Hey Randy, youve confirmed my thoughts on my T9. One day I’ll get around to comparing it to my Yamaha AS1100. I was gobsmacked when I first heard the T9.(purchased on your recommendation) I could not believe how ballsy it sounded in my bedroom. I played it long & loud when I got it. No problemo. Small, efficient speakers. “She who must be obeyed “ was away for the weekend, so, I was able to give it the beans. I never heard the speakers sound so good. By the way, you called the two amps integrated as they both had on board DACs. This is not technically correct, an integrated amp has a pre amp & a power amp in the one box. ( I’m sure you know this & it was just a gooficalogical error. That’s what they were called a long time when I started in audio & way before DACs were invented. I’m a retired, 30 veteran of the Australian hifi industry.
Totally loving your self-blind comparison testing. Such a novel and effective way - cycle the switch quickly until there is no way you know which one is being played!
Thank you for the excellent comparison and analysis of the two amps. Based on your review of the Aiyima T9, I bought the twin Douk Audio ST-01. The ST-01 is an excellent amp and compares favorably to my Marantz PM6004. I hooked up an old Sony DVD/CD player using the Coax connection and an old pair of Polk R20 speakers. I listen at low to moderate volume and I thoroughly enjoy listening to this set up. Thanks Cheapaudioman!
Based on your previous, initial review of the T-9, I jumped on buying one. I LOVE it. I also compared its sound through my system similarly to you and came to the same results. Thank you, Randy, for providing a real world, down-home comparison and justifying my time, money, and effort to expand my positive listening experience.
Congratulations! You just discovered that modern expensive amps in general are a total rip-off in many cases. Class A, B, A/B and D circuitry designs have been out for decades and the parts are not all that expensive to obtain. There are lots of DIY videos with parts lists and circuit board designs to build you own amps for less than $300 in total that will compete head to head with $10,000 amps that are out there for sale today. In fact sometimes at audio trade shows, you will see a high priced amp with its guts exposed and see how little there is actually inside that massive shiny case they must be charging the additional $9,000 for because it damn sure isn't for the parts inside.
Once again, hats off to you for staying true to where you started. I'd admit to a bit worry of you might be off after achieving fame and glory. But no, you came roaring and gutsy as ever. Hope you great success!
@@TonicofSonic How he chooses to relate is purely his prerogative. I do hope there's respect for those non-paying followers who really are the ones put him here today. Whether he does of not is between he and his God. I judge only if his content is worth my time. Happy to say that mostly does.
Cheap Audio Man is great channel to subscribe to . Listening to music 🎶 through higher quality equipment should be as accessable to as many people as possible. Testing much more affordable kit for us mere mortals helps us to do this 🇬🇧 🙂
@@kevink8321 what was this comment about? Did one get deleted or something. It looks like you were responding to someone else. I’d love to respond to every comment but unfortunately I just can’t. I get hundreds of comments each day. I also get dozens of emails, Instagram dms, Facebook messages and patron messages. I truly appreciate every person that watches and those that comment. It means the world to me. But I just can’t respond to everyone. If I did I wouldn’t have time to make more content and I try to make as much as I can. I appreciate the well wishes so much. As more people have watched I get more negative comments about me and implications about my character. I’m not sure what this comment was about but I’m going to keep in making videos. And hopefully people keep watching.
@@cheapaudioman I was responding to a Tonicofsonic’s comment that “he only respond to comments of Patreon members”. Can’t find it anymore. You’re cool Randy, big thumbs up!
@@cheapaudioman hello, been watching your videos as a guide to get a suitable amplifier for for my yamaha ns-bp300 which I got off from a thrift store. This speaker has a nominal input power of 60w, maxing out at 110 Watts. I was wondering if the aiyima or yamaha amplifiers would be suitable for my speakers? I don't wanna break the bank. Thank you
I just got mine yesterday and after letting it burn in for a few hours it has got even better playing threw my DIY speakers it has brought such clarity female voices like Eva Cassidy our so clear and crisp it is like I am setting in front of her at a club in DC back in the 1990s just beautiful!
Really love the LOUDNESS feature with the Yamaha. What it actually does is add more detail to the music at low volumes. It lowers the midrange frequencies which is more prominent at low volumes. This makes the low and high frequencies blend better with midrange. Makes a big difference in hearing more detail at low volume listening.
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Yeah a lot of ppl w "less idea" shall we say, like to have loudness on at high levs ' cos it's more bassy' (duh) but it isn't designed for that at all. It's for exactly what you describe imho
Based on price, I think the improvement in audio quality nowadays its kinda like optics in the amateur telescope market. You can get 85-90% of the theoretical performance by buying good quality mass produced optics, however to get that last 15-10% the investment becomes almost logarithmic, to the point of spending a fortune just for an extra few percent of improvement in performance. And sure there are many great pieces of craftsmanship that justify some of the price but still not a necessity to have something that performs good.
Speaker placement is at least 70% of the sound quality of any decent audio system. Watch Zero Fidelity’s L.O.T.S. video, follow the instructions, and be amazed.
@@donde2k I have cheap Edifier self powered speakers, the R1850DB. Got it for a very good price as PC speaks just so that my PC can make sound into the room, no higher expectations. Didn't had much free space so I put it on the windowsill facing the room, they are front ported. The windowsill is nearly as wide as the room with 3 separate windows next to each other and one combined windowsill. Sound was okay, didn't expect much. Than I turned the speakers 90deg to the side so the backs of the speakers are facing each other, fitted even better on the windowsill. And then the speakers made the sound in the windowsill cavity. I was listening to something and suddenly it hit me, it sounded so natural. Really significant difference with the same speaker.
No, the situation is much worse. A cheap amp like the Topping LA90 will literally outperform $5,000+ amps where technicals and performance is concerned. At this point, people are just paying for build quality, design and premium materials when they go high end, but not sound quality! The pinnacle of discernible performance in amps has now been reached in the Audio world and it is attainable for under $2,000. Speakers are in a similar situation
******Do Not Answer any Messages from Telegram or Aiyima T9 amzn.to/3NCLkTW or Douk amzn.to/3946god (same thing) $129 Yamaha AS801 howl.me/choSewvdXc2 $899 patreon.com/cheapaudioman Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5 Amazon Unlimited Music and Disney Plus Free Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9
Randy.. hi do you have a link to Disney plus. This only gives you Amazon Music ? Big thanks.. I watch daily and between yourself and Darko saved cash and gave me ideas on how to plan a system.. Thomas
You released this on my birthday, June 7. I've wanted this amp for months now, thanks to you're infamous video. I'm still waiting for my prize. Im hoping for Amazon Prime Day.
Great content! Finally someone comparing cheap class D with expensive A-B amps. Can you compare Sabaj A20a or A20a 2022 with most expensive amplifiers you have?
It's hilarious that this is today's video. I just modded my Reisong A10 and decided to hook my T9 in its place just to cleanse the palatte since that's the only amp I've been listening to critically lately. I played chocolate chip trip switching between the 2 and the T9 definitely held its own. Love the channel Randy thank you for all you do
Please do more comparisons like these! I like how you adjusted the levels to try to make them sound similiar. I would also like to see two sets of speakers compared, each with its own amp (same model of amp), each amp adjusted so the sound is as similar as possible. Would also love to see blind A/B where you don't know which is which.
