Affordable Valve Company

Valve / Tube Amplifiers

Reviews by customers.

WARNING = BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT ITEMS FROM CHINA

The following eBay items in January 2006 have
NOT been MODIFIED IN ENGLAND
by AFFORDABLE VALVE COMPANY of ENGLAND

http://cgi.ebay.com.cn/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5853986894

http://cgi.ebay.com.cn/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7382301846

http://cgi.ebay.com.cn/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7382399247

Our cheapest model are the ORIGINAL Chinese model

We will match the lowest price + shipping + British duty + British VAT ,
from eBay sellers with 10 or more feedback, and some form of 'proven track record;
and give you 2 year British / European / USA guarantee.
and 240 + - 10% volt version GUARANTEE RELIABLE IN BRITAIN AND EUROPE
(with 6 years experience),
or 120 volt + - 10% version GUARANTEED RELIABLE IN USA , AMERICA
(with about 4 years experience).
and NOT the Chinese 220 volts + - 10% .

We will NOT match prices from eBay NEW member with 0 feedback.
It is your business,
if you want to buy expensive equipment from NEW ebay menders with 0 feedback.

WARNING = BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT ITEMS FROM CHINA

The more expensive models have been MODIFIED IN ENGLAND by us.

English labour is expensive, so the prices are MUCH HIGHER.

However, as you can see from the customers reviews,
the AUDIBLE improvement is worth the extra cost.

If you want us to match price for the ORIGINAL UNMODIFIED Chinese version,
please tell us the competitor eBay item number, and WE WILL MATCH THE PRICE.

WARNING = BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT ITEMS FROM CHINA

We would like to thank eBay customers for their support
and giving us excellent feedback.

Please investigate our eBay feedback at
http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=affordablevalvecompany

One of the best sellers I have brought from! Amp is excellent too!

brilliant amp, great price, helpful service, what more could you want!

Good service, very nice amp, I'm very impressed.

Very useful CD +++++

Goods arrived well packed and promptly. Excellent ebayer! ++++

great amp, excellent service, very informative. highly recommended.aaa++++++

A+++++ seller... fantastic valve amplifier. recommended

High quality product. Company is concerned about its customer satisfaction.

Not going to have it back!!! Great cooms,perfectly packaged documented cheers

I will be using again ( need I say more ) excellent product.class A service.

Very good quality amplifier...Highly recommended....Thanks

good comunication good ebayer

Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic

Excellent amp. Many thanks!

Smooth transaction as expected. Would use again!

Thank you, excellent amp, good communication, recommended A ++++

A gem of an amp. 1st class service.

excellent ebayer

Great Ebayer. Good communication - Superb sounding amp. Thanks very much!!

On first impressions, this amp is fantastic for the money.

Excellent value for money product, recommended, good service

Fantasic amplifier and build quality, Excellent service, can't rate more highly

Smooth sale, flawless delivery, brilliantly packaged fantastic amp :-)

Exellent Communications - Quick response AAA++++

I wholeheartedly, unreservedly recommend these amps, great service A+++++

Recommended. Nice Ebayer and wonderfull amp!AAA

These are reviews by satisfied customers of Affordable Valve Company valve / tube amplifiers,
ranging from GBP £250 to GBP £1400.

We have been using our BEST RELIABLE Chinese valves for a long time.
As you can see from our customers reviews,
our customers like the sound of our Chinese valves.

The reviews are organized in date order.

The more recent reviews will appear at the beginning.

We have tried to be as accurate and honest as possible,
and we have put in the good bits, as well as the bad bits,
like courier delivered 1 working day late,
need to improve our website, etc.

Turntable / CD player used was Linn Sondek LP 12 / Rega Planet

Loudspeakers used was Mission

Customer's previous amplifier was ConradJohnson MV 75 power amp (valve / tube)

Linn LK1 / LK2 pre power

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is almost as good as our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £850
High End - EL34 Triode Connection - Lim Aik Leong Signature

How did the sound quality of our model EL34 compare with your previous amplifier?
See letter attached

Other comments (optional)
See letter attached

Our customer wrote us a nice letter

21st March 2005.

Dear Lim,

Thank you for the delivery of the EL34 Triode connection Lim Signature amplifier.

