The Best Amp for the Price of Dirt

Zaike....Yes I have heard about the "many parts upgrades and modifications to the IC" but no one has actually described them. Extruded aluminum enclosure, decent connectors, a new pot, and a separate power switch strike me as mostly cosmetics. I doubt that the tripath chip is modified. "hyperbolic"...isn't that how audio stuff is priced?

The "owners manual" (and I use the term loosely) talks about 12 volt and 14 volt wall warts. I presume the 14 volt one is better.

The SI website specifically mentions modifications to the IC chip, and shows circuit board photos that seem to indicate increased capacitance among other changes.

Zaike...I checked the website and since I last looked at it they have added the comparative pictures of the circuit boards. They are certainly giving you a lot more capacitors. Interestingly the specs are about the same, eg: THD+D 0.04% at 9 watts into 4 ohms.

My take is that for $30 it's worth trying just out of curiosity, but at $160 or thereabouts there are many alternatives.

Check out the tnt web site that containes a rave review on the sonic impact ($39 ) and the T- Preamp ( $ 80'ish) for 15w @ 8 ohms w/ high eff speakers of your choice. Appears to be one way to go . Lots of DIY tweeks to ramp-up the amp .

The current issue of TAS has a combo review of a NAD int.amp and CD player for $700. More bread no tweeks. Perhaps another alternative.

Eldee: Are any of these many alternatives at $160 for something with an equally small footprint/portable? And are any of them new, or would they all be 'vintage'?