I bought this a few weeks ago based in part on your recommendations in a previous video, paired with the Moukey M20-3 speakers. I absolutely love this system. It does not play loud, but I live in a small apartment. Super crisp sound, Whole system cost less than $250 with cables and plugs. It does not have a headphone output, so be aware of that. One other thing... it's cute. Seriously, it's tiny and lit up all warm at night. If you grew up with 1970s systems it's just shocking that something so good sounding could be so compact. I can't thank you enough for the recommendation for this thing. I've had a parade of cheapish boomy bluetooth speakers for years. This is a game changer. Plus I used the money I saved to get Tidal. I'd love your suggestion on a good sub in an appropriate price range. I can't really see getting a subwoofer that costs more than the rest of the stereo.
@@rianredfield5252 Polk sells a $100 powered sub that has good adjustment capability. I had one for several years and eventually gave it to my son (age 16), who loves a genre of music called "Rap" with the boom boom boom. He also likes Sade and Frank Sinatra, so there's that. I see that you posted this over a year ago, and maybe you found the Polk already. This comment is for the next guy.
I think the work u did to "eye-ball" the level matching is GREAT, even without calibrated mics, etc. I suggest getting a mixer (I love mixer eqs!) with an amp like the Aiyma. Great clip. Love your style. Keep having fun! -..and hey, take the rest of the day off!
I have had similar experiences when comparing some of these small class-D chip amps to full sized amps. Different amps have different sound signatures, but once you correct that with tone controls or EQ, sound stage is the bulk of the difference. I think it's a matter of having space to run the left and right channels far enough away from one and other than the L and R aren't inducing their signals on one and other.
This was excellent. 80 DB is where my speakers start to really shine. For kicks you should throw on some headphones at high volume and compare those sound profiles.
Well.... amazon is now sold out now. Good Job Randy 😆 Please note # The Douk version is very similar with a different op amp. Some people believe the opamp in the Douk version is superior (supposedly measures better) but from what I have read, most People prefer the opamp in the Aiyima T9. I ordered from Ali Express for $110 (shipped for free with power cord and remote). I am looking forward to see how this compares to my t8 pre and A07 combo. I will be dropping in the sparkos opamp in my second Aiyima A07 and will be looking forward to playing with the T9 opamp and tube roll as a bi amp configuration.
Getting myself a Dork in the UK based on this. I needed a small amp to move from bthe Denon PM600ne, as still using a separate IfI doc and Phono amp to give everything a bit more oooompf . this also gives me all the connections I need too
So I bought the Douk Audio st-01 pro and Sony sscs5 because of you and I love them. I use a ethernet connected chromecast 4k and optical input from my TV. What can I do to improve my system/sound? Ditch optical? Buy a dedicated streamer? Change tubes? Modify the Sonys? Add a sub? All of the above? 😂
Appreciate all the effort here but you were going through each units DAC and no doubt, the T9's DAC is bottom of the barrel at it's price. Would be very interesting to hear your impressions with the DAC taken out of the equation and just reviewing the audio quality of the amps. I bet the Chifi unit would be VERY close.
did I tell you about my $60 s.m.s.l. SA-50 integrated vs a NAD C270 pwr amp? I think I did but well... at my listening levels, and much higher, I just couldn't tell the difference between the s.m.s.l. and the $600-700 NAD and I sold the NAD. that was six years ago and the experience opened my eyes about all the "high-end", "veil lifted", "liquid, organic sound" hi-fi mumbo-jumbo ever since. I had to get a AVR receiver because home theater is a different beast, and Chinese hi-fi companies seem to not care about explosions and speeding cars in the living room 😁. beware if they would ever be interested! 😅
Great video but to be honest the description you gave for an integrated amp is inaccurate... It's not an amp and DAC. You have a lot of fully analog pre-amps. An integrated amp is pre- and power amp in one amplifier.
I think you start to reach a point where it's only worth spending as much as your space will warrent. I have a room with some treatment where the difference in soundstage is made immediately clear when swapping gear and a basement room where you really have to listen for it. In my basement space I am in constant downgrade cycle because really high end stuff just isn't worth it. I'm curious to try the little class D and at $129 really why not?
I would be interested in a comparison between the yamaha and an emotiva stack for around the same price( pt1 and a2). I also think throwing a pair of high efficiency speakers on the same a/b set up would be interesting as well.
I've got a soft spot for Yamaha. My first CD player was a Yamaha and it failed a few months after the warranty expired, which I totally didn't expect. I took it to the service department and they totally honoured the warranty. In a world where we are so cynical about warranties, Yamaha restored my faith. I have always liked their gear, though I don't currently own any. The T9 seems like an amazing amp. Obviously I wouldn't expect the same kind of service from Aiyima that I got from Yamaha but you never know. Right now I'm helping people sort out some simple hifi setups with verys different budgets and both these amps are in the running.
Just ordered the Aiyima T9 - really lookin forward to how it will sound with my new DIY "IKEA salad bowl speakers"! :) Gonna' connect my mac and my ps4 in my small leather workshop. Thanks for the superb content!!
I own the Aiyima T9 and pair it with the Sony SS CS5, it's my daily driver in an apartment setting. Incredible value! I find the T9 slightly colored in the 2k area due to tubes and can be unnatural at times. The sound stage and instrument separation is remarkable for this price. The low end is surprisingly fun and warm. I rolled the tubes with $25 replacements and got even more clarity and depth. The DAC is super clear and detailed. Plus blue tooth! Are you kidding? It's just a fun and attractive amp that never gets boring. Definitely not powerful but enough for a small living room.
Got the Douk audio version I noticed you used the stock tubes so people can expect what you’re listening to. Starting back into the audio trip after settling on a video projector I like and trying too many over priced sound bars for music and video. I like imaging and sound stage which sound bars don’t really well. Thanks for all you do and yes I value your opinions to guide my purchasing as well as having a little fun, something the audiophile community needs.
You know Randy, had I heard of some of these low priced products back in the 80's or 90's and of people comparing them to the major brands out there I would have thought they were nuts, but it really is a wonderful time for audio these days. There are tons of new and "newer" brands out there which never existed back in the days of old serving up budget products which are so far superior in sound quality to the cheap stuff of old. Brands like Emotiva and Audioengine and many which you highlight and talk about on your channel, which weren't on the market only a few years ago really do offer high value to those of us without tremendously deep pockets. It's a great time for those who are just getting started to buy NEW gear at the beginning rather than to have to look at and deal with some of the absolute garbage I owned as a kid, where used speakers had been partially modified so that only one of them had an additional brand new tweeter cut rather crudely into the cabinet, or the busted dust cover on that old vintage turntable. I'm happy with my Burson but it's nice to learn about this less expensive stuff because I have friends with kids who are just getting into the hobby. Thanks for everything you share!
And the first that comes to MY mind is Adcom. In the 80's and 90's there were products from the big name brands that wouldn't kill you, brands like Aiwa and Harman/Kardon, Denon, Onkyo, etc. Maybe not their TOTL but still pretty great. Not to overlook Pioneer, which may have been the most value line-up of the majors out there once upon a time. I don't believe the same can be said about Pioneer and others today. Hell, Nakamichi was outstanding once but find something with that name on it today and it's not from the same company or pedigree. I just think that today a newb can put together a great starter system on a modest budget.
@@westelaudio943 Yes. Kenwood too. And I kind of did forget Kenwood but because for the most part Kenwood was a brand that my local dealers didn't carry until Kenwood got into car audio. And then there was Technics, too. My gosh I'm feeling old now!
I have to say that I bought an Aiyima T9 that I hooked up to an old pair of Bose speakers and have been impressed. I just stream Spotify through bluetooth with minimal tone adjustment and it sounds very good. Thanks for all you do Randy!
