Giving away POLK R700 Speakers (th-cam.com/video/DH8JB1PZH48/w-d-xo.html). Doge 10 Tube Integrated Amp. Ifi Zen Streamer (th-cam.com/video/MCZ7couD6z4/w-d-xo.html). To Enter For The Giveaway: 1. Comment on the video (1 entry) 2. Like The Video (1 entry) 3. Click and check out this link : howl.me/chm0sFygWWJ (1 entry) *** Only Subscribers To The Channel Qualify *** Doge10 mk3: doge.audio/product/doge-10-padc/ 0:00 Giveaway 0:29 Why Bother To Do This Video? 2:05 Problems With Doge10 MK3 8:32 Doge10 Mk3 Sound Quality 13:52 Doge10 Mk3 Build Quality and Features 19:28 Best Speakers For Doge10 Mk3 & Comparisons
Did you change the contest? It looks like you are giving the components away separately now? I thought last week you were giving away an entire system (all 3). Maybe I read it wrong? Not complaining just curious ... great channel Jay. I was looking into a Doge10 but, their website says they are on back order with no ETA ... thanks for the review.
Thanks, Jay. I think this is the first review I’ve heard on TH-cam that isn’t full of fluff. Never before from any of the reviewers that I folllow have I heard a completely candid and honest assessment.
I respect your honesty and not being bias to the companies who participate with your channel...that's what makes a great reviewer a Great Reviewer! Major props Jay!
Incredibly impressed here. Now i have another reason as to why you are one of my favourite reviewers that i only need one hand to count on my fingers, still with a spare thumb yet to allocate. This sort of honest opinionated talk is the only single thing that can ever make real changes i.m.o. & you've rightfully put the ball into the hands of the manufacture & any other manufacter's who are listening to hear the extreme importance of these words. P.S. Only or E.G. purposes, i'll tell an old story from my earliest s/h buying hi'fi years (but bear in mind that Quad hi-fi now have a completely different ownership & have moved from Huntington u.k. to a different country since ...so i cannot comment on any aspect whatsoever of their present hi-fi biz' that may still be beyond reproach, but) ...very many decades back, folk in the UK & not just but including my father, would buy Quad gear blind, since i was knee high, purely because their reputation was so very solid & like no other, they were very well known for back-up, spares & keeping customers & Quad gear owners very satisfied if anything should go wrong or if the buyer didn't like what they heard, they were famous for pulling out all stops to keep buyers happy & repairing all Quad gear no matter how old at very cheap prices compared to all their competition. That reputation back then, kept them as the top'most seller of all hi'fi in u.k & v.popular wordwide i'm told, except for t/tables they never made. One of my early hi'fi purchases in my last teenage year was a comete Quad S/H set'up that included Quad II mono valve amps & after a year or so, the grey rectangular box under the mains transformer, a sealed double 16+16 micro'farad electrolytic capacitor had given up the ghost, directly clued to by a 50'hz loud hum. (I was into electronics since a child) I rang Quad U.K. based in huntington & the guy on the line said i could come & pick up an identical replacement or we can post one if you're too far away. They were only 10 or 15 miles from Cambridge where i lived (& always have, or a village next to) but i had no car in those young days & they took my postal address, it arrived 2 days later & i was wondering how they were going to recieve payment as cost & payment method wasn't mentioned i only realised after the call. So i tnought "wow, they trust me" & assumed a bill would be in with the Cap' when i got it, but there was no bill, only a "with complements of Quad Huntjngton u.k." slip. I immediately rang Quad that morning to ask how much & how they'd prefer payment. I was put through to their technical department again & spoke to the very same guy. I said how we'd both forgot to disscuss cost or payment method to which he replied "No i didn't forget, it's on the house, enjoy & if you have any trouble fitting it yourself or any trouble getting it working properly again, don't hesitate to get back in touch" I was mightily impressed and wasn't even asked if i was the original owner of the amps which were a very old design of Quad's & not made for well over 25'ish or ++ years when i bought the full Quad set-up s/h. They were well known for akways keeping spares & service capability no matter how old the equipment & they go back to early 50's (mahbe late 40's?) with mono valve pre, power & their orjginal "Corner Ribbon" speaker. Their success stood on the shoulders of their well-earned reputation, i'm not saying all companies should give spares free & would have said the same as all above if i had been charged the going rate, i was ready to go out & purchase 2 seperate 16 microfarad 400 volt caps anyway if Quad couldnt sell me the original double cap' but their help keept it 'as original' inside. Personally their s/state amps were not "my cup of tea" but Kudos to them on how they treated buyers. Only Rolls Royce & Bently had an = high customer care in all of u.k. for any genre of product Good aftercare is golden.
Thank you for your honesty. Own a Rogue Audio integrated. Had a question about tubes. Called and got a real person answering the phone on the second ring. No phone tree to deal with either. Made me feel like I had made a wise purchase. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Doge
I'm a little surprised by your review, but respect your opinion. I have a Doge 10 mk2, and I'm very happy with it. I haven't needed to deal with Doge customer service, and I have been very happy with the voicing of it. It's much easier to listen to than the class D amp I was using before. The supply chain issues you mention are very significant at the moment, and I hope Doge get back on track with more great products.
