Emotiva BASx A2mini bit.ly/3rUpFPi Rotel A11 howl.me/cjWna705dsT Yamaha AS301 howl.me/cjWnduNs1ib Fosi Audio tb10D amzn.to/3p7gzzzAiyima A07 Pro amzn.to/3X4q67l Intro graphics by johnvilardi.com Support the Channel by Shopping on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK Cheap Audio Man Store Front shop.howl.me/cam Join the best hifi community out there! patreon.com/cheapaudioman TRY ROON roonlabs.com/r/RTmYWdCP9kitqouBa5pcIw Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P massdrop.7eer.net/qnOye5
In an old video when you dabbled and asked the community should I do 1k+ products. You showed some made in or designed in Australia amp which you said was the best you ever heard but I forgot the name of it and the video is down, do you recall any AU designed or branded amps? Was going to buy it.
Randy, as others have said, the common meaning of integrated amp is an amp and preamp in one box: that is, an amp with a volume control and at least two inputs. Now, the ubiquity of cheap DACs and phono circuits is causing that meaning to change, but the absolute minimum remains amp + volume control + choice of input selection. Cheers
Also wrong, I am old enough to remember an amp was an amp, then some guy in the Netherlands developed while employed with Philips the Moving Magnet cartridge, which required a pre amplification. And if you don't own a TT, the best pre amp, is no pre amp!
@@cirrus1964 Please stop using incorrect definitions. I designed and built audio amplifiers and line preamplifiers for personal and professional use. While you have described a phono preamplifier and a power amplifier, you have not stated a definition for an integrated amplifier. A broad definition of an audio power amplifier is a device that performs voltage gain on a range of sources into the fairly stable but fairly reactive, low-impedance load of a loudspeaker. But the common meaning of integrated amplifier adds volume control and nearly always source selection to the power amp section. Other functions such as phono preamplifier circuits, DACs, and wireless transceivers are also common in those units today. But outdated terminology spreads falsehood, so kindly stop. When you provide an alternate meaning for an integrated amplifier, others may judge which is correct. And please sir, respect your elders, even me.
@@samuellord8576 Most ignorant answer. A Dac build in, is like buying an intergrated car, when there''s an audio system in. As we are talking about amps, which a DAC isn't. And stop bragging, I was the main distributor outside the UK for Croft, the whole world knows my expertise, Mister wise guy!
Great overview! I tried out a Rotel A11 tribute based on your review (last year) and it is now my go-to amp. For those who don't know this unit, it doesn't have tons of bells and whistles, but what it does have is a great basic design (the original A-11, which was quite nice) with added sonic love from no less than Ken Ishiwata...his final triumph. Fifty watts might not be enough for some situations and inefficient speakers, but I can say that this amplifier pushes my Polk R-200's (Randy Rocks it Once Again ; ) to really high levels (last night, Cream / Wheels of Fire and Miles Davis / Kind of Blue) in a medium sized room with no sign of hardening the mids or losing control: just sweet. BTW, as Randy noted, it has a terrific Phono stage. OK, too much coffee, so I'll add this: the volume control is rather unique in that it uses a Linear Taper instead of a more conventional Audio Taper. Audio Taper pots are what most of us are used to, and they can give the impression of immense power because they get loud early in the rotation (my wonderful Marantz 2275 gets loud by 9 o'c and by 12o'c is almost unbearable). But there is a catch with this design, because most of your amplifiers power reserve is used up by somewhere around 1o'c. Well, it all works, and this was especially good in the early days because a prospective buyer would go "OMG! Look how loud this little 15W Pioneer SX-450 gets at 9o'c!!!" And it did. But not much happened past 12 o'c. (not picking on the great little SX-450...it was true for all makes and models, and still is...with rare exceptions). So why use a Linear Taper Pot? Well, there is one big advantage: the volume level rises MUCH more slowly as you turn the knob. I find it easier to really find the volume sweet spot, especially when back on the couch and using the well thought out Remote Control. I haven't gone in to see if they did this with a digital control or an actual potentiometer, but the effect is the same, and once you get used to it, it is a WAY cool feature. Sorry if I went on a ramble ; )
Are there any inexpensive amps that you would recommend to use to run external height speakers for an Atmos setup? I’m only looking for a temporary use amp since I definitely intend on getting an Emotiva BasX but I’m currently saving up for it. I’m looking for under $200.
Glad I brought the A11 tribute, it suits my needs perfectly. thought it would be a risk but after a couple years other people still saying nice things about it.
Audiolab 6000a, looks and runs cool, very versatile, beautifully balanced and clear sound. Cranking up with the Warfedale diamond 12.2's, their bass vibrates the floor and fills the medium size room with great sound and little effort, a power amp can be added for more demanding speakers. A well thought out,undervalued amp that offers the best value, love it.
Thanks, my enjoyment level has now reached its peak, a speaker upgrade with the extraordinary Acoustic Energy AE500s, an amazing combination. Audio heaven : )
Wow CheapAudioMan the Denon DRA-800H didn't make your list. I ended up buying one after I compared the features after much debate between that & the PMA600NE and the Cambridge AXR85.
The Cambridge ax100 is a really nice amp, has a tuner, sub out, a and b speasker outs. bluetooth, onboard dac. I just bought mine and paired them with 2 Kanto passives and a 10" monoprice sub and wow!!!
The heart of my system is a Yamaha A-S701 integrated amplifier. It's rated at 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms; it can also drive 4 ohm speakers, but I don't remember what its output into those is. It can drive two speaker systems independently or together, can be hooked up to a computer, can be hooked up to a powered subwoofer, and the volume control on the remote allows you to make very small adjustments. I have it hooked up to two different speaker systems; a pair of Bower & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary editions, and a pair of Klipsch RP 600Ms. I have discovered that each of these speaker systems sound much more open, transparent, and clear when I use them with my Audioengine S8 powered subwoofer, but I have yet to figure out why that is.
One of my record players is a Yamaha P-520 direct drive model from 1985 !! Cost me $225. Damn good turntable; won’t replace it as long as I can get away with it. It never lets me down. And it’s fully automatic! The only thing that went wrong was the dust cover hinges broke after about 20 years, but the rest still going strong after 38 years. It’s worked nicely with some high compliance cartridge styli over the years with ease. Nice low mass arm and great turntable specs for a direct drive. A lot of tables today don’t even give you their guaranteed specs, bc you might not want it. Better than any table under around $1500 these days. How many can say that !!?? I never hear anything about old Yamaha turntables (record player!), which leaves me wondering if I’m just a lucky bastard. My experience with many of today’s $500-$1000 record players is that they suck in comparison. 👨🏻
I started with the Emotiva TA1, it’s in storage now having upgraded to an Akitika pre and amp with an Ares2 DAC. I did get that Basx mini with jumper to lower my planar headphones recently too.
I would also recommend the Arylic B50. Lower power and less room for upgrades in power, but it has HDMI ARC and a line out for a sub. The app has a lot of features including a subwoofer crossover/hi-pass filter.
