Have you seen the little Sonic Impact T-Amp yet? It’s only 30 bucks and it’s really pretty good. Dang good for a computer system or other job that doesn’t need a huge amount of power. I can run my normal rig at reasonable levels with 6 watts.
So I read a bunch of that review. And I’m sort of scratching my head now. Could I really drive my Infinity RS3s (nominally 15-125 watts, 8 ohm) with this little amp (nominally 15 watts but really 5 watts according to the review)? And... would it sound better than my "100 watt" Sony receiver? Though I’m sure that if the answer to the first question is yes, then the answer to the second is "of course."
I can drive my DIY speakers, which I estimate to be of average efficiency, quite well with 6 watts. You’re welcome to borrow the little guy if you want to play.
From owning / auditioning amplifiers, I’d say it’s on par with a lot of SS amps costing up to 1k or so. Within it’s power range of course... I don’t know how it compares with single ended triodes or other similar low wattage tube amps. I never went there...
Anyways, you’re welcome to it for a little fun. At the very least, it’s fun to see what $30 from Target gets you.