used power amp under 1500

@parkergetdean 

Not to belabor the point, but here's the JVS review's bottom line in Sterophile:

Was I impressed?
I was. Replacing class-AB amps that cost many times more, surrounded by comparably high-end equipment, the ELAC Alchemy DPA-2 Switchable Stereo/Mono Power Amplifier delivered far more musical truth and pleasure than you might expect. Chief designer Peter Madnick has exceeded his goal "to provide the kind of real-life transparency and clarity that you would not expect at this price point, as well as an overall balance that would lead you to say, 'Wow, that thing's really good for the money.'" He may also have created a benchmark product for this price range—not that I've heard all the monoblocks that are available for under $3000/ pair. (There aren't that many.) But if there are many other equally fine amps at this price, budget-conscious audiophiles are living in a golden age. Enthusiastically recommended

https://www.stereophile.com/content/elac-alchemy-series-dpa-2-power-amplifier

since OP has been waffling

you can call it that. But I bought 2 class D amps, tried them, sent them back, made offers on several amps, and currently testing one. 

@parkergetdean cool! Glad to hear you’re making progress! 

Not all Class D are the same. Heard a really nice pair of Atmasphere mono amps at a NY Audio Show powering Audience speakers. Fantastic sound!

@audphile1 

I can’t say I’ve heard any of those ARC class D amps, so why not ask AI? To my thoughtful query, "were audio research class D amps garbage?" it responded thusly:

Early Audio Research Corporation (ARC) Class D amplifiers, particularly the 300.2 and early DS series, were not universally considered "garbage," but they faced significant criticism for lacking the warmth, depth, and musicality typical of ARC’s tube legacy. While some reviewers found models like the DS450 to have "natural clarity," many audiophiles found early high-end Class D to be dry, harsh, or fatiguing compared to Class AB. 

Initial Perception: Early, lower-end Class D, in general, suffered from high distortion and harsh sound, leading to a negative reputation.

They’re probably inexpensive for a reason.

@parkergetdean which amp are you testing?