I use coupled an Audiolab 6000A with a pair of Elac Uni-Fi Reference and for records I use a Schiit Mani Pre-amp. It’s an absolutely lovely combination (with a good set of cables as well)
I respectfully disagree with your definition of an integrated amp. An integrated amp is simply a device that has both the preamp stage and a power stage. It doesn't need to have a source. In fact I think the best amps are amps that are analog only and do not have a built-in DAC.
Interested in using the term integrated amplifier. For most, this means it does not need a separate power amplifier. Many amps that are integrated amplifiers have the facility to bypass the amplification and just output a line-level signal for the power amp (separate) unit to do the amplification. This means that you don't get interference from the power amp bit in the pre-amp (the unit that does source selection and pre-processing). Using a pre-power setup gives you more upgrade options as the watch bit can be upgraded separately.
The last amp can easily be upgraded with a separate DAC by using an inexpensive ZEN DAC which last time I looked, sells for around $200. I presently use the ZEN DAC with an Apple iMac and it sounds excellent. The cool thing about a separate DAC is that you can use it to drive any audio amplifier of your choice so you could continue to use it with a different amplifier if you ever decide to upgrade your present one to a better one. I have a few different DAC's ranging in price from $200 to almost $1,000 and to be frank, I can't really tell the difference between the $200 ZEN DAC and the most expensive one.
I have a Denon pma 800, it's a really good sound packed with lots of features and I managed to pick it up on sale for about £300. Would definitely recommend.
An integrated amplifier has pre and power amps integrated in one box. An amplifier that has a source is a receiver. An amplifier with a dac or bluetooth does not have a source but a circuit that enables reproduction from an external source
This 👍 If you see speaker outputs AND any control, even just a volume, that's an Integrated amp. If you see controls but no spkr outs, that's a preamp. Spkr out but zero controls, power amp.
@@Chirn70 "If you see speaker outputs AND any control, even just a volume, that's an Integrated amp." That's just not true. An integrated amp is a power amp and a line stage in one box. Line stages are active. Some "integrateds" have passive line level controls. A Creek 5350ES and an Ayre AX-7 are 2 examples of this type of setup. The only active part is the power amp. If you are not sure what type you have, unplug the unit and use it as a "preamp" only. If it works when its not plugged in, its a passive. "If you see controls but no spkr outs, that's a preamp." Again, it could be passive. A pre amp has to have an amp, or its not a preamp. Placette and the Adcom GFP 750, are examples of this type of design. "Spkr out but zero controls, power amp." There are plenty of power amps on the market that have features like gain controls, xover switches, Balanced/single ended operation control, basic frequency controls for less than ideal systems, etc...
I have one of these too and think it is an amazing piece of kit - sort of surprised it didn't make the video (maybe too far away from just an amp). 4K HDMI 5 inputs 1 ARC output / 2 sub outs / 2 sets pre out / phono in / coax in / optical in / 2 sets of speaker outs / USB / Bluetooth / Apple Airplay / headphone jack / remote / etc.... even at $599 MSRP I think it is a real value. I use mine for 2 channel music but also use one of the pre outs to hook up to a Douk Audio ST-01 Pro to run a couple of speakers I use for a center channel where I can adjust the volume and tone when I am watching video. Doesn't have room correction software but does allow speaker distance and level adjustments to make tweaks. Super happy with the sound I am able to get out of this unit and the flexibility.
My choice was to buy the Emotiva PT2 $699 and A2 $499 (got them both during the sale, saved 10%). I wanted the power the A2 makes combined with the bass management of the pre-amp. Cutting off the low frequencies to the bookshelf speaker signal. Paired with a powered sub-woofer this option was just what I needed.
All of these listed have their strong aspects. I expect higher cost products to be better. To be honest I’m amazed at the truly budget one’s that deliver the goods at their price points. Great take as usual.
@@cheapaudioman i was just about to pull the trigger and get the LA90 Discrete. This will be a hard no as i’m reading about others with LA90 probs. Can you suggest something else in that price range / sound quality?
Still love my Outlaw 2220 dual mono blocks. Tried competitors like the Vidar and it was no comparison. Seems like these should be a common recommendation on this channel.
Nice rec! I just added these to the short list and I think they just moved up to #1. Really want to just go for the monoblocks and skip the dual channel amps. Puces to power on this is great.
Hey Randy I'm kinda new in this hobby and you've been a great help along with your comment contributers. I've sampled several headphone amps and dacs including Topping and Smls . I recently settled on RME ADI-2 and Hifiman XS. Headphones only took one try. Thanks to your review. RME ADI-2 was a different story. Way way too complex. Coming from A90d and DO300 stack I felt like I took a step or 2 back for sure. Then I came across an electronic shop flyer with a headphone amp/dac unit from Questyle being clearanced. CMA twelve. Although it has been out since 2018 there was very few reviews on it but all were raving so I gave it a try. Took my phones and USB cable down there for a listen. ( Something we can't do with Amazon ) It took less than a minute to grab the last one they hàd !! OMG !! Pure class A beast that totally transformed my planars and over 500 bucks cheaper than RME. By by RME. They are distributed here in Canada by Bluebird music. I'd love to see your take on this. Keep up the good work 👍
At $480, the NAD c316BEE is tough to beat. 40 watts of class AB power, built in phono preamp, to my ears the best sounding NAD integrated until you get to the Masters series.
I compared it with the Cambridge CXA61 and thought the NAD had a flatter response without the more pronounced midrange bump that the Cambridge CX series presents. I haven’t heard Cambridges AX series.
@@isaidstream4547 I was using the Kef LS50 at first. Really good combination. But my favorite speaker with that amp were the Klipsch rp600. The 316 is a little dry at times and had great synergy with the 600’s. They are a hair bright for my tastes but those two together were killer.
I have the Rotel All Tribute. I was running them with Acoustic Energy AE300 bookshelf speakers and they were fine, but it wasn't until changing over to different speakers (Q Acoustic 3050i), that I was really able to appreciate how good it really is. I also have an SMSL A300 which I wanted to try out, but my advice, get the Rotel, especially as they have been around a few years now and seem to be dropping in price. Also, speaker matching matters.
Extreme Budget Option: Adafruit 20w Class D... look that up, grab one, it's fun. You can use an old laptop power supply for it, it will power that cheap pair of bookshelf speakers you got at the second hand store pretty decently for the price. It's like a my first amp kind of amp. Requires soldering, but easy.
I would add Lyngdorf tdai-1120 to the list. It's cheaper than Buchardt I150 and has a ton of features. It has one of the best and easiest room corrections (Room Perfect), 2 x Coaxial, 2 x Optical, HDMI eARC, Phono stage (MM), Bluetooth connectivity and USB. Streaming includes Internet Radio (vTuner), Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect including MQA decoding, Roon Ready, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay2, DLNA Support (UPnP/see DLNA formats). Power rating is 2 x 120 W RMS @ 4Ohm / 2 x 60 W RMS @ 8Ohm. It also has best subwoofer integration options that i have ever seen and it sounds amazing 👍
I can appreciate the simplicity. My system is a bit of frankenstein's monster with 5.2.2, external topping DAC, emotiva phono pre-amp, and BASx A100 running two Kef q350's up front. Now...I just have to paint the emotiva surrounds and atmos speakers white :) Took your advice on the Fluance RT-82...good player, but I kinda' wish I'd given Pro-ject a go, to give our Czech friends a the first shot. Anyhoo, here's your upthumb for simplicity.
