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#17422 - 02/20/08 12:08 AM YAQIN VK-2100 Hybrid Tube Integrated Stereo Amplifier
Alexandru Mihaita Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 04/17/07
Posts: 132
Loc: Springfield, PA
Does anybody know anything about this amp?
There is an entire family of Yaqin products which seem interesting, at the bottom of the eBay page...

Here there are even more pictures.

Thank you very much
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Alex

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#17423 - 02/20/08 01:37 AM Re: YAQIN VK-2100 Hybrid Tube Integrated Stereo Amplifier
psyprof1 Offline
Desperado

Registered: 09/10/05
Posts: 443
Loc: Santa Barbara, CA
The only Yaqin product I have any experience with is the single-tube buffer. All Yaqin products are made in China and the others I've looked at on their home page strike me as (a) rather expensive and (b) not very adaptable for home theater use.

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#17424 - 02/20/08 01:47 AM Re: YAQIN VK-2100 Hybrid Tube Integrated Stereo Amplifier
E'pin Sen Ob Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 05/04/05
Posts: 226
Loc: USA
They're billed as being a UK based company. However, I am uncertain as to just how trustworthy this claim is as it just seems wrong somehow. Something about them just doesn't sound right. Maybe it's their amp Ha. Anyway, the going rate for one of these beauties is about $280 - $299 new in the box. To be honest I have not actually heard one in person but maybe someone else here has.
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#17425 - 02/20/08 02:54 AM Re: YAQIN VK-2100 Hybrid Tube Integrated Stereo Amplifier
Altec Offline
Desperado

Registered: 01/06/08
Posts: 334
The front of the amp looks great but if you look at the chassis from the back, it looks very cheesy and mid-fi. I dunno, the specifications look OK, the output devices are known to be good (if they're genuine), but it's hard to say for sure without actually putting one on the bench, and looking at the build quality in person.

The Chinese are notorious for counterfeiting parts from known reputable manufacturers - I'm battling a design right now which has tons of fake Texas Instruments ICs in a device made in China.

Personally, I'd probably steer away from it unless you can afford to part with the money in return for questionable value and performance.

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#17426 - 02/20/08 04:00 PM Re: YAQIN VK-2100 Hybrid Tube Integrated Stereo Amplifier
Alexandru Mihaita Offline
Gunslinger

Registered: 04/17/07
Posts: 132
Loc: Springfield, PA
Thank you very much for your input, it really helps me quench my thirst for a "deal". Albeit I know that good things are expensive, I also know that a lot of them are ridiculously overpriced, thus not always something cheap has to be bad, especially if the middleman is cut off. I always wondered how much an amp sold officially in US and manufactured in China costs "at the factory gate". Probably a small fraction...
The Chinese guys are, though, the champions of bootlegging and the eBay deals with them ought to be taken carefully, more like lottery.
But again, there are some satisfied customers out there, if one were to believe the feedback the seller got.
The Yaqin buffer seems to be very good as well, as some fellow Outlaws are pointing out.
No wonder I'm torn...

Nevertheless, I'll steer clear.

Thank you
_________________________
Alex

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#17427 - 02/22/08 03:52 AM Re: YAQIN VK-2100 Hybrid Tube Integrated Stereo Amplifier
psyprof1 Offline
Desperado

Registered: 09/10/05
Posts: 443
Loc: Santa Barbara, CA
As for being a UK-based company, the amplifier is a product of the "Guang dong Yaqin electronic factory Shiwan Foshan", as can clearly be read when you magnify the photo of the rear of the unit. That sounds Chinese to me. This is not necessarily a dealbreaker, and I contributed to this discussion with my praise of their tube buffer. But looking at the other pictures in magnified form, I see no phono input (no problem for many of you but it would be for me), no balance control, no remote control, and a price of around $520 depending on the pound-dollar exchange rate. There are no specs except the rated power output. I'd look elsewhere.

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