Reisong A10 EL34 Hi-Fi Audio Stereo Tube Amplifier Single-end Class - A Review

[SIY]

Lousy equipment is dumped on because it's lousy equipment. It remains true that one can make a good tube amp. One can make a cheap tube amp. One cannot make a good, cheap tube amp. It is a physical impossibility in 2021, no matter how much one tries to rationalize it. A decent output transformer alone will cost more than the retail price of the amp. @Schollaudio will be familiar with this.

Coincidentally, I have a tube preamp on my bench at the moment that uses input and output transformers, but is cheap. Guess what? Yep.

 

[Winvieh]

Well, right or not.

I have changed from SS equipment from GB company Cyrus in an biamping arangement including a preamp (without phono) to the simple Reisong A12, which is very close to the A10, and i'm very happy with the new one.

Simple and straight, enough punch with my Klipsch La Scala from 1978.
I do not need something better, not a better transformer or something else.
Ok, sometimes i miss the remote.

Of course, i did some tube rolling, but this is like a smal adjustment in sound.

I also removed the preamp, only two ways are in use, the phono with EAR 834P and dac with Allo boss2.
Do not ask me if i compare the cost of Cyrus to Reisong. The Reisong gives much room for buying a lot of vinyl.

Regards Winnie.

 

[Tallfathins]

Well, right or not.

I have changed from SS equipment from GB company Cyrus in an biamping arangement including a preamp (without phono) to the simple Reisong A12, which is very close to the A10, and i'm very happy with the new one.

Simple and straight, enough punch with my Klipsch La Scala from 1978.
I do not need something better, not a better transformer or something else.
Ok, sometimes i miss the remote.

Of course, i did some tube rolling, but this is like a smal adjustment in sound.

I also removed the preamp, only two ways are in use, the phono with EAR 834P and dac with Allo boss2.
Do not ask me if i compare the cost of Cyrus to Reisong. The Reisong gives much room for buying a lot of vinyl.

Regards Winnie.

I received my A12 a month back . I am running Focal Aria 906's . Initially I was not completely satisfied with overall presentation but last week I replaced 12ax7 stock tubes with Tung Sol and it made a huge difference to me . The mids and higher mids have opened up and I could experience the holographic sound stage. May I ask what changes have you done in the tubes and what was your experience ? cheers !

 

[Winvieh]

I received my A12 a month back . I am running Focal Aria 906's . Initially I was not completely satisfied with overall presentation but last week I replaced 12ax7 stock tubes with Tung Sol and it made a huge difference to me . The mids and higher mids have opened up and I could experience the holographic sound stage. May I ask what changes have you done in the tubes and what was your experience ? cheers ! Yes, it's also my experience. The change of the input tubes does a lot, the power tubes not so much. The stock input tubes are too bright and muffy for me. gold lion or tung sol are fine. The 7025 (low noise) is ok, but i think there is not enough gain. One major thing is the coupling condensor, between the 12ax7 and el 34,it is a 0.15 (0.22) uF / 400 V. Spend some money and buy a very good one. here in germany mundorf supreme is a good choice. This opens the room and sounds well. Regards Winnnie. [/QUOTE]

 

[Dagwood]

Tube amps can be much better than this, as you are well aware.

Stop raining on peoples parade!

 

[Tallfathins]

Thanks a ton. I am in Auckland, NZ. Would try and find out a technician nearby who can get it done for me. Would keep posted. Cheers

 

[SIY]

@Winvieh Coupling cap has zero effect, legend and superstition notwithstanding. Tube changes, slightly possible but highly unlikely.

 

[pma]

Tube amps can be much better than this, as you are well aware.

Yes but comparing well designed SS power amplifier to well designed tube power amplifier, the SS amplifier will always have better parameters.
There is not a single engineering and technical reason why to prefer tube power amplifiers. The only reasons are emotions and nostalgia. Interestingly found at someone who displays his scientific approach .