Hey H D. Happy that you are enjoying your unit. I don’t doubt your experience and what you are hearing one bit. Doge has gone through more than normal amount of silent changes that even the same doge mk2 may sound warmer or brighter etc etc
Thanks for a full-range and detailed review of a product that clearly won't make your Top Ten list for 2022. One reason I come to your site is you aren't afraid to discuss details you love about a product while dismissing others that don't cast a favorable light on it. The Doge 10 has created a lot of strong reactions in the audio world, and I'm glad to finally see a review that explains why opinions vary so wildly on this model and company.
Customer support is my top 3 requirements for anything I buy. Mark Levinson and Parasound have amazing customer support. While I love Magnepan, their support is dismal however they at least have support. A lot of the Chi-Fi gear lack support hence it’s hard to commit to anything even with the tempting low prices.
I respect your honesty in the reviews. You give a direct perspective on ownership that other reviewers lack. Buying direct from China can come with these issues. However they do look great and hell of an amp for the price point.
I’ve been watching your video’s for YEARS, and I started when you were with the Canadian guy’s at the HiFi store. I like the older guy better than the heavy set guy because the older guy is funny and informative. You were the KID within the mix but I loved your non biased input! Glad you have your own set up!!! I’d love to receive the Free Amp from you, and whatever else you have to bless your followers with. Thank you!!!
If your giving it away, I’ll be happy to take it. I’ve been listening to my old Marantz for 30-40 years. It probably could be updated. I do blow it out every few years. Sounds good still but tried , like me. Always remain true to thyself young man. I am Happy to see your Honesty in your review. You did all a person can do, that is suggest to a Adult. Nobody can force anyone to change, it must come naturally. Keep up the good work !
Nice job providing honest and insightful reviews on both the Doge10Mk3 and the Polk R700. Important to call out the manufacturer for less than stellar customer service. If one is paying that much money for a product the support needs to be stellar.
You mentioned hybrid amps… My dad has had his hybrid integrated for easily 15 years and loves it! It’s a Rogue Sphinx. I’m still on my first integrated unit and also love it more than 4 years on. It’s a solid state. Sure would love to experience a tube amp in my place Jay… :)
Great honest commentary. A lot of comments prefaced by saying " in my opinion". Good to hear a reviewer say this than imply what they are saying is irrefutable fact.
I’m truly appreciate and respect your honesty for your TH-cam review. It’s truly unbiased and provide moderate opinion for potential buyers to reconsider and evaluate every single aspects before they place their order. To me, a purchase order placed not only for a mechanical finished goods but definitely includes after sales service. Thanks for your valuable comments.
Hi Jay, I have the DOGE MKII B, bought it almost a year ago. I was considering the Willsenton R8 but was concerned that it was all tuby warmth, homogenized everything, and lacked a sense of accurate reproduction and detail of the music as recorded. Well I believe I made the correct choice with the DOGE for myself and I love it, although I had to let it burn in properly before it really opened up and settled down and sounded the way it should. The power tubes that came with it are PSVANE KT88-C, they are not the highest quality tubes from that brand but they work. As the war in Ukraine started this past year I thought it might be wise to purchase a set of Tung Sol KT120 tubes from Upscale Audio in Cali which I did at $250 for the Cryo version for rolling, in about 2 weeks you couldn’t find them and if you could they they were up to $1,100! Well the weekend I received the KT120’s my #3 KT88 tube flashed and blew out and knocked out the amp. Got in touch with Marc at Doge and he got back to me almost immediately and said no problem it has 2 protection modes with it and he was correct, it blew out the back fuse, I replaced it and everything was okay. The KT120's biased great and were more stable holding their bias than the PSVANE KT88's. In fact they had more bottom weight slam and better top end with better soundstage depth, width, detail and transparency. Also I purchased a matched set of TAD 6550A-STR to do some more tube rolling and they also are more stable than the original PSVANE KT88's and sound great but different from the KT88’s and the KT120’s, so it seems rolling tubes with this amp is not a problem at least not for me. Also having the unit for over a year and knowing how to use the auto biasing correctly as per the included instructions, I noticed that when you were demonstrating on how to use the auto-bias it seems that you were confused on how to use it properly. Maybe that is why you were having problems with it? Just my two cents....
This review is a great example why I will always tune in and view. Love the honesty and integrity shown here and that is really par for the course with all your stuff Jay. Bravo.
That was a very revealing video that brings to light some of the shortcomings with the Doge 10 tube amp and an insight into the company’s practices. I appreciate your honest reviews and we need more reviewers that explain the pros and cons of the equipment they are reviewing, well done.
You have balls, man. Sorry you got blacklisted from Doge and other reviewers. Thanks for the honest review. I came so close to get it last year. The Doge 10 was at the top of my short list. I guess when it’s too good to be true….the unicorn does not exist.
I appreciate your honest assessment of both the amp and your dealings with the company. I hope Doge realizes that these types of challenges are often a part of the growing pains that small business can experience and that they absolutely must be addressed if future success is to be maintained. Reviews such as presented here can be very helpful to this process and I do hope that Doge continues on with it's evolution as a purveyor of fine audio products. Thank you Jay ... your reviews are always both entertaining and educational.
