picked up a pair of more sensitive Klipsch RF15’s. The clarity and volume was amazing and I fell instantly in love with the combination. However, bass wasn’t very punchy and I decided to hook up my home theater subwoofer using high input straight from the speakers... wow! However I soon discovered that each song and each volume demanded minor adjustments on crossover and volume of the sub. This started to annoy within days. I needed something bigger with sufficient bass. Steve says that this little amp sounded great with the Cornwall 4. Ok, but those are expensive and don’t fit my interior. The suggestion of the RP600M was no option given the size of our living room. What if I hooked up the RP8000F? Quite an investment and gamble but... they do look amazing and are sensitive with a bass punch. I now have them for little over a week and I couldn’t be happier. Qobuz - Cromecast stereo - Shiit modi 3 - Reisong Boyuu A10 - Klipsch RP8000F Wow, what an amazing setup! I’m a happy man. Thanks Steve!
@@Monsterputjes Ah cool! Do you happen to know the speaker efficiency? I noticed the amp sound so so on lower efficiency speakers. But it does way better than expected on the Piega P4L with 89dB efficiency.
@@Yarach I’m afraid I can’t trace the efficiency but I do know it makes a huge difference. I have two tube amps both wired to Klipsch RP series speakers and they really rock.
Following that report and more ``studies`on the net, i bought the boyuu MT34 MKII from amazon...was in stock in the US and received it within a week...well packed and rapidly delivered. I've owned a pair of Martin Logan Aerius for 18 years now...it's the fourth amp i buy for these speakers, first one with lamp, and it was about time! I finally hear what my elecrtostatic spkrs can do! quite impressive! I listen to all kind of music bout with the better recordings, Patricia Barber, Jennifer Warns, Al Dimeola, Dire Straits..etc it gives you the studio experience. I'm seriously thinking of buying this A10 for my son who owns a pair of Acoustic Research AR 18 ....i think the same thing would happen to finally taking out everything that the spkrs can do!
I've looked at a few of these new tube amps and am a bit baffled by the lack of a phono input. Aren't these amps in existence due (at least partially) to the resurgence of vinyl?
I recently purchased an A10 from Amazon but it got lost in shipment. I ended up buying an A9 kit off eBay which appears to be the same circuit in a different chassis. It was a bit noisy as built and made a couple mods (DIY Audio has a massive thread on the amp) and it sounds great. The switch for the channels has to be replaced because of intermittent contacts. The hookup wires from the transformers is cheap and one wire cracked when braiding. I am in a small house and have limited Db allowance, play lots of jazz. I am pretty sensitive to sax and this amp smooths some of the harshness. Permission jumps out of many recordings so well. I am happy. Ironically I am using a Sansui 9090 (100+ Wpc) as a temporary preamp.
Wow! So cool...that’s another comprehensive and qualified review for that Reisong. Thank you so much for bringing us into well made products on ALL price points 🙏🏼👌🏼
Steve,I have a Riesong A10 amp.got it ror $370.00 with free shipping.the rectifier tube was broken,and the 6n2 was cracked and milky upon opening the box.the amp was packed very well,the problem must have happened at the factory.good thing I'm a tube head and lots of tubes on hand! I had a nos in box Philips 5AQ4 rectifier tube,and I subbed the 6n2's for Sylvania 6AN8A's,and just put my newly arrived re issued Telefunken EL34's in.what a difference! That little cheapo Chinese amp now sounds like it cost 2k more.get one!!!
You also may want to check out the Nobsound 6P1. It also utilizes all point-to-point wiring and is even a bit less expensive. This amp paired with Klipsch RP-150M sounds wonderful.
If you are interested, I can introduce to you our power amplifiers, which are very good equipment. The address of our store is also listed below. I hope to get your reply www.hiendchina.com
This amp's factory rating is 12 watts x 2. Even allowing for a liberal rating, it should get at least 10 watts per channel. I have the sister amp, Boyuu A9, which also uses EL 34's. It is a lovely little amp right from the factory, but can be improved by adding a bit of local internal feedback. There is a nice thread about this in DIY Audio. Dave
I have been running a similar Chinese kit amp (Douk Audio) for the past 1.5 years now. It has the 6SL7 preamp stage though. Turfed the Chinese preamp tubes and put in some NOS Sylvania 6SL7 tubes and I love it. The kit came with a PCB which I promptly tossed out and I ran point to point wiring on it using a common ground "star" bus with 14ga. Wire. Running them on a pair of Fluance HFS bookshelf speakers right now while I save up for some Klipsch speakers. Cheers,
I own one of these and recomend with caution. The sound is good and the power is adequate even for CEF 104 and 104 Acoustic Buterworths I own. (I dont know why my 104 sounts so much better. The AB seems fine, is well balanced and the AB shows no damage or mods and works fine.) Anyway, the Amp cover looks good but causes interference if jostled but I never bother to remove it because it looks good. Also one of the speacker bases brock off during instalation. It took so long to get a factory replacemebt I just bought a replacement. I simple wantet to try a Class A for a sound test. It passed, and the power was plent adequate even with the ineficient CEFs. Good investment!
I feel your enthusiasm just as I feel the sound on my Bayouu EL34 single-ended amp with different up-front driver tubes but in the same layout. Your A10 is almost certainly operating in Triode mode given the output level of 6watts per channel and mine is in Ultra-Linear with 12 watts per channel RMS. I uprated the EL34s tubes to JJ's. Both, yours and mine are Power Amplifiers and a pre-amp is strongly advised, why? Well, my Technics class A and your Denon both have pre-amps built-in. Pre-amps have just that bit more gain volts to drive a little more current and open up the dynamic range and depth. I use a simple tube pre-amp with remote control and more inputs including Bluetooth and SD card and USB and the difference is staggering when compared to a CD source both ways using a BBC Test CD (yes I'm in the UK). Years ago I built 1/4 wavelength transmission line floor standing cabinets and installed 61/2 full-range drivers with a Whizzer cone and modified the Driver by removing the dust cap and removing half of the spider and added a ceramic element centrally by wiring another terminal and wove in pig-tail wires and crossed it over at 10Khz and added a Zobel Network and a simple Mhenry coil for the main driver. The cabinet and the Driver both had a peak resonance at around 100Hz and that node was suppressed 2/3rds down the transmission line with damping material. The whole Driver is totally acoustically isolated from the cabinet. I had a room measurement by a sound engineer using a pro analyser and a few tweaks and I am flat from 30-35 Hz depending on the placements and distance from the wall. Dave Crusin Sweetwater Nights. Pink Floyd Darkside of the Moon sound awesome! Eve Sands and Last Train to Brooklyn and Brooklyn Blues sound like the band is in the room Imagery is spot on and there is space between the instruments. I feel the music as well as here it with zero boxy thump-thump noise!
