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Douk Audio H7 Amplifier Review

Rate this stereo amplifier

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 17 7.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 81 34.2%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 121 51.1%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 18 7.6%

  • Total voters
    237

Doodski

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hi, i just got the h7. does it use op amps? do u know the type? have u had experience with sparkos op amps? how in the world do u take the lid off the case. i've gotten it partly out but it seems i'm not doing it right. before i break something i wanted to check with someone who has already done it.
I was joking about all the various OP amps to roll. :D But I'll humor you for educational purposes for you. There are a few OP amps that could be rolled. Some of them are the balanced differential section, others are for buffers and other stuff. Have funnnn. :D
zzzzzzz 20230214_193155.jpg
 

arancano

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I was joking about all the various OP amps to roll. :D But I'll humor you for educational purposes for you. There are a few OP amps that could be rolled. Some of them are the balanced differential section, others are for buffers and other stuff. Have funnnn. :D
View attachment 284497
Wow, it's overwhelming. Do you which one does amplification duties? I might guess it's the two to the left of the bank of eight capacitors, and above the 4. I'm still waiting for someone who might tell me the trick to getting the top of the case removed.
 

arancano

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Thanks, Doodski. That one looks more like a centipede. The ones I've seen as replacements have six or eight legs. I found this:

Op-Amp Functionality
Op amps are voltage-amplifying devices designed to be used with external feedback components—resistors and capacitors—that are situated between their output and input terminals.

I don't know how helpful that description is in identification. I was looking at your picture and amplified it trying to see which of the ones circled are replaceable without soldering. Unless they are, I'm not grabbing for my soldering iron :)
 

Doodski

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I was looking at your picture and amplified it trying to see which of the ones circled are replaceable without soldering. Unless they are, I'm not grabbing for my soldering iron :)
All the OP amps are soldered to the PCB. :D
 

arancano

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I am now using a Douk Audio H7 and an H8. They are fed by a Denafrips Pontus and they feed a pair of Sonus Faber Lumina II speakers. The sound is fantastic. I no longer need to use EQ on my records or streams, except on poorly recorded tracks that feature very good performances. You may find it hard to believe, but they displaced in my main and secondary systems a PS Audio BHK amp and preamp, and in my secondary system a Schiit Freya S and Schiit Aegir. They really sound that good, transparent, smooth, great tonality and instrument separation, and wonderful dynamics.

They do rely on a good source. The Denafrips Pontus DAC feeding off a Denafrips Iris DDC is an awesome combo, and perhaps they make the difference. I had a PS Audio Directstream DAC and a Burson Conductor 3XR but they don't measure up to the Denafrips Pontus in my system. Perhaps another reason for the exceptional performance is that I bi-wire. Bi-wiring does not always have a positive impact. With the Douk Audio and Sonus Faber speakers it does. Quite noticeably the base tightens, there is greater midrange clarity, and high end extension without brightness. Bi-wiring works equally well when I use my Heco Aurora 1000 speakers.

I did not buy the Douk Audio products expecting much. I've come away really knowing firsthand that price and performance don't necessarily go together. We may know that intellectually, but hearing the Douk Audio units is at first shocking and later immensely satisfying. I'm glad I took the chance, even though taking a chance is hardly a good characterization since I could have returned both units to Amazon at no cost. I urge you to consider both units. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
 
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375HP2482

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Jan 13, 2020
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It's just a cheap Chinese moving coil meter strapped on the front panel just for fun. Don't take it seriously. After all, the 'amplifier' is just a teenage kid's toy in the first place.
"A teenage kid's toy"? I doubt if your ears -- or anyone else's -- could tell the difference between this amplifier operating within its limits and a Benchmark at the same power level.

I understand ASR is all about treating audio devices scientifically. Which is not the same as expecting scientific lab-type performance, though some here seem to think so. It is worthwhile to occasionally point out the human limitations associated with these units.

