Following the purchase of my ML1’s from Mario earlier this year, I set about rebuilding my system.
At that stage I was running a WFS ST-1000 power amp and a Melody P1688 Signature Pre Amp. The Melody is a great preamp, however the WFS tended to be lean through the midrange. Also, the value of my amps was considerably more than my speakers.
Following advice from a few of the other local guys, the decision was made to sell the WFS and get another tube amp (my initial amp had been an integrated tube amp). A few different things had tweaked my interesting the Ming Da, then I contacted Mike Lenehan to get his comments on various amps. When I raised the Ming Da, Mike advised that they had heard on running with the ML1’s with good results. Following a demo on a different system, I committed to buying one and selling the WFS.
The Ming DA is an EL34 based amp, using 8 x EL34’s to produce 40 watts in triode mode and 75 in ultalinear. The amp is also capable of running as an integrated amp and also a power amp.
My research had indicated that these amps responded well to mods and the first thing to do was to change out the 12AT7’s for something better. Accordingly, I ordered a pair of Brimar CV4024’s and place them in the amp from the start.
Whilst the amp was still new, I tried it with and without the Melody. To my less than acutely attuned ears, the system sounded slightly better with the pre-amp in, however I took the decision to sell the pre and put some of the money towards mods to the amp and the rest towards a standalone dac. The aim being to ultimately develop a better sounding system, for similar overall money.
Soon after buying the amp, a fellow West Aussie posted enquiring about the MingDa and another amp. As a result of the ensuing posts, I learnt that crazikid also had a MC34-AB. Over the ensuing months, I took the opportunity to ask him many questions as to the mods that he had made. Interestingly, crazi was getting guidance from Mario.
As some of you will be aware, flemo has now purchased crazi’s amp (the v8 Ming Da), so it is now not that far away from me.
To date, the changes I have made to my amp are:
i) Changed the 12AT7’s as mentioned above
ii) Changed the 6SN7’s for a pair of RCA BLACK PLATE Smoked Glass NOS 6SN7’s
iii) Changed to the Speaker binding posts for SPC-858M-CU posts from
http://www.vt4c.com/shop/program/main.php?cat_id=8&group_id=2&hit_cat=iv) Changed the power amp RCA’s for RCA-805F-CU also from vt4c.com
v) Disconnected the power amp RCA connectors and relocated one of the other inputs to the new RCA’s. This means that I now use the rear RCA’s as my main connectors and not the side RCA’s.
Changes planned for the future are:
i) Have a case made up to house capacitors
ii) Change out 8 electrolytics for Jensen electrolytics (hopefully these will be shipped in coming week)
iii) Change out 4 capacitors connected to the 12AT7’s and 6SN7’s with bigger capacitors (probably Russian K40Y-9’s)
iv) Bypass the input selector switch, so that all RCA’s other than the rear RCA’s and the selector switch are out of the circuit.
v) Change the stock EL34 valves for Winged C’s
vi) Maybe, change out the 8 capacitors that are connect to the EL34’s
Bottom line, this is a good amp for a modest price and there is plenty of potential to develop it into a very good amp.
I will post a few photo’s once the cap box is built and in place.