The amp is actually rated as ultra-linear with 12 watts x 2. I own the Boyuu A9, which is probably what you have with the 6SL7 type pre tubes. Nice amps. Drives my 12" EV triaxial speakers to very loud levels.
OK, let me get this straight... You're saying you can use the A10 with a pre-amp to boost it's sonics and power without hurting anything? I thought the output transformers were spec'd on amps according to their intended output. Please explain. Thank you.
@@vicwahbyphotography4866 A preamp boosts the input signal so have more gain to play with. Your amp will only put out it's rated power no matter what (unless you go into clipping, which is not a good thing). My Boyuu wouldn't reach full volume with some of my sources until I put the preamp in. I used an Fx Audio preamp with just two small tubes. It woke the amp up. These are available on eBay right now for around $30. Someday I may try a bigger one when funds are better (paying for heat right now because of Michigan's winter).
I went ahead and purchased the A12 from amazon refurbished (it was never even opened, the previous “owners” must of returned it without ever using it) for 450. Steal
Nice review, I picked up a nice Chifi 'YayiAmplifier Mini' 18w amp 8-10 years ago and am currently using it for my TT with a pair of Klipsch R51-m and am totally loving the sound.
Thanks for the great video. I'm really considering grabbing an open-box unit from this site. The ps audio guy said to avoid tube-amps that have the tubes right before the output rather than right after the input? Do you know how this one is designed internally?
Gut shot please. One picture of the insides is worth a thousand words. A comparison to an equivalent price and power tube amp would have made me happy !
Based on this and other reviewers I purchased this amp, the Klipsch RP-600Ms and a Yamaha WXC-50 to use as a DAC / all purpose preamp. (According to another reviewer here on YT when he did a teardown of the preamp from the Yamaha, it uses an excellent DAC chip.) This overstretched my budget a little and I considered using an old iPhone as the DAC but was afraid it would be the weak link in the system and affect audio quality significantly. I've got it set up behind me in my home office / spare bedroom etc. So far I'm very impressed. At first everything sounded bright to my ears. Maybe it's just the power of suggestion but I do believe I'm hearing more detail in the music. I put the amp high up on a cabinet in the corner so I don't need the tube cage. The tubes put off a neat glow. We use SONOS in the rest of the house as that is wife approved. She likes the SONOS interface. We have all of our music ripped onto a hard drive attached to our router. This system sounds so much cleaner and clear to my ears. I started with some very familiar recordings to me by Diana Krall and Norah Jones. Norah's voice is much different on this system than the SONOS or even our old 5.1 surround system. I played Nat King Cole today along with Jazz at the Pawnshop in hi def audio. Again hearing things I didn't before. I'm in the Audiophile and Budget Audiophile subreddits and they're talking about hi definition audio. (I am so far behind the times). I joined HD Audio and ProMasters. I downloaded a copy of the Jazz at the Pawnshop in 192 kHz / 24-bit | FLAC from ProMasters. This is so clear I'm amazed. The Yamaha supports pretty much every audio format up through DSD. My only disappointment with the Yamaha is it doesn't have Amazon Music. Amazon is available on some of the other Yamaha products so go figure. There is however a very good mix of other popular choices for streaming services on Yamaha's MusicCAST app. The prices are going up about every three weeks right now and it took about three weeks to get mine. China HiFi did a good job of sending me a status. They had a question for me a few days after I ordered. After I answered their question, then we would communicate about every other day. Once it shipped they gave me a tracking number and it came very quickly via DHL. I wrote them and told them I received it and how much I am enjoying it and they replied with a kind message. So overall I'm hooked so far on this little tube amp. The Klipsch speakers love this amp. At every volume the sound is absolutely clear. The Yamaha does a good job as a preamp for my purposes. China Hi-Fi did a good job communicating so I am impressed with them as well. Most of my shopping with China is with AliExpress.
I purchased this amp after watching your video review, paired it with a small set of Klipsch R-51M. They sounded great, but I still felt like there was music missing, so I subscribed to Tidal, sounded good, still wasn't there, then I started reading about DACs, specifically the SCHITT Modi3, bought it, WOW, at the same time I read somewhere KT77 Gold Lion was the much better tube, so I order those, HOLY COW truly a night and day difference. You people need to stop making videos, or I need to cancel Amazon :)
i am thinking about trying tubes, but i only have one pair of speakers SF Sonetto II that are 89dB sensitive and nominal 4ohms. I listen to lot of different types of music, but mostly grunge, and harder type of rock/metal. will it by enough for me? i am not a loud listener and my room si fairly small.
Hey Steve...love your stuff. If I lived in the US I would order one just to try it, but here in Thailand, with shipping and buying 3 for the King (duty) I'll have to wait until I return to the US. I hadn't heard of the Eilish gal, so I looked her up & listened to a few cuts on youtube. Music to slit your wrists by is all I can say. I started to leave that comment under one of her songs but thought it might push 50 people over the edge...so I thought I would just post it here. Sorry, we don't agree on Ms Billy. Anyway, keep up the good work on anything audio. Can't wait to get back to the US so I can build another system.
This amp is fantastic. Sold on the tube soundstage. May upgrade next year but for the moment finding detail in my favourite music I never knew was there. Paired them with Elacs.
much thanks to papa steve for finally giving some time to these chinese tube amps :) this products could be the gateway drug for many future audiophiles, i would love to see you reviewing the big brother of this amp the REISONG Boyuu MT-88 KT88*4 tube amp, and hear from you how they compare!
Steve, will you please get in touch with Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio or Primaluna directly and review the new EVO 300 or 400 tube preamplifier. I'd love to know how it compares to your Pass Labs preamp. I want a tube preamp, and need an honest opinion from you. Thanks
Bought one straight from China HiFi, Fast shipping, GREAT PACKING JOB! This little amp drives my Klipsch RP-150M speakers to moderately loud in a large room. It drives my Klipsch RF-3 VERY LOUD! Haven't owned a tube amp since the 1960s when I built my own. Highly recommended as Steve said!
