So because you didn't get an amp with sufficient power, you're going to blame the amp for a "muddy and congested" soundstage?
You did see this, right?
You're only going to get a clean 50W out of this amp @4R;
What speakers are you using?
JSmith
I'm using Cambridge Audio now, and the soundstage is close to what I wanted. I don't know what you mean by "not enough power." The A300 uses a standard C13/C14 power cord, not a power adapter.
However, when I increase the treble, the high frequencies overwhelm the low frequencies. And when I increase the bass, the low frequencies overwhelm the midrange. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get a balanced sound. If I switch to flat, the sound seems underpowered.
I've owned Dali, BW, PS Audio, Monitor Audio, KEF and other speakers. Only Monitor Audio and KEF were slightly better . No matter how I pair the Cambridge Audio speakers with any of those speakers, the sound presentation is at least not bad. It's just a different kind of soundstage.
I can't hear the "SMSL" signature soundstage. I guess it's because the op-amp is from the open market. I've tried multiple micro digital amps, and it's really difficult to hear the difference in the signature soundstage. The only difference is in the tone coloring. Some brands can increase more decibels.