Recommended Modern Amps

[knotscott]

Can anyone shed some light, share some experience with this little guy from Nobsound?

View attachment 1882872

I am looking for pretty much, exactly this....features wise....for some open baffle experiments until I can source something more..."tube-centric."
I really just want it for playing with speaker builds, and maybe powering my workshop speakers.
I have had great experience with the Lepai 2020, so mini amps are fine by me. I guess I'm hoping to hear from someone who has used this particular amp before i buy one.
Thanks!

EDIT to add:

If this amp is sucking, I would love a few recommends for something in the same form factor, seperate sub out, NON-bluetooth.
Thanks again.

I have no hands-on experience with that particular Nobsound amp, but did buy the small 6.8 watt tube amp in 2017 to tide me over while I rebuilt my Dynaco amps with the VTA PCB. I was fairly impressed with the build quality and the sound of it...it ran great for two years without a glitch. When my Dyna/VTA amps were done, I sold it to a Klipsch fan who loves it....his first tube amp. I realize the two amps don't share much other than the logo, but since no one has replied, I'll offer that I came away with the feeling the Nobsound is a legit company with good affordable gear.

 

[Delta77]

Recently purchased
Aric Audio - Super 300B...

 

[david1111]

I've gotta recommend Naim gear. It has changed my whole outlook on audio gear and audio sound, for the better, over the last 3 years. Amazing stuff.

 

[Prestochango]

I have an Aegir, replacing the very good NuForce STA-200 and the difference is immediately noticeable. Not subtle. Didn't take a few hours, or a few songs to hear it. Heard the difference in the first few seconds of one of my reference tracks (Jack Johnson Middle Man... when the snare comes in early in the song). It is a fantastic product.... CAVEAT: You need high efficiency speakers or you listen at pretty low levels. I have Tekton Lores and it drives them more than loud enough for me.

 

[Khorn]

I can say without hesitation that my recently purchased amplifier
the Alluxity Power One Stereo Amplifier is without doubt the most well constructed and by far the best sounding power amplifier I’ve ever had in my systems. I never expected this level of performance.

 

[rjw1678]

I have an Aegir, replacing the very good NuForce STA-200 and the difference is immediately noticeable. Not subtle. Didn't take a few hours, or a few songs to hear it. Heard the difference in the first few seconds of one of my reference tracks (Jack Johnson Middle Man... when the snare comes in early in the song). It is a fantastic product.... CAVEAT: You need high efficiency speakers or you listen at pretty low levels. I have Tekton Lores and it drives them more than loud enough for me.

I received my Schiit Audio Aegir amp about an hour ago. I have a pair of Klipsch LaScala speakers(105db sensitivity). My previous amp was an Inspire Hot Rod KT66 tube amp built by Dennis Had(8 watts) and my pre-amp is a McIntosh C2500 with Sovtek 12AX7LPS tubes. Within the first couple minutes I could tell that the Aegir was a noticeable improvement over the Inspire Hot Rod tube amp, even though the tube amp sounds very nice.

 

[Poultrygeist]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...surements-of-schiit-aegir-pwr-amplifier.9314/

 

[NeilBEN]

On the 3rd day of use (and I have left it idling the whole time), and the Schiit Audio 'Vidar' has opened up - the highs are cleaner / clearer and the whole musical picture has come into focus. The overall tonal balance is close to perfect. Dynamics are natural and sometimes startling. Plucked strings and drums have everything in place. It is compact and pretty heavy - 9" wide by a bit less than 4" high and 13" deep; and weighs 22 pounds.

The back is spacious and the binding posts are solid. It is made here in the USA - and it will be staying put, in my system.

If it weren't for the Vidar, I would have given the Odyssey Audio 'Khartago' serious consideration.

At $995 is would be a very good value; but the Vidar is even better value at $699.