Another great tube amp with similar specs is the Musical Paradise MP-301 Mk III. Great for tube rolling, very well built, and also has a headphone out. It will drive any headphone you have with ease.
Steve great review on this amp.....I have a 2a3 single ended amp which is great but this amp will be my second one for the price it's a steal....less than $300 bucks with shipping....my amp 4 watts with Klipsch rp160 ....96 db.....this amp will sing....thanks Steve.....Ed .....From Brooklyn.....stay safe....👊
Ok! Got the amp, and hooked them up to my Klipsch 62-2 towers. OMG sounds unbelievable. Then I took Stevens advice and got the Klipsch rp600ms. Believe it or not the towers sound better. I have to turn up the volume a little with the 600s. For now that is. I’m putting them through a break in period, so we’ll see what happens. But so far the towers win
Steve i have been daily driving a Sabaj PHA3 it's a tube headphone amp and it's around 60$ shipped from China. I was really surprised but it. It's not powerfull but it makes my headphones sounds really nice and warm and i love it. China has some really nice cheap stuff that will make your listening experience better :)
The sound from a tube amp is just mystical. The high fidelity is just that. Nice job fella too.
Whether it is nobler to suffer the slings of solid state or...
I love this guy; his passion, his authenticity, his knowledge and his ability to talk to ‘all of us’. And let’s not forget the shirts! One question I have is this: how does his neighbours deal with the sound? I’d love to know the answer.
Previously he's commented that he typically listens at moderate levels.
The rest, ... I'm guessing;
-Quasi nearfield or midfield listening (lower levels)
-Robust, fire rated masonry walls between units, perhaps air gapped (ideal)
-Guttenberg's a straight up gangster
Maybe he owns the building?
Alan Whiteside Thanks for that Alan. I’m familiar with that sort of building in New York.
@@FOH3663 he's a G. That's for sure.
I guess you haven’t seen his headphone collection
You sold me. Well, you and cheapaudioman and zero fidelity. I've had it for a couple of weeks now, I paired it with a pair of Klipsch RB 61 II speakers, and feed it with an IFI Zen DAC 2 connected to my computer. I have the speakers on 26" stands, positioned for near-field listening at my computer desk, and I couldn't be happier.
Anybody who is tube-curious and has some efficient speakers should definitely look at this amp.
Love these solid budget finds that you recommend. Funny to stop for a minute and realize that this is the 3rd item I've purchased based on your reviews. Thanks for being such a valuable resource!
Agreed. I subscribe to absolute sound & stereophile to get back into Hi-Fi and man the equipment prices cost more than most cars. But do you have the A10? If so how do you like it? As this would be my 1st Tube amp. Thanks
Steve. I’m glad you are reviewing this hefty little guy. By the way, it is 12W x 2
I got the Boyuu after Sean review. It is driving my Klipsch RP-600M and the experience has been eye-opening (first tube amp in my life). I also have been tube rolling and it has been a lot of fun.
I have experimented with JJ KT77, Tung-sol El34b, Mullard El34 and Tung-sol 7581A
So far Mullards have given me the perfect sweep spot between solid state and tube, including bass tightness and control, but I keep coming back to the included Chinese Shuguang El34 for tear-jerking vocals.
The Tung-sol 7581A (technically 6L6) are also amazing specially with my vinyl rig.
I have to disagree about the transparency thing. In my experience the transparency of this amplifier, especially in the midrange is amazing. You can really hear every word and every nuance at that level. Low and top end transparency? well, that will depend on the tube itself, but it is achievable, especially with tung-sols.
Thanks Mr.Engel for sharing your experience, very interesting! I'm too about to purchase this amplifier, just wanted to ask you about the output power, seems hard to know exactly..did you actually measure 12 watts? Many other claim is 6 wpc, based on Sean's statement, but don't know if someone's really measured it..thanks for your help!
@@lucapeterle8728 Hello. probably, the power should be 6 watts. But these are only numbers !! My Elekit TU-8200 is 8 watts and what it does is amazing. You have to try it at home, it is an experience where the figures are not so important. Best regards from France.
@@douxreveur131 Thank you so much for your advice!! (And sorry for the late reply by the way!) Best wishes and have a lot of good times listening to music! "Merci" from Italy!!
@@lucapeterle8728 Con piacere ! I miei migliori saluti dalla Francia :)
Karl - Now that's a great, informative comment. Thanks, man. Appreciate it.
I've had this amp for about 3 weeks now. It's an excellent pairing with my Zu Omen DW's or Klipsch RP-160 (predecessor of 600m). I was using a Yamaha A-S1000 prior. The Reisong has fuller, fatter bass but is also just as detailed as the Yamaha while still being smoother overall. Impressive budget amp!
Try changing the rectifier to a Mullard gz30.a noticeable improvement.
Bought one tonight and because you guys have brainwashed me, I’ve already bought a set of replacement tubes! This is going to take pride of place in my study system between my Sansui SR222 MkII, Goldring G1042, ifi Zen Phono and Monitor Audio Bronze 2 speakers. I wouldn’t mind but I wasn’t even supposed to be collecting records again, but, oh well!
I've had my eye on this. With your blessing I took the plunge. Fingers crossed. $359 shipped through Amazon. This will be my first tube amp that I don't plug a guitar into!
Now the ball is in your court to report in when you have heard the amplifier in your system! 👍👍
Yes, please let us know what you think about it. After you've had plenty of time with it preferably. I have an amp similar to this myself, but it's hand built, and uses 6L6 tubes. SET, or SEP (switchable), and about 5 watts in SEP mode. Which your amp is, most likely. It's a lot of fun, especially with a pair of vintage full range drivers. But it's not an everyday amp for me. I like to have the ability to crank up my main rig at will, and really pound out the rock. But for just throwing on some James Taylor say, and relaxing. It's spooky good with my Coral Holey Baskets, and will make you think Etta James is in the room with my Zenith 49CZ852's (so dynamic!). Very fun, and they're very upgradable too, if you ever want too. Good luck. ✌️
@@amb3cog Now the question is... Should I get Klipsch 600Ms or Tekton Mini Lores to go with it?