I found my Yamaha sounding kind of dull, lifeless and unremarkable. Then I got the Cobra dual slashdown exhaust for it and now, even at a bike rally, the staging puts it front and center. Warm and buttery, but if you get on the gas, it hits you with crisp and clean highs. It runs rings around any Harley out there! Mind you, after about 100 miles, you do get listening fatigue, so wear a helmet. Oh: We're talking about audio? I have an R-N602, and I love it too! Its amp section is the little brother (80 WPC) to your integrated amplifier. I like my Yammys!
yes, but who listens to their 801 set flat? Another good test would be to set the 801's tone dials the way you like and see how close you can get the T9 to that.
Really nice comparison, I picked up a T9 for like $110 after watching your review back in march. glad I did probably they’ll run out of stock after this video
I bought the Yamaha A-S301. That is the least expensive Yamaha integrated. I am very happy with it. I bought it because I thought it would be a good reliable amp and I wanted a substantial build and clean look, but in the back of my mind, I just knew that all things being equal, there would only be small differences in amps. I could have spent way more or way less and could have been happy that I did so. This video will be helpful for many that might be shopping around. Great job as usual, Randy.
That is a great amp and a great choice. I picked up an A-S301 off Craigslist while my Marantz HD-AMP1 was in the shop and really enjoyed it. I re-sold it when the Marantz came back but then I realized that I liked it better than the Class D Marantz and sold that too. Living with my Dynaco for now, but I liked that Yamaha so much I'm going back to get either the 501 or 701. I don't need the USB dac in the 801.
The S301 punches well above its weight. There's another YT channel, called E Project, who doesn't do reviews, he does audio comparisons of a wide range of amps and speakers, and, in those comparisons, the Yamaha sounds better to me than many much more expensive amps with a lot of speakers, including the $2200 KEF R3s.
I also have the 301. I have zero complaints. The 60 watts is plenty to drive my bookshelves. I do use a different phono pre, but that's it. I imagine all of the Yahama AS amps sound great. That CD direct that the 701 and 801 has me interested, but not enough to spend.
I started with a Rockville bluetube and switched to a Yamaha A S501SL and I do like the Yahama better, but no regrets with the cheaper system to start. The value of the switch was more for the input handling. Mine is not as powerful as the Yahama you used, but I think it was the way to go for a small room Hi/Fi and in the same family.
The headphone out of my cambridge cxa61 is nearly identical to my soundblaster ae9pe, with a slight edge in favour of the sound card, where the soundstage was a little more coherant (tested using the soundblaster as the dac in both instances). Like most modern integrated amps, the cambridge has a seperate op amp circuit for headphones, which gives you none of the magic of the actual amplifier like you would have back in the day. What I would give to hear the cxa61's real amplifier going to the headphone out with an obligatory resistor
This thing has so many issues and returns - clicking, cant run an 8 ohm loads without blowing your speakers up. and its not 100 wpc 4 ohm system - you get what you pay for. Class D has way more total distortion than an A/B amp. That's why class D amps are primary drivers for powered subwoofers.
@@cheapaudioman I had one - for like a week, and issues where pretty much immediate. Since I go out of my way to buy higher sensitivity speakers with a minimum 6 ohm impedance. No ones junking up your comments - just my experience. And I gave up on critical listening with class D amps due to the much higher distortion they create - going from -0.7 thd to 10% is very noticeable - to me. I listen to jazz, and can discern the difference immediately. If you like it, fine. No way was this amp pushing more than 20 wpc into an 8 ohm load.
I don’t know jack about audio and equipment, but I own this amp. It’s uncomfortable to listen to at higher volumes, but I don’t know why. Vocals suffer incredibly on it, too
And if the difference between these two amps is pretty close, then maybe I’m just better off with my crappy obnoxious-looking Walmart Sony 2.1-in-a-box
Is my screen broken or are you jumping around a lot? 😆 Another cool video but hard to watch you glitching constantly, please go back to the more natural editing. 😉
I got a $135.00 Rockville Bluetube hybred tube amp, 70 watts, into Elac dbr62 speakers on $45 wood plant stands. How does the amp sound? At normal concert levels, about 60% power, like my HH Scott 13 tube 3 transformer integrated stereo tube amp, 70 watts. In short, kicks B U T T with good speakers. Or spend a few thousand on a tube amp. Will you hear a difference? Try before you buy is my advice.
The Rockvill amp blew up. After 2.5 years it paid for itself. Now burning in a DOUK ST01 PRO and no joke, it is 2x better than the blutube amp. Sounds like a speaker upgrade, my Elacs like the added power. Deeper, louder bass, clearer mids, clear highs. Really like this TI chip class D amp. Highly recommend, and can get 3 years extended coverage from Amazon. No doubt, dbr62's change sound with better amps. And not in a little way....
Really like the comparison format. Suggestion for an extension on this David and Goliath compare … maybe try a separates setup w/ Aiyima T-10 and A-07 compared to a moderately or high priced preamp / amplifier setup.
Where I like devices like the T9 (and have something very similar myself - different brand but same chipset and probably the same 6J4 tubes) is computer audio. I use it in my office paired with decent bookshelf speakers. In a context where I really only care about having a single input it's a great little amp.
my "reference" cheap system is amazon HD into my modi multibit, into my T9 as a preamp, into my vintage adcom 535 amp into my RP 600M's...its good, way better than it should be for a ramshackle hodgepodge system
I got the T9 based on your review... I hooked them up to an old pair of sony speakers (ss m90n) and I cant believe what I'm hearing!!! Amazing little tube amp!!!
The T9 is a beautiful-sounding amp. Looks great.....goes into standby between songs and clicks back again a second into the next song. That last thing is a maddening feature. If anyone knows how to deactivate that?.... I'm stumped. 👍
The TPA 3221 chip from Texas instruments supposedly operates at 30 V, all the spec sheet specs are based on 30 V operation, and the 6K4 tubes have a very low amplification factor even with a plate voltage of 200 V, so my question is, what power supply did you use? I saw on Amazon that the unit comes with a 24V,4.5A power supply which is only 160 W power supply before you even factor in efficiency losses, so it seems to me that a 30V, 5A power supply would’ve been more appropriate, but how are they handling the high-voltage ? The 6K4 typically operates at 200V on the plate. DC/DC converter in their design, or just for show? Read a review that stated the unit runs cool. The 3221 chip has selectable gain values 18, 24, 30, and 34, so whatever gain the 6K4 tube has can be matched with whatever gain the tpa chip needs for the appropriate input signal range, or you’re not going to get to the full output. Maybe there’s some linearity and power performance compromises due to the reduced operating voltage on the tpa3221 bc 80dB is not really great for a 50W per channel amp, even with an 86 dB speaker. Just sayin’ … nice review anyway. 🥳👨🏻
Had the 801 for a spell paired with Polk LSiM 705s. It’s pretty darn good, but I’ll say the 801 sounds fantastic using its internal usb asynchronous DAC. Optical was just not as good ime.
You need only to listen to this amp to know it's one of the most revealing, musical and entertaining amps under $1000. I've owned Cambridge, NAD, AMC, and others. I added a DAC to my AMC and still feel THIS little amp brings music alive better than any of them. I can't address its' longevity but sound quality is stellar and build quality is very good. I played the Titanic soundtrack, Ron Sexsmith, McCartney, Johnny Cash... all showed more detail right down to the quietest sound as songs fade. I'm hearing details in the arrangements that are amazing. Bass extension was better than my AMC, the tone controls are very musical... bottom line, for under $200 Canadian it's a steal. DONT consider it a "little, desktop amp." Mine is paired with a pair of Monitor Audios. This amp belongs in an "audiophile" setup.
Anyone try the Aiyima M12 or T10 pre? Simple solution to the lack of power "issue", use the T9 and bi amp it. AO7 or even better smsl sa-98e comes to mind. I really hope the CAM or another reviewer will give the smsl sa-98e a try. Smsl sa-98e is $108 at Wal-Mart And $116 at parts express / Amazon I don't see any reviews but I was pleasantly surprised at how well this little amp sounded even in comparison to the Aiyima A07.
