Miniwatt tube amp

[suprateep]

Dear all,

We offer a free sample to a member in HiFiVision for review. After review, it doesn't need to ship it back to us. We really hope it helps all of you know how does MiniWatt sound!

I will PM one of the members, will keep u guys posted!

Cheers
Derek
MiniWatt

Derek we are impressed. I was just about mentioning this in one of the posts - this is way better marketing for a great yet slightly niche product (at least in India as of now) - I wish the Indian arms of LG, Samsung, Sony especially Panasonic (where even my recommendation helped sell over 10 plasmas from a shop in mumbai) learn from these marketing tactics using a core peer group.

Word of mouth publicity rocks

Cheers to Derek and the lucky recipient of that product. BTW a great review is warranted off course.:clapping:

 

[stevieboy]

well the free product is good. but then i'd sure think twice about what the reviewer says! unless the reviewer and the final recipient (someone who needs this amp) are two different people.

 

[suprateep]

well the free product is good. but then i'd sure think twice about what the reviewer says! unless the reviewer and the final recipient (someone who needs this amp) are two different people.

comon man i am sure that the people on this forum are 'grown-up" to call a spade a spade. Most of us have equipment that we bought because of budget constraints and still recommend higher/lower end stuff according to peoples budgets. So if someone comes with an budget of 15 for a stereo setup for amp + speaker I would recommend the Norge while if someone came with a budget of 5 lakhs we can recommend likewise - horses for the courses.

If the miniwatt ends up costing 17k to land in India - its comparison would be in its price class and maybe +-5k within the range - nothing more. Its simple mathematics - you cannot compare a norge 1000 with say a Bryston B100SST.

And i thought we were all professional in our dealings.......or we stick to the image of "Indians" as the chinese and ROW know us.

 

[keith_correa]

well the free product is good. but then i'd sure think twice about what the reviewer says! unless the reviewer and the final recipient (someone who needs this amp) are two different people.

This is completely unwarranted and unfair. Give the guys in the forum more credit than that! Slightly more? Please?
I would have cause for doubt IF - the unit was delivered with a promise from MiniWatt that the person giving the most favourable review gets the unit free. But with the status quo - think about it - let's say I get the unit to review and get to keep it too after the review - I would call a spade a spade during the review because favourable review or not - the unit is mine anyways.

MiniWatt thanks for the offer. That's very generous of you folks!

 

[stevieboy]

Actually in your purely subjective opinion, is it even worth getting a tube amp to power such cheap speakers? should i chuck all this, upgrade to an Audioengine 5 and sit tight till I can afford some "proper" hi fi? i want your subjective opinion here....so don't pull any punches

hi psychotropic,

in one word absolutely! now here's the longer version

well before worrying about speakers you first you need to decide if you indeed like tube sound and SET amp sound. so first step would be to not even listen. first step would be to read up (a lot) on tube amps online. there are different types of tubes like 2A3, 845, el84, el34 etc. each sound very different by themselves. each will also sound different in push pull and SET amp configurations. you can get a good idea by reading up online cos there are tons of reviews of amps. get the gist of what is common to each tube, keeping only the common parts in the reviews and that should give you a fair idea. eg everyone will agree that a 2A3 is more delicate than an 845 which is more powerful... things like that. then decide what your preference is. mine was seductive sound rather than power hence my choice of 2A3. once you decide on the amp, you can figure out matching speakers. you'll now have a few affordable choices and a few ideal choices which cost more. start with the affordable speakers and upgrade when money allows.

i've heard viren's el84 push pull tube amp with mordaunt short ms902i and it was lovely. the 2A3 SET amp with its meagre 2.5 watts actually sounds louder than the 15 watt push pull el84 so it should match this affordable speaker very well!

if you truly want to try out tubes, get in touch with viren and do a home trial of the el84 SET amp. rajiv in your city has the 2A3 amp. hint hint...

the tube is a popular one for SET amps and manufacturers like almarro and decware abroad make SET amps with this tube.

then listen to the amp with suitable speakers like the ms902i.

one advantage with tube amps is you can tweak the sound simply by buying a new set of tubes! sound changes drastically!

tube amps are hardier than solid state, less prone to transistors blowing under stressful current conditions. no maintenance needed and they look superb lit up at night

all in all if you like tube sound get right into it. there's nothing special you'll need to do to maintain it and get it working.

regards

ps: i got into tubes the same way, a home trial from viren. single driver speakers too.

 

[anm]

Hi,
I exchanged some emails with you guys a couple of days back and I was told that EMS is used for shipping.
Doorstep delivery, ease of receiving the shipment will also be a crucial step for people to go ahead and buy it.

regards

Dear all,

We offer a free sample to a member in HiFiVision for review. After review, it doesn't need to ship it back to us. We really hope it helps all of you know how does MiniWatt sound!

I will PM one of the members, will keep u guys posted!

