D5PRO BC - inspired from Dartzeel NHB-108 - endgame amp or?

[fmdelight]

I have been reading rave reviews on Hi Fi Zone YouTube channel and Audiokarma regarding the ChFi D5PRO BC power amplifier, Musical Fidelity A1 clone power amplifier, Cary SLP 90 clone tube pre-amp and the C-2860+ solid state pre-amp inspired from Accuphase. So much so that I ended up buying them from Aliexpress. They recommend upgrading the tubes in the Cary SLP 90 clone pre-amp to PSVANE 12AU7-s, I also bought them.

All in all I think they sound good. I am no big audiophile though and maybe I have no real comparison even though I also own an Onkyo A-8690, Marantz PM6005 and 6006, Denon AVR 1804 among others. I use Dali Concept 6 and Paradigm Monitor 9v5 speakers. I also ordered a dual mono ZeroZone TPA3255 D class amplifier, will receive it soon.

Any chance others here on ASR have any of these and did any measurements on them?

Here are the products. Thank you

1. D5PRO Power Amplifier
2. Accuphase C-2860+ Pre-amplifier (Solid State)
3. Cary SLP-90 Tube Pre-amplifier
4. Musical Fidelity Class A Power Amplifier A1

 

[Iluzun]

Those r some nice components, can you share your findings? Recommendation's?

 

[fmdelight]

Yes, they are.
In the meantime I also received the dual mono ZeroZone TPA3255 class D amplifier, and I upgraded its opamps to OPA828, even a better sound!
What can I say, I listen to music almost every day. I am amazed how they perform. Frankly I don't understand why they are being ignored here on ASR, as on many forums and YT channels they are called ones of the best deals in HiFi

I paired up the Transaudio D5PRO BC with C-2860+, the BRZ HiFi A1S with Wiim ultra, and the Zero Zone dual mono TPA 3255 with the tube preamp inspired from Cary SLP 90, this is how I got best results.

I have Dali Concept 6, Paradigm Monitor 9v5 and Focal Cobalt 815 speakers

 

[Alberto11]

These are pretty much exactly what I am thinking about getting, read and saw crazy reviews about them. Thinking about getting the SB Acoustics Ara TX kit paired with either combo you said, most likely Dartzeel + Cary just because HifiZone praised them the most and thus a lot of people tried them. What combo do you like best? How do you like those combos compared to the chain you had before? Is it a big upgrade? Have you tried D5Pro with Cary?
I also saw people with super expensive speakers (5 digits) using the Dartzeel instead of other super expensive amps which says a lot about it in my opinion, also wondering why they don't get talked about more here.

 

[TonyJZX]

i'm in two minds about this

firstly i dont think its cool to 'clone' stuff like that Accuphase but by the same token if all rights have lapsed then... ok?

you will find there's a fair few folks online and even here who have bought aliexpress copies of Goldmund and all kinds of Chinese cloned copies of exotica

you'll find they kind of work ok

but I immediately look at Class A and tubes and turn off... and this place has a huge disdain for preamps

buying off aliexpress for these things is kind of rolling the dice

you dont know if you are getting is exactly as you see it there OR if its the same unit as what youtubers get and of course any future support is zero

this place tends to be pretty conservative... you will see that given so many people will just want people to buy that Yamaha AS701 and perhaps the well supported Chinese stuff like Fosi etc.

but yeah, even to me, aliexpress can be the wild west

further to this, risks and costs have increased... ESPECIALLY now what with whatevers happening with... tariffs

I had a 25kg 55lb amp sent pre covid and i think it cost $100 usd? that era is gone and so i expect anything full width fiull weight to cost a fortune

 

[JeremyFife]

No axe to grind; a few observations

If you want these reviewed on ASR, why not buy them and send them in. That's how reviews work unless manufacturers want to step up and submit equipment directly.

Be careful of fully subjective - YT / 'rave' reviews - if there are no measurements to back up claims then caveat emptor.

Your choice as to what you buy, that's fine.

 

[Mart68]

I read through the thread on AK and seems to me at least some of the buyers of these clones are making some assumptions:

1. That amplifiers have a 'sound' the same way a guitar or a piano has a sound
2. That expensive amplifiers like Accuphase and Dartzeel have a better 'sound' than cheaper offerings
3. That these clones offer a way to get that better 'sound' more inexpensively.

Because assumption 1. is wrong the other two assumptions make no sense.

I suppose if you want an amp that looks a bit like an Accuphase (or whatever) from a distance then fair enough But otherwise, I don't see the point.

 

[fmdelight]

These are pretty much exactly what I am thinking about getting, read and saw crazy reviews about them. Thinking about getting the SB Acoustics Ara TX kit paired with either combo you said, most likely Dartzeel + Cary just because HifiZone praised them the most and thus a lot of people tried them. What combo do you like best? How do you like those combos compared to the chain you had before? Is it a big upgrade? Have you tried D5Pro with Cary?
I also saw people with super expensive speakers (5 digits) using the Dartzeel instead of other super expensive amps which says a lot about it in my opinion, also wondering why they don't get talked about more here.

I like more the combo D5PRO BC/ C-2860+ than D5PRO BC / Cary! Beware that Cary doesn't have tone controls, just volume and selector of input. I did upgrade the tubes inside Cary with 12AU7-S and still I believe C-2860+ is a better preamp

Try to get yours from Sunshine audio, Sengterbelle, Funkenya or another AliExpress store with good reputation, it looks like there are also copies of the clones ha ha.

I don't agree that this is intelectual property theft, the patents on the original equipment is expired anyway

 

[BeeKay]

Not sure if linking to counterfeit brands on dubious internet platforms is compatible with the TOS. The topic of electrical safety and certifications has not even been mentioned yet.