Doesn't integrated mean it's got preamplification inside not that it's 'integrated' with other components e.g. a DAC? Example my A-S1100 is considered an integrated amp but has no digital inputs at all as has no DAC. Has no Bluetooth too! Thanks
I use the Douk version that I use in my elementary school classroom. It powers 2 Focal 100 ICW 6 ceiling speakers. It sounds very good. I had a Cambridge Audio Azur 40 watt integrated amp and I replaced it with the Douk. The sound of both were very good, but the size of the Douk won me over.
I got the T9 based on your videos and am very happy with it! I replaced the tubes and it sounds wonderful. Only problem is the dang clicking when its not playing anything. Thanks for the recommendation!
I just bought the T9 because of this video and the fact that it is back in stock. I have the A07 and like it so well that it haS become my primary amplifier, along with a Topping E30 DAC. I own a McIntosh amp and preamp. Yeah that McIntosh is great, but it doesn't have a DAC in it, and a lot like Randy says in this video, unless you're going for higher volumes, it's pretty hard to hear a difference.
Hey. Good video. As a Yamaha AVR owner turned fanboy, I was definitely rooting for the Yamaha. I think, however, it would be helpful to have sound demos with comparisons like this. Though we appreciate your detailed descriptions, I believe that it would be most helpful to the viewers to hear the differences for themselves. Actually, I think every reviewer should do this.
@@aanon2550 If I played music from an AM radio station on a GE boombox, and then played music from a b&w speaker with all McIntosh gear, both via TH-cam, do you think you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in sound quality?!? Could you pick up on some sound signatures and nuances? Stop acting like you can't get reasonable impressions of a component from sound clips, especially if compared with other components, where all other things are equal. Even if I'm playing the clips back on my gear.
@@Larwiz in your example case, yes. In this case, however, we're taking about amps, which differ much much much less than speakers, such that the process of capturing their output, compressing it for TH-cam and playing it back through another set of devices (different for every viewer) would entirely thwart the intended comparison.
@@aanon2550 "Entirely thwart"? No. I don't think so. I agree that the differences between amps are likely miniscule. But that doesn't mean that they aren't audible. Now ideally, one would audition components in person, and where possibly, A/B test back to back. But what if that isn't possible? You're only going off of reviews comprised of someone else's impression of what they heard. Don't you think it would be best to hear the component yourself through a sound clip?
@@Larwiz If there was no time and effort involved to provide you with this virtually useless data, sure. But it does take time and effort, so this should be focused on useful endeavours.
I bought a Au$50 Nobsound D Class amp to run some budget 8" outdoor speakers. Out of curiosity I also connected the Nobsound to my Tannoys to compare it to my Marantz Amp. $50 vs $900. I couldn't tell the difference. I'm sure there was some, but I couldn't hear it.
I believe it, because I've had 4 nobsound/douk audio amps and still have one and also a matching slightly more expensive preamp, and they can pretty well hold up against all the old stuff I've ever used, they'd have their way with the old marantz 2230 or even 2250 etc, not a comparison at all, more expensive just isn't always better. I back the chi-fi amps all the way.
I have 2 Douk Audio ST-01 and the one thing I am replacing asap are the lame power supplies they come with higher current/better quality ones, this is their mayor limitation. The power supply comprises 85% or more of a good sounding amplifier. One can't expect to pay $125.00 for an amplifier and expect it to come with a $150.00 (sarcasm) power supply
Great video Randy! Thank you for your good, honest comparisons and feedback. My question: How would you compare the T-9 to the Douk X-1 now that you have had it for a while?
Well thought out review, thanks. However the Amz review comments on the T9 have me concerned….reliability, its clipping (distortion which could damage speakers), remote control issues/failures, bluetooth failure, and other serious complaints. Bummer. I will continue the search for a budget solid amp/dac. Perhaps when you review a new product you could comment on some of the bad buyer reviews, if out there.
Good morning Randy. I picked up a T9 on your recommendation. The noise floor and sound stage improved with some tweaks to the power supply. The T9 is driving a pair of Energy CF-70 tower speakers making sweet music with deep bass in my living room. Ha! My speaker cables weigh more than the T9. Great fun!
@@mikey7278 I used a couple of Z-sleeves on the power supply cord. A quick test to see if the power supply was influencing the sound. Installing better caps and bypass caps inside the power brick would probably make an even greater improvement.
@@mikey7278 If I could find an appropriate battery, I would replace the power brick with it. I replaced the wall wart that came with my Modi 3 DAC with a cellphone battery/charger for a nice bump up in sound quality. A 24 volt battery will be a bit harder to find and more expensive - we'll see.
would like to see you do a review of a non tube micro amp against your Yamaha. The non tube micro cheap apps have more power output in my opinion I've tested a few of them
The specs on the tpa3221 chip are actually pretty good at 88 watts into 4 ohms at 1% thd (I think that's at 30v though). Try putting it on 2 12v lead acid batterys in series to get a 24 volt supply, and there my be even less difference in sound to the Yamaha.
The base competency of cheap amps is what has gotten better over the years. Where 10 years ago, a $100 Amp would have lacked any kind of fidelity to be even remotely called entry level hifi, these days they've caught up.
Hey Randy, youve confirmed my thoughts on my T9. One day I’ll get around to comparing it to my Yamaha AS1100. I was gobsmacked when I first heard the T9.(purchased on your recommendation) I could not believe how ballsy it sounded in my bedroom. I played it long & loud when I got it. No problemo. Small, efficient speakers. “She who must be obeyed “ was away for the weekend, so, I was able to give it the beans. I never heard the speakers sound so good.
By the way, you called the two amps integrated as they both had on board DACs. This is not technically correct, an integrated amp has a pre amp & a power amp in the one box. ( I’m sure you know this & it was just a gooficalogical error. That’s what they were called a long time when I started in audio & way before DACs were invented. I’m a retired, 30 veteran of the Australian hifi industry.
Totally loving your self-blind comparison testing. Such a novel and effective way - cycle the switch quickly until there is no way you know which one is being played!
Thank you for the excellent comparison and analysis of the two amps. Based on your review of the Aiyima T9, I bought the twin Douk Audio ST-01. The ST-01 is an excellent amp and compares favorably to my Marantz PM6004. I hooked up an old Sony DVD/CD player using the Coax connection and an old pair of Polk R20 speakers. I listen at low to moderate volume and I thoroughly enjoy listening to this set up. Thanks Cheapaudioman!
Yammies manufacturing quality is second to none, and thats across their ENTIRE product range, be it grand pianos, motorcycles, or integrated amps.
Based on your previous, initial review of the T-9, I jumped on buying one. I LOVE it. I also compared its sound through my system similarly to you and came to the same results. Thank you, Randy, for providing a real world, down-home comparison and justifying my time, money, and effort to expand my positive listening experience.
I did the same and I am really enjoying the T-9. I has it set up on a desktop in a small rrom, so the volume is always pretty low and it sounds great!
Congratulations! You just discovered that modern expensive amps in general are a total rip-off in many cases. Class A, B, A/B and D circuitry designs have been out for decades and the parts are not all that expensive to obtain. There are lots of DIY videos with parts lists and circuit board designs to build you own amps for less than $300 in total that will compete head to head with $10,000 amps that are out there for sale today. In fact sometimes at audio trade shows, you will see a high priced amp with its guts exposed and see how little there is actually inside that massive shiny case they must be charging the additional $9,000 for because it damn sure isn't for the parts inside.