Cheers
Derek
MiniWatt

 

[stevieboy]

This is completely unwarranted and unfair. Give the guys in the forum more credit than that! Slightly more? Please?
I would have cause for doubt IF - the unit was delivered with a promise from MiniWatt that the person giving the most favourable review gets the unit free. But with the status quo - think about it - let's say I get the unit to review and get to keep it too after the review - I would call a spade a spade during the review because favourable review or not - the unit is mine anyways.

MiniWatt thanks for the offer. That's very generous of you folks!

well maybe you'd do that but i'd not trust even myself and i'd think twice. its like going to a shop and the guy makes you ultra comfortable with tea and smiles and stuff and you feel bad leaving without picking something up. you feel the need to give back something. thats what i was referring to. hence i said a reviewer who is experienced and a recipient like anm, psychotropic who need it. what's so bad bout that? it keep the pressure off the reviewer to say something good cos he's gonna keep it.

regards

 

[stevieboy]

and what's the point of giving something away free? i am in advertising and i know exactly the effect that's hoped for with free giveaways. its not entirely altruistic you know guys. its simply good marketing! this is definitely not a small ticket item like some shampoo sample!

anyway i dont want to start a controversy so thats my opinion only it also indeed is a good thing that some deserving (lucky) guy ends up with a (hopefully) good tube amp!

 

[anm]

I am not that much in need because I am not sure if it will sound great in my setup to my ears. In case I keep it, it would be really good.
But trust me, I would certainly send it across to at least someone who can compare it similar amps on suitable speakers.

regards

 

[suprateep]

and what's the point of giving something away free? i am in advertising and i know exactly the effect that's hoped for with free giveaways. its not entirely altruistic you know guys. its simply good marketing! this is definitely not a small ticket item like some shampoo sample!

anyway i dont want to start a controversy so thats my opinion only it also indeed is a good thing that some deserving (lucky) guy ends up with a (hopefully) good tube amp!

dude good to know that you are in marketing - now that you mentioned that be prepared to be torn apart.:clapping:

1. When it involves a peer group and you are selling a niche product such as the miniwatt - it warrants a good product. (no article in kotler would have it)

2. This review of this product would not only help the members identify a good/average/bad prodcut but would also help derek and the miniwatt team understand the product requirements specific to the market, the costing (if that needs change), specific marketing strategy (online vs dealership) and so on.

Always remember that whatever format/content the miniwatt team or someone else chose they ultimately have to be innovative in the approach or having a unique perspective that will get them noticed (i believe their approach here did), provide specialized or unique information (that will be up to the reviewer), create controversy (its on) and so on.

If Derek resorts to viral marketing too - there is no harm in that - he is after all chosing viral marketing and associated media to market his goods - also it helps keeping costs down and provide benefit to customers (i hope).

BTW

1. giving away a free shampoo sachet item (initially) meant testing the market (indians however opened up to the idea and we have a segment here) and these days its more to be on mindshare

2. i came across a hi-fi dealer in Pune (Silo media Pune) - where i have been going for the last 3 months - in my search for a stereo amp - i have auditioned Wharf/denons/yamahas/pioneer/norge/quad/audioengine etc there even though the owner knows I am looking for a stereo amp only - and the thing is he has never disappointed me. He has also let me home audition a lot of equipment like the denon 500 and norge 1000 (could not pick it up last weekend on account of furniture shopping) - he has never asked questions even when i gave him an honest feedback of what i felt about them. He even suggested some Marantz some weeks later when he gets the shipment. He has in fact never tried to sell me anything - though hearign my problems he suggested DAC 14 AWG speaker wire that fixed a lot of my problems. Still I am welcome there. So what do you call this - i am not liable to buy something from him am i?

3. You are in marketing - that's great - never use that openly like that -you never know what the other person is - in the end you might look like a fool. Kotler and a few courses in marketing does not make you a marketing whizkid........in my short career I have been fortunate enough to have interacted with the hotshots of the marketing industry and have learn a lot from them - in their presence I still feel like a nobody. Marketing always evolves and is not limited to 5ps you know. Be humble man.:indifferent14: - call a spade a spade.

 

[stevieboy]

dude good to know that you are in marketing - now that you mentioned that be prepared to be torn apart.:clapping:

1. When it involves a peer group and you are selling a niche product such as the miniwatt - it warrants a good product. (no article in kotler would have it)

2. This review of this product would not only help the members identify a good/average/bad prodcut but would also help derek and the miniwatt team understand the product requirements specific to the market, the costing (if that needs change), specific marketing strategy (online vs dealership) and so on.

Always remember that whatever format/content the miniwatt team or someone else chose they ultimately have to be innovative in the approach or having a unique perspective that will get them noticed (i believe their approach here did), provide specialized or unique information (that will be up to the reviewer), create controversy (its on) and so on.