Now that I have had the amplifier up and running in my system for a couple of weeks,
I can say without doubt that the sound is substantially better than the conrad-johnson
MV75 A that I have had for many years. Although the Lim Signature is 20 watt
output as compared with the 75 watt output of the conrad-johnson, I have never
needed any more power. The volume control on the EL34 is never set above
II o'clock

Although I do most of my listening on vinyl, for purposes of comparison between the
amplifiers, I connected a Sony 555ESD CD player directly to the conrad-johnson and
regulated volume from the CD player.

The difference between the two amplifiers is quite startling - the Lim signature is
definitely smoother, almost a silky sound, but with far greater detail, definition and
instrument separation particularly on female vocals, cymbals, alto saxophone.

Before the conrad-johnson I had Linn LK1 and LK2 pre and power amplifiers.
Although I no longer have them, I believe there is a greater improvement going from
the conrad-johnson to the Lim Signature than there was going from the Linn
combination to the conrad-johnson.

I am also very impressed with the general fit and finish of the Lim signature. It really
looks as well as sounds a top quality product. And at the price it has to be unbeatable
in the value for money stakes.

So thanks once again for top quality service and for a top quality product, and I shan't
be sending it back!

Kind regards,

Review by Mr J R of Faringdon 21st March 2005

Turntable / CD player used was NAD 542

Loudspeakers used was ACOUSTIC ENERGY , AEGIS , EVO 3

Customer's previous amplifier was NAD C 370

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is almost as good as our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £1,400
Ultra High End - EL34 Triode Connection - Lim Aik Leong Signature

Affordable Valve company comment = This is a review of the 2004 model.
After 1 year, our customer upgraded from the 2004 model with Russian KT88 valves
to the 2005 model with a small modification + Chinese KT88 valves.
Our customer, who spend a lot of time listening to
insanely priced (some of them cost as much as a small new car)
amplifiers and speakers in Hi Fi shops, said that
the latest version, with a small modification + Chinese KT88 valves
sound better.

How did the sound quality of our model KT88 compare with your previous amplifier?
          (i) Very detailed, less sibilance, the bass
          was very clean and controlled (ii) this
          is the best amplifier. I have heard
          regardless of price. The sound produced
          was realistic and natural (iii) The service
          provided by Mr Lim was excellent.

Review by Mr D P of London 29 August 2004

Turntable / CD player used was Linn LP 12 + Technics SL/P999 (CD)

Loudspeakers used was large transmission line (Volt + scan speak units)
( Affordable valve company comment = Our 20 watts + 20 watts valve / tube amplifier, with big output transformers, will drive large transmission line speakers.)

Customer's previous amplifier was P.S. Audio preamplifier + Power amplifier 2C

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is almost as good as our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £1,400
Ultra High End - EL34 Triode Connection - Lim Aik Leong Signature

How did the sound quality of our model KT88 compare with your previous amplifier?
excellent and accurate , sound quality.
Beautifully constructed, possibly may last forever

Review by Mr R O C of Lincolnshire 14 March 2005

Turntable / CD player used was Teac VRDS-25X

Loudspeakers used was AE AE3

Customer's previous amplifier was Marantz PM66SE KI (Manticore upgraded)

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is similar to our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £700
High End - EL34 Ultra Linear - Silver

How did the sound quality of our model EL34 compare with your previous amplifier?
          Much more natural sound. Quite distinctive .
          warmer. More information. Vocals. Clearer. I have .
          been miss hearing , some words on some records for
           years ! Silence between notes. Very quiet operation.

Other comments (optional)
          Considering the ' low' power rating , the amp is
          plenty loud enough . what on earth , to some
          people listen to !
          Can you send more information on other products you sell
          e.g. mains filters, how do they connect?.

Review by Mr B.C. of Lanc 11 April 2005

Turntable / CD player used was Rega Planar 2 / Marantz CD63 mk 2 K Signature

Loudspeakers used was R Bailey T/Line (Affordable Valve Company comment = The speakers are probably THE most famous design for home built transmission line speakers. It is a HUGE transmission line speaker ! )
( Affordable valve company comment = Our 20 watts + 20 watts valve / tube amplifier, with big output transformers, will drive large transmission line speakers.)