@@marcraley9624 Assuming you mean the RP-600M. I would definitely go Tekton if it were me. I'm pretty sure the Klipsch were measured at 89.5db sensitivity by John Atkinson in Stereophile. And while I'm suspicious of the ratings of the Tekton too. Simple physics will tell you that an 8 inch driver in a much bigger box, is likely to put out more bass, and (knowing these two companies designs) they should get louder too. I think they're closer to 94db or so (because of the specs on the tweeter), but I don't doubt the low frequency extension, at least in room. The Klipsch should most definitely need a sub to dig below 50hz with any authority at all, at least in most rooms. The Tekton should put out usable bass into the low 30's, unless the room is huge. That's a big difference. Plus it should be at least 3-4db louder at 1 meter (twice the SPL is 6db's).
And this is where Tekton wins again. You can get Eric himself on the phone, and he'll guide you to the right speaker in his lineup. If the Mini Lore isn't the right one for you. Plus you don't have to buy stands for the Tektons, which may actually take up about the same amount of floor space too. At $575 shipped (should be no tax, unless you're in his state, which is Utah I think), compared to the Klipsch. On sale at $503 right now, but that's plus tax. They would cost me about me about $538 (RI 7% sales tax) delivered. Plus stands, and you really need a good foundation for them obviously.
Now in my experience. The bass, and the sensitivity are two things you'll you'll notice missing quite easily. Anyone will IMO. All that being said. The room, again, and your taste matter. Also as far as imaging is concerned. I would expect the Klipsch to wipe the floor with the Tekton's. The reviews I've read of the Lore series indicate a diffuse soundstage, where as the Klipsch have no such issues. They also should have better detail. Me personally. Tekton, no question, even in a small (not tiny) room. But I'm not going to own them. You are. Good luck making your choice. Again, please let us know. ✌️
@@amb3cog Thanks for the thoughtful answer!
Steve, thanks for your review! Based on it I ordered one from Amazon on 02/01/21 and received it today, weeks before the estimated delivery date. I too am impressed with its build quality and sound, and I am very glad I made the purchase. The amp will sit in a cabinet underneath my 1938 Sears Silvertone radio with a tuning eye. I also purchased a vintage Fisher FM-2121 tuner for that vintage look. This setup is my secondary system in my living room, and is some serious eye candy. Simply magical!
Excellent! I have been wanting something just like this. I learned about stereo in my dad's Fisher 400 tube receiver back in the 60's. Thank you for showing us this amp Steve!
I was on the fence about this amp. When you mentioned it in one of your previous vids, I took the plunge, because you said you don’t review stuff you don’t like! Amazon, 7 left, prime, free shipping. Got it in two days. I beat the run on them. Playing on my Klipsch RB-61 2s not loud , but warm. Will try on my 1977 issue Heresy’s and 1979 issue LaScala’s. Thanks Bud!
A year later how do you feel about the amp and which speakers have you matched to it
Picked up one few weeks ago. Have been listening on my Dynaudio Special 40 all this week. I am impressed. really impressed.
Thanks Steve. Another great recommendation! I received mine 5 days ago so these are early observations. Used with Klipsch RP-600M. Source Sony Bravia TV 3.5 mm audio/headphone out. I have learned to use my ears instead of relying on specs. I will return things if I don't hear a significant difference. This is my first tube amp but wow! I don't know how people go back to solid state after tubes. I describe it as a more lifelike sound, open, airy, three-dimensional. Bass not as tight as SS but still satisfying if not oddly more satisfying. Treble not perfectly smooth. I toed the speakers out a few degrees from directly at me and it solved it. Shaun comments on this in his review as well. Keep in mind not fully burned-in for the 30 to100 hours as recommended. I was worried before purchasing because I consider myself a loud listener. However, I have yet to max out the volume with music or tv. Yes sounds great for movies as well. I'm at about 50% volume most of the time. Speakers are 8.5 feet apart, 11 feet away from the listening position and 2-3 feet away from the wall. I now find lower volumes are satisfying as well. Something I never expected. While there are more expensive amps out there I think you are most of the way there with this one. Thoroughly surprised and satisfied!
I'm curious what DAC you might be using. I'm looking for recommendations as I have Chromecast going into TV which could do optical out. Thanks 👍
Oh scrap that I see you are using the TV DAC using 3.5 mm out.
Yay, Steve! Thanks for your ongoing attention to affordable audio gear! This amplifier opens an exciting door into tube sound.
Great comment, point, stuff the regular guy, & gal has the ability to purchase... Don't get me wrong. I like. To listen to all of it. But this is refreshing to see. Someone so excited
I looooooove my Musical Paradise 6 watt tube amp!
Tubes usually create a better soundstage and , for me, also bring the music alive in a way that I really appreciate!
Thanks Steve, have been a tube guy for 45 years. I have learned tons about China amps. Pass is totally right . Try the Musishare X7. I have Casta C Speaker
Got one of these. Strapped it into triode. Changed the input caps to paper/oil. Extremely well made, point to point wiring. Changed all the tubes to Soviet. Great, love it....
I totally agree Steve. A couple of months ago I bought the single ended SoundArtist SA34A, the same amp as the Reissong Boyuu A10, except the SA uses the more commonly available 12AX7 driver tubes instead of the 6N2J. Yes, the quality of this little amp is astonishing for the price! How can such quality point to point wiring be achieved at this price-point? Just amazing. I'm using it as a second system in a living-room driving some vintage Klipsch Heresy 1.5s with just a turntable input. I also have a pair of Ascension 250W 10" active subwoofers wired in parallel with the Hereseys to handle the frequencies below 50Hz. This little thing has oodles of power in reserve driving these 96dB efficient speakers. While the stock tubes have this thing sounding pretty amazing, there is a lot of benefit to be had from rolling the tubes, and the best part is that with such a low price for the amp, you have money left over for some really nice tubes! I currently have Tungsol EL34Bs and JJ 12AX7s, and the difference is amazing. Interestingly, I also tried some Gold Lions, but they sounded a bit too bright for this amp and it seemed to lose that rich-toned "tube life" that this little amp has in buckets. The Reissong Boyuu A10 and its sister SoundArtist SA34A have to be the bargains of this new decade so far.
This is one of the best reviews you have done. Although we appreciate all of the esoteric, high brow, audiophile aficionado, this interview was for the masses, the common man. Thank you.
Price on chinese website is $200+- depending on the options you choose, although changing option on the website is not working properly so it's challenging. But shipping basically brings it up to the same price as amazon. Also with amazon you can return as well if it doesn't workout for you.
100% correct.
Thanks for the heads up man!
