Dared MP-30B, The pleasure of tubes

• The Dared MP-30B is a high-performance design at a truly
  irresistible price.

• Price: €1,125

• Specialists' rating: 5

• Text: Ramon Sendra

That tubes are back in fashion is no news. High fidelity is booming again, probably thanks to the arrival on the market of new devices designed for it at much more competitive prices than before. More and more, high fidelity is within everyone's reach. Within this context, it is worth introducing Dared once again, a Chinese manufacturer with very little that is stereotypically "Chinese" about it. If until recently we associated "Chinese" with "cheap", a significant change is now taking place that is turning this vast country into a new benchmark in equipment design and manufacturing. We have already seen the odd product from that part of the world that has left us open-mouthed, not only for its quality but also (something that is becoming the norm in this case) for its excellent value for money.

The MP-30B is a tube integrated amplifier that delivers 10 W per channel and stands out for its use of two 300B tubes, always renowned for their exquisite quality. Its styling reminds me of the MP-5 (now discontinued), which we have already reviewed and which passed through these pages as an excellent integrated amplifier at a rock-bottom price. But this MP-30B aspires to much more, especially in terms of audio quality.

Its weight of over 11 kg testifies to its huge transformer, which feeds electronics of basic design, but based on the 300B tube.

The simplest and most popular vacuum tube is the diode, invented by John Ambrose Fleming. It consists of two electrodes (cathode and anode) and, thanks to the thermionic effect, electrical conduction is achieved from the cathode to the anode (and not the other way around). In tubes, the cathode (the electron emitter) is heated by a resistive element through which current flows. In the early 20th century, Lee de Forest added a third electrode to the tube: the grid, which made it possible to amplify voltages, currents or both at once (power).

This grid is placed around the cathode and consists of a fine conductor wound in a helix. The cathode emits electrons through the thermionic effect, forming the space charge or electron cloud. Since the grid has large gaps between its wires, the electrons pass through it and finally reach the anode when the triode is biased. Depending on the voltage we apply to the triode, we get more or less power. One of the most famous tubes is the 300B, devised by Western Electric, which belongs to the family known as DHTs (Direct Heated Triodes), usually associated with audio amplifiers precisely because of their sonic superiority.

Tubes are evacuated, because if there were air inside, the electrons would collide with the gas molecules and the current would decrease. In addition, the filament could be destroyed by oxidation on contact with the oxygen in the air. Turning to our guest, we find two 300B tubes, one for each channel, each paired with two 6N3s. In the middle there is a 6A2, the "magic eye" tube, which lets you check whether clipping distortion is being reached. It has three unbalanced analog audio inputs via RCA connectors, linked to its selector, located on the front of the unit right next to the volume knob. For connecting the loudspeakers, it has dual sets of binding posts per speaker, to be used according to the speaker's impedance: 4 or 8 ohms.

Its simple look and design are precisely part of the philosophy we find in tube amplifiers: connect everything, let it warm up for a while and enjoy it. And how are the results? Frankly, better than I expected. For a unit costing just over €1,000, this Dared offers fast, very balanced sound, free of the exaggerated midrange still found in some designs. Capable of delivering a genuine 10 W (probably more), it can cope with any loudspeaker, even those of relatively low sensitivity. The sound is balanced thanks to faithful bass reproduction that never becomes intrusive, a correspondingly well-judged midrange and treble that is not at all bright, yet present. Control of transients is perfect, with a very good speed of response that not only handles any change in dynamics flawlessly, but recovers in a way that makes any listening session a pleasure.

10 W of power that work equally well with quiet, acoustic music and with the most modern and electrifying.

Dared surprises us once again with a majestic unit that offers much more than its price suggests. There will be more sophisticated designs that manage to improve somewhat on our guest's quality, but the price to pay is considerably higher. Dared focuses on designing very affordable equipment with a very attractive retail price. An excellent way to enter high fidelity through the front door.

Dared MP-30B, The pleasure of tubes

Specifications

Output power: 10 W per channel. Frequency response: 20 Hz-20 kHz (+/- 2 dB). Harmonic distortion: Less than or equal to 2%. Signal-to-noise ratio: Greater than or equal to 84 dB. Input impedance: 100 kohms. Output impedance: 0, 4 and 8 ohms. Weight: 11 kg. Dimensions: 340 x 290 x 160 mm.

Distributor: AudiotecHV (info@audiotechv.com).

Price: €1,125