Those actual meters (I have some here- they are made by the millions in China) are incapable of any accuracy or repeatability regardless of how you drive them. Their DCR coil resistance varies from 600R to 650R. They require between 250uA to 290uA to indicate 0dB and are not remotely linear or even return with reliability to the last position you mechanically zeroed them to.
250 uA to 290 uA? So, plus or minus 0.7 dB on a small nonlogarithmic meter? Even at near fullscale one would have to peer closely side by side to notice that, don't you think?
 

OldRoadToad

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Hello the house!

After having read the initial review and many of the comments here I...Ordered one of these Douk Amps. I like VU Meters because I am olde and that is what I grew up with. Looks matter and those that claim otherwise are trying too hard to be "hard".

Regardless, I will use it in my garage gym setup with my Emotiva XDA-2 and powered sub and a pair of Jamo S805 teensie-weensie towers. I like the looks of the XDA-2 (blue lights!) and it has plenty of digital inputs and a balanced output which is also nice looking to my eyes. Sources will be a HEOS Link, Sony 200 Disc player and a Grace Digital Link.

To all concerned, thanks for the review and commentary!

ORT
 

Kip

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Mar 11, 2023
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"A teenage kid's toy"? I doubt if your ears -- or anyone else's -- could tell the difference between this amplifier operating within its limits and a Benchmark at the same power level.

I understand ASR is all about treating audio devices scientifically. Which is not the same as expecting scientific lab-type performance, though some here seem to think so. It is worthwhile to occasionally point out the human limitations associated with these units.


250 uA to 290 uA? So, plus or minus 0.7 dB on a small nonlogarithmic meter? Even at near fullscale one would have to peer closely side by side to notice that, don't you think?
I find it fascinating how difficult it is to fish out if the two of you agree or disagree about how seriously a VU meter should be taken.
 

OldRoadToad

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The H7 arrived yesterday and I immediately put it into my garage setup. It looks great and works equally well. I like VU Meters and the Douk ST-01 it replaced as a similar one. For those that say a VU Meter such as this one has no real purpose? Pfffft! maybe for you but it makes me smile with memories of decades long past. If you do not care for that BFD.

And now for how it "sounds"! Sinatra is Sinatra. Ella? She is Ella. Ad perfectum. For me. It is easily more powerful sounding in my totally toadish measurement taken by setting the volume matched "exactly" to what the ST-01 looked like on its dial.

Fortunately I had a dual RCA cable for the subwoofer as I used a mini-jack to RCA with the ST-01. I also ran the sub out of the SE outputs on the XDA-2 instead of on the H7.

I like equipment as it is the means by which I listen to music and watch films. I think, not feeeeeeeel, that looks matter and class is better than ass. The Douk H7 receives 2 non-opposable webbed thumbs up from me. Emotiva has a new XDA-3 which I have long waited for but the -2 I have is excellent but if any here have thoughts or a review on the new XDA-3 I would very much appreciate any comments or a link. Why? Because I like equipment and if I can find a genuine use and can afford it I may well buy one down the road.

In all ways and or always, be well. And again, thank you for this review which one of my brothers brought me to by way of his enthusiasm for this site.

ORT
 

Charger

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I've upped the power supply to my Douk H7 to a 48v 5a brick, and this has resulted in a nice increase in oomph at higher volumes. Im pretty happy with my Douk H7 and H8 setup, and ive just added a T80 tone controller.
 

Power Pop 23

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I've upped the power supply to my Douk H7 to a 48v 5a brick, and this has resulted in a nice increase in oomph at higher volumes. Im pretty happy with my Douk H7 and H8 setup, and ive just added a T80 tone controller.
Does the enclosure of your Douk H7 become noticeably warmer when powered by the 48v 5a power supply instead of the included 32v power supply ?
 

Cgs0409

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I have a Douk ST-01 Pro and I like it. It pushes my Klipsch RP-160M speakers with no problems. I did upgrade the tubes and that really woke it up. But I’m really interested in getting two Fosi V3 mono amps.
 
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