0BURNT0TOAST0
And there sold out.
Amazon still has em.
Yes, I was ready to take a chance on the Chinese site until I saw the shipping charges.
$10 less for me with shipping
Steve, bought this based on your review and the review from Zero Fidelity...wow, color me impressed! Using Tun Sol EL34B tubes instead of the stock Chinese tubes it came with and the sound is just marvelous. Running it to 97db pioneer cs99a speakers from a marantz turntable.
Steve,
Thank you for all you share and post on your channel. I purchased an A10 over a year ago and rolled the tubes a few months after I heard about the A12 release. I am very pleased with the different tubes as they opened up the sound stage, flattened the range (better treble and bass), and brought a new sweetness to the amp. I can share the tube list with you if you are interested.
What tubes do you prefer on the A10?
i bought my A10 and my two PAIYON 4-S speakers , from this guys , by the way , thanks Bro'ss , i am enjoying since i meet your videos , i have change the bulbs , as recomended on forum , i put one adapter for the prebulbs for from 6N2 to tungsol 12 AX 7 high power and change the rectifier for Tungsol 5AR4 and the two end bulbs for the TungSol EL 34 B , and this improve a lot the highs and gives more power and so more and clean bass to , i really recomend to do the upgrade , it is really worth , it allready haved sweet sound by the original bulbs , but with these tungsols thats really amazing clean high end sound , and not to forget this wonderfull bookshelf speaker from Paiyon , you dont need more power , thats very loud and clean , no distortion , highly recomend guy's ,...... and not forget , ladys ;-) sorry for my english by the way ;-)
love you guy's , you made my year and still goes on and on , and on , and on , my amp works a lot , praticaly never gets off , hihihihi , so yes , i am in now , and i can call me a audiophiliac guy , thank once again , amazing guys you are , take my head off for you two ,respect, from Belgium Carl V.
This guy's advice seems so honest and reliable and is so useful.
It is a top shelf amp for its price
Received my hand soldered A10 today. Interesting enough I just changed the sound profile of my AR90 vintage speakers to have a little more detail and clarity. I hooked my ascend speakers that have a ton of clarity and detail to the tube amp and wow! Never heard my speakers sound this way. Made my modern ascend speakers sound vintage! Super bass and mid heavy. Couldn't believe the amount of bass my ascend speakers were capable of after this amp. I need to listen longer, but the vintage tone is very apparent right away.
Yaqin have a stellar reputation. Been researching Chinese amps for over a year. You need to try one Steve. A bit pricier but impressive build AND components.
You can offset the low power by compromising a little by using a solid state subwoofer with it. With below 120hz on the subs, most of the important & complex audio spectrum is still being handled by the tubes. 6W/Ch is pretty loud if it doesn't have to produce below 120hz. Also low power does well in a small room.
I am just watching this now, but this is still relevant now. The way tube amps are measured for power is quite different to how solid state is measured. A tube amp at 6Watts, is much more capable than a solid state rated at 20 Watts as an example. Pair it with soem higher efficiency speakers, and you can blow away a lot of solid state amps.
The need of a sub woofer will depend on the audio source you listen to and the speakers you pair it with
I have the 12 and I love it
The preamp tubes are different on the 10 but. With an adapter you can put the 12ax7 in
Mine just arrived from China. Still in box. 7 days ago I ordered and paid with PayPal. $360. Total with shipping to north central TX. Already ordered a pair of EL34 upgrade tubes. Going to connect with klipsch KG4s or Heresy I.
This might not out perform my 1959 Sherwood recapped S5000 tube amp 20 watt......but maybe??
Great video review. Thx
I bought the amp based on this review. It shockingly heavy and well built. I'm using the Reisong A10 with Klipsch Cornwall IIIs and it sounds really great. Smooth sound with no harshness on good recordings. I changed to Tungsol EL-34s and Voshkod 6N1P preamp tubes and the bass deepened quite a bit.
What amp did you use before the A10?
I'm 100% in agreement with you Steve. Last April I purchased a Single Ended Triode design using EL34b tubes for power producing 8 wpc. I just checked the receipt and it was a total of $215.00 to my door. It isn't chrome but that textured charcoal grey coating you might see on industrial equipment. It only has a single input on the rear with the same 4/8/gnd per channel speaker jacks. I love the thing. It pushes my Heresy' perfectly. I rarely use my Yamaha gear anymore.
I guess the big takeaway is the the fact that the Chinese manufacturers have really stepped up their game.
There goes Steve, coloring outside the lines again!
Keep it up Steve, that's how the true artist break the mold.
Congratulations on reaching 100k subs Steve :)
Hi Steve
Good and informative review, bought one based on this review,
It's built really well, and looks good in the flesh.
Hooked it up to a pair of aquoustic 3050i s but although it sounded great it seemed to struggle I then tried my audio bronze bx2, it came alive, sounds awesome for the price,
Using a cyrus dad1 cd player and it's very articulate, clear, and warm. For a first tube amp I'm chuffed.
"They practically massage my insides"
-Steve Guttenberg, 2020
yes that's way tooooo much info - but that's why I love your reviews. and today is Keith Richards's b-day. and tomorrow is mine - he was 43' and I was 42' but we are both still here. lol.
That shirt is really really special 🤩 Great work Steve
What else is extraordinary is this review! Thanks !
The Dynaco Stereo 35 ( 17.5 wpc) is easy to get "used/vintage". It is truly lovable/gorgeus!
Carlos Bauzá The Dyna is a push-pull amp whereas this Boyuu is single ended. The Boyuu Reisong EL34 push pull is also 35 wpc and priced at $352 + shipping. A “good condition” Dyna (with no guarantee or right to return) is about the same on eBay. After having a tech go through and do any upgrades/repairs needed, you’re into about $500+. I like Dyna equipment (I have an SCA-80Q solid state amp plus an upgraded PAS-3X preamp) but for simple, easy ownership, I would go with a new product.
I've got A9 ( same amp components in a different chassis) amazing sound and build quality for such a low cost
Steve, I LOVE your product reviews !
Wow, this tube amp has opened my ears to a whole new world! Im in a 10x10 room that has some sound absorbing panels up and this is absolute bliss with my 89db sensitivity speakers. I have the amp sound set half way and never need more. 6 watts goes a LONG ways! Now I need to find a tube amp that can push my huge floor standing speakers at 4ohm and 86 sensitivity. They want 100+ watts. Currently sending them 500w per channel. They sound good, but no where near this full and holographic.
