As another in the "I am a tube guy" camp here’s a few that haven’t been mentioned. The Akitika GT-101 LM3886 Gainclone kit amplifier rated a 50wpc @ 8 ohms is a bang for the buck if you add a couple hundred dollars to upgrade most parts as you build. Another fun one is a vintage circa 1974 Marantz 1070 integrated which has pre/amp in & out. Very conservatively rated at 35wpc since most are actually in the 40-50wpc range @ 8 ohms. If you bypass the 1070’s preamp with your own preamplifier just using the Mosfet amp section your in for a treat. It has a warm & forward sound signature & when mated with a tubed front end puts a smile on your face. I ended up selling the 1070, but it left enough of an impression that I wanted to hear it’s smaller sibling the 1040 rated at 20 wpc. The 1040 unlike the 1070 doesn’t play well with speakers as low as 84dB, but at 86dB & up it can shake a large room. It doesn’t have pre/amp in or outs so you need to open the volume pot if you want to use your own preamp. Far less parts then in the 1070 and less is definitely more as it’s just a really fun mood ring... Oops make that mood amp.
Low Watt Solid State Amp
I am a tube guy. Have been for the last 20 years. I have various tube amps that I rotate depending on my mood. More recently, I have had the urge to add a solid state amp to the rotation. Looking for something clean, detailed, natural sounding that is in the neighborhood of 20 to 50 watts. I use a deHavilland Ultraverve 3 preamp with relatively high efficiency Tonian Lab speakers. Firstwatt comes to mind but is higher than I want to spend right now. Budget is about $1,000. Looking for a diamond in the rough kinda piece. For example, one of the tube amps that puts a smile on my face every time I plug it in is my Dynaco ST-35 -- not a huge investment, but just always sounds right. Any ideas are much appreciated. Thanks