Awesome Small-Form Factor Amps

[CKDC]

Check out this one from Exposure:

http://www.exposurehifi.com/products/item/xm5-integrated-amplifier.html

 

[CKDC]

If you did not know, the Rega Brio has been updated:

http://www.rega.co.uk/brio-2017.html

 

[Poultrygeist]

A new kickstarter project - the all in one tube/TPA3116 hybrid amp

video-730235-h264_high.mp4

 

[nj pheonix]

I never wandered down this path
Interesting reading and some nice looking pieces.
I once believed if i didn't drop a testicle picking it up, it wouldn't please me.
I have learned different since (though the back breakers I've kept have really pleased me.
For now i think I'll enjoy from afar, not because i don't think thread stuff is worthy. Just because I'm really pleased with stuff on hand and have too much stuff now

 

[orsen]

tiny old sony
ta 70 from 1970

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The photos here look different than on the Elac Website:
https://elac.com/product-category/integrated-amplifiers/

It also mentions 85 wpc rather than 100 in some places(probably differences that happened in development.) Class A/B too! Odd that it outs out the same power at 8 and 4 ohms..

All they show on their web site is the EA101EQ-G. Which outputs 80 wpc into 4 ohms but just 40 wpc into 8 ohms. It has been a long time now since their CES 2016 mention of a DA101EQ.
http://elac.com/product/debut-series-da101eq-g-integrated-amplifier/?r=us

 

[Poultrygeist]

Can't remember if I shared Fleawatt's small amps ( TPA3116/18 ) blog but here it is:

http://fleawatt.blogspot.com

 

[lanwanman195]

I use an Emotiva Mini-X A100 in my living room streaming setup. It's not a bad sounding little amp but it's voiced very bright so speaker selection is vital. It was shrilly horrible with my Focal stand mounts but pairs very nicely with a set of B&W 610i's.

 

[Poultrygeist]

The SMSL Q5 DAC/amp may soon reach $99 on massdrop.

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/smsl-q...ontent=1495092420115.482636621751870962463641

 

[whoaru99]

I suppose these don't truly qualify because someone other than a production technician turned the screwdriver, but...

 

[Raynald]

The SMSL Q5 DAC/amp may soon reach $99 on massdrop.

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/smsl-q5-pro-dac-amp?1=1&utm_placement=1&referer=ZU39SC&mode=guest_open&utm_campaign=Automated Daily Promotional 2017-05-18&utm_source=SparkPost&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Daily Promotional&utm_content=1495092420115.482636621751870962463641

Yeah, would love to grab one but from what I hear you get hit with all kinds of extra charges to Canada that pretty much wipe out the savings.

 

[Poultrygeist]

Yeah, would love to grab one but from what I hear you get hit with all kinds of extra charges to Canada that pretty much wipe out the savings.

They're shipped via massdrop.

 

[Raynald]

They're shipped via massdrop.

Looking on the Massdrop forums, many Canadians report being hit with fairly hefty brokerage and customs fees. Factor in the exchange rate and it ends up pretty close to what ordering on eBay would be, free shipping and it usually comes in with no additional fees.

 

[Rosie]

I love small amps and speakers. Not T amps or DIY stuff. Nice production amps with a small form factor using class A or A/B topology. Amps that can be said to follow after the classsic Naim Nait 1 and 2. The Bel Canto is an exception because it is such a fine amp and has inputs for multiple sources.

I've had the Heed since it came out...it's been in the box while I sell my HT and other stuff. I used the last funds I had from work last fall before my surgery. I had a feeling that things were going to change in the financial situation after surgery. Hoping to one day get in to one of those Raven tube amps. I still have my Brio-R and can't see being without it. It runs a delightful pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1's in my home office.

As for the beginner stuff, not sure how to reply...

Heed is one of those companies that, like Naim, wants you to have an upgrade path for everything. The Elixir, like the Nait 5i, has no real upgrade path...hence "beginner".

How is the phono stage? What I have read is if you have a strong preference for records it may not be for you. What are your thoughts?

 

[Art K.]

I listened to it a couple times while I still had a turntable. The phono stage is very good as are all Heed phono pre amps. Hard to find better buys that the Heed Questar and Quasar and the phono stage in the Elixir is very akin to the Questar stand alone phono pre.

 

[Poultrygeist]

Enlarged rear view of the all-in-one Teac CR-H101 with built in DAC, tuner and CD player. Was $499 and now $299 on massdrop.

 

[Raynald]

Enlarged rear view of the all-in-one Teac CR-H101 with built in DAC, tuner and CD player. Was $499 and now $299 on massdrop.

I have had my eye on that one. Let a used one get away locally and regret it. I would also like to hear from anyone who has tried it.

 

[RGA]

I'll have to add my new amplifier to this. The KingKo KA-101

 

[Raynald]

What a mashup, 50/60's tubes with 70/80's big VU meters!

 

[Poultrygeist]

Here's the petite redux of the Magnavox single ended EL84 by Dennis Had. Mr Had is the retired founder and chief engineer of Cary Audio. He became so "inspired" by the make overs of the Maggie amps his hobby flourished into a line of hand crafted tube amps called "Inspire".