Canton with tube power.......hard to beat for the price......great vid..,.,
Thanks to my shooting guns throughout my childhood and teen years, plus attending AC/DC concerts in the 70s, I can't hear anything above 12,000 Hz. I have no idea why I keep watching these reviews.
In the 1970'a, Magnaplanar Tympani 1 speakers with either Audio Research or Conrad Johnson tube amps and preamps changed everything for me. Stunning sound quality.
Thanks for the review, Steve! One of these popped on my local Craigslist for $400CAN yesterday so I snagged it. Think it's had under 50 hours playing time. Sounds lovely paired with my JBL 4425s. It's my first tube amp but after a recent tour of listening venues in Japan, I've been pretty much ruined for life and am on a tube quest now. Don't think I'll be trading in my SS gear yet but this is a very nice addition to the fam and a nice intro to tubeland!
I have a pair of JBL HLS610 with 88 db sensitivity, would this amp be able to drive these speakers?
I have the A12, my first tube amp. I thought it sounded good until I recently found out about the Skunkie Design mod. It now puts out 6 watts like it was supposed to out of the box. Before the mods Skunkie measured 1% distortion at .04 watts and 8% distortion at 2 watts. There is a huge difference in sound quality after the upgrades. I'm using the original tubes it came with for now until I get new ones in a few days. I highly recommend any one that owns an A10 or A12 to do this mod.
Being a Chinese who can only stay at home, I opened up their web site, and made the purchase. I have klipsch PR600M, denafrips ares, NAD..... and what is next... Thanks Steve.
how is it??
The DAC Denafrips Ares II is a wonderfully musical device that I also own. Good choice ! Best regards from France :)
Thanks to this video I bought my first tube stereo amp and the Reisong Boyuu A10 direct wired with the optional better tubes seemed the way to go. I hooked it up to my Swiss made Piega’s and I was disappointed. It just couldn’t drive the speakers. Then I decided to try what Steve suggested and picked up a pair of more sensitive Klipsch RF15’s. The clarity and volume was amazing and I fell instantly in love with the combination. However, bass wasn’t very punchy and I decided to hook up my home theater subwoofer using high input straight from the speakers... wow! However I soon discovered that each song and each volume demanded minor adjustments on crossover and volume of the sub. This started to annoy within days. I needed something bigger with sufficient bass. Steve says that this little amp sounded great with the Cornwall 4. Ok, but those are expensive and don’t fit my interior. The suggestion of the RP600M was no option given the size of our living room. What if I hooked up the RP8000F? Quite an investment and gamble but... they do look amazing and are sensitive with a bass punch. I now have them for little over a week and I couldn’t be happier. Qobuz - Cromecast stereo - Shiit modi 3 - Reisong Boyuu A10 - Klipsch RP8000F
Wow, what an amazing setup! I’m a happy man. Thanks Steve!
What Piega's did you use?
@@Yarach Piega S2 floorstanding 2-way (vintage)
@@Monsterputjes Ah cool! Do you happen to know the speaker efficiency? I noticed the amp sound so so on lower efficiency speakers. But it does way better than expected on the Piega P4L with 89dB efficiency.
@@Yarach I’m afraid I can’t trace the efficiency but I do know it makes a huge difference. I have two tube amps both wired to Klipsch RP series speakers and they really rock.
Following that report and more ``studies`on the net, i bought the boyuu MT34 MKII from amazon...was in stock in the US and received it within a week...well packed and rapidly delivered. I've owned a pair of Martin Logan Aerius for 18 years now...it's the fourth amp i buy for these speakers, first one with lamp, and it was about time! I finally hear what my elecrtostatic spkrs can do! quite impressive! I listen to all kind of music bout with the better recordings, Patricia Barber, Jennifer Warns, Al Dimeola, Dire Straits..etc it gives you the studio experience. I'm seriously thinking of buying this A10 for my son who owns a pair of Acoustic Research AR 18 ....i think the same thing would happen to finally taking out everything that the spkrs can do!
I've looked at a few of these new tube amps and am a bit baffled by the lack of a phono input. Aren't these amps in existence due (at least partially) to the resurgence of vinyl?
I recently purchased an A10 from Amazon but it got lost in shipment. I ended up buying an A9 kit off eBay which appears to be the same circuit in a different chassis. It was a bit noisy as built and made a couple mods (DIY Audio has a massive thread on the amp) and it sounds great. The switch for the channels has to be replaced because of intermittent contacts. The hookup wires from the transformers is cheap and one wire cracked when braiding. I am in a small house and have limited Db allowance, play lots of jazz. I am pretty sensitive to sax and this amp smooths some of the harshness. Permission jumps out of many recordings so well. I am happy. Ironically I am using a Sansui 9090 (100+ Wpc) as a temporary preamp.
Absolutely great review! Thanks for the education along the way.
Wow! So cool...that’s another comprehensive and qualified review for that Reisong. Thank you so much for bringing us into well made products on ALL price points 🙏🏼👌🏼
Thanks for reviewing this piece Steve! Good to know.
Steve,I have a Riesong A10 amp.got it ror $370.00 with free shipping.the rectifier tube was broken,and the 6n2 was cracked and milky upon opening the box.the amp was packed very well,the problem must have happened at the factory.good thing I'm a tube head and lots of tubes on hand! I had a nos in box Philips 5AQ4 rectifier tube,and I subbed the 6n2's for Sylvania 6AN8A's,and just put my newly arrived re issued Telefunken EL34's in.what a difference! That little cheapo Chinese amp now sounds like it cost 2k more.get one!!!
'Juicy'. Steve your still the best.
Tubey or not tubey - that is the question?
..... whether it is nobler to restrain oneself from making this comment repeatedly on every YT tube amp review.....
;-)
@@carlitomelon4610 shut up
@@emmanuelferguson
...Or that one:-D
"The opressors wrong or the proud man's contumely"
-Shakespeare ;-)
I'LL KILL A PUNNER!!!
@@thisismagacountry1318 "Make America Grate Again"?
That's way to much punishment.
is this a good idea to use with headphones? It has low power for speakers, but pretty high for headphones.
I would love to see you review the WILLSENTON R8 from china-wifi along with your Cormwalls. I hear that is supposed to be a tremendous value.