SMSL DA400 I love it,just make sure you reset the fan speed to 99 and temp controller to 45.the gain adjustments make a big difference with older poor quality recordings!650.00
Nice review. An amplifier I missed in the list is the SMSL SA300, an amp with also USB DAC and Bluetooth that was reviewed in this channel. I have it and it’s incredible good and high value for the price, it’s my recommendation for a very capable and non expensive amp (less than 150 €)
Nice list! To fill in the gap above the Rotel, the Parasound New Classic 200 Integrated amp is a solid performer at $1195. Great DAC, 110 wpc @ 8ohms, class D, bass management, MM/MC phono input, 3 analog and 3 digital inputs, separate bass & treble for main speakers and for the sub, best remote anywhere with control over all above functions, sub on/off...great for room set up and even a motion-sensing backlight. Sold my separates and got one of these 2 years ago and couldn't be happier.
An integrated amplifier is not an amplifier that has a source. An integrated amplifier is a preamp and amplifier in one box. This has been an industry standard for decades.
I get what you say - and it seems ok for today’s contemporary gear: a built in DAC or BT section completes an integrated & really is a “receiver” in current use (am/fm not being very relevant, and digital being supremely important)
Thanks for bringing these choices to our attention. A very nice range indeed (from soup to nuts)! I don't yet own a class D amp and the aspect of upgrading to a more robust power supply for the entry level amps to increase power is fascinating, though I must confess ignorance on how this functions. The aspect of "more power in gets more power out" seems simple enough, but compared to standard A/B amps and those power ratings, it seems quite odd getting a more robust external power supply alters output. Mr. Wizard ???!!!
i just got a Dayton hta 200 . I have owened a lot of amps and own a lot of really nice amps and the hta sounds really good. i got it for $220 open box its usally $350 its beautiful looking and sounds rich warm and smooth like you would expect from a tube amp hybrid
@@malcolmgrant4500 It's a nice amp . I just got done building another pair of speakers it's 4am I started at 12 pm and I am listening to them already 😂 on my hta 200
I got an Aiyima A07 pro today. Sounds good, but it gets really warm. I saw reviews stating it runs cool with the power supply Amazon ships it with, but that is certainly not the case for me. We will see how it holds up.
My Fosi T20 was my first turntable amp. I loved it, great amp for $100 AUD, which is about $.5 USD. Upgraded to Schiit Magni+. Loved that as well. Both fantastic budget options. Tossing up between the Schiit Lyr+ or Topping a90d next
I know you don't do car audio stuff, but I got a AudioControl D-5.1300 amp and it's the bee's knees. It's a 5-channel amp with a built-in DSP and all sorts of fun features (30-band EQ, time-alignment, signal-summing. etc.). Really clean too, at least for a car amp. It's driving Hertz Mille Pro MPK 165.3 (front) and MPX 165.3 (rear) with a JBL Stadium Basshub (sub) for a stealth build in my Camry.
I bought a Kadence Acoustic guitar all I need is a compatible ampliflier for home use thanks a lot for your advice to connect to my computer for recording purposes.
A great amp to fill in the gap between the $800 and $2500 price point would be the Rega Exel Mk4. Get your hands on one if you can. Hand crafted in jolly ole England. Oddly enough, it does play music from the British Rock Invasion era remarkably well!! Comes with a beautiful dual DAC as well.
I’d like to put a word in for the SMSL A300 amp (it’s nearly an integrated amp, to be fair). A big step up from the AO7 (even with the sparkos op amps) in my experience.
I have the yam as301. Very clean and clear if a tad bright. Doesn't however have the soul and musicality of a nad amp, plenty of power but its imaging is so so.
You missed the best deal ever, the Sony STRDH190 2-ch Stereo Receiver. I picked one up for my parents a last Christmas and it's outstanding. It puts out 100w of real power unlike those chip amps, has bluetooth, phono input, and three additional RCA inputs. It powers the pair of Voigt Pipe speakers i made for them the previous year with ease.
There is nothing wrong with buying new decent HI-FI gear but for the money I would always go for gear around 5 years old for very cheap. Got myself a pair of B&W tower speakers, tried all my amps on then, meh all, recently got a Rotel power amp and yesterday got a Rotel preamp. It is game over for me. And i still spent less than 2k. My Yamaha network player i was considering replacing just sounds amazing with this new setup, going to sell everything i own and i don't need and get a decent turntable.
Another good amp at the price point of the Yamaha is the Cambridge Audio AXA35. Not as many watts and not many bells and whistles but I think it actually sounds better.
The reason I started watching your channel was because (was because is a nice rhyme) cheap is all I can afford. Hence, the purchase of an INFI hybrid tube amp. And then another one, which has a toroidal transformer. (Yay!) Does this mean I'm an audiophile? Well, according to you, that term is meaningless, so I guess I am one.😮 Anyway, I'm happy with my system, and I'm glad you're happy with yours, even though it changes from day to day.
I'm pretty offended that you wrote this. Out of anyone on UA-cam I have done more to smash the notion of affordable gear NOT being considered "audiophile" than anyone else. play back the part of the video again and see what I said. and then go check out my most popular video on UA-cam called "Audiophiles are full of Crap" then any of my videos about audiophile systems under ... amount. I try not to get defensive in the comments but I'm not going to allow you to come into my comments and spout this absolute nonsense about me.
@@cheapaudioman I have heard your words and I appreciate everything that they mean. I wholeheartedly regret the harm I’ve caused you. I never meant to hurt you. Please know that I didn’t mean to stab you like this. Please know I regret what I’ve done.
This is exactly the video I need right now. I grabbed the Fluance Ai81 speakers. I just started looking in the idea of getting an amp around $500 to drive them instead of using the built in power.
OSD! XA series (3200, 5180, 7180) or their AMP300 350W Per Channel, High Current Class A/B Stereo Amplifier. Fantastic amps for the price, and built like a tank. I own the OSD Nero XA5180 Multi Channel (5X) Home Theater Amplifier 150WRMS/Channel 8 Ohms Audiophile.
I was a happy owner of two Onkyo integrated amplifiers; I really like their sound. The first amplifier failed after 3 years and the second failed after 4 years, the same failure: one of the channels stopped working. I switched to a Rotel integrated and have had it for 10 years without failure. I am just sharing my experience.
It also does quite well in a medium size room. I wanted a clean look in my front living room. White Polk R100s on white Kanto stands and hidden components. The Wiim mini and Fosi TB10D provide that and tremendous sound.