Once again, hats off to you for staying true to where you started. I'd admit to a bit worry of you might be off after achieving fame and glory. But no, you came roaring and gutsy as ever. Hope you great success!
@@TonicofSonic How he chooses to relate is purely his prerogative. I do hope there's respect for those non-paying followers who really are the ones put him here today. Whether he does of not is between he and his God. I judge only if his content is worth my time. Happy to say that mostly does.
Cheap Audio Man is great channel to subscribe to .
Listening to music 🎶 through higher quality equipment should be as accessable to as many people as possible.
Testing much more affordable kit for us mere mortals helps us to do this 🇬🇧 🙂
@@kevink8321 what was this comment about? Did one get deleted or something. It looks like you were responding to someone else. I’d love to respond to every comment but unfortunately I just can’t. I get hundreds of comments each day. I also get dozens of emails, Instagram dms, Facebook messages and patron messages. I truly appreciate every person that watches and those that comment. It means the world to me. But I just can’t respond to everyone. If I did I wouldn’t have time to make more content and I try to make as much as I can. I appreciate the well wishes so much. As more people have watched I get more negative comments about me and implications about my character. I’m not sure what this comment was about but I’m going to keep in making videos. And hopefully people keep watching.
@@cheapaudioman I was responding to a Tonicofsonic’s comment that “he only respond to comments of Patreon members”. Can’t find it anymore. You’re cool Randy, big thumbs up!
@@cheapaudioman hello, been watching your videos as a guide to get a suitable amplifier for for my yamaha ns-bp300 which I got off from a thrift store. This speaker has a nominal input power of 60w, maxing out at 110 Watts. I was wondering if the aiyima or yamaha amplifiers would be suitable for my speakers? I don't wanna break the bank. Thank you
I just got mine yesterday and after letting it burn in for a few hours it has got even better playing threw my DIY speakers it has brought such clarity female voices like Eva Cassidy our so clear and crisp it is like I am setting in front of her at a club in DC back in the 1990s just beautiful!
Really love the LOUDNESS feature with the Yamaha. What it actually does is add more detail to the music at low volumes. It lowers the midrange frequencies which is more prominent at low volumes. This makes the low and high frequencies blend better with midrange. Makes a big difference in hearing more detail at low volume listening.
Yeah a lot of ppl w "less idea" shall we say, like to have loudness on at high levs ' cos it's more bassy' (duh) but it isn't designed for that at all.
It's for exactly what you describe imho
The Yammie's variable loudness is one of the features that made me buy my first Yamaha IA.... in 1979!
@Chris Harding Yep. It's basically like adjustable Digital Sound Processing (DSP) for passive non-DSP speakers.
It just adds +10 db in high and low freq like most other loudness buttons.
@@racerx3669 Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Digging your channel man. Lots of audio channels out there but yours is the best. Thanks
I watch so many of your videos. I thought I drank a lot of coffee, but not even close! :)
Based on price, I think the improvement in audio quality nowadays its kinda like optics in the amateur telescope market. You can get 85-90% of the theoretical performance by buying good quality mass produced optics, however to get that last 15-10% the investment becomes almost logarithmic, to the point of spending a fortune just for an extra few percent of improvement in performance. And sure there are many great pieces of craftsmanship that justify some of the price but still not a necessity to have something that performs good.
Speaker placement is at least 70% of the sound quality of any decent audio system. Watch Zero Fidelity’s L.O.T.S. video, follow the instructions, and be amazed.
@@donde2k I have cheap Edifier self powered speakers, the R1850DB. Got it for a very good price as PC speaks just so that my PC can make sound into the room, no higher expectations. Didn't had much free space so I put it on the windowsill facing the room, they are front ported. The windowsill is nearly as wide as the room with 3 separate windows next to each other and one combined windowsill. Sound was okay, didn't expect much. Than I turned the speakers 90deg to the side so the backs of the speakers are facing each other, fitted even better on the windowsill. And then the speakers made the sound in the windowsill cavity. I was listening to something and suddenly it hit me, it sounded so natural. Really significant difference with the same speaker.
No, the situation is much worse. A cheap amp like the Topping LA90 will literally outperform $5,000+ amps where technicals and performance is concerned. At this point, people are just paying for build quality, design and premium materials when they go high end, but not sound quality!
The pinnacle of discernible performance in amps has now been reached in the Audio world and it is attainable for under $2,000. Speakers are in a similar situation
@@Cerebrosoft tell that to Denmark audio group. Lol.
******Do Not Answer any Messages from Telegram or
Aiyima T9 amzn.to/3NCLkTW or Douk amzn.to/3946god (same thing) $129
Yamaha AS801 howl.me/choSewvdXc2 $899
patreon.com/cheapaudioman
Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF
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Amazon Unlimited Music and Disney Plus Free Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9
Randy.. hi do you have a link to Disney plus. This only gives you Amazon Music ? Big thanks.. I watch daily and between yourself and Darko saved cash and gave me ideas on how to plan a system.. Thomas
You released this on my birthday, June 7. I've wanted this amp for months now, thanks to you're infamous video. I'm still waiting for my prize. Im hoping for Amazon Prime Day.
Great content! Finally someone comparing cheap class D with expensive A-B amps. Can you compare Sabaj A20a or A20a 2022 with most expensive amplifiers you have?
It's hilarious that this is today's video. I just modded my Reisong A10 and decided to hook my T9 in its place just to cleanse the palatte since that's the only amp I've been listening to critically lately. I played chocolate chip trip switching between the 2 and the T9 definitely held its own. Love the channel Randy thank you for all you do
Please do more comparisons like these! I like how you adjusted the levels to try to make them sound similiar. I would also like to see two sets of speakers compared, each with its own amp (same model of amp), each amp adjusted so the sound is as similar as possible. Would also love to see blind A/B where you don't know which is which.
Need sound comparison for both, very excited to hear Aiyima T9. I believe everything you mention on the this subject.
I bought this a few weeks ago based in part on your recommendations in a previous video, paired with the Moukey M20-3 speakers. I absolutely love this system. It does not play loud, but I live in a small apartment. Super crisp sound, Whole system cost less than $250 with cables and plugs.
It does not have a headphone output, so be aware of that.
One other thing... it's cute. Seriously, it's tiny and lit up all warm at night. If you grew up with 1970s systems it's just shocking that something so good sounding could be so compact.
I can't thank you enough for the recommendation for this thing. I've had a parade of cheapish boomy bluetooth speakers for years. This is a game changer. Plus I used the money I saved to get Tidal.
I'd love your suggestion on a good sub in an appropriate price range. I can't really see getting a subwoofer that costs more than the rest of the stereo.
RSL, REL, BiC, or HSU might be great sub options for the $400 range.
@@rianredfield5252 Polk sells a $100 powered sub that has good adjustment capability. I had one for several years and eventually gave it to my son (age 16), who loves a genre of music called "Rap" with the boom boom boom. He also likes Sade and Frank Sinatra, so there's that. I see that you posted this over a year ago, and maybe you found the Polk already. This comment is for the next guy.
I think the work u did to "eye-ball" the level matching is GREAT, even without calibrated mics, etc. I suggest getting a mixer (I love mixer eqs!) with an amp like the Aiyma. Great clip. Love your style. Keep having fun! -..and hey, take the rest of the day off!
next step: get an assistant to do a "blind" test. push your buttons...
I have had similar experiences when comparing some of these small class-D chip amps to full sized amps. Different amps have different sound signatures, but once you correct that with tone controls or EQ, sound stage is the bulk of the difference. I think it's a matter of having space to run the left and right channels far enough away from one and other than the L and R aren't inducing their signals on one and other.
I would love to see more of this kind of video. Feels like what the channel was made for.