 

[Berwhale]

Not sure if linking to counterfeit brands on dubious internet platforms is compatible with the TOS. The topic of electrical safety and certifications has not even been mentioned yet.

Posting tracking links from the AliExpress Affiliate programme is not cool either. One could assume that the OP is just trying to generate income from ASR...

 

[fmdelight]

D5PRO BC and A1S ran continuously for 400 hours for the burn-in (together with Cary and C-2860+), with 30 minutes break every 8 hours or 12 or 24 hours, depending on my available time, and kept working just fine. Not to mention the many operation hours since the burn-in ... This speaks a bit about the sturdiness of the equipment. The sound quality compared to the price definitely makes this equipment the best deal in hifi

 

[RickS]

I have been reading rave reviews on Hi Fi Zone YouTube channel and Audiokarma regarding the ChFi D5PRO BC power amplifier, Musical Fidelity A1 clone power amplifier, Cary SLP 90 clone tube pre-amp and the C-2860+ solid state pre-amp inspired from Accuphase. So much so that I ended up buying them from Aliexpress. They recommend upgrading the tubes in the Cary SLP 90 clone pre-amp to PSVANE 12AU7-s, I also bought them.

All in all I think they sound good. I am no big audiophile though and maybe I have no real comparison even though I also own an Onkyo A-8690, Marantz PM6005 and 6006, Denon AVR 1804 among others. I use Dali Concept 6 and Paradigm Monitor 9v5 speakers. I also ordered a dual mono ZeroZone TPA3255 D class amplifier, will receive it soon.

Any chance others here on ASR have any of these and did any measurements on them?

Here are the links. Thank you

D5PRO Power Amplifier


Clone Dartzeel NHB-108 Hi-End 300W HiFi Stereo 2.0 Channel D5Pro Amplifier
Price Now: RON 2367.00

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ooe0Ktw

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accuphase C-2860+ Pre-amplifier (Solid State)

Refere to Accuphase C-2860 Plus Fully Balanced Pre amplifier HiFi High Temperature Pre amplifier
Price Now: RON 2535.10 (Original price: RON 2880.81, 12% off)

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCv2Bkk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cary SLP-90 Tube Pre-amplifier

STR12A-Max Reference Cary SLP-90 Clone Circuit ECC82 Vacuum Tube Remote Control Preamplifier HiFi Audio 4 In 1 Out Pre-Amp
Price Now: RON 1374.01

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oFl4vT2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upgrade Tubes for Cary SLP-90: set of 4 pieces 12au7-S


PSVANE Tube Ecc83 Ecc82 Ecc81 El84 12ax7-s 12au7-S 12at7-s El84-s Matching Pair for Vacuum Tube Amplifier Preamplifier HIFI Amp
Price Now: RON 60.71 (Original price: RON 93.39, 35% off)

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oDcxthI

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Musical Fidelity Class A Power Amplifier A1

Clone Musical A1 Pure Class A Power Amplifier HiFi Stereo Dual Channel 20W Home Audio Speaker Sound Amplification
Price Now: RON 1016.08

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_opSrejW

Welcome to ASR!

As ASR policy is to avoid such commercial endorsement, please remove the aliexpress links from your post.

Thanks for your cooperation!

 

[fmdelight]

I would if I could. I can't find the edit button anymore. Please advise. Thank you

 

[RickS]

I would if I could. I can't find the edit button anymore. Please advise. Thank you

Thanks for your cooperation. I will edit for you.

 

[mhardy6647]

I - really, truly - wonder how authentically "cloned" most (perhaps all) of these ostensible clones actually are. In at least individual cases (e.g., the "marantz 7 preamp" clones), the extent of similarity seems pretty tenuous at best.

... and then there's the whole Nail Broth* (or Stone Soup) aspect of these boxes. People buy them and change virtually everything in them, then rave about how good they are (there are several immense threads, e.g., at audiokarma.org). Admittedly, the mongrels that "hobbyists" end up with are cheaper than the real thing... but is it money well spent.
I am (ahem, rather obviously) skeptical.

YT video synopsis: "Needle drop" of Danny Kaye's marvelous retelling of the folk tale known (in this case) as Nail Broth, a tale of stinginess and generosity, recorded in the early 1960s. I hope this video will play in all regions.

 

[Oddeeo]

I am also very curious about these “clones”. I don’t really care if they are an exact copy (actually rather not, since they are old designs).

Some of the ads mention that they develop the clones using an Audio Precision. The idea of having some high end, high current amplification circuits with modern protections at such a low cost is pretty unbelievable. I’m very tempted to buy some just to experiment.

 

[fmdelight]

You are in for a HUGE surprise.
I keep listening to these boxes every day. It is unbelievable how good they sound. The many thousand enthusiasts community created around HiFi Zone YouTube channel for example keeps on commenting every new post/ video in a very pertinent manner. TJ, the guy behind the channel, is an electronics engineer from Poland and I have been exchanging also emails with him. He is very knowledgeable, helpful, friendly

 

[JeremyFife]

If "TJ" is an electronics engineer he should be able to make some basic measurements - those would be interesting to see. Subjective comments, less so.

 

[mhardy6647]

The idea of having some high end, high current amplification circuits with modern protections at such a low cost is pretty unbelievable.

As an old saying has it: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

 

[Mart68]

$As an old saying has it: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

The Darzteel knock-off is £666 delivered (surface shipping, allow 8 to 10 weeks) in the UK, that's about $880 USD. So it's not like they're giving them away.

Whether it meets the claimed spec I don't know but seems to me you could build a competent amp in China for that selling price. Topping seem to manage it.

What I don't see is what's supposed to be special about them.