Though it’s not cheap, it’s probably the best low price tube amp - Cayin MT-35MK2 BT - also, something which is hard for you guys to get in the US as it’s an Australian company - Weston Acoustics- his handmade tube amps (he even builds the transformers himself, as well as the casing, point to point wiring) starts at $1214USD
I believe the Yamaha AS-301 is only available in black here in the U.S. Yamaha does offer their lesser amps with silver (actually aluminum) faceplates in Japan. But for use in the U.S., you'd also have to invest in a step-up transformer, since Japan features 100 volt main voltage, not 120 volts as here in the U.S.
I wonder if Schiit would send you a Ragnarok 2 (their only integrated, I believe). At $1600-$1800, it's on the expensive side but not outrageously so. It often gets named by reviewers as a "best of" amp under $2k. I'd be interested in your take.
was at THE SHOW yesterday(Irvine, CA) , heard the new Class D budget amp, i think will be $150 / from RSL w CG3M & CG5 speakers and 10inch speedwoofer. Sounded GREAT!!
Okay so here's the ultimate question that needs to be answered Siri, when a company says they changed everything out and it's a newer is better how do we know which is the newer in which is the older if nothing has changed from the way the piece looks.. you need to know I guess what the new serial numbers the date of manufacture what is it because I am not going to spend money on something that has been renewed and could be found if only one knew how to find it.. so you really need to tell people how to recognize the newer version against the older version for some things that you talked about really appreciate you man your cool love the channel thanks very much
Interesting list 👍. I'm just looking for a small tabletop amp. In the main hi-fi set, after much research and consideration, I bought the Atol IN100 signature for 860€. After two years of purchase it turned out to be a great decision👌.In my personal opinion you can hardly get a better amplifier for this money in terms of build quality and sound.
@@gokhanersan8561 My opinion is that the atoll is neutral, maybe a little more on the warm side. I listen to all genres and I think it's ok for rock. Of course, a lot also depends on the speakers.
I'm new to these mini amps. I'm down with the fosi tb20a pro. Got a bit of a shock when I realized the separate power supply that is needed cost $60 on its own. 🤕
Since I’ve upgraded my speakers to some beautiful Wharfedale Lintons 85th anniversary I’m on a hunt to upgrade my current Sonos Amp. Last week I find a amp pre-amp combo that hopefully will for fill my needs and is future proof as well. Last April Pro-Ject released the Stereo Box DS3. A 150W class D amp (at 4 ohms) with only analogue inputs and MM/MC phono stage. The benefit off this amp is that it also have a variable pre-out and fixed Pre-out. Combined with a external dac, or in my case it will be a Bluesound node X, it will be a Sonos amp/Bluesound node on steroids with future flexibility. At least it looks very promising!
Recently bought a Schiit Vidar 2 and Saga, combined with smsl Ps100 dac's. Maybe I'll switch to schiit modi in the future, but at the moment I couldn't be happier. And my previous setup was a Marantz Sr7400 with a MM9000. Not very cheap.
An IA has preamp and power amp, no source required. If it has a DAC, that is extra. If it has a streamer or network processor (HEOS, Music Cast) it starts to become the modern iteration of a receiver.
I’d love to see a video on the cheapest & best sounding class A tube amp. You should do a review on the Elekit Tu-8200R. It’s the best tube amp I’ve heard for the price .
Should have mentioned the Parasound NewClassic 200 integrated, that you gave great review of about one year ago.. @$1200 but 110w class D, with a nice DAC, great phono stage and (yes) tone control! Slim form, runs cool, great backlit remote and can run a sub or be a preamp. Its amazing.
Question about adding a DAC to my 5 channel emotiva A5175 and an mc-700 7ch preamp and oppo dvd player does the dac go alone on an input to the mc 700 or does it go before the amp for all channel inputs before the amp? never had a DAC before
So these are "integrated amplifiers". I wouldn't call them "amplifiers". Not that there's anything wrong with reviewing (or owning) integrated amps, I just think the headline is a bit misleading. For an actual, somewhat "cheap" power amplifier, I'm interested in the Schiit Vidar 2. That's kind of what I thought I'd see here as the upper end of "cheap".
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…what about the JDS Atom+? haven’t heard you mention it ever
Nice channel, been watching the last few months, but it grinds my gears that you don't use timestamps. I'm sure a lot feel the same.
You asked a our power supply for these 3255 chipped amps..
MEAN WELL LRS-350-48 will get you a clean 300wx2 @ 4ohms it's less then 40usd
In an old video when you dabbled and asked the community should I do 1k+ products. You showed some made in or designed in Australia amp which you said was the best you ever heard but I forgot the name of it and the video is down, do you recall any AU designed or branded amps? Was going to buy it.
Randy, as others have said, the common meaning of integrated amp is an amp and preamp in one box: that is, an amp with a volume control and at least two inputs. Now, the ubiquity of cheap DACs and phono circuits is causing that meaning to change, but the absolute minimum remains amp + volume control + choice of input selection. Cheers
Also wrong, I am old enough to remember an amp was an amp, then some guy in the Netherlands developed while employed with Philips the Moving Magnet cartridge, which required a pre amplification. And if you don't own a TT, the best pre amp, is no pre amp!
@@cirrus1964 Please stop using incorrect definitions. I designed and built audio amplifiers and line preamplifiers for personal and professional use. While you have described a phono preamplifier and a power amplifier, you have not stated a definition for an integrated amplifier. A broad definition of an audio power amplifier is a device that performs voltage gain on a range of sources into the fairly stable but fairly reactive, low-impedance load of a loudspeaker. But the common meaning of integrated amplifier adds volume control and nearly always source selection to the power amp section. Other functions such as phono preamplifier circuits, DACs, and wireless transceivers are also common in those units today. But outdated terminology spreads falsehood, so kindly stop. When you provide an alternate meaning for an integrated amplifier, others may judge which is correct. And please sir, respect your elders, even me.
@@samuellord8576 Most ignorant answer. A Dac build in, is like buying an intergrated car, when there''s an audio system in. As we are talking about amps, which a DAC isn't. And stop bragging, I was the main distributor outside the UK for Croft, the whole world knows my expertise, Mister wise guy!
Yep.
Great overview! I tried out a Rotel A11 tribute based on your review (last year) and it is now my go-to amp. For those who don't know this unit, it doesn't have tons of bells and whistles, but what it does have is a great basic design (the original A-11, which was quite nice) with added sonic love from no less than Ken Ishiwata...his final triumph. Fifty watts might not be enough for some situations and inefficient speakers, but I can say that this amplifier pushes my Polk R-200's (Randy Rocks it Once Again ; ) to really high levels (last night, Cream / Wheels of Fire and Miles Davis / Kind of Blue) in a medium sized room with no sign of hardening the mids or losing control: just sweet. BTW, as Randy noted, it has a terrific Phono stage.