This was excellent. 80 DB is where my speakers start to really shine. For kicks you should throw on some headphones at high volume and compare those sound profiles.
I put a T9 in my garage and it works great for that use case.
Well.... amazon is now sold out now. Good Job Randy 😆
Please note #
The Douk version is very similar with a different op amp. Some people believe the opamp in the Douk version is superior (supposedly measures better) but from what I have read, most People prefer the opamp in the Aiyima T9.
I ordered from Ali Express for $110 (shipped for free with power cord and remote).
I am looking forward to see how this compares to my t8 pre and A07 combo.
I will be dropping in the sparkos opamp in my second Aiyima A07 and will be looking forward to playing with the T9 opamp and tube roll as a bi amp configuration.
You sir have earned a subscriber. Love this straight forward video
Getting myself a Dork in the UK based on this. I needed a small amp to move from bthe Denon PM600ne, as still using a separate IfI doc and Phono amp to give everything a bit more oooompf . this also gives me all the connections I need too
So I bought the Douk Audio st-01 pro and Sony sscs5 because of you and I love them.
I use a ethernet connected chromecast 4k and optical input from my TV.
What can I do to improve my system/sound?
Ditch optical? Buy a dedicated streamer? Change tubes? Modify the Sonys? Add a sub?
All of the above? 😂
Appreciate all the effort here but you were going through each units DAC and no doubt, the T9's DAC is bottom of the barrel at it's price. Would be very interesting to hear your impressions with the DAC taken out of the equation and just reviewing the audio quality of the amps. I bet the Chifi unit would be VERY close.
I get what you say. I am not thrilled with the BT or DAC however I purchased it to power my phonograph and for that application I couldn't be happier.
did I tell you about my $60 s.m.s.l. SA-50 integrated vs a NAD C270 pwr amp? I think I did but well...
at my listening levels, and much higher, I just couldn't tell the difference between the s.m.s.l. and the $600-700 NAD and I sold the NAD. that was six years ago and the experience opened my eyes about all the "high-end", "veil lifted", "liquid, organic sound" hi-fi mumbo-jumbo ever since. I had to get a AVR receiver because home theater is a different beast, and Chinese hi-fi companies seem to not care about explosions and speeding cars in the living room 😁.
beware if they would ever be interested! 😅
Great vid. I had the as501, that amp.starts to shine and come alive when you crank the volume to about the 10 or 11 o clock position
Great video but to be honest the description you gave for an integrated amp is inaccurate... It's not an amp and DAC. You have a lot of fully analog pre-amps. An integrated amp is pre- and power amp in one amplifier.
One of the best comparisons I've seen on youtube, great work!
I think you start to reach a point where it's only worth spending as much as your space will warrent. I have a room with some treatment where the difference in soundstage is made immediately clear when swapping gear and a basement room where you really have to listen for it.
In my basement space I am in constant downgrade cycle because really high end stuff just isn't worth it.
I'm curious to try the little class D and at $129 really why not?
Very interesting. So inputs and sheet metal cost a lot of money😊
I would be interested in a comparison between the yamaha and an emotiva stack for around the same price( pt1 and a2). I also think throwing a pair of high efficiency speakers on the same a/b set up would be interesting as well.
The emotiva would have it's way with the yammie in almost every way I'd predict.
I enjoyed the objective and subjective commentary. Now I wonder what the results would be if you get the same tubes with a tube buffer on that Yamaha.
I've got a soft spot for Yamaha. My first CD player was a Yamaha and it failed a few months after the warranty expired, which I totally didn't expect. I took it to the service department and they totally honoured the warranty. In a world where we are so cynical about warranties, Yamaha restored my faith. I have always liked their gear, though I don't currently own any.
The T9 seems like an amazing amp. Obviously I wouldn't expect the same kind of service from Aiyima that I got from Yamaha but you never know. Right now I'm helping people sort out some simple hifi setups with verys different budgets and both these amps are in the running.
A friend told me that his Crown 400 Watts amp sounded more musical than a Parasound amp.
Just ordered the Aiyima T9 - really lookin forward to how it will sound with my new DIY "IKEA salad bowl speakers"! :) Gonna' connect my mac and my ps4 in my small leather workshop.
Thanks for the superb content!!
Thank you for matching levels
I own the Aiyima T9 and pair it with the Sony SS CS5, it's my daily driver in an apartment setting. Incredible value! I find the T9 slightly colored in the 2k area due to tubes and can be unnatural at times. The sound stage and instrument separation is remarkable for this price. The low end is surprisingly fun and warm. I rolled the tubes with $25 replacements and got even more clarity and depth. The DAC is super clear and detailed. Plus blue tooth! Are you kidding? It's just a fun and attractive amp that never gets boring. Definitely not powerful but enough for a small living room.
What tunes did you roll? How are they compared to the original tunes? I have the Douk version of this amp.
@@larryleyba6496 River Stone matched tubes on amazon. They slightly improve clarity of the top end.
I got the updated Version from DOUK
You now can disable auto Standby and the VU meter has a sensitivity poti
Got the Douk audio version I noticed you used the stock tubes so people can expect what you’re listening to. Starting back into the audio trip after settling on a video projector I like and trying too many over priced sound bars for music and video. I like imaging and sound stage which sound bars don’t really well. Thanks for all you do and yes I value your opinions to guide my purchasing as well as having a little fun, something the audiophile community needs.
You know Randy, had I heard of some of these low priced products back in the 80's or 90's and of people comparing them to the major brands out there I would have thought they were nuts, but it really is a wonderful time for audio these days. There are tons of new and "newer" brands out there which never existed back in the days of old serving up budget products which are so far superior in sound quality to the cheap stuff of old. Brands like Emotiva and Audioengine and many which you highlight and talk about on your channel, which weren't on the market only a few years ago really do offer high value to those of us without tremendously deep pockets. It's a great time for those who are just getting started to buy NEW gear at the beginning rather than to have to look at and deal with some of the absolute garbage I owned as a kid, where used speakers had been partially modified so that only one of them had an additional brand new tweeter cut rather crudely into the cabinet, or the busted dust cover on that old vintage turntable. I'm happy with my Burson but it's nice to learn about this less expensive stuff because I have friends with kids who are just getting into the hobby. Thanks for everything you share!
Low-cost but name brand amps from the 80s and 90s were pretty good.
And the first that comes to MY mind is Adcom. In the 80's and 90's there were products from the big name brands that wouldn't kill you, brands like Aiwa and Harman/Kardon, Denon, Onkyo, etc. Maybe not their TOTL but still pretty great. Not to overlook Pioneer, which may have been the most value line-up of the majors out there once upon a time. I don't believe the same can be said about Pioneer and others today. Hell, Nakamichi was outstanding once but find something with that name on it today and it's not from the same company or pedigree. I just think that today a newb can put together a great starter system on a modest budget.
@@tomdavis6371
Don't forget Kenwood
@@westelaudio943 Yes. Kenwood too. And I kind of did forget Kenwood but because for the most part Kenwood was a brand that my local dealers didn't carry until Kenwood got into car audio. And then there was Technics, too. My gosh I'm feeling old now!
I have to say that I bought an Aiyima T9 that I hooked up to an old pair of Bose speakers and have been impressed. I just stream Spotify through bluetooth with minimal tone adjustment and it sounds very good. Thanks for all you do Randy!