Thank you so much for your honesty and for doing reviews that are not all glowing and positive. There is another channel which (also has your name,Jay, in it) that refuses to do anything but positive reviews because they claim that it is a waste of the viewers time. This is absurd. We can only learn from your journey if you include positive and negative qualitative judgments in them. You are doing a greater job to educate your readers by including problematic performance. The other channel argued that they want to protect the manufacturers by only doing positive reviews and never doing negative reviews. I think you would agree that if someone is in the business of making expensive equipment they should be willing to take their lumps when they come.
I've looked at the doge 10 and doge 5 for a while now and this review helps because doge has never been on top of my list and I like their auto bias but even then I don't think it's all that hard to grab a screwdriver and flip a switch. I used to hear doge was high quality like primaluna and some haters who never bought primaluna hating on primaluna but now it's pretty clear primaluna is superior and their auto bias and safety features work better than doge. With primaluna I believe it checks the preamp tubes as well as the power tubes while the doge only checks the power tubes.
Too bad about the customer service! Personally I love the look and have followed Thomas' videos about his collab with Doge with great interest. It's just out of my budget at the moment, but maybe I luck out here! Thank you for your honesty and all the great reviews.
Great review, I purchased a Doge DAC 7 in November 2020 after opening the box I discovered som issues with the exterior and the screen covering. 1. Plastic screen covering the digital display have internal glue residue which can clearly be seen. 2. The Black Anodized aluminum have discoloration. I sendt a email with attached photos to document these issues and got a reply from Marc their product manager, Marc wrote that Mr. Liu would reply to my issues in a few days, Mr. Liu never replied and I am still waiting, Doge will have to improve their customer service, as for the DAC I am very pleased with the sound it produces together with a Audion Silver Night Special Edition 300B amplifier and ZU Speakers.
I agree with these comments. Truly appreciate the honesty! It adds more credibility to all your reviews. Everything can't be the best thing since sliced bread! You can give your opinion on equipment, good or bad, and be respectful.
Fascinating video, recounting the evolution of your relationship with both the brand and this specific amplifier. One ends up completely intrigued and determined to find out more. Hopefully your honesty will end up benefitting all parties, including existing customers if your remarks prompt the company to solve their customer service problems. Clearly Doge are on a journey too, and if they get there we'll all be winners. I appreciate the production values of your video too, beautiful images, really impressive.
Thank you for your review. I can imagine how it could have been hard to make. I also appreciate your description of what you like and dislike about the Doge10 MK3.
It seems like quality control and customer service are common issues for many startups, but that's not a valid excuse especially at this price. Thank you for the honest review!
Jay, just starting to get into hifi. Your the best reviewer in my opinion. You've helped me out a lot with dacs and matching them to my system. Interested in building my own speakers next. Thanks for the tips.
bought this several months ago and have been very pleased with it. No issues as you describe and I like the sound very much. The only issue was it was damaged in transit and had to be replaced. Doge did right by me of course but it took longer than I thought it would and customer service was, uh a bit bizarre. Mark was complaining about his bosses ineptitude openly (sharing our emails with them) and threatening to quit etc. I just wanted my amp LOL.
I love tube amps, and I've a Reisong A10 with the Skunkie Designs upgrade. But I want something more powerful so I can try speakers such as Magnepans and ESL 57s. This amp would fit the bill perfectly, and I would love to have one!
Well jay, your videos have a been a big proponent of my choices (vmw 1dse, Willsenton r8, triangle borea 8). You have a good ear for components, appricate your honesty here with the Doge. Keep up the good work!
Like having the truth be told and your opinion to help others. Hopefully the company gets their issues resolved since such a nice product otherwise. Also the polk speaker are great by all accounts
Man, I can't tell you how much i appreciate your honesty around this experience. Because my JBL's lean toward warm/neutral, an amp with this sound signature might be a nice match for me personally. Not sure the other aspects around build quality and reliability are appealing though. Thanks again
I love that you're holding the manufacturer accountable for customer support issues. Hopefully with the push back they're receiving from you and others they'll make the appropriate changes. On the other hand, however, I think a lot of people have been spoiled by these Chinese hi-fi brands. The bang for your buck is insane compared to what was available ~10 years ago. I think it would be foolish to expect 10/10 in every category at these prices.
Thank you Jay! I appreciate your honest review. That said, by the time you got to the end, it seems like a tasty piece of gear- in terms of sound at least. And, from watching your and 2 other reviews of the Polks.... well, those are a yummy proposition. I haven't heard the Ifi Zen Streamer but have been enjoying the more expensive ifi Neo with upgraded power supply.
Wow, that is a shame that they can not or will not get their customer service together. That is always a big selling point when I am shopping for a product. Perhaps If they get their act together, I may give them a try. Thanks for the honest review and the review of the Polk Audio R700 speakers, I am sold on them
I am torn between the Willsenton and the Doge. After your video, I feel like the Doge has problems, and getting the issues resolved is not too easy. But who is to say that the R8 won't have issues too.
Congratulation Jay for this honest review. I had similar experiences with hifi gears purchased directly from China, often the customer support is not very good and you end up repairing your hifi gear yourself or at a local electronic shop if they accept. Of course you pay less upfront for the unit, but be prepared to spend time and money later.