OK, too much coffee, so I'll add this: the volume control is rather unique in that it uses a Linear Taper instead of a more conventional Audio Taper. Audio Taper pots are what most of us are used to, and they can give the impression of immense power because they get loud early in the rotation (my wonderful Marantz 2275 gets loud by 9 o'c and by 12o'c is almost unbearable). But there is a catch with this design, because most of your amplifiers power reserve is used up by somewhere around 1o'c. Well, it all works, and this was especially good in the early days because a prospective buyer would go "OMG! Look how loud this little 15W Pioneer SX-450 gets at 9o'c!!!" And it did. But not much happened past 12 o'c. (not picking on the great little SX-450...it was true for all makes and models, and still is...with rare exceptions). So why use a Linear Taper Pot? Well, there is one big advantage: the volume level rises MUCH more slowly as you turn the knob. I find it easier to really find the volume sweet spot, especially when back on the couch and using the well thought out Remote Control. I haven't gone in to see if they did this with a digital control or an actual potentiometer, but the effect is the same, and once you get used to it, it is a WAY cool feature. Sorry if I went on a ramble ; )
Are there any inexpensive amps that you would recommend to use to run external height speakers for an Atmos setup? I’m only looking for a temporary use amp since I definitely intend on getting an Emotiva BasX but I’m currently saving up for it. I’m looking for under $200.
Glad I brought the A11 tribute, it suits my needs perfectly. thought it would be a risk but after a couple years other people still saying nice things about it.
Audiolab 6000a, looks and runs cool, very versatile, beautifully balanced and clear sound. Cranking up with the Warfedale diamond 12.2's, their bass vibrates the floor and fills the medium size room with great sound and little effort, a power amp can be added for more demanding speakers. A well thought out,undervalued amp that offers the best value, love it.
Enjoy 🎶👍
Thanks, my enjoyment level has now reached its peak, a speaker upgrade with the extraordinary Acoustic Energy AE500s, an amazing combination. Audio heaven : )
@@mm3963 I've seen a good few owners recommendations for the AE500 speakers 🎶👍🙂
I was eyeing the Yamaha s-301 but the Cambridge Audio AXR85 for $339 factory refurbished is insanely good.
Wow CheapAudioMan the Denon DRA-800H didn't make your list. I ended up buying one after I compared the features after much debate between that & the PMA600NE and the Cambridge AXR85.
The Cambridge ax100 is a really nice amp, has a tuner, sub out, a and b speasker outs. bluetooth, onboard dac. I just bought mine and paired them with 2 Kanto passives and a 10" monoprice sub and wow!!!
The heart of my system is a Yamaha A-S701 integrated amplifier. It's rated at 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms; it can also drive 4 ohm speakers, but I don't remember what its output into those is. It can drive two speaker systems independently or together, can be hooked up to a computer, can be hooked up to a powered subwoofer, and the volume control on the remote allows you to make very small adjustments. I have it hooked up to two different speaker systems; a pair of Bower & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary editions, and a pair of Klipsch RP 600Ms. I have discovered that each of these speaker systems sound much more open, transparent, and clear when I use them with my Audioengine S8 powered subwoofer, but I have yet to figure out why that is.
I'm in the Yamaha camp. Their amplifiers have never disappointed me.
100% agree. I have the A-S1200 and A-S301. Both are great performers and super reliable.
I've always had good luck with the Yamaha two stroke engine.
I tried, but Yamaha sound weak AF in my opinion 😔
One of my record players is a Yamaha P-520 direct drive model from 1985 !! Cost me $225. Damn good turntable; won’t replace it as long as I can get away with it.
It never lets me down. And it’s fully automatic! The only thing that went wrong was the dust cover hinges broke after about 20 years, but the rest still going strong after 38 years. It’s worked nicely with some high compliance cartridge styli over the years with ease. Nice low mass arm and great turntable specs for a direct drive. A lot of tables today don’t even give you their guaranteed specs, bc you might not want it. Better than any table under around $1500 these days.
How many can say that !!??
I never hear anything about old Yamaha turntables (record player!), which leaves me wondering if I’m just a lucky bastard. My experience with many of today’s $500-$1000 record players is that they suck in comparison. 👨🏻
Love my S701!
I started with the Emotiva TA1, it’s in storage now having upgraded to an Akitika pre and amp with an Ares2 DAC.
I did get that Basx mini with jumper to lower my planar headphones recently too.
Nice stuff!
Now that’s a GREAT rundown!! Well done Randy.. 🥰🥰🥰
thanks so much, brother!
I would also recommend the Arylic B50. Lower power and less room for upgrades in power, but it has HDMI ARC and a line out for a sub. The app has a lot of features including a subwoofer crossover/hi-pass filter.
Nice List. I would Add IOTAVX SA3, Audiolab 6000a and Marantz PM8006. The Marantz is outstanding with B&W, Focal, Klispch and KEF speakers
Any idea how the Marantz would pair with my KLH Kendall’s? I was considering the Yamaha A-S801 as well.
And Wharfedale diamond 12.2?
I use coupled an Audiolab 6000A with a pair of Elac Uni-Fi Reference and for records I use a Schiit Mani Pre-amp. It’s an absolutely lovely combination (with a good set of cables as well)
I respectfully disagree with your definition of an integrated amp. An integrated amp is simply a device that has both the preamp stage and a power stage. It doesn't need to have a source. In fact I think the best amps are amps that are analog only and do not have a built-in DAC.
Thanks!
I love your channel because you cover chooses from budget to hi-end~
The Yamaha is the sweet spot I love it ! Decent DAC as well ! I’ve also got the Fosi in a smaller system which is impressive!
Interested in using the term integrated amplifier. For most, this means it does not need a separate power amplifier. Many amps that are integrated amplifiers have the facility to bypass the amplification and just output a line-level signal for the power amp (separate) unit to do the amplification. This means that you don't get interference from the power amp bit in the pre-amp (the unit that does source selection and pre-processing). Using a pre-power setup gives you more upgrade options as the watch bit can be upgraded separately.
Love you brother,
Keep trucking & being true to yourself & your family!
🙏
The last amp can easily be upgraded with a separate DAC
by using an inexpensive ZEN DAC which last time I looked, sells for
around $200. I presently use the ZEN DAC with an Apple iMac and it
sounds excellent. The cool thing about a separate DAC is that you
can use it to drive any audio amplifier of your choice so you could
continue to use it with a different amplifier if you ever decide to upgrade
your present one to a better one. I have a few different DAC's ranging
in price from $200 to almost $1,000 and to be frank, I can't really tell
the difference between the $200 ZEN DAC and the most expensive one.
Randy, strong video! You ran the gamut of what’s out there from Uber cheap to fairly expensive. Keep it up!
These little amplifiers don’t cut the mustard for me. I’m not happy until my lights are dimming in the house, while I’m playing music
I have a Denon pma 800, it's a really good sound packed with lots of features and I managed to pick it up on sale for about £300. Would definitely recommend.
An integrated amplifier has pre and power amps integrated in one box. An amplifier that has a source is a receiver. An amplifier with a dac or bluetooth does not have a source but a circuit that enables reproduction from an external source
Thank you!
Yup
Exactly! A receiver does have a tuner also hence the name.
This 👍
If you see speaker outputs AND any control, even just a volume, that's an Integrated amp.
If you see controls but no spkr outs, that's a preamp.
Spkr out but zero controls, power amp.
@@Chirn70 "If you see speaker outputs AND any control, even just a volume, that's an Integrated amp."
