Best TUBE integrated amp under $1,000

Just FYI, I decided to double my budget and picked up a Rogue Cronus Magnum. Incredible! Best audio decision I've made.

I didn't want to invest a $1,000 and worry about something being shipped from Asia, or about service issues.

If I had stayed at $1,000, I was going to go with a Jolida 502 from Wally.
 
wow, nice amp you have there

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55WPC Cronus Integrated $1,895
90WPC Cronus Magnum $2,195

- Remote volume control included
- 20Hz-30Khz bandwidth
- EL-34 output tubes, (3) 12AU7,
(2)12AX7 small signal tubes
- Phono section gain 35dB (before preamp)

- (3) line level inputs, (1) phono input
- (1) variable output, (1) fixed output
- Headphone amplifier
- 4 and 8 ohm taps
- Optional cover ($125)
- 18” W X 17.5” D X 5.5” H
- 50 lbs (55lbs shipping weight)

:worthless
 
Yaqin MC-100B. Under $750 delivered to my door - make sure to buy it from the guy in Canada. He sells on eBay, offers one year parts+labor warranty, 3 year labor warranty, and 90 day tube warranty.

I've had mine for 3 years now, and it's operated flawlessly - except for one blown KT88. But I was running my bias on the high end. Turned it down a dash and haven't had a problem sicne. I absolutely LOVE this amp, it sounds amazing. It's the best budget amp out there, and it will hold its own with anything costing 3x as much.


Charles.
 
It may be a little above the $1000 range but I got a mingda mc34-ab. I can say after several months of burn in it sounds very very good. Symbols shimmer and voices have a different quality to them. It's hard to explain,voices almost sound deeper but they're not. It's like they are in the room with you. You would have to hear it. I think it may be what they call bravado but I'm not sure. I have some vintage tube gear but it don't compare to this amp, live recordings sound like your at the venue and no matter how complicated or busy the music gets you can clearly hear every detail in the music. you can listen to the most complicated jazz and can pick out the drummers stick slightly touching the rim of the drums while it's all going crazy. Not even in the same ball park to anything else I've ever heard.
 
Talk me in from the ledge

I want to take the plunge into a tube amp, but I have a general question first. Let's assume it's the most basic version of an integrated amp....i.e. it has a volume knob. The first thing I do when listening to anything with a receiver is to adjust the bass and treble knobs up from 0 gain. Am I wrongly assuming that 0 gain is the closest sound to the way the record was produced? With volume only control, it is being sent to the speakers from the amp the way it was recorded right? Question is, how do you get over wanting some records more or less bass and treble infused with no control? How does a tube pre-amp with volume only's signal differ from a receiver with freq's nulled? I know that the null setting is midpoint on a receiver, not all the way to the left.
Thanks in advance for the help and time.
Jeff
 
My tube amp has only volume and i was worried about the same thing and at first it was very thin sounding. I put my sub on it to get the low end but after several months the tubes and caps have burned in and it has very good low end. it goes way deeper than with tone controls set to 0. I think that when there is no tone controls it just lets all the bass and treble through. I still use my sub but I just love the bass. By the way I always used the sub with the S/S gear that had tone controls too. you will love it. Look into ming da because they have made transformers for other tube amp company's for years and just recently started making tube amps. If you think about it they make the most expensive part there self, so they can make a better product for way less money. One guy who did a review on the mc34ab said the iron alone should cost more than the whole amp does. Just a thought they make just preamps too. My amp ways 80 lbs with the remote power supply included.
 
Yes Ming Da are well known for the quality of their transformers and it definitely shows! I have an Icon Audio version and I am amazed at the way they build the things, The three dimensional point to point wiring they use is a work of art, has to be seen to be believed!
 
Yes Ming Da are well known for the quality of their transformers and it definitely shows! I have an Icon Audio version and I am amazed at the way they build the things, The three dimensional point to point wiring they use is a work of art, has to be seen to be believed!

Most well established brands of tube amps from China build their own transformers in-house: hand wound with high grade cooper. Smaller brands will source transformers from 3rd party and this gets tricky - some use recycled copper, some use 2nd hand silicon steel from used gear, some use strange oil / resin to damp the transformer and cause terrible smell when the transformer heats up. All of these are behind the scene and you cannot tell from an eBay listing. So buyer be aware.
 
I'm gravitating towards either the Rogue Audio 55w Cronus integrated, or the Prima Luna Prologue Two integrated. I like the Rogue because you get a phono input and pre-amp along with a headphone jack and obviously amp. Additionally the Rogue has exposed power supply's. The PL is a little more "art nouveau" looking and it has the Adaptive Autobias feature.....So I guess it's just a matter of matching them up with my Crites modified Klipsch Chorus I's to see which I prefer.
 
I want to take the plunge into a tube amp, but I have a general question first. Let's assume it's the most basic version of an integrated amp....i.e. it has a volume knob. The first thing I do when listening to anything with a receiver is to adjust the bass and treble knobs up from 0 gain. Am I wrongly assuming that 0 gain is the closest sound to the way the record was produced? With volume only control, it is being sent to the speakers from the amp the way it was recorded right? Question is, how do you get over wanting some records more or less bass and treble infused with no control? How does a tube pre-amp with volume only's signal differ from a receiver with freq's nulled? I know that the null setting is midpoint on a receiver, not all the way to the left.
Thanks in advance for the help and time.
Jeff
Try a complete (vintage console gut out purchase cheap magnavox = 9302 amp and its matching preamp with its tuner and bass and treble controls.)
 
McIntosh Ma-230

The Mcintosh Ma-230 sounds fantastic to me. Used to be able to score these for around $800 but they seem to be going for a lot more lately.
 
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