Jay this is perhaps the best review I have watched of yours. The bottom line with any product be it an audio product or other consumer product if a company's customer service is poor or virtually non-existent which appears to be the case with Doge from client comments it should not even be considered. Customer service is the first responsibility of any company that competes for the customer's hard-earned dollar; if a company cannot succeed in this regard Doge frankly should not be in the business, regardless of the sound quality of their product. Doge if they do not correct this problem will not be in business very long. To Doge if you read this comment if you do something well your customer will tell a friend or two, if your customer has a bad experience they will tell everyone they know and your reputation in the industry will soon be destroyed.
My Cary tube amp had automatic autobiasing, which worked flawlessly. And it didn’t require any button-pushing or flashing confirmation lights. China HiFi could learn a lot from a company like Cary.
Hello Jay as I have said before, I trust your ears. If you come across audio gear up for review and don’t find it to be worthy of purchase, I want to hear about. As other already have said here, don’t be afraid to have a ‘negative’ review. I trust that you are not seeking product to negatively evaluate to some how build cred or troll for more views. As you once said if a company is treating you an influencer / audio reviewer with such disregard, then how will they treat an ordinary purchase of their products. We would not know the effects you went through to obtain an item worth of review unless, you share with us, your audience. Audio gear more and more these days are being sold direct from the manufacture where the buying experience becomes even more relevant. I remember you had a similar angst about portraying a negative review when you shared your experiences with Musician Audio Pegasus DAC, I can tell you that you save me a lot of my hard earned money back then. A reviewer should feel free to share the good, bad and ugly of the product they review or they are not really a credible reviewer. CHIFI still has a problem with QA/QC and don’t always still have the knack to know how to deal with the end buyer when things go wrong
Another great review Jay! I think everyone appreciates your honestly as well. Nice to see you're just looking put for you subscribers and the amp manufacturers in areas to improve eg; customer service.
You certainly explained the good/not so good (biasing) issues with this Doge. I hope to get a tube amp someday to go with my DIY speakers that got me back into audio! Thanks for your un-(biased) opinion Jay! 😊
Tech support is very important, I had an amp break once from a manufacturer overseas. Instead of fixing it, they told me to buy parts from Mouser and I had to solder the replacement parts myself. Not an ideal way to fix an amp under warranty. Then there was another audio company in China who took months to fix your broken amp. That was years ago, hopefully things get better. Chinese products can have very good value.
This is a old vid ,but my experience was I have a Doge 8 clarity and absolutely love it and still do,I like it so much I bought another as a backup,same model,but the second one did not sound anywhere near as good so I sold it,left me scratching my head
Sad to see that Doge's quality control is so iffy. If I win it, I'll certainly take it, but I definitely wouldn't drop my own money on it. Thanks for being so honest in your review, Jay!
Giving away POLK R700 Speakers (th-cam.com/video/DH8JB1PZH48/w-d-xo.html). Doge 10 Tube Integrated Amp. Ifi Zen Streamer (th-cam.com/video/MCZ7couD6z4/w-d-xo.html).
To Enter For The Giveaway:
1. Comment on the video (1 entry)
2. Like The Video (1 entry)
3. Click and check out this link : howl.me/chm0sFygWWJ (1 entry)
*** Only Subscribers To The Channel Qualify ***
Doge10 mk3: doge.audio/product/doge-10-padc/
0:00 Giveaway
0:29 Why Bother To Do This Video?
2:05 Problems With Doge10 MK3
8:32 Doge10 Mk3 Sound Quality
13:52 Doge10 Mk3 Build Quality and Features
19:28 Best Speakers For Doge10 Mk3 & Comparisons
Did you change the contest? It looks like you are giving the components away separately now? I thought last week you were giving away an entire system (all 3). Maybe I read it wrong? Not complaining just curious ... great channel Jay. I was looking into a Doge10 but, their website says they are on back order with no ETA ... thanks for the review.
@@jwblue575 nope. Same one. One system giveaway
@@Jayiyagi when is the drawing?
I’m a subscriber and I can’t enter the contest
@@hugohoude2705 what?
Never be afraid or hesitant to call out a product for its negative aspects. It enhances your reputation as a reviewer.
Just staying faithful to my channel’s name :)
Thanks, Jay. I think this is the first review I’ve heard on TH-cam that isn’t full of fluff. Never before from any of the reviewers that I folllow have I heard a completely candid and honest assessment.
I respect your honesty and not being bias to the companies who participate with your channel...that's what makes a great reviewer a Great Reviewer! Major props Jay!
Incredibly impressed here. Now i have another reason as to why you are one of my favourite reviewers that i only need one hand to count on my fingers, still with a spare thumb yet to allocate. This sort of honest opinionated talk is the only single thing that can ever make real changes i.m.o. & you've rightfully put the ball into the hands of the manufacture & any other manufacter's who are listening to hear the extreme importance of these words.
