Wow, now Monoprice has an all-tube (EL84) amp with phono for $329.99

Yeah I've built a couple amps. I'm saying that they have taken the cheap and easy way of including a SS phono stage in that amp. Not saying it can't be done, just they're not doing it. It's a cheap amp, built to a price point, and a solid state phono section is easy to implement. Nowhere in the linked description does it explicitly say that the amp has a tube phono stage. You'd think it would be a big selling feature that they'd want to promote, but it's not in the ad copy.

jeff

 

States all tube, no SS amp from manufacture'

The tube amplifier has seen a resurgence in recent years due to the warm, pleasing sound that only a tube amplifier can offer. The Monoprice Pure Tube Amplifier utilizes four EL84 tubes for the power output stage and three 6N3 tubes for the preamplifier stage to deliver that rich, full-bodied tube sound. This is no hybrid, with a solid state power amplifier stage here! This is a full-blown, all tube amplifier.

 

Ok, I'm done here.

jeff

 

Post some gut shots of the amp

 

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Here are a few gut shots of the Monoprice. Have at it, fellas. Let me know if any other close-ups would be interesting. The patient will be on the operating table for a couple more hours.







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Here are some close-ups of the caps as well:






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Bump. Still interested in some feedback on the amp internals, especially the output transformers. I'm guessing these are indeed cheap power transformers being used for output (as a previous poster suggested), and I'd love to know whether they're worth upgrading (and if so, what to look for) or if it's best to just start over with a new kit. Thanks!

 

Not necessarily. Depends on which cartridge is used. It could be grounded to one of the screws if need be. 2 of the 3 tables I have up and running are not grounded and there is NO hum.

 

I wouldn't bother trying to upgrade the output transformers. Better transformers will most likely be larger, so won't physically fit anyway. Why not build an amp with more space to locate everything?

Thanks for posting all the pics.

jeff

 

Thanks, that's the direction I was leaning in. Appreciate the confirmation. Getting the iron hot as we speak.

 

Yeah, I’m interested in the opinion of the technical folks as well. How’s she look?

 

This thread prompted me to click the link and it seems that it is currently $50 off, $279.99, if anyone's interested....

in fact, it is also $50 off if you're not interested...

Monoprice Pure Tube Stereo Amplifier with Bluetooth, Line, and Phono Inputs - Monoprice.com

 

A relevant quote from another review from the Monoprice website (emphasis mine):

 

So I bought one of these a year ago because I wanted to hear a tube amp and it was on sale for $263.99 at the time. I have really enjoyed it the past year as it always seems to bring out more detail than when I was running through my SS amp. I have hooked up to this amp a MoFi StudioPhono Preamp, Music hall 5.3 SE, Ortofone 2M Bronze, Kimber interconnects and speaker cables and some DCM KX8 97db sensitivity speakers. I never turn it past 11 on the clock as there is no need to because the speakers are very efficient. I have tried my JBL L3's and like the sound as well but these speakers are not as efficient as the KX8's and to my ears show a little bit of straining at times at loud volumes. Tonight I have been listening to The Steven Wilson Yes Remixes (first plays as the set arrived today) and the amp does like this kind of music. To me at least this has been a great piece and introduction to tube amps but I have been thinking of moving up to something with more power to run some of other speakers that I own.

 

Moving up, that's my question. My friend has the Monoprice and it's just proven buzzy and finicky enough that he wants the next step up, say in the $500-700 price range. Does anyone have recommendations for what that next step up is?

 

Yaqin MC-13S. Huge step up.

 

Ditto. Yaqin MC-13S is huge step up & not expensive on ebay.

 

His girlfriend picked up a used Jolida JD-202BRC with some upgraded tubes. We'll see if he feels properly upgraded or not.

 

He feels very upgraded, with adding the remote control as well. The Monoprice is a solid state output stage, so it's tube in the preamp only. Having 40wpc of tube output is that much more of an upgrade. Overall the system sounded rounded a bit dull to me, but that could be his B&W bookshelf speakers, or the cartridge, or the recording, etc.

 

My upgrade was the Elekit TU-8200DX as recommended in another thread. Soldering it together as we speak. Now I'm on the merry-go-round for sure!