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New pricing is roughly £160–£220, so £350 used is ambitious rather than competitive. Your own seven-listing sample puts the median at £153 and the 75th percentile at £260, making this well above the normal market unless it is unusually clean, recently serviced, or comes with valuable extras.
The MS-23B remains an appealing budget valve phono stage: it uses two 12AX7/ECC83 valves, active RIAA equalisation, and is intended primarily for MM cartridges, with tube-rolling potential and a lively, warm presentation. It can make a worthwhile system addition, but at this asking price the buyer should expect excellent condition, quiet operation, correct UK-voltage specification, and healthy original or upgraded valves. Without those assurances, negotiating closer to £200–£250 would be sensible.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Yaqin is a Chinese audio brand that appears to have been founded in 1994, with its manufacturing rooted in southern China, often associated with Foshan/Shenzhen-area production. Publicly available information suggests it began as a small family-run operation and was later built out into a more formal factory brand. The company’s exact founding story is not especially well documented in English, so details beyond the 1994 origin should be treated cautiously.
The brand is best known for vacuum-tube hi-fi components, especially integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, tube preamps, and phono stages. Models such as the MC-10L, MC-13S, MC-84L, MC-100B, and MS-23B are frequently referenced by enthusiasts. Yaqin has also claimed broader production capabilities, including transformers and related audio electronics, though its core identity is clearly centered on tube amplification rather than loudspeakers, turntables, headphones, or cables.
In the market, Yaqin sits in the value-oriented to mid-tier tube-audio segment rather than the true high-end. Its appeal is strong among listeners who want classic valve sound, straightforward serviceability, and a relatively affordable path into tubes. It is not generally regarded as a luxury boutique marque, but it has earned a reputation for delivering decent performance for the money, especially for buyers comfortable with a more traditional, component-driven approach to hi-fi.
See all Yaqin listings on RADAR.
