{"id":1043,"date":"2016-12-27T22:05:27","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T14:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/diyparadise.com\/w\/?p=1043"},"modified":"2020-09-09T14:51:01","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T06:51:01","slug":"wonderful-wacky-world-taobao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyparadise.com\/w\/wonderful-wacky-world-taobao\/","title":{"rendered":"the Wonderful Wacky World of taobao"},"content":{"rendered":"

taobao is the Chinese equivalent of Ebay, with a significant difference – access to the world’s factories. In other words, mind boggling variety, crazy prices that flatten the world, nightmares to middle-mens around the world…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But with such a huge market out there comes the conundrum – how to separate wheat from the chaff? The golds from the duds?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here is where a curator’s weight in gold is measured!<\/p>\n

Evil advocator of all things horn – the hornmeister himself – Gabriel told me about this manufacturer offering horn speaker kit – CNC cutting MDF pieces to be assembled by the end user. In other words, horn speakers given the Ikea treatment.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

Here is another gem, this time recommended by Ew, a devil of a guy who knows way way too much about tube amps and transformers…<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

OK. So here is where I come in. Reading those pages, and oogling at those photos got me drooling, and so I took the next most logical step…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I bought them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The speaker kit arrived first, all 30kg of it. Hernia alert!<\/p>\n

Time to get horny!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

A quick mock up sets the pulse racing…<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

And off we go!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\nThe first pieces are always the easiest.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a><\/td>\nThen it gets tougher to align. Hey, my neighbours wardrobe isn’t very chic.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a><\/td>\nOh my, more clamps please…<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/a><\/td>\nSlowly but surely, it’s getting in shape.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Almost there…<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

Done!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Err, from that skeleton stage to finished good, actually went through an awful lot of work. You see, I screwed up along the way (I have a knack for this) and Gabriel saved my ass (again) as he had to undo some of my mistakes before setting them right.<\/p>\n

Thanks again bro…<\/p>\n

The finished speakers are clad in hard wood timber strips and finished in at least 5 coats of polyurethane. The attendant driver here is a none other than our DCA4<\/a>, stained to match.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Listening to it…<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

Hey! What’s the little tube amp there? Which brings me to the next page… [scroll down for page 2 link, dumbo]<\/p>\n


\nNow this kit amp is actually meant for another tube (6N1 and 6P14), but looking at its schematic, I have no interest in building it. I was more interested in using its irons for my Gina<\/a> – SV83 SE amp.<\/p>\n

Out of all the kit amps, I chose this as it has everything needed for Gina – 3x 9-pin sockets, 1 octal socket, power transformer of right voltage, output transformers of right impedance\/size and even a choke too.<\/p>\n

So retaining only the stainless steel chassis (which is obviously very strong) and all the parts that I want, I set about to work on it.<\/p>\n

Note : There are some cost cutting efforts. The speaker binding posts are terrible. I managed to break a few when installing them. I know I’m strong but not this strong<\/i>. The wooden side panel doesn’t have guiding holes so could be a pain to align with the chassis. The stainless steel chassis could give you some cuts if you are not careful… you have been warned…<\/p>\n

Anyway, mounted heavy stuffs, wiring of filaments and Power transformer secondaries.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

95% done. Slight deviation from my Gina circuit – the usage of a small capacitor to boost up B+ a wee bit, 1 choke instead of 2, electrolytic 100+100uF capacitor since I can’t fit in 2 big plastic caps here plus judicious usage of 0.01uF oil caps to compensate for this.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

Finito!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

There you have it! An all-Chinese production.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

Horn speaker kit made in China, assembled in Malaysia by a Malaysian Chinese, finished by another Malaysian Chinese.
\nTube amp kit made in China, assembled in Malaysia by a Malaysian Chinese with own circuit.<\/p>\n

Actually, that’s not true. The full range driver Merrill DCA4 was designed by the late Dave Merrill from the USA but its rights now owned by yours truly here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sonic wise, what can I tell you?<\/p>\n

REAL MAN PLAY HORNS<\/b>
\nFirst the horns. Together with the Merrill DCA4, it’s like it’s made for each other! I have never heard the DCA4 sing so well! My apprehension when I first bought this horn kit is “how much bass can we coax out of the DCA4?” Don’t forget, we are talking about a 4 incher here…<\/p>\n

Gabriel told me there is nothing to worry about. True enough, I have never heard a finer sound coming from the DCA4! This is so true, many a full range drivers had been described as having sonic flaws, but put in a proper<\/i> horn and she will give you a hard on! [An indescribable pain hits me each time I see a full range driver installed in a bass reflex. Nurse! More morphine!]<\/p>\n

If you close your eyes, you will think you are listening to a much larger pair of speakers. The horns truly liberate the drivers and make a mockery of its 4 inch size. And if you want more bass, you know it’s time to get a BIGGER horn.<\/p>\n

Dimension of this horn. Horn length of 129cm.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/center> <\/p>\n

Considering most horn speakers score low on WAF and most guys meekly settling for small bookshelves… well, what’s your excuse now?!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now on to the amp.<\/p>\n

2W is plenty here<\/b>
\nThe amp kits’ irons are really up to par. I have said before elsewhere on this site and I’ll say it here again. It’s so much easier to wind small output transformers, so all things being equal, small output transformers give tremendous value.<\/p>\n

This kit is no exception. Sonics wise I really can’t find anything to fault. Yeah, yeah, Gina’s circuit is solid or you could say the irons here are really good, or you could say Gina’s circuit and yours truly’s ears are full of shit. Your choice.<\/p>\n

Anyway, the amp kit plus other components I put in… cost less than a pair of decent output transformers out there. What does this say about off the roof bang-for-your-buck value?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So there you have it! A little intro to what could be found on the Wonderful Wacky World of taobao…<\/p>\n

Bookshelf horn kit<\/a><\/p>\n

6P14 tube amp kit<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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