You also may want to check out the Nobsound 6P1. It also utilizes all point-to-point wiring and is even a bit less expensive. This amp paired with Klipsch RP-150M sounds wonderful.
YES! I have both, and they both are phenomenal values in tubed audio!
I have the Boyuu A9. It is well worth the money.
Tube amps are something I have not explored yet. this is tempting me to begin that journey.
If you are interested, I can introduce to you our power amplifiers, which are very good equipment. The address of our store is also listed below. I hope to get your reply
www.hiendchina.com
I think we can communicate more and hope to get your reply
This amp's factory rating is 12 watts x 2. Even allowing for a liberal rating, it should get at least 10 watts per channel.
I have the sister amp, Boyuu A9, which also uses EL 34's. It is a lovely little amp right from the factory, but can be improved by adding a bit of local internal feedback. There is a nice thread about this in DIY Audio.
Dave
I have been running a similar Chinese kit amp (Douk Audio) for the past 1.5 years now. It has the 6SL7 preamp stage though. Turfed the Chinese preamp tubes and put in some NOS Sylvania 6SL7 tubes and I love it.
The kit came with a PCB which I promptly tossed out and I ran point to point wiring on it using a common ground "star" bus with 14ga. Wire.
Running them on a pair of Fluance HFS bookshelf speakers right now while I save up for some Klipsch speakers.
Cheers,
Love the amp. And the shirt!!!
I own one of these and recomend with caution. The sound is good and the power is adequate even for CEF 104 and 104 Acoustic Buterworths I own. (I dont know why my 104 sounts so much better. The AB seems fine, is well balanced and the AB shows no damage or mods and works fine.)
Anyway, the Amp cover looks good but causes interference if jostled but I never bother to remove it because it looks good. Also one of the speacker bases brock off during instalation. It took so long to get a factory replacemebt I just bought a replacement.
I simple wantet to try a Class A for a sound test. It passed, and the power was plent adequate even with the ineficient CEFs. Good investment!
I feel your enthusiasm just as I feel the sound on my Bayouu EL34 single-ended amp with different up-front driver tubes but in the same layout. Your A10 is almost certainly operating in Triode mode given the output level of 6watts per channel and mine is in Ultra-Linear with 12 watts per channel RMS. I uprated the EL34s tubes to JJ's. Both, yours and mine are Power Amplifiers and a pre-amp is strongly advised, why? Well, my Technics class A and your Denon both have pre-amps built-in. Pre-amps have just that bit more gain volts to drive a little more current and open up the dynamic range and depth. I use a simple tube pre-amp with remote control and more inputs including Bluetooth and SD card and USB and the difference is staggering when compared to a CD source both ways using a BBC Test CD (yes I'm in the UK). Years ago I built 1/4 wavelength transmission line floor standing cabinets and installed 61/2 full-range drivers with a Whizzer cone and modified the Driver by removing the dust cap and removing half of the spider and added a ceramic element centrally by wiring another terminal and wove in pig-tail wires and crossed it over at 10Khz and added a Zobel Network and a simple Mhenry coil for the main driver. The cabinet and the Driver both had a peak resonance at around 100Hz and that node was suppressed 2/3rds down the transmission line with damping material. The whole Driver is totally acoustically isolated from the cabinet. I had a room measurement by a sound engineer using a pro analyser and a few tweaks and I am flat from 30-35 Hz depending on the placements and distance from the wall. Dave Crusin Sweetwater Nights. Pink Floyd Darkside of the Moon sound awesome! Eve Sands and Last Train to Brooklyn and Brooklyn Blues sound like the band is in the room Imagery is spot on and there is space between the instruments. I feel the music as well as here it with zero boxy thump-thump noise!
The amp is actually rated as ultra-linear with 12 watts x 2. I own the Boyuu A9, which is probably what you have with the 6SL7 type pre tubes. Nice amps. Drives my 12" EV triaxial speakers to very loud levels.
OK, let me get this straight... You're saying you can use the A10 with a pre-amp to boost it's sonics and power without hurting anything? I thought the output transformers were spec'd on amps according to their intended output. Please explain. Thank you.
@@vicwahbyphotography4866 A preamp boosts the input signal so have more gain to play with. Your amp will only put out it's rated power no matter what (unless you go into clipping, which is not a good thing). My Boyuu wouldn't reach full volume with some of my sources until I put the preamp in. I used an Fx Audio preamp with just two small tubes. It woke the amp up. These are available on eBay right now for around $30. Someday I may try a bigger one when funds are better (paying for heat right now because of Michigan's winter).
After shipping, the Chinahifi price would almost match that from Amazon Prime.
HiFi Equis is also cheaper post than China HiFi
I went ahead and purchased the A12 from amazon refurbished (it was never even opened, the previous “owners” must of returned it without ever using it) for 450. Steal
Nice review, I picked up a nice Chifi 'YayiAmplifier Mini' 18w amp 8-10 years ago and am currently using it for my TT with a pair of Klipsch R51-m and am totally loving the sound.
Well done, Steve!
Yeah, but you were there FIRST Sean!
this guy's shirt game is out of control I love it
Yes, especially that crayon shirt is legendary! 👌
Thanks for the great video. I'm really considering grabbing an open-box unit from this site. The ps audio guy said to avoid tube-amps that have the tubes right before the output rather than right after the input? Do you know how this one is designed internally?
Gut shot please. One picture of the insides is worth a thousand words. A comparison to an equivalent price and power tube amp would have made me happy !
What tubes can replace 6N2 × 2?
In what regime is the El34 used? Triode or pentode?
Based on this and other reviewers I purchased this amp, the Klipsch RP-600Ms and a Yamaha WXC-50 to use as a DAC / all purpose preamp. (According to another reviewer here on YT when he did a teardown of the preamp from the Yamaha, it uses an excellent DAC chip.) This overstretched my budget a little and I considered using an old iPhone as the DAC but was afraid it would be the weak link in the system and affect audio quality significantly.
I've got it set up behind me in my home office / spare bedroom etc. So far I'm very impressed. At first everything sounded bright to my ears. Maybe it's just the power of suggestion but I do believe I'm hearing more detail in the music. I put the amp high up on a cabinet in the corner so I don't need the tube cage. The tubes put off a neat glow. We use SONOS in the rest of the house as that is wife approved. She likes the SONOS interface. We have all of our music ripped onto a hard drive attached to our router. This system sounds so much cleaner and clear to my ears.
