Post by Timn8ter on Feb 25, 2005 4:20:27 GMT 7
Ming Da MC34-A Integrated Stereo Amp
Purchased via the Internet and shipped directly from Hong Kong to USA.
www.cattylink.com/PRO-MC34-A.htm
Price: USD450 plus USD150 for shipping
Specs:
35 watt per channel
0.8% THD
frequency response 20 – 40kHz
Tubes:
EL34 x 4
12AU7 x 2
12AX7 x 2
Having heard other tube and solid state amps I decided that for a music only 2 channel system I preferred the sound of tubes. Problem was that I’m always changing speakers as part of my business so I needed something that could handle speakers with efficiency as low as 80db and had 4 ohm and 8 ohm taps. I also needed something fairly inexpensive. Most of my searching led me to amplifiers costing thousands of dollars and many of those didn’t possess the output power that I needed. Then I came across the name MingDa on Audio Asylum and after some investigation decided that the EL-34 based MC34-A integrated stereo amp would meet my needs. Ordering from Hong Kong for the first time made me a little nervous but I decided it was worth the risk. Not many people had purchased a MingDa or Meixing amp in the USA, especially on the Internet, so I was being a pioneer of sorts.
I placed my order and waited about 4 weeks for delivery. The amp arrived in perfect condition and due to the seller’s practice of running burn-in tests and adjusting the bias it was ready to play.
The first thing I noticed when I picked up the amp is that it’s HEAVY. No light weight transformers in this unit and point to point wiring, no circuit boards. Another nice feature is the protective “cage” that is included. It’s not shown in the picture on the Cattylink website but is a beautiful chrome and Plexiglas unit that fits into holes in the chassis keeping curious fingers away from the hot tubes and yet allows enough air flow to prevent overheating. The RCA connectors are all gold plated as are the speaker wire terminals which accept bare wire or spades.
On my first listening session I heard the sound I was looking for. Full of life and ambience with a 3 dimensional quality. The most surprising thing is the amount of bass this “low power” amp can produce. In side by side comparisons with solid state amps boasting 85 or even 120 watts per channel the MC34-A is vastly superior in low frequency reproduction. That is not to say there are not solid state amps that can do this, it’s just that they cost considerably more money. Mid-range and high frequency reproduction is just as satisfying.
The shortcomings of this amp are common to all tube amps. Long warm-up time, lots of heat and low damping factor. There are some speakers that it just can’t handle and the bass can get “wooly”. For these situations I rely on my Sansui AU-710. In looking at the components it could benefit from some upgrades to the caps and connectors but for now I’m very happy with my purchase and feel that I got a bargain buying direct.
Purchased via the Internet and shipped directly from Hong Kong to USA.
www.cattylink.com/PRO-MC34-A.htm
Price: USD450 plus USD150 for shipping
Specs:
35 watt per channel
0.8% THD
frequency response 20 – 40kHz
Tubes:
EL34 x 4
12AU7 x 2
12AX7 x 2
Having heard other tube and solid state amps I decided that for a music only 2 channel system I preferred the sound of tubes. Problem was that I’m always changing speakers as part of my business so I needed something that could handle speakers with efficiency as low as 80db and had 4 ohm and 8 ohm taps. I also needed something fairly inexpensive. Most of my searching led me to amplifiers costing thousands of dollars and many of those didn’t possess the output power that I needed. Then I came across the name MingDa on Audio Asylum and after some investigation decided that the EL-34 based MC34-A integrated stereo amp would meet my needs. Ordering from Hong Kong for the first time made me a little nervous but I decided it was worth the risk. Not many people had purchased a MingDa or Meixing amp in the USA, especially on the Internet, so I was being a pioneer of sorts.
I placed my order and waited about 4 weeks for delivery. The amp arrived in perfect condition and due to the seller’s practice of running burn-in tests and adjusting the bias it was ready to play.
The first thing I noticed when I picked up the amp is that it’s HEAVY. No light weight transformers in this unit and point to point wiring, no circuit boards. Another nice feature is the protective “cage” that is included. It’s not shown in the picture on the Cattylink website but is a beautiful chrome and Plexiglas unit that fits into holes in the chassis keeping curious fingers away from the hot tubes and yet allows enough air flow to prevent overheating. The RCA connectors are all gold plated as are the speaker wire terminals which accept bare wire or spades.
On my first listening session I heard the sound I was looking for. Full of life and ambience with a 3 dimensional quality. The most surprising thing is the amount of bass this “low power” amp can produce. In side by side comparisons with solid state amps boasting 85 or even 120 watts per channel the MC34-A is vastly superior in low frequency reproduction. That is not to say there are not solid state amps that can do this, it’s just that they cost considerably more money. Mid-range and high frequency reproduction is just as satisfying.
The shortcomings of this amp are common to all tube amps. Long warm-up time, lots of heat and low damping factor. There are some speakers that it just can’t handle and the bass can get “wooly”. For these situations I rely on my Sansui AU-710. In looking at the components it could benefit from some upgrades to the caps and connectors but for now I’m very happy with my purchase and feel that I got a bargain buying direct.
