Lower cost amplification- What's your fave?

Since I got no responses in the general advice column, I thought some folks who may have heard or owned one of these amps can chime in. Obviously looking for an amp 50-100 watt and at lowish cost. Balanced input nice but not deal breaker.

And YES, you can add another worthy amp.

 

I’m not sure if the poll is to say whether I heard it or whether it was worthy. I had the NAD for a while and it was good. Clean, a little laid back, and just went about its business without calling attention to itself. It did have some crosstalk across the inputs, but that would only matter if you had two sources playing sound at the same time.

I know Class D isn’t popular here but the NAD D3020 is also pretty good, although it includes a DAC and other features you may not want to pay for

 

of the list I would be willing to wager the Akitika is the 'best' and in another class from the rest. flavour it to your taste with the pre-amp, source, cables, whatever.

 

Both Thanks for pointing this out.

To clarify, I guess it is really two questions. To say like or dislike you must have heard it, so a vote for it means worthy but I should have more importantly asked have you heard it and was it thumbs up for you or down for you. Actually should be more interesting data that way.


Please then just a brief blip about yea or nay if you heard one of the above. Yes you will have to type a few words.

 

Well at least this poll confirmed one thing, we have very few sbafers who either give a shit about "2 chan" or just do not have the experience. I 'll say the second, is more apt. Not a dis.

 

I own the Akitika GT-102 but it's pretty highly modded so I don't know how relevant my impressions are. I also use it as a headphone amp because its' so quiet. It's definitely the best headphone amp I've heard for the price I paid used. Can drive the crap out of the HE6, and is quiet enough for 15ohm Audeze's, I mean dead quiet. It doesn't sound as good as the LauX with Audeze's but it does have a bigger soundstage and a more dynamic sound, just not as resolving or clear or refined.

I believe the mods on mine help with bass response, which is really good on the amp. Tone is very very good, natural, and very neutral. No emphasis anywhere and everything just sounds right.