I started with some very familiar recordings to me by Diana Krall and Norah Jones. Norah's voice is much different on this system than the SONOS or even our old 5.1 surround system. I played Nat King Cole today along with Jazz at the Pawnshop in hi def audio. Again hearing things I didn't before.
I'm in the Audiophile and Budget Audiophile subreddits and they're talking about hi definition audio. (I am so far behind the times). I joined HD Audio and ProMasters. I downloaded a copy of the Jazz at the Pawnshop in 192 kHz / 24-bit | FLAC from ProMasters. This is so clear I'm amazed. The Yamaha supports pretty much every audio format up through DSD. My only disappointment with the Yamaha is it doesn't have Amazon Music. Amazon is available on some of the other Yamaha products so go figure. There is however a very good mix of other popular choices for streaming services on Yamaha's MusicCAST app.
The prices are going up about every three weeks right now and it took about three weeks to get mine. China HiFi did a good job of sending me a status. They had a question for me a few days after I ordered. After I answered their question, then we would communicate about every other day. Once it shipped they gave me a tracking number and it came very quickly via DHL. I wrote them and told them I received it and how much I am enjoying it and they replied with a kind message.
So overall I'm hooked so far on this little tube amp. The Klipsch speakers love this amp. At every volume the sound is absolutely clear. The Yamaha does a good job as a preamp for my purposes. China Hi-Fi did a good job communicating so I am impressed with them as well. Most of my shopping with China is with AliExpress.
My Buoyuurange A50 has arrived! Love it!
I purchased this amp after watching your video review, paired it with a small set of Klipsch R-51M. They sounded great, but I still felt like there was music missing, so I subscribed to Tidal, sounded good, still wasn't there, then I started reading about DACs, specifically the SCHITT Modi3, bought it, WOW, at the same time I read somewhere KT77 Gold Lion was the much better tube, so I order those, HOLY COW truly a night and day difference. You people need to stop making videos, or I need to cancel Amazon :)
and you need to stop making these comments, else I need to lower my credit limit 😆
i am thinking about trying tubes, but i only have one pair of speakers SF Sonetto II that are 89dB sensitive and nominal 4ohms. I listen to lot of different types of music, but mostly grunge, and harder type of rock/metal. will it by enough for me? i am not a loud listener and my room si fairly small.
Yes 👍
Steve, good post. Have the Yaqin MC13 driving Klipsch RP150m, rolled in Mullard 12AU7s in the amp the sound is simply awesome.
How about the China Hifi pre amplifiers?
Yeah, thanks for jacking the price up.
Thank Trump. He jacked up all prices on these goods with the tariffs. You're paying for it.
@@sensessavy4537 tube amps, I can picture Trump.... "I gotta say, I I happen to know a lot about tubes amplification, yea I've had a few".
I think China has some amazing products. I'm tempted.
Hey Steve...love your stuff. If I lived in the US I would order one just to try it, but here in Thailand, with shipping and buying 3 for the King (duty) I'll have to wait until I return to the US. I hadn't heard of the Eilish gal, so I looked her up & listened to a few cuts on youtube. Music to slit your wrists by is all I can say. I started to leave that comment under one of her songs but thought it might push 50 people over the edge...so I thought I would just post it here. Sorry, we don't agree on Ms Billy. Anyway, keep up the good work on anything audio. Can't wait to get back to the US so I can build another system.
It goes easily to my dream book
This amp is fantastic. Sold on the tube soundstage. May upgrade next year but for the moment finding detail in my favourite music I never knew was there. Paired them with Elacs.
Which Elacs?
much thanks to papa steve for finally giving some time to these chinese tube amps :) this products could be the gateway drug for many future audiophiles, i would love to see you reviewing the big brother of this amp the REISONG Boyuu MT-88 KT88*4 tube amp, and hear from you how they compare!
Steve, will you please get in touch with Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio or Primaluna directly and review the new EVO 300 or 400 tube preamplifier.
I'd love to know how it compares to your Pass Labs preamp. I want a tube preamp, and need an honest opinion from you.
Thanks
Still love my vintage nine plus Sumo amp and Carver C 19 tube pre amp paired with Polk studio speakers
I believed you and went to buy my first tube amp after some solid state ones! Thank you!
Maybe you can have look at this. Believe me, you'll like it.
000080huang.en.alibaba.com
Fantastic Steve! Appreciate this
Did you try it with Zu's? Can you get access to Tekton OB Sigma's? I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion about an open-back loudspeaker.
Clifford Costley +1 I’d like to know how they do with a pair of dirty weekend.
@@youtubebryguy Absolutely.
Bought one straight from China HiFi, Fast shipping, GREAT PACKING JOB! This little amp drives my Klipsch RP-150M speakers to moderately loud in a large room. It drives my Klipsch RF-3 VERY LOUD! Haven't owned a tube amp since the 1960s when I built my own. Highly recommended as Steve said!
Another great tube amp with similar specs is the Musical Paradise MP-301 Mk III. Great for tube rolling, very well built, and also has a headphone out. It will drive any headphone you have with ease.
First Steve, you are so funny and great to watch. My Casta horn Speaker would love 6 watts
Steve great review on this amp.....I have a 2a3 single ended amp which is great but this amp will be my second one for the price it's a steal....less than $300 bucks with shipping....my amp 4 watts with Klipsch rp160 ....96 db.....this amp will sing....thanks Steve.....Ed .....From Brooklyn.....stay safe....👊
Hi Steve! I’m I interested in purchasing this amp, would you be able to do an update video on longevity?
Maybe you can have look at this. Believe me, you'll like it.
000080huang.en.alibaba.com
Ok! Got the amp, and hooked them up to my Klipsch 62-2 towers. OMG sounds unbelievable. Then I took Stevens advice and got the Klipsch rp600ms. Believe it or not the towers sound better. I have to turn up the volume a little with the 600s. For now that is. I’m putting them through a break in period, so we’ll see what happens. But so far the towers win
Thanks, Steve, might try this one.
Steve i have been daily driving a Sabaj PHA3 it's a tube headphone amp and it's around 60$ shipped from China. I was really surprised but it. It's not powerfull but it makes my headphones sounds really nice and warm and i love it. China has some really nice cheap stuff that will make your listening experience better :)
Damnit- I just lost my green crayons! Oh, never mind, I found them....
I was interested but at $630 Canadian plus tax and delivery via Amazon it does not seem all the good a deal anymore.