That's just not true. An integrated amp is a power amp and a line stage in one box. Line stages are active. Some "integrateds" have passive line level controls. A Creek 5350ES and an Ayre AX-7 are 2 examples of this type of setup. The only active part is the power amp. If you are not sure what type you have, unplug the unit and use it as a "preamp" only. If it works when its not plugged in, its a passive.
"If you see controls but no spkr outs, that's a preamp."
Again, it could be passive. A pre amp has to have an amp, or its not a preamp. Placette and the Adcom GFP 750, are examples of this type of design.
"Spkr out but zero controls, power amp."
There are plenty of power amps on the market that have features like gain controls, xover switches, Balanced/single ended operation control, basic frequency controls for less than ideal systems, etc...
Got a Marantz NR1200 for $400 on sale last year.....love the thing! It does almost everything!
I have one of these too and think it is an amazing piece of kit - sort of surprised it didn't make the video (maybe too far away from just an amp). 4K HDMI 5 inputs 1 ARC output / 2 sub outs / 2 sets pre out / phono in / coax in / optical in / 2 sets of speaker outs / USB / Bluetooth / Apple Airplay / headphone jack / remote / etc.... even at $599 MSRP I think it is a real value. I use mine for 2 channel music but also use one of the pre outs to hook up to a Douk Audio ST-01 Pro to run a couple of speakers I use for a center channel where I can adjust the volume and tone when I am watching video. Doesn't have room correction software but does allow speaker distance and level adjustments to make tweaks. Super happy with the sound I am able to get out of this unit and the flexibility.
Balls! Love the intro graphics!!
👍👍⚡️⚡️
should review the SMSL A300...an absolute steal and better than the DA-9
My choice was to buy the Emotiva PT2 $699 and A2 $499 (got them both during the sale, saved 10%). I wanted the power the A2 makes combined with the bass management of the pre-amp. Cutting off the low frequencies to the bookshelf speaker signal. Paired with a powered sub-woofer this option was just what I needed.
All of these listed have their strong aspects. I expect higher cost products to be better. To be honest I’m amazed at the truly budget one’s that deliver the goods at their price points. Great take as usual.
*prices?
Surprised you left out the LA90 Discrete after the fairly glowing review. Bought it last month and love it.
mine is having some issues. trying to figure it out but I couldn't include it because of it
@@cheapaudioman i was just about to pull the trigger and get the LA90 Discrete. This will be a hard no as i’m reading about others with LA90 probs. Can you suggest something else
in that price range / sound quality?
A very good middle of the road review presenting facts as it is. Thank you.
Still love my Outlaw 2220 dual mono blocks. Tried competitors like the Vidar and it was no comparison. Seems like these should be a common recommendation on this channel.
Nice rec! I just added these to the short list and I think they just moved up to #1. Really want to just go for the monoblocks and skip the dual channel amps. Puces to power on this is great.
Hey Randy
I'm kinda new in this hobby and you've been a great help along with your comment contributers. I've sampled several headphone amps and dacs including Topping and Smls . I recently settled on RME ADI-2 and Hifiman XS. Headphones only took one try. Thanks to your review. RME ADI-2 was a different story. Way way too complex. Coming from A90d and DO300 stack I felt like I took a step or 2 back for sure. Then I came across an electronic shop flyer with a headphone amp/dac unit from Questyle being clearanced. CMA twelve. Although it has been out since 2018 there was very few reviews on it but all were raving so I gave it a try. Took my phones and USB cable down there for a listen. ( Something we can't do with Amazon ) It took less than a minute to grab the last one they hàd !!
OMG !! Pure class A beast that totally transformed my planars and over 500 bucks cheaper than RME. By by RME. They are distributed here in Canada by Bluebird music. I'd love to see your take on this. Keep up the good work 👍
At $480, the NAD c316BEE is tough to beat. 40 watts of class AB power, built in phono preamp, to my ears the best sounding NAD integrated until you get to the Masters series.
Have you compared it to Cambridge axa 35 or axa25?
I compared it with the Cambridge CXA61 and thought the NAD had a flatter response without the more pronounced midrange bump that the Cambridge CX series presents. I haven’t heard Cambridges AX series.
The 316bee is fantastic! I got mine before Covid for $349 dollars. Even at $500 dollars, it’s an incredible class ab amp. Good stuff.
@@markflitz3833 Which speakers? thanks
@@isaidstream4547 I was using the Kef LS50 at first. Really good combination. But my favorite speaker with that amp were the Klipsch rp600. The 316 is a little dry at times and had great synergy with the 600’s. They are a hair bright for my tastes but those two together were killer.
Had tons of fun listening to the Rega IO integrated amp! Under $600
I have the Rotel All Tribute. I was running them with Acoustic Energy AE300 bookshelf speakers and they were fine, but it wasn't until changing over to different speakers (Q Acoustic 3050i), that I was really able to appreciate how good it really is. I also have an SMSL A300 which I wanted to try out, but my advice, get the Rotel, especially as they have been around a few years now and seem to be dropping in price. Also, speaker matching matters.
Extreme Budget Option: Adafruit 20w Class D... look that up, grab one, it's fun. You can use an old laptop power supply for it, it will power that cheap pair of bookshelf speakers you got at the second hand store pretty decently for the price. It's like a my first amp kind of amp. Requires soldering, but easy.
I just bought a Nobsound M5.1. It's class D and cost me about 189 US dollars. I really love it so far, clean sound and surround sound.
Cooool man. Oooooh I'm drooling overr some of those amps. I was surprised though that you did not have a Schiit amp included here.
Great format. I'd like to see more vids like this with DAC's and speakers.
I would add Lyngdorf tdai-1120 to the list. It's cheaper than Buchardt I150 and has a ton of features. It has one of the best and easiest room corrections (Room Perfect), 2 x Coaxial, 2 x Optical, HDMI eARC, Phono stage (MM), Bluetooth connectivity and USB. Streaming includes Internet Radio (vTuner), Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect including MQA decoding, Roon Ready, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay2, DLNA Support (UPnP/see DLNA formats). Power rating is 2 x 120 W RMS @ 4Ohm / 2 x 60 W RMS @ 8Ohm. It also has best subwoofer integration options that i have ever seen and it sounds amazing 👍
I can appreciate the simplicity. My system is a bit of frankenstein's monster with 5.2.2, external topping DAC, emotiva phono pre-amp, and BASx A100 running two Kef q350's up front. Now...I just have to paint the emotiva surrounds and atmos speakers white :) Took your advice on the Fluance RT-82...good player, but I kinda' wish I'd given Pro-ject a go, to give our Czech friends a the first shot. Anyhoo, here's your upthumb for simplicity.
SMSL DA400 I love it,just make sure you reset the fan speed to 99 and temp controller to 45.the gain adjustments make a big difference with older poor quality recordings!650.00
SA400
You my man are one of the best AV reviewers on the planet, funny as all get out (actually funny as *uck but I can’t say that on UA-cam)
Rotel a11 sounds much more effortless to its double-priced Hegel counterpart H90. Sounds very satisfying at moderate volume levels up to 50-60 db.