In the time since I posted this about the Schiit Vidar, I was able to do a full recap on my B&K ST-140, and after that work, I preferred it to the Vidar. Except for the bass, where quality and extension of the Vidar was still better - the ST-140 had spaciousness and detail and timbre that made it better than it ever had been; at least going on my memory of 34+ years of heavy use.

But, alas - the left channel on the ST-140 quit, and I was left wanting. So, based on a couple of rave reviews, I bought the AkitikA GT-102 Z4 amp as a kit. For $406 shipped the kit was not much of a risk. If you want to buy one assembled and tested, it will be just $575 shipped.

The AkitikA GT-102 Z4 is (nearly) the sum of both the ST-140 and the Vidar - and better than either of those amps. The most surprising things are bass extension and control - and DYNAMICS in both the bass and the midrange. Tons of space, with clarity and layering, and instrument separation is better than any amp I have ever heard.

Here's my build:

Here's my build thread: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/akitika-gt-102-z4-power-amp-kit-build.980763/



It is a bit larger than the Vidar, and much more compact than the ST-140 - and at 50W/ch it is less "powerful" than either the Vidar or the ST-140.
But boy, it sounds much more powerful. The best $406 I ever spent on an audio device - if it was $1000, it would still be a bargain. It is my favorite amp, ever.

Here's the AkitikA web site - it is kind of old school, but it gets the job done. https://www.akitika.com/akitikastore.html#GT-102KZ4

If your speakers are 8 ohm nominal, and 5.5 minimum, then you may want to get the "regular" GT-102 - it costs a whopping $21 less - 50W/ch into 8 ohms.
If your speakers are 4 ohm nominal, and 2.7 ohm minimum, then you need the GT-102 Z4 amp - 50W/ch into 8 ohms, and 35W/ch into 8 ohms.
If this isn't enough power for you, then you can get two, and run them in a parallel monoblock mode and get 100W/ch from either version.

 

[imral3]

GT-102 Z4 amp

I got my eyes on this one. First I gotta pay down my just purchased Schiit Saga+... maybe.

 

[hornbostel]

I run a pair of Schiit Aegir’s monoblock driving a pair of ADS L1230’s or JBL L100t’s. Both speakers are pretty efficient ( >90 dab/W). I use a Schiit Modius as a preamp (has XLR outputs) and a Magnius DAC. As with others the improvement in sound was immediate compared to these speakers being driven by my Yamaha M40.

 

[jrtrent]

The purpose of this thread is to allow people to post reviews or recommendations of the modern gear they have or have used. Again, first person experience only.
For the purposes of this thread, "Modern" shall mean anything in current production, or the previous model. For instance, both the Rega Brio and Brio-R would eligible. . . As long as you can buy it new,then all is good. [last sentence is from post #7]

I've had the Rotel A11 Tribute integrated amplifier for a few months, along with its companion CD11 Tribute cd player, and I like them. Though they've been superseded by the A11MKII and CD11MKII, the Tribute models are still on Rotel's website, and both are still sold new, at least at Crutchfield. I chose the Tribute versions over the MKII versions because:

1. lower price: $649 vs $949 for the amp; $499 vs. $699 for the cd player
2. a couple reviews I've seen say there isn't enough sound quality difference to warrant upgrading to the latest model
3. I actually prefer an amp with a screen and digital readout of things like bass, treble, volume, and balance; makes it easy to repeat settings and easily control it with a remote from the listening position; I also like the closer, more aesthetically appealing visual match with both pieces having a screen
4. the Tribute amp has wider a bass and treble adjustment range: ± 10 dB at 100 Hz/10kHz vs. the MKII's ± 6 dB at 100 Hz/10kHz
5. the Tribute amp includes a couple of settings that seem to function something like loudness buttons but are called ROTEL BOOST and ROTEL MAX
6. I have no use for the A11MKII's coaxial and optical digital signal inputs, which the A11 Tribute lacks, but I do like the Tribute's extra set of speaker connections, and having both A and B speaker connections is something the MKII lacks.