P.S. Only or E.G. purposes, i'll tell an old story from my earliest s/h buying hi'fi years (but bear in mind that Quad hi-fi now have a completely different ownership & have moved from Huntington u.k. to a different country since ...so i cannot comment on any aspect whatsoever of their present hi-fi biz' that may still be beyond reproach, but) ...very many decades back, folk in the UK & not just but including my father, would buy Quad gear blind, since i was knee high, purely because their reputation was so very solid & like no other, they were very well known for back-up, spares & keeping customers & Quad gear owners very satisfied if anything should go wrong or if the buyer didn't like what they heard, they were famous for pulling out all stops to keep buyers happy & repairing all Quad gear no matter how old at very cheap prices compared to all their competition. That reputation back then, kept them as the top'most seller of all hi'fi in u.k & v.popular wordwide i'm told, except for t/tables they never made.
One of my early hi'fi purchases in my last teenage year was a comete Quad S/H set'up that included Quad II mono valve amps & after a year or so, the grey rectangular box under the mains transformer, a sealed double 16+16 micro'farad electrolytic capacitor had given up the ghost, directly clued to by a 50'hz loud hum. (I was into electronics since a child) I rang Quad U.K. based in huntington & the guy on the line said i could come & pick up an identical replacement or we can post one if you're too far away. They were only 10 or 15 miles from Cambridge where i lived (& always have, or a village next to) but i had no car in those young days & they took my postal address, it arrived 2 days later & i was wondering how they were going to recieve payment as cost & payment method wasn't mentioned i only realised after the call. So i tnought "wow, they trust me" & assumed a bill would be in with the Cap' when i got it, but there was no bill, only a "with complements of Quad Huntjngton u.k." slip. I immediately rang Quad that morning to ask how much & how they'd prefer payment. I was put through to their technical department again & spoke to the very same guy. I said how we'd both forgot to disscuss cost or payment method to which he replied "No i didn't forget, it's on the house, enjoy & if you have any trouble fitting it yourself or any trouble getting it working properly again, don't hesitate to get back in touch" I was mightily impressed and wasn't even asked if i was the original owner of the amps which were a very old design of Quad's & not made for well over 25'ish or ++ years when i bought the full Quad set-up s/h. They were well known for akways keeping spares & service capability no matter how old the equipment & they go back to early 50's (mahbe late 40's?) with mono valve pre, power & their orjginal "Corner Ribbon" speaker. Their success stood on the shoulders of their well-earned reputation, i'm not saying all companies should give spares free & would have said the same as all above if i had been charged the going rate, i was ready to go out & purchase 2 seperate 16 microfarad 400 volt caps anyway if Quad couldnt sell me the original double cap' but their help keept it 'as original' inside. Personally their s/state amps were not "my cup of tea" but Kudos to them on how they treated buyers. Only Rolls Royce & Bently had an = high customer care in all of u.k. for any genre of product Good aftercare is golden.
Thank you for your honesty. Own a Rogue Audio integrated. Had a question about tubes. Called and got a real person answering the phone on the second ring. No phone tree to deal with either. Made me feel like I had made a wise purchase. Thank you for sharing your experience with the Doge
Appreciate the candor of this video - very refreshing
I'm a little surprised by your review, but respect your opinion. I have a Doge 10 mk2, and I'm very happy with it. I haven't needed to deal with Doge customer service, and I have been very happy with the voicing of it. It's much easier to listen to than the class D amp I was using before. The supply chain issues you mention are very significant at the moment, and I hope Doge get back on track with more great products.
Hey H D. Happy that you are enjoying your unit. I don’t doubt your experience and what you are hearing one bit. Doge has gone through more than normal amount of silent changes that even the same doge mk2 may sound warmer or brighter etc etc
Really appreciate your honesty Jay, its what keeps me coming back.
Thanks for a full-range and detailed review of a product that clearly won't make your Top Ten list for 2022. One reason I come to your site is you aren't afraid to discuss details you love about a product while dismissing others that don't cast a favorable light on it. The Doge 10 has created a lot of strong reactions in the audio world, and I'm glad to finally see a review that explains why opinions vary so wildly on this model and company.
Customer support is my top 3 requirements for anything I buy. Mark Levinson and Parasound have amazing customer support. While I love Magnepan, their support is dismal however they at least have support. A lot of the Chi-Fi gear lack support hence it’s hard to commit to anything even with the tempting low prices.
Honesty, integrity, Jays iyagi. Enough said
Thank you Jay, for your raw honestly on this review of the Doge10 MK3.
I respect your honesty in the reviews. You give a direct perspective on ownership that other reviewers lack. Buying direct from China can come with these issues. However they do look great and hell of an amp for the price point.
Wow had no idea Doge customer service was bad. Thanks for always looking out for your viewers Jay! You're the best!!
I’ve been watching your video’s for YEARS, and I started when you were with the Canadian guy’s at the HiFi store. I like the older guy better than the heavy set guy because the older guy is funny and informative. You were the KID within the mix but I loved your non biased input! Glad you have your own set up!!!
I’d love to receive the Free Amp from you, and whatever else you have to bless your followers with. Thank you!!!
That Samsung G8 looks awesome! Currently I am using a 27" Samsung curved monitor and I love it.
You show a great deal of integrity in this video.
At least you give an honest review. Not like some other reviewers who just give their views because they were given the item for free.
