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good, SMALL solid state amplifiers? on a budget...and not Class D

jamesd

pfm Member
I'm moving back into my home after some renovations and am trying to tidy up my stereo as it's in a new room where people actually live and I'd like it to be as clean as possible.

I'd like to get rid of this big Rotel amp and move onto something smaller.

Current setup is Rega RP6>Denon 103>Mytek Brooklyn>Some big Rotel>Snell JIII's

The Snells are efficient and an easy load so I don't need a lot of power. What's out there? Would be cool if Rega made a half width amp-section only box.

rM93pis.jpg
 
I know Rega makes an integrated amp. I have half a mind to sell the Brooklyn and get a Brio and matching Rega DAC, but I *really* like the 103 cart into the Brooklyn. I’d have to get a SUT or a new MM cart to use the Brio
 
Ah, sorry, I thought the Brooklyn was a DAC, didn’t realise it was a full preamp. Teddy Pardo, Heed and Mission make neat-looking half-width power amps. Second hand there are lots of cool options too; Quad 303, Naim 110 or 140, Crimson 600 etc. All still easily serviced and not too wide.
 
Intrigued how the phono stage in the Brooklyn stacks up against mid price range stages?
Not half width, but low profile...I use an Aura SE-x and recommend them if you like bouncy and juicy sound. They can be picked up for for under £200 and have a very capable mm phono and headphone stage too.
 
I thought Mission was Cyrus; the first being the company and the second the model range. Just looked at my Cyrus One from the eighties and there's no mention of Mission, but that's the factory in Huntingdon that I took it to for an overhaul in the nineties.

Fabulous little integrated, with commendable m.m. AND m.c. facility. Was using it as a headphone amp. with my 650s until recently and it was excellent in that department too. Looking at recent auctions/BINs, they seem to have appreciated considerably these last few years.
 
Ah, sorry, I thought the Brooklyn was a DAC, didn’t realise it was a full preamp. Teddy Pardo, Heed and Mission make neat-looking half-width power amps. Second hand there are lots of cool options too; Quad 303, Naim 110 or 140, Crimson 600 etc. All still easily serviced and not too wide.

Whoops, and I forgot using it as a preamp is probably not the most common configuration. I should’ve mentioned that.

Thanks for the suggestions
 
Intrigued how the phono stage in the Brooklyn stacks up against mid price range stages?
Not half width, but low profile...I use an Aura SE-x and recommend them if you like bouncy and juicy sound. They can be picked up for for under £200 and have a very capable mm phono and headphone stage too.

I don’t have extensive experience with phono stages. I’ve had budget units from Parasound, Schiit and Cambridge Audio. I’ve used the built in sections in Rega and higher end Yamaha integrateds.

The Denon 103 into the Brooklyn MC section is the best analog front end I’ve had. I’ve only run Audio Technica MM’s and high and low output Denons. I have no desire to change the RP6/103/Brooklyn combo
 

Very nice, but I’m in the U.S.

I used to run a Line Magnetic 518ia...which I will have again someday, but a toddler is limiting any listening time and I’m prioritizing child-proofing and cleanly appearance over ultimate sound.

I bring that up because aren’t Naim and Cyrus amps generally bright? My tolerance for bright components is usually pretty low. I really like the price of the Naim 110.
 
Uh, why not class D? Sounds like a rather silly restriction if you are looking for a SMALL amplifier.
 
Uh, why not class D? Sounds like a rather silly restriction if you are looking for a SMALL amplifier.

No major reason other than I have old school-ish efficient speakers. I love them with SET amps...I just assume Class D wouldn’t be what I’m looking for (and I don’t want 200 Watts).
 
Uh, why not class D? Sounds like a rather silly restriction if you are looking for a SMALL amplifier.

Do not write off Tripath/ Class D completely, l run two different half width Virtue Audio Sensations into Audionote ANK-LX and Impulse H6 and it is very involving and a world class sound to boot.:)

All in my opinion of course.
 
Do not write off Tripath/ Class D completely, l run two different half width Virtue Audio Sensations into Audionote ANK-LX and Impulse H6 and it is very involving and a world class sound to boot.:)

All in my opinion of course.

Interesting thanks. I do have a TPA3116 amp but it was also only 30 or so bucks. It’s not up to snuff
 


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