I found my Yamaha sounding kind of dull, lifeless and unremarkable. Then I got the Cobra dual slashdown exhaust for it and now, even at a bike rally, the staging puts it front and center. Warm and buttery, but if you get on the gas, it hits you with crisp and clean highs. It runs rings around any Harley out there! Mind you, after about 100 miles, you do get listening fatigue, so wear a helmet. Oh: We're talking about audio? I have an R-N602, and I love it too! Its amp section is the little brother (80 WPC) to your integrated amplifier. I like my Yammys!
yes, but who listens to their 801 set flat? Another good test would be to set the 801's tone dials the way you like and see how close you can get the T9 to that.
One of my favorites in a while good job sir.
Really nice comparison, I picked up a T9 for like $110 after watching your review back in march. glad I did probably they’ll run out of stock after this video
Or tack on another $100 to the price tag
I enjoyed this comparison. I am glad to see that the cheap amp gets to be cheap by limiting inputs and outputs and not by trying to do everything.
I bought the Yamaha A-S301. That is the least expensive Yamaha integrated. I am very happy with it. I bought it because I thought it would be a good reliable amp and I wanted a substantial build and clean look, but in the back of my mind, I just knew that all things being equal, there would only be small differences in amps. I could have spent way more or way less and could have been happy that I did so. This video will be helpful for many that might be shopping around. Great job as usual, Randy.
That is a great amp and a great choice. I picked up an A-S301 off Craigslist while my Marantz HD-AMP1 was in the shop and really enjoyed it. I re-sold it when the Marantz came back but then I realized that I liked it better than the Class D Marantz and sold that too. Living with my Dynaco for now, but I liked that Yamaha so much I'm going back to get either the 501 or 701. I don't need the USB dac in the 801.
The S301 punches well above its weight. There's another YT channel, called E Project, who doesn't do reviews, he does audio comparisons of a wide range of amps and speakers, and, in those comparisons, the Yamaha sounds better to me than many much more expensive amps with a lot of speakers, including the $2200 KEF R3s.
don't forget the AS201 which is even cheaper and strangely more powerful at 100w per channel 🤔
I also have the 301. I have zero complaints. The 60 watts is plenty to drive my bookshelves. I do use a different phono pre, but that's it.
I imagine all of the Yahama AS amps sound great. That CD direct that the 701 and 801 has me interested, but not enough to spend.
pump up the volume to make your money worth
I started with a Rockville bluetube and switched to a Yamaha A S501SL and I do like the Yahama better, but no regrets with the cheaper system to start. The value of the switch was more for the input handling. Mine is not as powerful as the Yahama you used, but I think it was the way to go for a small room Hi/Fi and in the same family.
The headphone out of my cambridge cxa61 is nearly identical to my soundblaster ae9pe, with a slight edge in favour of the sound card, where the soundstage was a little more coherant (tested using the soundblaster as the dac in both instances). Like most modern integrated amps, the cambridge has a seperate op amp circuit for headphones, which gives you none of the magic of the actual amplifier like you would have back in the day. What I would give to hear the cxa61's real amplifier going to the headphone out with an obligatory resistor
The term “Integrated” when referring to audio amplifiers means preamplifier and amplifier in one chassis. DAC has nothing to do with it.
Yip, makes you wonder about this guy!
This thing has so many issues and returns - clicking, cant run an 8 ohm loads without blowing your speakers up. and its not 100 wpc 4 ohm system - you get what you pay for.
Class D has way more total distortion than an A/B amp. That's why class D amps are primary drivers for powered subwoofers.
I like it. Do you own it or are you just repeating what others have said and then junking up my comments without any first hand knowledge?
@@cheapaudioman I had one - for like a week, and issues where pretty much immediate.
Since I go out of my way to buy higher sensitivity speakers with a minimum 6 ohm impedance. No ones junking up your comments - just my experience. And I gave up on critical listening with class D amps due to the much higher distortion they create - going from -0.7 thd to 10% is very noticeable - to me. I listen to jazz, and can discern the difference immediately.
If you like it, fine. No way was this amp pushing more than 20 wpc into an 8 ohm load.
I don’t know jack about audio and equipment, but I own this amp. It’s uncomfortable to listen to at higher volumes, but I don’t know why. Vocals suffer incredibly on it, too
And if the difference between these two amps is pretty close, then maybe I’m just better off with my crappy obnoxious-looking Walmart Sony 2.1-in-a-box
@@gilph3 Randy gets upset when you disagree with him, as he did with me.
an integrated amp has nothing to do with a DAC or phono stage ya doof.
its simply a power amplifier and a preamplifier in the same chassis
Is my screen broken or are you jumping around a lot? 😆 Another cool video but hard to watch you glitching constantly, please go back to the more natural editing. 😉
I agree! Keep it as simple and off the cuff as possible.
DOUK ST-01 PRO. Yes. Big improvement. Got DOUK? 😉
$770 that's the difference 😅 good video keep them coming 👍
if the aiyima had a headphone socket, i'd have one on my desk right now.
I got a $135.00 Rockville Bluetube hybred tube amp, 70 watts, into Elac dbr62 speakers on $45 wood plant stands. How does the amp sound? At normal concert levels, about 60% power, like my HH Scott 13 tube 3 transformer integrated stereo tube amp, 70 watts. In short, kicks B U T T with good speakers. Or spend a few thousand on a tube amp. Will you hear a difference? Try before you buy is my advice.
The Rockvill amp blew up. After 2.5 years it paid for itself. Now burning in a DOUK ST01 PRO and no joke, it is 2x better than the blutube amp. Sounds like a speaker upgrade, my Elacs like the added power. Deeper, louder bass, clearer mids, clear highs. Really like this TI chip class D amp. Highly recommend, and can get 3 years extended coverage from Amazon. No doubt, dbr62's change sound with better amps. And not in a little way....
Great Review!!!👍 I love when the comparison results differ from what's expected. Bravo!!!
Really like the comparison format. Suggestion for an extension on this David and Goliath compare … maybe try a separates setup w/ Aiyima T-10 and A-07 compared to a moderately or high priced preamp / amplifier setup.
Your right! My surprise when my $140 Class D amp sounds better than my $500 A/B amp.
Where I like devices like the T9 (and have something very similar myself - different brand but same chipset and probably the same 6J4 tubes) is computer audio. I use it in my office paired with decent bookshelf speakers. In a context where I really only care about having a single input it's a great little amp.
my "reference" cheap system is amazon HD into my modi multibit, into my T9 as a preamp, into my vintage adcom 535 amp into my RP 600M's...its good, way better than it should be for a ramshackle hodgepodge system
I got the T9 based on your review... I hooked them up to an old pair of sony speakers (ss m90n) and I cant believe what I'm hearing!!! Amazing little tube amp!!!
I need to buy one of these distortion generators.
The T9 is a beautiful-sounding amp. Looks great.....goes into standby between songs and clicks back again a second into the next song. That last thing is a maddening feature. If anyone knows how to deactivate that?.... I'm stumped. 👍
The TPA 3221 chip from Texas instruments supposedly operates at 30 V, all the spec sheet specs are based on 30 V operation, and the 6K4 tubes have a very low amplification factor even with a plate voltage of 200 V, so my question is, what power supply did you use? I saw on Amazon that the unit comes with a 24V,4.5A power supply which is only 160 W power supply before you even factor in efficiency losses, so it seems to me that a 30V, 5A power supply would’ve been more appropriate, but how are they handling the high-voltage ? The 6K4 typically operates at 200V on the plate. DC/DC converter in their design, or just for show? Read a review that stated the unit runs cool. The 3221 chip has selectable gain values 18, 24, 30, and 34, so whatever gain the 6K4 tube has can be matched with whatever gain the tpa chip needs for the appropriate input signal range, or you’re not going to get to the full output. Maybe there’s some linearity and power performance compromises due to the reduced operating voltage on the tpa3221 bc 80dB is not really great for a 50W per channel amp, even with an 86 dB speaker.