If your giving it away, I’ll be happy to take it. I’ve been listening to my old Marantz for 30-40 years. It probably could be updated. I do blow it out every few years. Sounds good still but tried , like me. Always remain true to thyself young man. I am Happy to see your Honesty in your review. You did all a person can do, that is suggest to a Adult. Nobody can force anyone to change, it must come naturally. Keep up the good work !
Nice job providing honest and insightful reviews on both the Doge10Mk3 and the Polk R700. Important to call out the manufacturer for less than stellar customer service. If one is paying that much money for a product the support needs to be stellar.
You mentioned hybrid amps… My dad has had his hybrid integrated for easily 15 years and loves it! It’s a Rogue Sphinx. I’m still on my first integrated unit and also love it more than 4 years on. It’s a solid state. Sure would love to experience a tube amp in my place Jay… :)
Great honest commentary. A lot of comments prefaced by saying " in my opinion". Good to hear a reviewer say this than imply what they are saying is irrefutable fact.
Thank you for your honest opinion
I’m truly appreciate and respect your honesty for your TH-cam review. It’s truly unbiased and provide moderate opinion for potential buyers to reconsider and evaluate every single aspects before they place their order. To me, a purchase order placed not only for a mechanical finished goods but definitely includes after sales service. Thanks for your valuable comments.
Hi Jay, I have the DOGE MKII B, bought it almost a year ago. I was considering the Willsenton R8 but was concerned that it was all tuby warmth, homogenized everything, and lacked a sense of accurate reproduction and detail of the music as recorded. Well I believe I made the correct choice with the DOGE for myself and I love it, although I had to let it burn in properly before it really opened up and settled down and sounded the way it should. The power tubes that came with it are PSVANE KT88-C, they are not the highest quality tubes from that brand but they work. As the war in Ukraine started this past year I thought it might be wise to purchase a set of Tung Sol KT120 tubes from Upscale Audio in Cali which I did at $250 for the Cryo version for rolling, in about 2 weeks you couldn’t find them and if you could they they were up to $1,100! Well the weekend I received the KT120’s my #3 KT88 tube flashed and blew out and knocked out the amp. Got in touch with Marc at Doge and he got back to me almost immediately and said no problem it has 2 protection modes with it and he was correct, it blew out the back fuse, I replaced it and everything was okay. The KT120's biased great and were more stable holding their bias than the PSVANE KT88's. In fact they had more bottom weight slam and better top end with better soundstage depth, width, detail and transparency. Also I purchased a matched set of TAD 6550A-STR to do some more tube rolling and they also are more stable than the original PSVANE KT88's and sound great but different from the KT88’s and the KT120’s, so it seems rolling tubes with this amp is not a problem at least not for me. Also having the unit for over a year and knowing how to use the auto biasing correctly as per the included instructions, I noticed that when you were demonstrating on how to use the auto-bias it seems that you were confused on how to use it properly. Maybe that is why you were having problems with it? Just my two cents....
RE: using the auto bias feature. I thought the same. It's a two step procedure.
Solid review - honest, accurate, and no holding back.
This review is a great example why I will always tune in and view. Love the honesty and integrity shown here and that is really par for the course with all your stuff Jay. Bravo.
Thanks for being real about your experience with this amp.
I always enjoy the channel. I especially like when you talk about amp and speaker matching.
I like the enthusiasm you show when reviewing products it is a refreshing take. I wish I could afford the speakers you have.
I usually break your chops but this review is aces 👍 take a bow young man, great honest review!
That was a very revealing video that brings to light some of the shortcomings with the Doge 10 tube amp and an insight into the company’s practices. I appreciate your honest reviews and we need more reviewers that explain the pros and cons of the equipment they are reviewing, well done.
That’s very honest of you, thank you for this review. Because of how honest you were I decided to follow your channel 👍🏼☺️
You have balls, man. Sorry you got blacklisted from Doge and other reviewers. Thanks for the honest review. I came so close to get it last year. The Doge 10 was at the top of my short list. I guess when it’s too good to be true….the unicorn does not exist.
Blacklisted from doge and other reviewers? Where did you get that?
I appreciate your honest assessment of both the amp and your dealings with the company.
I hope Doge realizes that these types of challenges are often a part of the growing pains
that small business can experience and that they absolutely must be addressed if future
success is to be maintained. Reviews such as presented here can be very helpful to this
process and I do hope that Doge continues on with it's evolution as a purveyor of fine audio
products. Thank you Jay ... your reviews are always both entertaining and educational.
Public service review, I know negative reviews are not your thing, but you are caring about your viewers. Well done.
Honestly, one of the reasons I follow u is the honesty that I always thought u had
Thank you so much for your honesty and for doing reviews that are not all glowing and positive. There is another channel which (also has your name,Jay, in it) that refuses to do anything but positive reviews because they claim that it is a waste of the viewers time. This is absurd. We can only learn from your journey if you include positive and negative qualitative judgments in them. You are doing a greater job to educate your readers by including problematic performance. The other channel argued that they want to protect the manufacturers by only doing positive reviews and never doing negative reviews. I think you would agree that if someone is in the business of making expensive equipment they should be willing to take their lumps when they come.
The other channel is difficult for me to stomach. How many times do I want to hear how much money the dude spends on his hifi gear?
It’s because of honest reviews like this that I keep coming back to listen to what you have to say. Thanks, Jay!
