Cheap tube amp - right idea?

vintagedad53

New Member
Hello to all... Presently I am CD only sourcing my music...

New to tube amps and low on $$$, so I took a chance and purchased a Brand New Monoprice Tube Integrated amp for $150. Have had to return 2 so far because of broken speaker connection (in shipping) and with the 2nd replacement - one day thing just stopped playing (?). Both returns were handled promptly - and I'm now on my 3rd one which has been broken in with over 300 cont. hrs on it at various levels and into various speakers.

I am a true believer - that power cords and line conditioners, interconnects and isolation devices do make a difference.

I know we all like a $ bargain - and presently for me that seems to be this situation. Thru my Gershman Avant Garde RX-20 speakers ( not quite as dynamic as thru the SS JOB INT I have went playing thru the JOB's DAC) the sound is smooth and full (wonderful on "Kind of Blue" and "Take Five"), and not bad thru the JBL L-25s I have in the 2nd system (used usually with a Sansui G-7700 for rock...).

My plan is to experiment with interconnects, power cords and tubes and really tune this cat to my liking (as I have done with the JOB). I figure if I can start low initial cost and add ancillaries that jump the end sound - why not? My goal is to set with this amp, swapped-out tubes, power cord and interconnects to = $1000...
Can I achieve what might be the = of a tube integrated costing $2000 -$3000, or more?

Thoughts and opinions please...
 
Spending more than 20$ on a power cable is a non-sense to me.

Upgrade capacitors, and upgrade circuits by decoupling electrolytics with bi-polar film caps is wise.

Choose an amp that is pure tube operation and easy to be modded, upgraded.
 
I wouldn't call it a tube amp: "Tube preamplifier stage with solid state power amplifier."

My goal is to set with this amp, swapped-out tubes, power cord and interconnects to = $1000...
Can I achieve what might be the = of a tube integrated costing $2000 -$3000, or more?

Thoughts and opinions please...

In my opinion no. :no:

YMMV
 
$2-3000 will get you an awesome PrimaLuna integrated amp. That would be my suggestion. If you look on the used market $3k would also get you a Prologue 3 pre-amp and Prologue 5 power amp. These amps use point to point wiring rather than printed boards. I have them and they are awesome. No point buying expensive cables if the signal then runs through a mediocre printed circuit.

I would spend all your money on the amp. I have a power conditioner that does not affect the sound at all. Get yourself some Blue Jeans low capacitance cable. The ancillaries are not worth diverting any significant money away from the amp. Tube rolling does not have to be particularly expensive if you do your research well. The PrimaLuna stuff also really looks after the tubes so you won't need to replace very often. Ancillaries are things you can change down the line. But selling your amps to upgrade when you realize you aren't happy with them will waste time and money.
 
Hello to all... Presently I am CD only sourcing my music...

New to tube amps and low on $$$, so I took a chance and purchased a Brand New Monoprice Tube Integrated amp for $150. Have had to return 2 so far because of broken speaker connection (in shipping) and with the 2nd replacement - one day thing just stopped playing (?). Both returns were handled promptly - and I'm now on my 3rd one which has been broken in with over 300 cont. hrs on it at various levels and into various speakers.

I am a true believer - that power cords and line conditioners, interconnects and isolation devices do make a difference.

I know we all like a $ bargain - and presently for me that seems to be this situation. Thru my Gershman Avant Garde RX-20 speakers ( not quite as dynamic as thru the SS JOB INT I have went playing thru the JOB's DAC) the sound is smooth and full (wonderful on "Kind of Blue" and "Take Five"), and not bad thru the JBL L-25s I have in the 2nd system (used usually with a Sansui G-7700 for rock...).

My plan is to experiment with interconnects, power cords and tubes and really tune this cat to my liking (as I have done with the JOB). I figure if I can start low initial cost and add ancillaries that jump the end sound - why not? My goal is to set with this amp, swapped-out tubes, power cord and interconnects to = $1000...
Can I achieve what might be the = of a tube integrated costing $2000 -$3000, or more?

Thoughts and opinions please...
Not much of a bargain if you had to return 2 of the units for problems.
 
Oh wait. I misunderstood your question.

There is no way you can make a $150 monoprice amp sound the same as a $2-3000 amp by spending $850 on interconnects, power conditioners and isolation platforms. No way.

I doubt you could even make it sound like a $160 amp.

Take that $1000 and spend it on a tube integrated. Something like an Onix SP3 or a Yaqin will be leagues ahead of that monoprice amp. Even if you connected everything together with coat hangers.

That sounds a little mean and for that I apologize I just think you've got your budget back to front.
 
