Amps which are Great, but either Unknown or Underpriced

Wells Audio-relatively inexpensive and top notch sound. Most musical realistic sound I've heard. 

My Hafler 9180 has served me well for over 20 years. My Dan D'Agostino designed Point Three satellite/sub system and Thiel CS2's showcase it's qualities. 

Odyssey audio. Grabs the speaker and shakes the most out of it.
The only one I will buy from now on.

Opera Consonance Cyber 800
EL34 driven monoblocks.  Good looking, good sounding and reasonably priced.  Not well known.  

Reviewed here:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue34/opera_cyber800.htm

Another shout out for Deja Vu Audio, handmade tube gear that sounds great and is ultra reliable.Great value for money relatively speaking and great people to deal with.

Jungson JA-50/100/200. Liberty Audio B2B-100.

I will give second nod to Herron. I have the M1A mono amps driving Verity Parsifal speakers from a MSB Analog Dac/UMT V transport source. I have demo'd other amps and nothing even close to the price is as pleasing musically, ( though I do agree with Belles as well and the MB200 almost got the pick ). 

In the great but underpriced category, here’s another vote for the Job 225. It’s a great sounding piece that plays WELL above it’s price.

""The current Audio Mirror 6C33C SET monoblocks are a bargain at their price compared to BAT and Lamm models. I am very happy with them."

+1.
I have a pair (45 Watt SETs) and they are terrific!"

+2
I also have a pair of Audio Mirror SET 45 monoblocks with their parallel 6C33C tubes and OPTs (purchased new in 2015). These amps are excellent performers and a phenomenol value. If they were branded as McIntosh, I believe they would sell for 14k to 18k USD, if not more, but they can be had new for around 5k for a pair (with tubes), with a full parts and service warranty.

With my setup, I get the best sound with the Tung Sol 6SU7GTY black glass in the input stage and Sylvania 6SN7GT bottom flashing and triple rivet (late ’51 to early ’53 vintage) in the driver stage...outstanding combined transparency, speed, and overall musicality.

All speakers that I have heard with these Audio Mirror monoblocks and NOS tubes sound great, although the bass can get a bit wooly on some low impedence speakers (4 ohms) when playing hard rock music; however, the bass really pounds with amazing resolution through speakers with high magnetic flux (high speaker damping) and underhung voicecoils (linear resolution), like University 315C-200 speakers...killer combination.

These Audio Mirror monoblocks put my Parasound Halo A21 (a decent SS amp) to shame, plus they are just plain sexy in their mirror-like polished stainless steel finish.

The ARAGON 8008 (INDY AUDIO LABS). Not really underpriced, Very unknown, But I love the hell outta mine!!! From its physical styling to its first rate parts count to its high level of performance to its fit & finish the unit just screams GREATNESS. And all for Not??? Its a damn shame that INDY does nothing to promote this thing or any of their products for that matter. The only review to my knowledge, was from The Absolute Sound, and they seemed liked it too??? As for advertising,"NOTTA", I surely hope they don't go "THE WAY OF THE WIND" because of "LACK OF"???

Does anyone consider Blue Circle amps as an unknown?

Blue Circle has been around for a while, probably not as well recognized but certainly good gear.  Their new integrated amp with selectable tube/solid state input section looks pretty cool.

Quicksilver Audio running GE 8417's.

Nelson Pass Forte Audio.

Yes the OP asked for less expensive even vague yet people continue to drop some of the biggest names out there. 

My view is that unless you are a dealer/salesperson trading frequently makes your "budget steal" anything but.  I perfer to buy something quite good and enjoy it, and stop reading audiophile-nervosa publications.

In 1982 I bought a used Threshold Stasis 3 for $1100.
In 2000 I sold it for $800 and bought a used Pass Aleph 3 for $1200.
In 2003 I sold that for $850 and bought a used Pass X-150 for $1200 which I still use daily.
I'm toying with buying a used SIT now, if so, I'll get my money back on the X-150 - which is a superb amp BTW.  The Aleph was just too short on the current.

I was a salesperson at one point with good connections to several dealers (still), and also during these years briefly owned products from: Blue Circle, Classe, Krell, Dynaco VI, Bedini, Hafler, ARC, CJ, and many more which I usually got my money back, or made a few bucks on, never having unseated my current Pass amp. 

So, be sure of your speakers, then source the best bang for the buck amp (probably used) that will handle them, and enjoy the music for years - that's the best way to get a "deal".

