Chinese copy SS amps - any good?

On the back of the Chinese valve amp thread, there are many so called clones of classic SS amplifier circuits available for sale. Replica Naim NAP and Quad 405 boards spring to mind but there are others.

looking at these, the layout on the boards in often quite different to the original, and with the devil being in the detail that should be important to performance in many cases.

So anyone tried inexpensive Chinese SS amp (circuits or fully built amps) and what were your views?

Never tried any myself.

 

Do they come complete with capacitors etc? If so I would suspect half of them would be fake. They may say Elna on them but how do you know they really are?

 

Some do, yes.

 

I would be inclinded to use it as a base and buy your own caps and transformers etc. There is just too many horror stories with chineese fakes in the computer industry at the moment (fake chargers etc) and HIFI can only be another target.

 

What if they don't pretend to be anything special? Would they still be fake caps?

 

I've seen reports of fake semiconductors too. No idea if they actually work, and if they do just how good or bad they might be.

 

Probably not but I just don't trust anything made in China not from an official source. I mean look at their cars, they have even made a copy of a FIAT Panda called the Great Wall Perri something. All FIAT could do is get the courts to ban them from selling it in Europe, not likely anyway.

 

You have to give the Chinese a chance. I mean saying you don't trust their stuff is ridiculous. Just about everything we buy now is made in China. Yes some is made cheaply but there is some good stuff out there. Remember Jap crap in the last century, now they are one of the world leaders in technology.

I have a Shengya hybrid int. from China which Vincent in France use for their products, and they are not cheap. Perhaps Vincent put some upgraded components in but whether there is much improvement i don't know. Had it about 5 years now and its going great even after some fool either dropped it or threw it on the floor. One of the pins on the plug was bent 90 deg. but to my amazement it worked ok. It is a huge amp and weighs a ton. So yes it is worth a go Rob.

 

I thought all amps sound the same anyway Rob?

 

There is a big difference between a branded amp made in an ISO9000 factory by a big name to a back street factory turning out cheap amp clones. I have nothing against chineese goods, it is chineese brands I still don't quiet trust.

They clone everything.

 

Then you don't read my posts, Mark.

 

Yes but the Chinese also make products for the big names now, such as Quad to name just one. Not clones but actual designs drawn up in the western world and then manufactured or assembled in China.

 

Yes that's true, not all of them; I'm just pulling your leg Roberto .

 

Not that long ago we doubted the ability of the Japanese to assemble a good car or motor bike. With the caveat that 'you get what you pay for' then I think the Chinese can throw anything together they are asked. In terms of design perhaps they still have a little catching up to do but like anything, if you look hard enough you will find the odd gem or 2.

 

I certainly wouldn't knock their ability to manufacture to high quality.
My point is quite narrow and aimed specifically at the cloned products.

You can clone a circuit in that it uses nominally the same components and if you examine the clone schematic everything appears in order. But the devil is often in the detail, for example an extra 5mm of pcb track can make the difference between an op amp that oscillates and one that doesn't. I note that track layouts often vary on the clones. Companies such as Naim put many hours of research into getting everything just right.

I just wonder if some of these things aren't a false economy.