Last edited:
I agree with the others--spend the money wisely and get an integrated amp that is far better. Accessorizing a $150 amp with extras is only going to make it sound like an accessorized $150 amp. ;) I have one of those TubeCube|7 amps from Tube Depot--it is a nice easygoing little desktop amp, but its performance is nowhere near what a "real" tube amp sounds like (even after a tube upgrade). For what I paid, though, I fully expect it will not sound like the tube gear in my main system.

I know it is tempting to try to upgrade little by little, by improving little things as you go. But if you think about it, saving up that money to buy a proper piece of tube equipment will get you far more rewarding results down the road. It might take a bit of time and patience to find just that right deal on a true tube integrated amp, but it will be worth it.
 
New to tube amps and low on $$$, so I took a chance and purchased a Brand New Monoprice Tube Integrated amp for $150.

This would be the IIIP hybrid? Sold under many different names, Nobsound, Mistral, and on....

My plan is to experiment with interconnects, power cords and tubes and really tune this cat to my liking (as I have done with the JOB). I figure if I can start low initial cost and add ancillaries that jump the end sound - why not? My goal is to set with this amp, swapped-out tubes, power cord and interconnects to = $1000...
Can I achieve what might be the = of a tube integrated costing $2000 -$3000, or more?

Of course you're free to experiment, but you won't get it to sound like an all tube integrated, because the output stage is solid state. Nothing wrong with that, it is what it is.

jeff
 
One can get the Douk Audio 6P3P single ended triode amplifier for around $250. It's not a bad looking amplifier for the money and could be modified if one desires. A friend bought the kit, and is happy with the amp.

It's at least an entry level tube amplifier, not some hybrid abortion.
 
Just enjoy it for what it is, and save up for an affordable tube amp. See the Magnavox threads here for a start.
 
Just talked to a guy I work with. He has one that looks just like it. He dissected it and only the heaters where hooked up on the tube sockets in his. :dunno:

Maybe someone can correct me but this is pretty much incorrect. If I understand this correctly than with the heaters only connected, the SS amp portion would still work if the tubes were pulled and the only reason for the tube were to act as bling. I pulled the tubes on mine and there is signal passing through the tube stage. So, again, If I understand this correctly the tube section is actually acting as a buffer. (mine is the Monoprice 50w hybrid unit. Maybe your friends unit was different)

I bought this unit as a toy and enjoy it for what it is. It sounds good connected to my PC and adds a little life to digital music. To put another 1K worth of funds to improve it seems to me to be be a waste of resources and effort. My next tube purchase will be a real amp that will be worth maybe tinkering with.
 
Maybe someone can correct me but this is pretty much incorrect. If I understand this correctly than with the heaters only connected, the SS amp portion would still work if the tubes were pulled and the only reason for the tube were to act as bling. I pulled the tubes on mine and there is signal passing through the tube stage. So, again, If I understand this correctly the tube section is actually acting as a buffer. (mine is the Monoprice 50w hybrid unit. Maybe your friends unit was different)

I bought this unit as a toy and enjoy it for what it is. It sounds good connected to my PC and adds a little life to digital music. To put another 1K worth of funds to improve it seems to me to be be a waste of resources and effort. My next tube purchase will be a real amp that will be worth maybe tinkering with.

I haven't seen his, it is the $150 whatever make. There are a lot of counterfeit things coming out. Our company is actually leading a study for the Navy because counterfeit Chinese components are making it into the supply system. I will take his word for it though as he is a 26yr Navy electrician that started in the 60's.
 
A hybrid amp? I've been down a similar road. First I got and rebuilt a Dynaco ST-70 but drove it with a SS Mackie mixer. Sounded good but once I got a matching PAS-3x preamp, I had a true, tube system which sounded superior to all my other systems. Sorry, but " you can't put lipstick on a pig."
 
the SS amp portion would still work if the tubes were pulled and the only reason for the tube were to act as bling.

Yes, I have a $25 "tube" pre-amp kit that is like this, pulled the tubes and no change at all in the sound or level.

Edit: I figured this was the case when I traced out the runs on the board before assembly. But hey the LED's under the tubes sure do make it sound good.
 
Last edited:
I haven't seen his, it is the $150 whatever make. There are a lot of counterfeit things coming out. Our company is actually leading a study for the Navy because counterfeit Chinese components are making it into the supply system. I will take his word for it though as he is a 26yr Navy electrician that started in the 60's.

I have no doubt that there is a problem with counterfeit tech in supply chain these days. Had to deal with a few(+) bad main-boards for several years in the mid-2000s. Created some real bad issues for us.

I had read somewhere else these same claims that only the heater were connected on at least some of these similar units and had seen one advertised recently that I thought might be a really good example of a scam unit. It looked like one of these units with out any tone controls. Only had the 4 tubes like my unit but claimed to be a full tube driven amp/pre-amp. To top it off they wanted over 700$ for it. I may have to try and find that again.
 
Back
Top Bottom