[isaac r]

I am looking for good value in the 1000-2000$ integrated amplifier market.
So ofc i thought the value must be in the chinese markets, with a big production-facility, and with many brands that are equal in quality(relative) to the big western brand-names.
 
Well I have discovered such names as; Xindak, Cayin, Yushang, Shengya for now. They get very good reviews around the web, although they are very rare compared to the big western brands like Creek, Onkyo, Kenwood, Sony and so on.
 
Well which brands are usually the best value from china, and which sites are very reliable to buy from? Im thinking: Aliexpress, Cattylink and maybe china-highend-hifi.com but that site seems very dubious at best.
Ofc there is also Vat and Duty and shipping and so on that I need to add, but still it seems good value even with the extra costs.
 
It needs to be shipped to Denmark.
I will build my stereo-system around the integrated amplifier btw. Speakers and interconnects and Dac.

 

[isaac r]

Anybody?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

If you're in Denmark, why not get something from within the EU, given shipping and import duties might affect Chinese brands' prices depending on where the dealer is? There's Mystere from the Netherlands - over here in the Manila we have a dealer for Mystere and Cayin, and also Xindak, and I was able to listen to an amp from each. My memory might be a little sketchy by now since it was a few years ago, but my favorite is the Xindak Class A integrated followed by the Cayin A70T. Mystere actually ranked third (if I remember right it was the ia11, but I could be wrong), since it was a bit more "tubey" where the Cayin wasn't audibly so with all the Aurum Cantus speakers and the Duevel Planets we tested; the Xindak was a touch more euphonic with female vocals. However, i the prices were reversed as it might be if you'd import a Chinese amp into the EU, so that warrants more research, or equal but with servicing of the Mystere presumably easier unless there's a local dealer, I'd take take the ia11 and match them with efficient speakers.
 
If however you're planning on using Dyns, I've so far only liked solid state amps with them. Among the brands you listed I'd go with the Xindak Class A (yeah I have sort of a gear crush on it, plus the Planets, V3M, and Volla), but of course there's the Unison Reseach Secondo (I'd take a used Unico if half the price any day though) and it'll drive pretty much anything thrown at it. It's a shame that our annual hi-fi show displays only use separates on their speakers (unless it's some new, novel design, like NuForce and the new NAD 3020) because I've heard the Unico pushing Dyn Audience towers without breaking a sweat, and apparently all the way up to the Contour S5.4 (but I personally have not heard this combo owing to the rarity of the speakers).
 
Of course, there might be dealers for the Chinese amps in the EU, so let's wait if anyone might have dealt with and had smooth transactions with them.