[Skip to the last three paragraphs if you want to skip my related story]
As some of you figured out from my first post here as ASR about my history with tube gear, I am a hopeless audio gear-changer who started this crazy hobby in 1958. Now I am a 76 y/o American expat who lives on a limited retirement income in the mountains of western Panama, and I have an powerful urge to get a new tube amp.
This a land of flaky 120v mains power with many up and down voltage fluctuations, and frequent nasty lightning. Surge protectors and CVR (Constant Voltage Regulation) - even good units like APS and Tripplite - are not a 100% guarantee of protection. I lost my cable modem, router, and $180 APS UPS last year after a lightning strike hit the utility pole next door as I was looking out my window above my desk. My excellent little Teac A-H01 25wpd Icepower DAC/Amp died a few months ago, and I think it might have been affected by the mains power issues and/or the lightning strike - which probably sent a massive surge into my system via the ISP cable. (It also damaged the main breaker at the electric meter.)
So, with my limited budget and recent unplanned expenses, I had no DAC, but used my crappy little Lepai 12wpc T-amp with the analog audio out of my Intel NUC HTPC box. I did an upgrade to an SMSL Q5 Pro DAC/amp a couple of months ago, and fro driving my Paradigm Atom v6 monitors, it's not bad. But my budget is improving, and I want to upgrade a bit more.
So, not being able to currently afford the Topping D50 DAC ($200)+ Dignity Audio 6SN7 preamp ($400, and an Audiophonics Hypex power amp (85wpc@8Ω - $400) , that currently has my attention, I looked at purchasing a Monoprice 50wpc (32wpc@Ω - $200) and a used SMSL Sanskrit 6th DAC ($80).
On Friday, I went to Amazon's U.S. website, and quickly found the 50wpc hybrid amplifier (sold by Monoprice). I added it to my "shopping list" for purchase in August. When I went back to the Amazon Friday evening to look at adding some cables, the item was gone - all information about the Monoprice 25w and 50w hybrid amplifiers is absolutely deleted and purged from Amazon with not even an "item currently unavailable" listing remaining. All of the other Mnoprice and vacuum tube amplifier listings seem to still be up at Amazon - except for Monoprice tube gear. Do a Google search for monoprice tube and you will find many links to Amazon - but now they all lead to a "Sorry, we couldn't find that page" message.
According to Wikipedia:
So then, Monoprice is a retailer/wholesaler, not a manufacturer, and seems to have a decent reputation. The subject hybrid amps - (I have no clue who manufactures them in China, but they are available from many sources with many many differend brand names slapped on them) are still available at the Monoprice online store. Plus, they sell A/V/computer cables at ridiculously low prices.
As some of you figured out from my first post here as ASR about my history with tube gear, I am a hopeless audio gear-changer who started this crazy hobby in 1958. Now I am a 76 y/o American expat who lives on a limited retirement income in the mountains of western Panama, and I have an powerful urge to get a new tube amp.
This a land of flaky 120v mains power with many up and down voltage fluctuations, and frequent nasty lightning. Surge protectors and CVR (Constant Voltage Regulation) - even good units like APS and Tripplite - are not a 100% guarantee of protection. I lost my cable modem, router, and $180 APS UPS last year after a lightning strike hit the utility pole next door as I was looking out my window above my desk. My excellent little Teac A-H01 25wpd Icepower DAC/Amp died a few months ago, and I think it might have been affected by the mains power issues and/or the lightning strike - which probably sent a massive surge into my system via the ISP cable. (It also damaged the main breaker at the electric meter.)
So, with my limited budget and recent unplanned expenses, I had no DAC, but used my crappy little Lepai 12wpc T-amp with the analog audio out of my Intel NUC HTPC box. I did an upgrade to an SMSL Q5 Pro DAC/amp a couple of months ago, and fro driving my Paradigm Atom v6 monitors, it's not bad. But my budget is improving, and I want to upgrade a bit more.
So, not being able to currently afford the Topping D50 DAC ($200)+ Dignity Audio 6SN7 preamp ($400, and an Audiophonics Hypex power amp (85wpc@8Ω - $400) , that currently has my attention, I looked at purchasing a Monoprice 50wpc (32wpc@Ω - $200) and a used SMSL Sanskrit 6th DAC ($80).
On Friday, I went to Amazon's U.S. website, and quickly found the 50wpc hybrid amplifier (sold by Monoprice). I added it to my "shopping list" for purchase in August. When I went back to the Amazon Friday evening to look at adding some cables, the item was gone - all information about the Monoprice 25w and 50w hybrid amplifiers is absolutely deleted and purged from Amazon with not even an "item currently unavailable" listing remaining. All of the other Mnoprice and vacuum tube amplifier listings seem to still be up at Amazon - except for Monoprice tube gear. Do a Google search for monoprice tube and you will find many links to Amazon - but now they all lead to a "Sorry, we couldn't find that page" message.
According to Wikipedia:
"Monoprice is an American online retailer that sells generic-branded consumer electronics under its namesake private label, as well as name brand consumer electronics and outdoor equipment. The company is based in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The office and shipping operations are run out of a 173,000 square-foot warehouse. Monoprice has grown to a $120 million-a-year business.
So then, Monoprice is a retailer/wholesaler, not a manufacturer, and seems to have a decent reputation. The subject hybrid amps - (I have no clue who manufactures them in China, but they are available from many sources with many many differend brand names slapped on them) are still available at the Monoprice online store. Plus, they sell A/V/computer cables at ridiculously low prices.