Hoping one of these days Nova 150 from Peachtree gets reviewed. Loving mine paired with Emotiva T1+ and a sub.
Love my Nova 150!
I always come back to your videos when researching equipment. Thanks again.
Nice review.
An amplifier I missed in the list is the SMSL SA300, an amp with also USB DAC and Bluetooth that was reviewed in this channel.
I have it and it’s incredible good and high value for the price, it’s my recommendation for a very capable and non expensive amp (less than 150 €)
I love my Emotiva basx A-100! Thanks, Randy!
Nice list!
To fill in the gap above the Rotel, the Parasound New Classic 200 Integrated amp is a solid performer at $1195.
Great DAC, 110 wpc @ 8ohms, class D, bass management, MM/MC phono input, 3 analog and 3 digital inputs, separate bass & treble for main speakers and for the sub, best remote anywhere with control over all above functions, sub on/off...great for room set up and even a motion-sensing backlight.
Sold my separates and got one of these 2 years ago and couldn't be happier.
An integrated amplifier is not an amplifier that has a source. An integrated amplifier is a preamp and amplifier in one box. This has been an industry standard for decades.
This won’t be the last time I’m wrong, Craig. I’ve only been an industry idiot for 2.5 years
@@cheapaudioman if you add a tuner in the same box as the integrated amplifier, then it becomes a receiver.
Yeah, the integrated amp has no tuner, so more of what you pay for goes towards the sound quality.
@@cheapaudiomanI like your definition better. Thanks for the video
I get what you say - and it seems ok for today’s contemporary gear: a built in DAC or BT section completes an integrated & really is a “receiver” in current use (am/fm not being very relevant, and digital being supremely important)
Love the variety ,your the best ! Rotel RA 1592mk11 (its on sale !!) is amazing at the more expensive level!!
Thanks for bringing these choices to our attention. A very nice range indeed (from soup to nuts)! I don't yet own a class D amp and the aspect of upgrading to a more robust power supply for the entry level amps to increase power is fascinating, though I must confess ignorance on how this functions. The aspect of "more power in gets more power out" seems simple enough, but compared to standard A/B amps and those power ratings, it seems quite odd getting a more robust external power supply alters output. Mr. Wizard ???!!!
i just got a Dayton hta 200 . I have owened a lot of amps and own a lot of really nice amps and the hta sounds really good. i got it for $220 open box its usally $350 its beautiful looking and sounds rich warm and smooth like you would expect from a tube amp hybrid
Yea, I have the Dayton hta 100bt and am equally impressed
@@malcolmgrant4500 It's a nice amp . I just got done building another pair of speakers it's 4am I started at 12 pm and I am listening to them already 😂 on my hta 200
I got an Aiyima A07 pro today. Sounds good, but it gets really warm. I saw reviews stating it runs cool with the power supply Amazon ships it with, but that is certainly not the case for me. We will see how it holds up.
Nice work on the recommendations Randy, my son has the ta-1, if you have the room and the budget I definitely recommend it, thanks again!
I find I drink more coffee then normal when I watch your videos.
Dude this is the best comparison post, you've done
My Fosi T20 was my first turntable amp. I loved it, great amp for $100 AUD, which is about $.5 USD. Upgraded to Schiit Magni+. Loved that as well. Both fantastic budget options. Tossing up between the Schiit Lyr+ or Topping a90d next
I know you don't do car audio stuff, but I got a AudioControl D-5.1300 amp and it's the bee's knees. It's a 5-channel amp with a built-in DSP and all sorts of fun features (30-band EQ, time-alignment, signal-summing. etc.). Really clean too, at least for a car amp. It's driving Hertz Mille Pro MPK 165.3 (front) and MPX 165.3 (rear) with a JBL Stadium Basshub (sub) for a stealth build in my Camry.
I bought a Kadence Acoustic guitar all I need is a compatible ampliflier for home use thanks a lot for your advice to connect to my computer for recording purposes.
A great amp to fill in the gap between the $800 and $2500 price point would be the Rega Exel Mk4. Get your hands on one if you can. Hand crafted in jolly ole England. Oddly enough, it does play music from the British Rock Invasion era remarkably well!! Comes with a beautiful dual DAC as well.
I’d like to put a word in for the SMSL A300 amp (it’s nearly an integrated amp, to be fair). A big step up from the AO7 (even with the sparkos op amps) in my experience.
The "A300 amp" is a Bluetooth Receiver, DAC, PreAmp & Power Amp in one chassis.
Also known as an "All-n'-One" box. 🔈🔉🔊
The a300 DOES have a dac, but it doesn’t have coax, rca or optical inputs. I’m using a e30 with mine connected to my WIIM.
I have the yam as301. Very clean and clear if a tad bright. Doesn't however have the soul and musicality of a nad amp, plenty of power but its imaging is so so.
I loved the Denon sound so much, ended up with pma-a110.
I think Cambridge deserves a spot in your list of great amps. Love my warm sounding AX25 and 100.
You missed the best deal ever, the Sony STRDH190 2-ch Stereo Receiver. I picked one up for my parents a last Christmas and it's outstanding. It puts out 100w of real power unlike those chip amps, has bluetooth, phono input, and three additional RCA inputs. It powers the pair of Voigt Pipe speakers i made for them the previous year with ease.
Nice stereo. Just wish it had banana nut connectors instead of spring clips, and had at least digital input.
¡Gracias!
thank you!
There is nothing wrong with buying new decent HI-FI gear but for the money I would always go for gear around 5 years old for very cheap. Got myself a pair of B&W tower speakers, tried all my amps on then, meh all, recently got a Rotel power amp and yesterday got a Rotel preamp. It is game over for me. And i still spent less than 2k. My Yamaha network player i was considering replacing just sounds amazing with this new setup, going to sell everything i own and i don't need and get a decent turntable.
Another good amp at the price point of the Yamaha is the Cambridge Audio AXA35. Not as many watts and not many bells and whistles but I think it actually sounds better.
I bought two used Adcom GFA-555's for 400 bucks each. They crank and are built like a tank.
The reason I started watching your channel was because (was because is a nice rhyme) cheap is all I can afford. Hence, the purchase of an INFI hybrid tube amp. And then another one, which has a toroidal transformer. (Yay!)
Does this mean I'm an audiophile? Well, according to you, that term is meaningless, so I guess I am one.😮
Anyway, I'm happy with my system, and I'm glad you're happy with yours, even though it changes from day to day.
I'm pretty offended that you wrote this. Out of anyone on UA-cam I have done more to smash the notion of affordable gear NOT being considered "audiophile" than anyone else. play back the part of the video again and see what I said. and then go check out my most popular video on UA-cam called "Audiophiles are full of Crap" then any of my videos about audiophile systems under ... amount. I try not to get defensive in the comments but I'm not going to allow you to come into my comments and spout this absolute nonsense about me.
@@cheapaudioman I have heard your words and I appreciate everything that they mean. I wholeheartedly regret the harm I’ve caused you. I never meant to hurt you. Please know that I didn’t mean to stab you like this. Please know I regret what I’ve done.