Customer's previous amplifier was Cyrus 2 + PSX

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is almost as good as our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £850
High End - EL34 Triode Connection - Lim Aik Leong Signature

How did the sound quality of our model EL34 compare with your previous amplifier?
          More bass, bass extension , very good, clear mid-range
          sweet treble, voices sound real, more detail.
          No hisses. Hours on end of listening. No irritation on
          the ear at all. The amp is sweet..

Other comments (optional)
          Planned to swap between Cyrus and EL 34 (to give it a fair
          chance) over 30 day trial period. After swapping between amps
          on first day of receiving El 34 amp. the Cyrus lost. Went to
          bed at 2 a.m. three nights in a row , listening to the El 34.

Review by Mr H W of Birmingham 15 April 2005

Turntable / CD player used was NAD 521i , Audiophile DAC

Loudspeakers used was Quad 22L

Customer's previous amplifier was Marantz PM7000

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is similar to our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £650 or GBP £750
High End - EL34 Triode Connection - Chinatown

How did the sound quality of our model EL34 compare with your previous amplifier?
          Much crisper. The El 34 , gave a soft warmer sound
          which is still clearer and crisper and the Marantz. I now
          need to upgrade my DAC , as I can now hear some
          slight interference

Other comments (optional)
          Build quality is much better than the pictures (magazine and Web)
          show. Affordable valve co logo on the front looks a bit cheap.
          Website, adverts , + logo could do with an image upgrade
          to match the excellent products

Review by Mr D. S. of Witney 25 April 2005

Turntable / CD player used was Technics SL-PG340A

Loudspeakers used was Wharfedale Denton XP2

Customer's previous amplifier was JVC JAS10

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is similar to our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £650 or GBP £750
High End - EL34 Triode Connection - Chinatown

How did the sound quality of our model "......." (various models) compare with your previous amplifier?
          More of the detailed and subtle background sounds can be heard.
          Sometimes, I hear a familiar track and think to myself . "I didn't
          realise there was a piano (or whatever . previously missed sound) , in
          there.

Other comments (optional)
          The more honest reproduction does reveal when the quality
          of a recording is not up to standard , but the amplifier is only
          doing its job !

Review by Mr D S of West Yorkshire 6 July 2005

CD player used was Cambridge Audio Isomagic + transport

Loudspeakers used was Kef Concord

Customer's previous amplifier was Musical Fidelity The Preamp + Typhoon power amp

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is the same as our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £250
Audio Institute VR-70E

How did the sound quality of "Audio Institute VR-70E" compare with your previous amplifier?
          Easier on the ears, bass not as deep but definitely
          more natural. mids much better. Highs much sweeter.
          Ambience more realistic. I started listening to
          music again , not to hi-fi. Last time it happened . I had
          a £10,000 system

Other comments (optional)
          Would buy at any time. At the price , you can't
          touch it. it is a steal. Well done guys !
          Keep the price low and one day , people will
          start buying, by listening, not by following hi-fi reviews.

Review by Mr P. G. of Essex 23 September 2005

CD player used was Musical Fidelity A3.2

Loudspeakers used was Jamo D830 / Concert 8

Customer's previous amplifier was Arion Elektra (Valve)

Customer reviewed a valve amplifier that is similar to our latest model called Affordable Valve Company - GBP £650 or GBP £750
High End - EL34 Triode Connection - Chinatown

How did the sound quality of our model EL34 compare with your previous amplifier?
                    Much smoother, wider more detailed
          soundstage, a very likeable high-end
         sound

Other comments (optional)
                    I'm not happy with delivery
          arrangements. I was let down by UPS on
          Friday after waiting in all day. And it
          eventually arrived 5 PM Monday despite UPS
          assurances it would arrive , no later
          than lunchtime.
          So, you should send by UPS guaranteed 12 PM.

Affordable Valve Company reply
          I apologise for the problem with the courier.
          What I believed happened was ....
          The regular driver was on holiday,
          and the temporary driver did not deliver the parcel.
          It is just one of those thing, that we tried to deliver an amplifier,
          when the regular driver was on holiday.
          I apologise for using the "standard" service,
          but the "express morning delivery" service cost twice as much.

Review by Mr P H of Newcastle upon Tyne 14 October 2005

Click here to go back to the main page