Just sayin’ … nice review anyway. 🥳👨🏻
Day is getting better thanks for posting
Had the 801 for a spell paired with Polk LSiM 705s. It’s pretty darn good, but I’ll say the 801 sounds fantastic using its internal usb asynchronous DAC. Optical was just not as good ime.
You need only to listen to this amp to know it's one of the most revealing, musical and entertaining amps under $1000. I've owned Cambridge, NAD, AMC, and others. I added a DAC to my AMC and still feel THIS little amp brings music alive better than any of them. I can't address its' longevity but sound quality is stellar and build quality is very good. I played the Titanic soundtrack, Ron Sexsmith, McCartney, Johnny Cash... all showed more detail right down to the quietest sound as songs fade. I'm hearing details in the arrangements that are amazing. Bass extension was better than my AMC, the tone controls are very musical... bottom line, for under $200 Canadian it's a steal. DONT consider it a "little, desktop amp." Mine is paired with a pair of Monitor Audios. This amp belongs in an "audiophile" setup.
I have owned a Yamaha 301 for years....very solid
hey Randy, great comparison. I hope you compare the Yamaha to other low budget amps in the future.
But, we're all winners here. Winners of knowledge! And experience! :)
Anyone try the Aiyima M12 or T10 pre?
Simple solution to the lack of power "issue", use the T9 and bi amp it. AO7 or even better smsl sa-98e comes to mind.
I really hope the CAM or another reviewer will give the smsl sa-98e a try.
Smsl sa-98e is $108 at Wal-Mart
And $116 at parts express / Amazon
I don't see any reviews but I was pleasantly surprised at how well this little amp sounded even in comparison to the Aiyima A07.
Doesn't integrated mean it's got preamplification inside not that it's 'integrated' with other components e.g. a DAC? Example my A-S1100 is considered an integrated amp but has no digital inputs at all as has no DAC. Has no Bluetooth too! Thanks
Your doppelganger told me that i won a free oven mitt.. Anyway, i'm buying the little one with the speedometer on it. That's just cool.
Nice review Randy. I wonder whether high efficiency speakers would benefit the T9 even more.
I use the Douk version that I use in my elementary school classroom. It powers 2 Focal 100 ICW 6 ceiling speakers. It sounds very good. I had a Cambridge Audio Azur 40 watt integrated amp and I replaced it with the Douk. The sound of both were very good, but the size of the Douk won me over.
Sit down and grab a cup of coffee.... Love it 😊
I got the T9 based on your videos and am very happy with it! I replaced the tubes and it sounds wonderful. Only problem is the dang clicking when its not playing anything. Thanks for the recommendation!
I just bought the T9 because of this video and the fact that it is back in stock. I have the A07 and like it so well that it haS become my primary amplifier, along with a Topping E30 DAC. I own a McIntosh amp and preamp. Yeah that McIntosh is great, but it doesn't have a DAC in it, and a lot like Randy says in this video, unless you're going for higher volumes, it's pretty hard to hear a difference.
Hey. Good video. As a Yamaha AVR owner turned fanboy, I was definitely rooting for the Yamaha. I think, however, it would be helpful to have sound demos with comparisons like this. Though we appreciate your detailed descriptions, I believe that it would be most helpful to the viewers to hear the differences for themselves. Actually, I think every reviewer should do this.
How would sound demos of amps be useful on TH-cam?
@@aanon2550 If I played music from an AM radio station on a GE boombox, and then played music from a b&w speaker with all McIntosh gear, both via TH-cam, do you think you wouldn't be able to tell the difference in sound quality?!? Could you pick up on some sound signatures and nuances? Stop acting like you can't get reasonable impressions of a component from sound clips, especially if compared with other components, where all other things are equal. Even if I'm playing the clips back on my gear.
@@Larwiz in your example case, yes. In this case, however, we're taking about amps, which differ much much much less than speakers, such that the process of capturing their output, compressing it for TH-cam and playing it back through another set of devices (different for every viewer) would entirely thwart the intended comparison.
@@aanon2550 "Entirely thwart"? No. I don't think so. I agree that the differences between amps are likely miniscule. But that doesn't mean that they aren't audible. Now ideally, one would audition components in person, and where possibly, A/B test back to back. But what if that isn't possible? You're only going off of reviews comprised of someone else's impression of what they heard. Don't you think it would be best to hear the component yourself through a sound clip?
@@Larwiz If there was no time and effort involved to provide you with this virtually useless data, sure. But it does take time and effort, so this should be focused on useful endeavours.
I love the retro look of the little valve amp.
Yes, what you did was perfectly valid. But as you said, to compare the *amplifiers*, ‘should have used an external DAC.
I bought a Au$50 Nobsound D Class amp to run some budget 8" outdoor speakers. Out of curiosity I also connected the Nobsound to my Tannoys to compare it to my Marantz Amp. $50 vs $900. I couldn't tell the difference. I'm sure there was some, but I couldn't hear it.
Wow. Crazy
I believe it, because I've had 4 nobsound/douk audio amps and still have one and also a matching slightly more expensive preamp, and they can pretty well hold up against all the old stuff I've ever used, they'd have their way with the old marantz 2230 or even 2250 etc, not a comparison at all, more expensive just isn't always better. I back the chi-fi amps all the way.
Glad to see that you matched levels for the A/B.
I have 2 Douk Audio ST-01 and the one thing I am replacing asap are the lame power supplies they come with higher current/better quality ones, this is their mayor limitation. The power supply comprises 85% or more of a good sounding amplifier. One can't expect to pay $125.00 for an amplifier and expect it to come with a $150.00 (sarcasm) power supply
Great video Randy! Thank you for your good, honest comparisons and feedback. My question: How would you compare the T-9 to the Douk X-1 now that you have had it for a while?
Well thought out review, thanks. However the Amz review comments on the T9 have me concerned….reliability, its clipping (distortion which could damage speakers), remote control issues/failures, bluetooth failure, and other serious complaints. Bummer. I will continue the search for a budget solid amp/dac. Perhaps when you review a new product you could comment on some of the bad buyer reviews, if out there.
Good morning Randy. I picked up a T9 on your recommendation. The noise floor and sound stage improved with some tweaks to the power supply. The T9 is driving a pair of Energy CF-70 tower speakers making sweet music with deep bass in my living room. Ha! My speaker cables weigh more than the T9. Great fun!
What tweaks did you make, better caps?
@@mikey7278 I used a couple of Z-sleeves on the power supply cord. A quick test to see if the power supply was influencing the sound. Installing better caps and bypass caps inside the power brick would probably make an even greater improvement.
Nice. Could even add RC filter to the output maybe
@@mikey7278 If I could find an appropriate battery, I would replace the power brick with it. I replaced the wall wart that came with my Modi 3 DAC with a cellphone battery/charger for a nice bump up in sound quality. A 24 volt battery will be a bit harder to find and more expensive - we'll see.
would like to see you do a review of a non tube micro amp against your Yamaha. The non tube micro cheap apps have more power output in my opinion I've tested a few of them
The specs on the tpa3221 chip are actually pretty good at 88 watts into 4 ohms at 1% thd (I think that's at 30v though). Try putting it on 2 12v lead acid batterys in series to get a 24 volt supply, and there my be even less difference in sound to the Yamaha.
Can you tell a difference when switching between different music streaming services? Thanks!
Good job Randy!
Love this channel and have a crush on this amp….love to see a system build around the T9
Tube amps are the real deal. Even cheap ones offer extraordinary quality
The base competency of cheap amps is what has gotten better over the years. Where 10 years ago, a $100 Amp would have lacked any kind of fidelity to be even remotely called entry level hifi, these days they've caught up.