"Mark" wrote in message
...
I'm not one to closely follow the latest "audiophile" discussions. I
bought my last equipment over 10 years ago: Rotel RC-990BX/RB-990BX
preamp/amp combo driving a pair of Vandersteen 2's; fed by a Marantz
CD-63SE CD player. Nothing fancy -- not hi-end audiophile by any means
-- but still reasonably good sound. It's served me well, and so the
last decade I've not really kept up with audiophile developments.

This year Santa brought me a SqueezeBox 3 (from Slim Devices), and it
is exactly what I've been looking for: a convenient means to feed my
stereo system with computer audio files (e.g., losslessly compressed
WAV files ripped from my audio CDs using EAC.) Currently I'm using the
SB3 *analog* output (using its built-in Burr Brown DAC) to input into
the analog Rotel duo.

Obviously, though, what would be better (from my perspective) is to go
completely digital: feed the *digital* output of the SB3 into a
digital amplifier, like those made by Tact Audio and quite a few other
companies, where conversion to analog occurs only at the very end of
the chain: the speakers.

So being a frugal person who also likes good audio (thus my choice of
Rotel/Marantz/Vandersteen back in 1995 -- the Rotel components were
slightly used), combined with the desire to go "nearly all digital,"
what are my options? I'd consider an amplifier with a suggested retail
price under $1500-$2000. (Only interested in 2-channel audio, not the
many-channel "surround sound/theater" stuff of late.)

Thanks!

Mark.

(p.s., also interested in DIY kits/schematics for higher-end all
digital amplifiers.)

Try searching for gainclones.

IMO anything including recievers that is THX certified will be perfectly
fine.
One of my friends bought a Pioneer receiver that is digitally powered and
THX certified and the sound is as good as any other high quality, low
distortion, flat frequency response amp.