Monoprice Hybrid Tube Amp With BT

[slipperybidness]

Despite suspect specs, it is interesting nonetheless. And cheap!

http://www.monoprice.com/mobile/product/details/13194

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=13194

 

[Seth=L]

Tube preamp section, 25 watt per channel A/B amplifier.

It's cute, but a little cheap looking. Wish it had even a basic remote control.

 

[fmw]

Despite suspect specs, it is interesting nonetheless. And cheap!

http://www.monoprice.com/mobile/product/details/13194

Well, I agree that it is cheap. I don't think I would go beyond that.

 

[Theheadsn]

I cant attest for this personally, but I've been a customer of monoprice for years, and everything I've gotten from them has worked great

 

[Seth=L]

I cant attest for this personally, but I've been a customer of monoprice for years, and everything I've gotten from them has worked great

Um, how to does this relate to this item?

 

[KEW]

Um, how to does this relate to this item?

Not very directly, but the inference is that since everything he has bought from Monoprice has worked great, this item (which is sold by Monoprice) is likely to work great as well.
Playing the devils advocate, if someone has played Russian roulette for years and is still alive, the inference is that Russian roulette won't hurt you!

I think monoprice is a good company offering decent products at good prices, but tube amps is not their specialty, so this is new territory.

 

[Theheadsn]

Not very directly, but the inference is that since everything he has bought from Monoprice has worked great, this item (which is sold by Monoprice) is likely to work great as well.
Playing the devils advocate, if someone has played Russian roulette for years and is still alive, the inference is that Russian roulette won't hurt you!

yes lol I know it doesnt have to do exactly with this item, but from my previous experiences with monoprice, I would at least trust them enough to try it out. Plus they have always been very good with their return policy, so worse comes to worse and it sucks, you can send it back.

Its nice having the option to get certain things cheaper (like wires and connectors), without being stuck buying over priced stuff. Think of it this way, Monoprice is like the Harbor Freight of A/V world. Not everything they sell is top of the line, but a lot of the stuff works great for the price you're paying.

 

[j_garcia]

yes lol I know it doesnt have to do exactly with this item, but from my previous experiences with monoprice, I would at least trust them enough to try it out. Plus they have always been very good with their return policy, so worse comes to worse and it sucks, you can send it back.

Its nice having the option to get certain things cheaper (like wires and connectors), without being stuck buying over priced stuff. Think of it this way, Monoprice is like the Harbor Freight of A/V world. Not everything they sell is top of the line, but a lot of the stuff works great for the price you're paying.

Parts Express / Dayton Audio is the original Harbor Freight of A/V. Monoprice is trying to become similar. Have bought plenty of stuff from both over the course of many years and only ever had one product that was bad (Chinese brand amp, two faulty ones back to back).

I'm pretty curious about this one and I need a small amp for another set of speakers. The NUMEROUS reviews citing quality issues on this one have me concerned though. Haven't heard anyone talk about it since, so guessing nobody here has tried one out? Means I'll have to be the guinea pig?

 

[rojo]

Haven't heard anyone talk about it since, so guessing nobody here has tried one out? Means I'll have to be the guinea pig?

Thanks for volunteering! Let us know how it works out. If it doesn't, there's always the SMSL SA-98E.

I believe good sound comes from good speakers. If you get this Monoprice hybrid amp, hook up a pair of crappy speakers and see whether the amp makes them sound warm / rich / whatever other fluffy attributes are often ascribed to tubes. I wouldn't mind to be proven wrong.

 

[j_garcia]

Thanks for volunteering! Let us know how it works out. If it doesn't, there's always the SMSL SA-98E.

I believe good sound comes from good speakers. If you get this Monoprice hybrid amp, hook up a pair of crappy speakers and see whether the amp makes them sound warm / rich / whatever other fluffy attributes are often ascribed to tubes. I wouldn't mind to be proven wrong.

That SMSL looks exactly like the one from PE I had to send back twice Reviews say it has similar quality issues.

I've heard tubes in quite a few setups and find their sound pleasant, but not necessarily justifying the price tag. That's why I'm curious about this one. I've had good luck with other monoprice electronics in the past, so I'm interested.

 

[slipperybidness]

That SMSL looks exactly like the one from PE I had to send back twice Reviews say it has similar quality issues.

I've heard tubes in quite a few setups and find their sound pleasant, but not necessarily justifying the price tag. That's why I'm curious about this one. I've had good luck with other monoprice electronics in the past, so I'm interested.

I'm sure you know this, but tubes do wear out. And, you can get different audio signatures from different brands of tubes of the same model.

However, I agree that this seems to be an interesting product and I would love to hear it (or at least live vicariously through you).

 

[jinjuku]

Carvin has their TS100 tube amp at $599. All tube and 50WPC. Quality is there so you don't have to worry about that part of it.

 

[j_garcia]

That's what I mean, at that price point I can start looking at other full tube amps. I almost bought a Jolida a few years back for 2ch, but the price was still too steep back then. It sounded nice though. Big discrepancy between $150 and $600; the Jolida was $700.