Thank you J 4 a very honest review and keep up this great work! Waiting for more of your reviews!
I've looked at the doge 10 and doge 5 for a while now and this review helps because doge has never been on top of my list and I like their auto bias but even then I don't think it's all that hard to grab a screwdriver and flip a switch. I used to hear doge was high quality like primaluna and some haters who never bought primaluna hating on primaluna but now it's pretty clear primaluna is superior and their auto bias and safety features work better than doge. With primaluna I believe it checks the preamp tubes as well as the power tubes while the doge only checks the power tubes.
Appreciate the transparency, which is sadly lacking in our corner of the internet.
Too bad about the customer service! Personally I love the look and have followed Thomas' videos about his collab with Doge with great interest. It's just out of my budget at the moment, but maybe I luck out here! Thank you for your honesty and all the great reviews.
Jay, I always appreciate your honesty, enthusiasm and endless curiosity.
Glad you are maintaining transparency with these problems. I really hope they get it together because they seem to have a ton of promise
Your videos are always informative especially for those of us that go through a lot of stuff and don't have the resources to constantly upgrade.
New Record Day channel could get inspiration from this level of transparency
This is a great video. You don’t see videos that are this transparent very often.
Very familiar with Polk and had a pair many years ago!!
Appreciate a review that is not all rainbows and sunshine.
It's truly amazing that you tell the good with the bad
Good and honest review Jay. Would expect nothing less from you. Keep up the good work!
Honestly an idea that never goes out of style 👏👏👍
Great review, I purchased a Doge DAC 7 in November 2020 after opening the box I discovered som issues with the exterior and the screen covering.
1. Plastic screen covering the digital display have internal glue residue which can clearly be seen.
2. The Black Anodized aluminum have discoloration.
I sendt a email with attached photos to document these issues and got a reply from Marc their product manager, Marc wrote that Mr. Liu would reply to my issues in a few days, Mr. Liu never replied and I am still waiting, Doge will have to improve their customer service, as for the DAC I am very pleased with the sound it produces together with a Audion Silver Night Special Edition 300B amplifier and ZU Speakers.
I agree with these comments. Truly appreciate the honesty! It adds more credibility to all your reviews. Everything can't be the best thing since sliced bread! You can give your opinion on equipment, good or bad, and be respectful.
Fascinating video, recounting the evolution of your relationship with both the brand and this specific amplifier. One ends up completely intrigued and determined to find out more. Hopefully your honesty will end up benefitting all parties, including existing customers if your remarks prompt the company to solve their customer service problems. Clearly Doge are on a journey too, and if they get there we'll all be winners. I appreciate the production values of your video too, beautiful images, really impressive.
Thanks Jay. Enjoyed the review. The Doge 10 has been on my short list, I appreciate you pointing out some items I’ve not seen on other sites.
I like the idea of a warmer tube amp too. I hope I get to hear it! I'm glad you stay honest.
Tubes would be a step up for me. Thanks for covering in detail.
Thank you for your review. I can imagine how it could have been hard to make. I also appreciate your description of what you like and dislike about the Doge10 MK3.
It seems like quality control and customer service are common issues for many startups, but that's not a valid excuse especially at this price. Thank you for the honest review!
Thanks for showing you have the integrity to give a honest review.
I love tube amps and intrigued by this one. The old Macintosh amps got me hooked on tubes and that has never changed.
Jay, just starting to get into hifi. Your the best reviewer in my opinion. You've helped me out a lot with dacs and matching them to my system. Interested in building my own speakers next. Thanks for the tips.
bought this several months ago and have been very pleased with it. No issues as you describe and I like the sound very much. The only issue was it was damaged in transit and had to be replaced. Doge did right by me of course but it took longer than I thought it would and customer service was, uh a bit bizarre. Mark was complaining about his bosses ineptitude openly (sharing our emails with them) and threatening to quit etc. I just wanted my amp LOL.
I love tube amps, and I've a Reisong A10 with the Skunkie Designs upgrade. But I want something more powerful so I can try speakers such as Magnepans and ESL 57s. This amp would fit the bill perfectly, and I would love to have one!
TRY QUAD................or the older tube amplifiers from the company .........
Did you do the upgrade yourself? How difficult was it? How long did it take? Is it something that one could outsource to an electronics person?
Alot of Maggie's won't even be at 86db with 100w rms input, so be careful what you think you can dive them with
Well jay, your videos have a been a big proponent of my choices (vmw 1dse, Willsenton r8, triangle borea 8). You have a good ear for components, appricate your honesty here with the Doge. Keep up the good work!
Like having the truth be told and your opinion to help others. Hopefully the company gets their issues resolved since such a nice product otherwise. Also the polk speaker are great by all accounts
Thanks for the honest review.
Man, I can't tell you how much i appreciate your honesty around this experience. Because my JBL's lean toward warm/neutral, an amp with this sound signature might be a nice match for me personally. Not sure the other aspects around build quality and reliability are appealing though. Thanks again
I have been a Decware fan for many years, I am very happy for them that they have gotten so much attention recently.
Glad you presented a balanced perspective factoring in customer service
Thank you for being frank and honest in your review.