I'll add a picture of my units, though it's just a snapshot taken with a cheap phone camera in a dim room. The link to the review at HiFi News offers better pictures of front, back, and interior. While I simply bought mine mail order, with no comparative auditions with options from other brands or Rotel's own different versions over time, I like one of the review's conclusions, "The claim for the sonic gains here is 'an increase in resolution and detail while delivering a more musical presentation with improved rhythm and timing', and it's beyond a doubt that the changes have built on what was already a very musical pairing to deliver added musicality and involvement." https://www.hifinews.com/content/rotel-cd11a11-tribute-cd-playerintegrated-amplifer

 

[onanysunday]

I put in my vote for new Class-D designs. More than any other audio class, they've made huge strides in recent years for lower cost, higher performance and efficiency, as well as superior specs. Some are more than 94% efficient! You can get current, Class-D flagship models for much less than older Class-A flagships. I really like my Purifi EVAL-1 Eigentakt stereo power amp based on the 1ET400A modules. There are even newer versions out there I haven't heard yet, like the 2nd-generation Purifi 1ET9040BA-based monoblocks and 1ET6525SA-based stereo power amps.

 

[rcs16]

Just to make a note that probably anything that's class D, or even anything as a new design is probably non-repairable in the event of a failure. It's not like Purify is going to provide you with a service manual and schematics are they?
So it can come down to long term reliability and MTBF.
At one time the manufacturer offered 2-3 years parts and labour warranty, the authorized dealers added additional warranty up to 5 years. Who does that anymore?
Here on AK, we are servicing stereos made in the 70's. Can you say that that about new designs?

 

[onanysunday]

Just to make a note that probably anything that's class D, or even anything as a new design is probably non-repairable in the event of a failure. It's not like Purify is going to provide you with a service manual and schematics are they?
So it can come down to long term reliability and MTBF.
At one time the manufacturer offered 2-3 years parts and labour warranty, the authorized dealers added additional warranty up to 5 years. Who does that anymore?
Here on AK, we are servicing stereos made in the 70's. Can you say that that about new designs?

It's a point, yes. Probably similar to amp plates in subs. If anything, replace the whole modules. That could potentially be easier since "repairing" subs has been made quite simple and effortless because of this design and manufacturing approach. For my job, I replace sub amp plates all the time. It's about as simple as it gets. It simplifies repair in the sense you don't have to know exactly why something failed -just the general area or location of failure as according to separate boards or modules, at which point diagnosing ends and you just replace the whole module. It is likely that simple diagnostic procedures will emerge to help isolate the general area of failure once these start failing (which they eventually will). At the same time, if no replacement amp plate or Class-D module exists, no dice. However, I can see a scenario in which you keep your chassis and are able to swap upgraded/ newer modules into it; because I know for a fact the above chassis is available with many different iterations of Class-D hardware within it. These modules are generally quite small and easy to remove and replace. I agree schematics or service manuals are hard to come by or are non-existent for Class-D. Dismissing it all outright because of this one consideration is a possibility, I suppose? It's one con among many other pros. When more people start using them, talking about them, experimenting with them, and sharing what they know, more options and possibilities to keep them going (or upgrade them internally) will likely emerge.

 

[jrtrent]

Just to make a note that probably anything that's class D, or even anything as a new design is probably non-repairable in the event of a failure. . . Here on AK, we are servicing stereos made in the 70's. Can you say that that about new designs?

Perhaps on some of AK's forums there is a focus on servicing older equipment, but this is the "New Gear - Values" forum, and the OP of this particular thread said, "The purpose of this thread is to allow people to post reviews or recommendations of the modern gear they have or have used. . . For the purposes of this thread, "Modern" shall mean anything in current production, or the previous model. . . If you disagree with a person's recommendation, please take that to a separate thread." So don't be a spoilsport and throw a wet blanket on our fun by suggesting that our new toys might not be serviceable in the years ahead!