 

[SIY]

Yes but comparing well designed SS power amplifier to well designed tube power amplifier, the SS amplifier will always have better parameters.
There is not a single engineering and technical reason why to prefer tube power amplifiers. The only reasons are emotions and nostalgia. Interestingly found at someone who displays his scientific approach .

Depends on the definition of “better.”

 

[dumpingg]

Just touching back into the thread here after a absence. I am still enjoying listening to my A10. In my setup the A10 is a second system to play with and experiment with tubes for fun. This is a measurement forum, so my review focused on measurements (good or bad). As my measurements demonstrated, the A10 is a low cost tube amp with resulting potentially low cost components and measurement graphs that look problematic. However because of it's low cost I could afford to play and experiment with it as a second system so it served my needs perfectly. I do listen to it frequently especially with jazz and vocal type music.

 

[Winvieh]

@Winvieh Coupling cap has zero effect, legend and superstition notwithstanding. Tube changes, slightly possible but highly unlikely.

The stock capacitors are not so bad, but the Mundorf quality is much above. Compare not the measurement, compare the room resulting. Yes, they need a burn in.
Regards Winnie.

 

[SIY]

The stock capacitors are not so bad, but the Mundorf quality is much above. Compare not the measurement, compare the room resulting. Yes, they need a burn in.
Regards Winnie.

Burning the caps will release toxic gases, not a good idea.

 

[TheoN]

@SIY You are a Master Contributor and a Technical Expert. You suck as a communicator. Work on that and you might be perfect.

 

[SIY]

@SIY You are a Master Contributor and a Technical Expert. You suck as a communicator. Work on that and you might be perfect.

Think of me as a Navajo blanket.

 

[Winvieh]

A techncal expert should know what burn in means. Sorry about. I do not continue this. Bye

 

[SIY]

A techncal expert should know what burn in means. Sorry about. I do not continue this. Bye

It is an irrelevant concept in this context. It’s sad that someone has stuck incorrect ideas into your mind. I have hope that you will investigate this further and straighten out your thinking.

 

[NoelSmart]

Thank you all for this review, measurements, and all of the discussion. It’s helped me understand possibly what makes this amp sound so great to me and others here.

Perhaps we are interpreting measurements incorrectly or measuring the wrong parameters when we seek a flat frequency response with no distortion. Live music, especially loud, has distortion and environmental reverberations. Our ears naturally attenuate or accentuate different frequencies based on volume. A piece of equipment with a flat frequency response and no distortion measured on a bench may be technically accurate, but that does not mean it is perceptually accurate. The progressively attenuated highs and harmonic distortion of single ended triode tube amplification brings a perceptual realism to the source which is very engaging at any volume.

The A10 does a fantastic job at exactly this for a bargain price when paired with high sensitivity speakers. I have several range topping pieces of solid state gear from Cambridge, Yamaha, and Music Hall. Every time I hook them up I switch right back to the Reisong. They all sound great at loud live levels, but the Reisong sounds great at any listening level. The sound of this amp draws me into the music more than anything else I’ve heard, and that’s what our hobby is really about.

 

[SIY]

A piece of equipment with a flat frequency response and no distortion measured on a bench may be technically accurate, but that does not mean it is perceptually accurate.

Yes it does. It does exactly that. There is no evidence whatsoever that a piece of electronics with good measurements and being used within its design range is audible when inserted into a signal chain. None. Yet people have been recycling these unsupported claims for 40 years, at least.

 

[NoelSmart]

Yes it does. It does exactly that. There is no evidence whatsoever that a piece of electronics with good measurements and being used within its design range is audible when inserted into a signal chain. None. Yet people have been recycling these unsupported claims for 40 years, at least.

Correct. My point is equipment with “poor measurements” can result in a pleasing presentation of the source material which can add realism despite not being technically accurate.

 

[SIY]

Correct. My point is equipment with “poor measurements” can result in a pleasing presentation of the source material which can add realism despite not being technically accurate.

Evidence?