I’m so, so sorry. You give so much to a community that you’ve created. I’m so sorry. Really.
@@SyzygyNoon you’re all good. I’m sorry if I came off overly aggressive.
@@SyzygyNoon you good, man. No problem at all
This is exactly the video I need right now. I grabbed the Fluance Ai81 speakers. I just started looking in the idea of getting an amp around $500 to drive them instead of using the built in power.
OSD! XA series (3200, 5180, 7180) or their AMP300 350W Per Channel, High Current Class A/B Stereo Amplifier.
Fantastic amps for the price, and built like a tank. I own the OSD Nero XA5180 Multi Channel (5X) Home Theater Amplifier 150WRMS/Channel 8 Ohms Audiophile.
What a great list. Thank you for sharing this with us and catering to a wide spectrum of listeners.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@cheapaudioman Very much, until the sticker shock at the end. 😂
I was a happy owner of two Onkyo integrated amplifiers; I really like their sound. The first amplifier failed after 3 years and the second failed after 4 years, the same failure: one of the channels stopped working. I switched to a Rotel integrated and have had it for 10 years without failure. I am just sharing my experience.
Where does the Aiyima A08 Pro Stand on your list? It was your Product Of The Year last year.
it's still awesome but more expensive than the bt20 a pro so I went with the more affordable options
Paired with a couple of good desktop speakers, the Fosi TB10D makes a great PC audio amp.
It also does quite well in a medium size room. I wanted a clean look in my front living room. White Polk R100s on white Kanto stands and hidden components. The Wiim mini and Fosi TB10D provide that and tremendous sound.
I have one and a douk audio st01.
Tbh the douk sounds beefier than the fosi.
The kids have the fosi on their Xbox setup.
I kept the douk for my PC.
Though it’s not cheap, it’s probably the best low price tube amp - Cayin MT-35MK2 BT - also, something which is hard for you guys to get in the US as it’s an Australian company - Weston Acoustics- his handmade tube amps (he even builds the transformers himself, as well as the casing, point to point wiring) starts at $1214USD
I believe the Yamaha AS-301 is only available in black here in the U.S. Yamaha does offer their lesser amps with silver (actually aluminum) faceplates in Japan. But for use in the U.S., you'd also have to invest in a step-up transformer, since Japan features 100 volt main voltage, not 120 volts as here in the U.S.
I wonder if Schiit would send you a Ragnarok 2 (their only integrated, I believe). At $1600-$1800, it's on the expensive side but not outrageously so. It often gets named by reviewers as a "best of" amp under $2k. I'd be interested in your take.
I'm sure they'd send one over if I asked.
I’m surprised no Schiit products were mentioned. Their price to performance is amazing, and made in USA.
@@ToddBalzer Seems like Randy was focusing on integrated amps here (and Schiit's only got the one).
@@ToddBalzer Yeah I thought it was weird too.
was at THE SHOW yesterday(Irvine, CA) , heard the new Class D budget amp, i think will be $150 / from RSL w CG3M & CG5 speakers and 10inch speedwoofer. Sounded GREAT!!
Okay so here's the ultimate question that needs to be answered Siri, when a company says they changed everything out and it's a newer is better how do we know which is the newer in which is the older if nothing has changed from the way the piece looks.. you need to know I guess what the new serial numbers the date of manufacture what is it because I am not going to spend money on something that has been renewed and could be found if only one knew how to find it.. so you really need to tell people how to recognize the newer version against the older version for some things that you talked about really appreciate you man your cool love the channel thanks very much
Interesting list 👍. I'm just looking for a small tabletop amp. In the main hi-fi set, after much research and consideration, I bought the Atol IN100 signature for 860€. After two years of purchase it turned out to be a great decision👌.In my personal opinion you can hardly get a better amplifier for this money in terms of build quality and sound.
Does Atoll have a muscular presentation to play Rock Music with satisfaction? One reviewer said Rock fans look elsewhere, that’s why I’m asking.
@@gokhanersan8561 My opinion is that the atoll is neutral, maybe a little more on the warm side. I listen to all genres and I think it's ok for rock. Of course, a lot also depends on the speakers.
Hi watching from Manchester UK.....I have a kef r700 system it's kick arse I went from Yamaha amp to denon the denon blew me away I still have it
I'm new to these mini amps. I'm down with the fosi tb20a pro. Got a bit of a shock when I realized the separate power supply that is needed cost $60 on its own. 🤕
I'd add the Cambridge axr100 at 599. Been a great piece of gear for me for the money
Since I’ve upgraded my speakers to some beautiful Wharfedale Lintons 85th anniversary I’m on a hunt to upgrade my current Sonos Amp. Last week I find a amp pre-amp combo that hopefully will for fill my needs and is future proof as well.
Last April Pro-Ject released the Stereo Box DS3. A 150W class D amp (at 4 ohms) with only analogue inputs and MM/MC phono stage. The benefit off this amp is that it also have a variable pre-out and fixed Pre-out. Combined with a external dac, or in my case it will be a Bluesound node X, it will be a Sonos amp/Bluesound node on steroids with future flexibility. At least it looks very promising!
Recently bought a Schiit Vidar 2 and Saga, combined with smsl Ps100 dac's. Maybe I'll switch to schiit modi in the future, but at the moment I couldn't be happier. And my previous setup was a Marantz Sr7400 with a MM9000. Not very cheap.
Hi Randy, great work!!! Love your videos, knowledge and your sense of humor. What was the name of the $2500 amp class D?
An IA has preamp and power amp, no source required. If it has a DAC, that is extra. If it has a streamer or network processor (HEOS, Music Cast) it starts to become the modern iteration of a receiver.
I'm surprised that Cambridge did not make that list nor Marantz, the NR 1200 at $599.00 is a great value.
I’d love to see a video on the cheapest & best sounding class A tube amp. You should do a review on the Elekit Tu-8200R. It’s the best tube amp I’ve heard for the price .
Should have mentioned the Parasound NewClassic 200 integrated, that you gave great review of about one year ago.. @$1200 but 110w class D, with a nice DAC, great phono stage and (yes) tone control! Slim form, runs cool, great backlit remote and can run a sub or be a preamp. Its amazing.
Question about adding a DAC to my 5 channel emotiva A5175 and an mc-700 7ch preamp and oppo dvd player does the dac go alone on an input to the mc 700 or does it go before the amp for all channel inputs before the amp? never had a DAC before
Crown xls 2502 and I just ordered the Crown XLI 3500! I run an RME ADI-2 PRO FS R BE as my preamp and dac. Blows me away! Lol
My DENON DRA735 also has vaviable loudness control, not only Yamaha.
So these are "integrated amplifiers". I wouldn't call them "amplifiers". Not that there's anything wrong with reviewing (or owning) integrated amps, I just think the headline is a bit misleading.
For an actual, somewhat "cheap" power amplifier, I'm interested in the Schiit Vidar 2. That's kind of what I thought I'd see here as the upper end of "cheap".