I love that you're holding the manufacturer accountable for customer support issues. Hopefully with the push back they're receiving from you and others they'll make the appropriate changes. On the other hand, however, I think a lot of people have been spoiled by these Chinese hi-fi brands. The bang for your buck is insane compared to what was available ~10 years ago. I think it would be foolish to expect 10/10 in every category at these prices.
Another great point not to be too hasty to judge your equipment can’t forget that burn in time! Thanks!
That decware amp looks gorgeous. Thanks for the honest review.
I like your honest review. It me more aware of buying new tube. I like to try tube amplifier.Im from the Philippines. Great review. God bless.
Thank you. I was very curious about this unit, but now I know.
Thank you Jay! I appreciate your honest review. That said, by the time you got to the end, it seems like a tasty piece of gear- in terms of sound at least. And, from watching your and 2 other reviews of the Polks.... well, those are a yummy proposition. I haven't heard the Ifi Zen Streamer but have been enjoying the more expensive ifi Neo with upgraded power supply.
Wow, that is a shame that they can not or will not get their customer service together. That is always a big selling point when I am shopping for a product. Perhaps If they get their act together, I may give them a try. Thanks for the honest review and the review of the Polk Audio R700 speakers, I am sold on them
Jay I respect your honesty, it is so refreshing and welcome. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the review. Currently looking at getting the wo audio wa7, nice seeing reviews of other tube amplifiers.
Thanks for your honest opinion and the work arounds with this amp.
I used to think you did paid reviews and that your opinion was for sale. This was a refreshing video. You are an honest reviewer.
Hey Thanks. This is not the only negative experience I have shared on my channel and my opinions were absolutely never for sale haha
Great video. I like the honest review not priced base reviews.
I am torn between the Willsenton and the Doge. After your video, I feel like the Doge has problems, and getting the issues resolved is not too easy. But who is to say that the R8 won't have issues too.
Congratulation Jay for this honest review. I had similar experiences with hifi gears purchased directly from China, often the customer support is not very good and you end up repairing your hifi gear yourself or at a local electronic shop if they accept. Of course you pay less upfront for the unit, but be prepared to spend time and money later.
Jay this is perhaps the best review I have watched of yours. The bottom line with any product be it an audio product or other consumer product if a company's customer service is poor or virtually non-existent which appears to be the case with Doge from client comments it should not even be considered. Customer service is the first responsibility of any company that competes for the customer's hard-earned dollar; if a company cannot succeed in this regard Doge frankly should not be in the business, regardless of the sound quality of their product. Doge if they do not correct this problem will not be in business very long. To Doge if you read this comment if you do something well your customer will tell a friend or two, if your customer has a bad experience they will tell everyone they know and your reputation in the industry will soon be destroyed.
Thank you for an honest review. I am a fan for Doge and this want me to go a dig in for more info about other owners with issues.
My Cary tube amp had automatic autobiasing, which worked flawlessly. And it didn’t require any button-pushing or flashing confirmation lights. China HiFi could learn a lot from a company like Cary.
Thanks for your honest Jay, love your videos. Keep up the great work.
Hello Jay as I have said before, I trust your ears. If you come across audio gear up for review and don’t find it to be worthy of purchase, I want to hear about. As other already have said here, don’t be afraid to have a ‘negative’ review. I trust that you are not seeking product to negatively evaluate to some how build cred or troll for more views. As you once said if a company is treating you an influencer / audio reviewer with such disregard, then how will they treat an ordinary purchase of their products. We would not know the effects you went through to obtain an item worth of review unless, you share with us, your audience. Audio gear more and more these days are being sold direct from the manufacture where the buying experience becomes even more relevant. I remember you had a similar angst about portraying a negative review when you shared your experiences with Musician Audio Pegasus DAC, I can tell you that you save me a lot of my hard earned money back then. A reviewer should feel free to share the good, bad and ugly of the product they review or they are not really a credible reviewer. CHIFI still has a problem with QA/QC and don’t always still have the knack to know how to deal with the end buyer when things go wrong
I would love to have that tube amp and the Polk audio speakers loved your review on both
Another great review Jay! I think everyone appreciates your honestly as well. Nice to see you're just looking put for you subscribers and the amp manufacturers in areas to improve eg; customer service.
You certainly explained the good/not so good (biasing) issues with this Doge. I hope to get a tube amp someday to go with my DIY speakers that got me back into audio! Thanks for your un-(biased) opinion Jay! 😊
Tech support is very important, I had an amp break once from a manufacturer overseas. Instead of fixing it, they told me to buy parts from Mouser and I had to solder the replacement parts myself. Not an ideal way to fix an amp under warranty. Then there was another audio company in China who took months to fix your broken amp. That was years ago, hopefully things get better. Chinese products can have very good value.
This is a old vid ,but my experience was I have a Doge 8 clarity and absolutely love it and still do,I like it so much I bought another as a backup,same model,but the second one did not sound anywhere near as good so I sold it,left me scratching my head
Sad to see that Doge's quality control is so iffy. If I win it, I'll certainly take it, but I definitely wouldn't drop my own money on it. Thanks for being so honest in your review, Jay!
its prevalent throughout CHIFI, QC lately has been horrid.
Appreciate your unbiased view!