Reviews

If you don’t have a big bank account but have platinum ears then the R8 is your dream come true. I have been lucky and grew up listening to very good tube amps, including the Marantz 8 8b, McIntosh MC240 and MC275 (from 60’s vintage to present versions) tube amps. I always loved the sweet sounding MC240 but I don’t particularly like MC275, especially the modern versions. So when I decided to try the Willsenton R8, my expectations were very high. So how do I rank the R8? To me, the R8 sounds like a bridge between the older MC240 and the newer MC275. The R8 has the sweetness of the MC240 and the dynamics of the MC275 (especially in the bass region). I ordered the R8 with the upgraded Psvane KT88-TII power tubes and the upgraded Psvane CV181-TII pre-amp tubes. Maybe I got lucky but the R8 is one of the sweetest and smoothest sounding tube amplifier I have listened to in a while. It sounds a lot more expensive than the USD$1,252 that I paid ($1,527 including 3-day DHL shipping). Does it sound like a McIntosh MC240? Not really because the R8 has its own tonal qualities which I happen to love very much. Music front the R8 is extremely sweet sounding and the bass is tight and refine. My system consists of the R8, a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 speakers and a pair of Rythmik Audio L12 subs. The subs added audio dimension that only a very expensive pair of tower speakers can duplicate (e.g., Joseph Audio Perspective2 Graphene). Also it is not possible to deliver strong tight...

Ordered a separate remote control for Jungson JA88D-09, arrived relatively quickly and very well packed. Unit is superbly made, solid aluminium with chrome buttons and vastly better than the multi-purpose one l had (with 40 odd buttons), works perfectly too. Many thanks to China Hi-Fi

It took a long time to ship, so it was not a problem, but the product is packaged well and the amplifier is good. This is the amplifier I want to recommend. The EL 34 vacuum tube amplifier matches well with the LS 3/5A speaker, and if the aging is good, it will sound better.

Excellent product (Willsenton R8) with price. Just need to improve communication with customers. Thanks Tong Lee and Sofia!

Very good.

Arrived in 2 weeks. As expected, much better than a cheaper preamp from the same Yaqin. Sound is detailed and musically beautiful. Already high quality tubes are equipped. I recommend US customers this item. I am living in Indianapolis area.

Very good.

Good value,worth every penny and a huge upgrade compared to my Marantz 2250b. Shipping to Denmark took about 6 weeks .

Purchased in late Jan and received in early March. No issue as I was updated along the way. This is my first ever tube amplifier and I took the plunge based on online fantastic reviews and a local owner that I encountered. The R8 KT88 came very well packed and the R8 was in perfect condition. Well done. After it was plugged in I allowed it to warm up for about an hour. What came after that was just an ear-opening experience. I was using a Musical Fidelity A1 Class A amp hooked to a pair of little Audio Note AX Two speakers. Front end is a Node 2i streamer. So far it has clocked about 30 hours and I read that it will really bloom after 100+ hours. I look forward to it. In the meantime I'm enjoying the R8s. It's just fantastic for its price. The separation of instruments, soundstaging, the stronger bass and the vocals projection are just superb. In fact I don't need my subwoofer anymore. So .. for those of you who are sceptical .. don't be. Take the plunge and order one .. you won't regret it.

Purchased in late January, the amp turned up as promised mid March, perfectly packed. I had been a bit concerned about buying direct from China but this company has done everything that it said it would and I will have no hesitation about buying more products from them. As far as the performance of the amp, this is by far the best I have ever heard my music sound. Truly fantastic product in all respects.