If Derek resorts to viral marketing too - there is no harm in that - he is after all chosing viral marketing and associated media to market his goods - also it helps keeping costs down and provide benefit to customers (i hope).

BTW

1. giving away a free shampoo sachet item (initially) meant testing the market (indians however opened up to the idea and we have a segment here) and these days its more to be on mindshare

2. i came across a hi-fi dealer in Pune (Silo media Pune) - where i have been going for the last 3 months - in my search for a stereo amp - i have auditioned Wharf/denons/yamahas/pioneer/norge/quad/audioengine etc there even though the owner knows I am looking for a stereo amp only - and the thing is he has never disappointed me. He has also let me home audition a lot of equipment like the denon 500 and norge 1000 (could not pick it up last weekend on account of furniture shopping) - he has never asked questions even when i gave him an honest feedback of what i felt about them. He even suggested some Marantz some weeks later when he gets the shipment. He has in fact never tried to sell me anything - though hearign my problems he suggested DAC 14 AWG speaker wire that fixed a lot of my problems. Still I am welcome there. So what do you call this - i am not liable to buy something from him am i?

3. You are in marketing - that's great - never use that openly like that -you never know what the other person is - in the end you might look like a fool. Kotler and a few courses in marketing does not make you a marketing whizkid........in my short career I have been fortunate enough to have interacted with the hotshots of the marketing industry and have learn a lot from them - in their presence I still feel like a nobody. Marketing always evolves and is not limited to 5ps you know. Be humble man.:indifferent14: - call a spade a spade.

dude,

first of all i'm in advertising as i've mentioned in my post and not marketing. so you seem quite ready to take up cudgels! chill dude! secondly i quite clearly stated its my opinion and in this field you'll find everybody's opinion is different (advertising field). even marketing i dare say. which is why you find such brilliantly different strategies from different people. no two agencies will come up with the same campaign for the very same product. there is no right or wrong. so please dont start a fight or attack me when i have freely admitted in my previous post that what i have stated is my opinion and should be taken as such and i've even stated that the offer is a good one for the recipient who ends up with the miniwatt.

regards

 

[stevieboy]

1. When it involves a peer group and you are selling a niche product such as the miniwatt - it warrants a good product. (no article in kotler would have it)

hi suprateep,

i didn't quite get this. do you mean to say that simply by virtue of having a peer group involved and it being a niche product that makes it more likely than not a good product? i specifically separated this from my previous post so as not to start a fight so

regards

 

[stevieboy]

suprateep,

also back to the original reason for your outburst. are you denying that by giving away his product free, miniwatt hopes to get positive rub off? cos that's the crux of my post (a simple observation thats all). if you have a different point of view say so instead of going all over the place generally abusing me. in your entire tirade you havent countered what i've posted at all!

regards

 

[suprateep]

what i meant what in case you are trying to market a niche product/service that is average to poor in specs that it was initially designed using viral marketing through a peer group - the chances are that you are effectively killing off the product. If the miniwatt is ripped apart like so many of the HTiBs here have been - this strategy is a goner.

Secondly if miniwatt is hoping to sell 5 more pieces in India by giving a free bad quality product away - this is a goner of a step. But I think if that a good product - it is likely going to be a winnign step - thats all.

Thirdly - i never abuse people. Never have. The only thing is I like many others would like this forum to be a place of sharing - where everyone is equal. There might be young students here having better knowledge related to Hi-Fi similar to a big shot investment banker raking in the $ - no one is proclaiming as such. If correcting people is such a wrong thing to do - then all parents and teacher should be put behind bars.

If the mods think i did so - please mods feel free to ban me.

 

[stevieboy]

i think i'll now wait for the review of the product...

 

[psychotropic]

yeah! let's hope miniwatt ships it to whoever soon, so that I can also hear more hands on feedback.

i think i'll now wait for the review of the product...

 

[anm]

me too waiting. Mr Mini - when is the lottery?

regards

yeah! let's hope miniwatt ships it to whoever soon, so that I can also hear more hands on feedback.

 

[stevieboy]

hey anm,

what speakers do you have? you mentioned having speakers but not too happy with them or not good enough something like that...?

regards

 

[anm]

I have jbl n38 fs. I don't regard them very high for base for music. may be coz they are being driver by onkyo receiver.
Surprisingly I find them ok for movies when there are explosions etc in the scenes.

 

[suprateep]

I have jbl n38 fs. I don't regard them very high for base for music. may be coz they are being driver by onkyo receiver.
Surprisingly I find them ok for movies when there are explosions etc in the scenes.

yes bro - I goofed up when i bought my onkyo receiver (which I think is fine) and the bundled hts 230 (5.1 system) which was great for movies (the chase scene in casino royale and FnF2) - failed to deliver during stereo playback.

Planning to change the 5.1 system very soon - but next is the stereo amp definitely (oh when does the search end).