Budget Chinese Tube amps - any good?

My old Cayin TA-30 from Paul at BizzyBee was my first and only tube amp. Great sound and a kissin' cousin (if not outright fraternal twin) to the Prima Luna which came out around the same time. Paul, sadly, is gone and so are his products but the Prima Luna marches on in many variations. One look underneath and you be hard pressed to tell the difference. Kind of like the Mini Watt controversy as to who owns the rights to the same thing being made at two different factories.

You can get some really good quality product from Chinese makes xenophobia aside. Check out what Pacific Valve imports after it's been modded to their specs. The stuff will look the same as what you can get from Chinese exporters but it's not the same internally. That, and PV backs up their stuff with warranty.

Like what Wolf says about Jolida: great product. Jolida has always gotten great reviews and have been around a very long time. In fact, I am considering getting one instead of a Luxman to satisfy my EL-84 itch to see if what they say about that El-84 sound and Jolida is true. $650 vs. $2400 makes it very tempting.

All the best,
Nonoise

Ive had a Jolida 102-B for about 8 years that I use for a back up for my seperates.I have it playing now.My power amp is going in for repairs.The Jolida is stock except tubes,and it sounds very good! Very musical!Heavy little thing!Never regreted buying it.The first one they sent me had shipping damage,I called them and they sent out a replacement right away.I was surprised that it arrived damaged as it was packaged very well with fitted foam and heavy double boxed.

I remain surprised the travails of Jolida, which Forbes illustrated back in 2005 http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2005/0905/088.html never became the sort of watershed article on this subject.

Michael Allen literally went to the ends of the earth to keep Jolida, a brand I've always been a fan of, afloat. Additional trouble of the business sort, which is at least as common as the mostly nonexistent quality over there, loomed down the road, came to a head a couple of years ago. I find it amazing he made it through in both cases, which serves as a testament to his intestinal fortitude. Obviously, such herculean efforts would represent the exception, not the rule.

Despite the reputation for quality (that one still makes me laugh) and lofty (for Chinese) pricing of the company I represented, they never budged from their throw over the wall mentality. Once a component left their factory, regardless of whether it worked or not, the countless problems their gear encountered was the problem of whoever's hands it landed in.

I'll never forget the turntable motors that ran the wrong way, and how that must have been the fault of the unlucky folks who purchased those units, through their own malicious/stupid actions. A half dozen unrelated people across North America all happened to disassemble their turntable motors, and intentionally or unknowingly wire them so that they would rotate their platters in the opposite direction. Really?!?

Treja,

That gives me pause, as far as turntables are concerned. But there does seem to be enough outlets stateside that sell Jolida, among them VTV, Quest For Sound, NewTube, USATubeAudio, SpearitSound, and others. I believe one offers cap upgrades (VTV) as well. But then if I do get it, then off to Brent Jesse for some '70s Mazda NOS tubes and whatever else he recommends in my price range.

I'm getting so close to talking myself into this with funds so tight. Damn.

All the best,
Nonoise

Ive had a Jolida 102-B for about 8 years that I use for a back up for my seperates.I have it playing now.My power amp is going in for repairs.The Jolida is stock except tubes,and it sounds very good! Very musical!Heavy little thing!Never regreted buying it.The first one they sent me had shipping damage,I called them and they sent out a replacement right away.I was surprised that it arrived damaged as it was packaged very well with fitted foam and heavy double boxed.