Let's talk preamps - I had a used ARC SP-15 for many years which I had for years and got pretty much my money back.  I replaced it with used Pass P and XONO pair about 13 years ago. No need to fuss with that pair either.

Dayens Ampino, the little amp that could!

hi ,
does anyone know of lesser known hybrid amps? i done some research but only a handful of names such as Van Alstine, Aesthetix, Union Research, BlueCircle, JE Audio, Monarchy Audio, Moscode, Vincent, Pathos, and Butler audio.... so that's about it ?! And one last great hybrid is from tube distinction (Soulmate)but already defunct. 
btw, please keep chinese brands out of this list. 
Thanks in advance. 
-philip

I'm surprised to see all the posts mentioning the popular, well known brands which is not what the OP asked in the title of this thread. In fact, after reading the posts here referring to all the same old, same old brands, I feel like I picked up another issue of The Absolute Sound or Stereophile which always seam to cover the same manufacturers over and over.
Anyway, to reply to the title's original question...my vote goes for Clones Audio. I have Funjoe's 25ir and I believe it's phenomenal.

Sunfire amps

I think the H-Cat both amp. and
prramp. are the best kept secret in
audio. 
Going for 6k (the present 10X series
pre. & 11k for the amp ).
You can find them on the used market
for less than one forth the price and 
then have both units upgraded for 
4K. by H-Cat. and be rewarded with
a non fatiguing organic sound.

Other amps. Audio Research Classis
30 and the Lectron JH-50 .

http://hephaestusaudio.com/forge/hma-harpocrates/

I like these. Plenty of solid power for my Ohm 5000 speakers.

Anthem 225 Integrated Amplifier. 

N

Nuprime (many of the principals used to be Nuforce).  Excellent sounding, small, and the newest ones Ref 20 and the MCH-K38 are at or near the state of the art in sound.  They have several different amps that allow you to pick the one best suited to the sound you want.  Those two amps are both 400 watts per channel at 8 ohms.  Other amps have less but still significant power (over 100 watts/ channel).  The 2 amps mentioned have the best sound of both tubes and solid state.   The price of the MCH-K38 is just under $3000 new.  The used Nuforce amps are selling at very attractive prices.  The less costly Nuprime amps sell new for well under a grand and are still very good sounding amps.

I sell Jolida gear. one thing i hear again and again from customers no matter the amp- no listener fatigue. each customer has been very happy. for the price it would be hard to find anything better, and the sound is always smooth, and clear, and natural. the latest Fusion models are excellent pieces. the Fusion 3502S and Fusion 3502P are the top selling amps these days, and the 801 model sells well also. The Fusion DAC transport is amazingly clear, and smooth. It uses a Phillips transport. Factory upgrades are available for all their amps. Always make sure you are buying real Jolida gear coming from Maryland. www.jolida.com. ever interested in a good deal look me up. Bob Anderson - see FB Anderson Audio Gallery

I didn't se any one mention Ayre.

Clayton Audio for Class A solid state
SPEC for Class D, if you can get away with a little less power
Send your McCormack to SMc audio for signature upgrades

Find an old Hafler D-220, or one of the pro versions of the 220, clean it up and install John Hillig's mods from Musical Design. Sounds great, will probably outlive you, and is fun to do.

@adeep42  ,
do you understand the title of this thread? You must have millions to throw to consider Ayre underpriced!

Exposure - not well known in the US, and excellent sounding.

Usher Audio R1.5

After reading yet another article about Primaluna amps in a major audio mag, I remain surprised that Jolida rarely gets reviewed (the FX 10 made it in someplace in recent years…but not much else) in audio mags. I assume it's due to a lack of advertising, but it remains a mystery. Primaluna amps are around 30 to 50% more expensive, and although well made and a relative bargain, these should lead buyers to Jolida which are VERY well made and sound amazing. The Primaluna amp recently reviewed in Stereophile costs maybe 500 bucks more than a higher powered Jolida that can use various output tubes and has an XLR input…biasing is done by turning a small screw from time to time. Well worth the effort, and based on my 4 plus years of experience with a factory modded 502P these things sound and perform as well as amps costing multiples of what Jolida asks. 

Crown K2 fanless pro amp out of production;
Sunfire amps out of production
Alesis RA series studio power amps are in ridiculously low price range, but extremely clean and precise ranging power of upto 150WPC also compact in size and dual mono design.
Counterpoint is another great brand out of production.

Wells Audio Inamorata

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