Totally Tubular: The Tube Thread

Joe Mac said:
I was tempted by a pair of their monoblocks too, until the pair worked out at $12k
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To be fair, the monoblocks are the flagship Decware piece. And they are really only appropriate under certain specific circumstances. All of the other, more flexible Decware stuff is punching above its weight compared to other products in the same category, imo. My problem with the Decware stuff was going down the rabbit hole with their phono preamp, gain stage, step-up transformer, switchbox, etc. THAT was when the total really started to creep up. But this is arguably my end-game system, so I decided to just take the hit all at once, more or less.
 
Bloodlemons said:
To be fair, the monoblocks are the flagship Decware piece. And they are really only appropriate under certain specific circumstances. All of the other, more flexible Decware stuff is punching above its weight compared to other products in the same category, imo. My problem with the Decware stuff was going down the rabbit hole with their phono preamp, gain stage, step-up transformer, switchbox, etc. THAT was when the total really started to creep up. But this is arguably my end-game system, so I decided to just take the hit all at once, more or less.
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I’m not minimising them or saying they’re not worth it! The concept definitely piqued my interest to the point I put them in the basket to see how much they’d overall work out at. I’m not rich enough for that price not to take them completely out of any equation that I’ll ever be computing with!
 
Bloodlemons said:
To be fair, the monoblocks are the flagship Decware piece. And they are really only appropriate under certain specific circumstances. All of the other, more flexible Decware stuff is punching above its weight compared to other products in the same category, imo. My problem with the Decware stuff was going down the rabbit hole with their phono preamp, gain stage, step-up transformer, switchbox, etc. THAT was when the total really started to creep up. But this is arguably my end-game system, so I decided to just take the hit all at once, more or less.
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I think I could be quite happy with a Torii MkIV. 20w/ch sounds just about perfect.
 
Bloodlemons said:
Deets, mon frere?
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Joe Mac said:
I saw the jolida in the sale section! Exciting!
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Jango said:
Oh, do tell...
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AnthonyI said:
We like when people do "Thngs", now spill, lol
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A small thing, all things considered: I've purchased a KingKo KA101 Pro, a Hong-Kong designed 12W push-pull amp of modest pedigree. I've heard great things about it, but the brand only got US representation late last year, so they were not in the running when I bought the JoLida that summer, as I didn't feel comfortable ordering overseas with the potential support complications that might introduce.

I've heard some surprising testimonials (some might say hyperbole) regarding the KingKo, so I'm eager to give it a whirl in my own setup and see how it compares. I'm planning on auditioning the KingKo and JoLida side-by-side once it arrives. Will report back!
 
I should also note that Big Ear Stereo, the reseller for the KingKo, has a demo unit Manley Stingray II for $3095. Too rich for my blood, but I have heard it is a fabulous amp.
 
kvetcha said:
A small thing, all things considered: I've purchased a KingKo KA101 Pro, a Hong-Kong designed 12W push-pull amp of modest pedigree. I've heard great things about it, but the brand only got US representation late last year, so they were not in the running when I bought the JoLida that summer, as I didn't feel comfortable ordering overseas with the potential support complications that might introduce.

I've heard some surprising testimonials (some might say hyperbole) regarding the KingKo, so I'm eager to give it a whirl in my own setup and see how it compares. I'm planning on auditioning the KingKo and JoLida side-by-side once it arrives. Will report back!
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Cool! I have never heard of that one, so I will be interested to hear what you report back. 🍿
 
Bloodlemons said:
Cool! I have never heard of that one, so I will be interested to hear what you report back. 🍿
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Huge grain of salt, but its cheerleaders on the Steve Hoffman forum have said it performs way above its price point, a notch below the Line Magnetic LM219IA, a vastly more expensive amplifier. One of the early adopters in fact sold his LM219IA a couple months after getting the KingKo.

The design and build quality seem solid. Component quality is always a question mark, but the design itself seems straightforward enough that repairs are feasible as long as nothing catastrophic happens.

The gent who designed it is apparently well known in Hong Kong for running an import hi-fi shop and handling repairs for a lot of American brands, so it doesn't seem to be some shady mainland outfit.

I found this thread to be good fun.
 
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The KingKo has arrived! It’s itty-bitty compared to the JoLida.

Too early for serious impressions, but it’s certainly cute, and has no problems cranking in my setup. Going to give it 50-100 hours on the stock Shungang tubes before I start thinking about rolling anything.
 
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