Dayton Audio HTA100 Integrated Stereo Hybrid Tube Amplifier 100 Watts

As a retired music teacher and professional musician as well as the proud original owner of a pair of AR 9 speakers sitting dormant for years, I wanted to start listening to my music collection again. I could not afford a McIntosh amp when I was young and after a full and well lived life, I find I still can't afford one. A little research steered me to the Dayton Audio HTA 200 Hybrid Tube Amp for $399. My due diligence found some troublesome reviews (not many) about stuff that didn't work right or noises (hums and hiss) which is why I spent a bit more to buy them from Amazon in case I had to send it back. Apparently, it can be had for $350ish elsewhere. After waiting a week or so on new speaker cables (there were no such thing as banana connectors when I was buying speaker wire back in the 70's) I finally hooked it up and turned it on. First, I was ecstatic to find my AR 9's still work flawlessly after 50 something years. Then I was drawn into the sound coming from this little amp. I have fallen in love with my music collection again. The warmth and glow from this hybrid tube amp is very nice as is the sound. Granted at 75 years old, I have some considerable hearing damage, but when I listen to this amp and my speakers even at moderate levels and lower, I don't even notice any hearing loss. It doesn't make sense to me, but with certain songs playing, sometimes I get all choked up at the sheer joy of music and the memories these songs bring back.I found a YouTube reviewer (Erin's Audio Corner) who did a blind comparison and found this amp to be very faithful to the music. With straight up tone controls, he found a slight boost (1.5 decibels) in the low range (20 to 500 Hertz) which most people like. If you don't, you can use the bass/treble controls to adjust it to your liking. Another fact is that this amp has no "balance" control, so set your speakers up accordingly with you in the center of the music field. This amp also has two VU meters which is nice, but at low levels the meters don't move very much which is how they were designed. At high sound levels they will dance all over their range (some people complained about this fact).I highly recommend this amp even if you don't own the best (arguably I suppose) hi-fi tower speakers ever made. If you're happy with the speakers you do have and find yourself in the position of needing a new amp or if you're starting out in the world of high fidelity audio on a budget, I would urge you to consider this offering from Dayton Audio.

Disclaimer: I am not an audiophile, and my hearing is not superb. I'm a 65 y/o who loved the glow of the tubes in my father's amp in the 1960s and the tubes in the Heathkit shortwave radio I built when I was 10.Visually, I love this amp and the warm glow of its 7 tubes. Soundwise, I am also very happy with it—sounds great to my ears both through my Sonus Faber Chameleon speakers with SVS SB2000 subwoofer and my Meze Audio 109 Pro headphones. Everything works as claimed.

I just received my HTA100 this morning. My first impression of this amp is that it's amazing. The sound is clear and well rounded and I love the way it looks sitting among my other components. The only thing I'm not totally satisfied with is the Bluetooth. When running through BT the sound is a bit lifeless, but that's kind of a thing with all Bluetooth receivers, which is why I seldom ever listen to music that way. However... For streaming through YouTube and Tidal, the sound is excellent. My understanding though is that most tube amps must go through a "burn in" period for the first 100 or so hours before they reach their full potential. As I said, I only got this up and running a few hours ago and right out of the box it already sounds fantastic. I can't imagine what it's gonna sound like after it's broken in... I can't wait!!! 😊

There's a lot to really like about this amp.First, let me provide specifications for my setup. I am using this amp for phono from my Audio Technica AT-LP120 and streaming from Spotify from my phone. Output going to Klipsch R-15M and a Polk PSW-10 that are all well broken in. Room size is 16 x 20 feet with combination of area rugs, hardwood floor, fabric covered chairs and a desk. (my WFH room)Setting up the HTA200 is pretty straight forward. Connections are just as you would expect. I would say because of the more compact size of the receiver, there is a little less room for the speaker out posts. I am using 12gauge wire so space was a little tight but it is a one and done situation so not really a problem. Bluetooth connection is as simple as could be.First, second and third impressions - My go to song for testing anything is Time by Pink Floyd. Firing up the amp and playing the track - the sound is awesome! My speakers are rated 85w @ 8ohms and the HTA200 is rated 100w @ 4ohms (if I understand correctly this is same as 50w @ 8 ohms but I'm sure the internet sound gods will correct me if I'm wrong) and the sound quality and clarity of the music is really really good. The highs are very clear and the mids are very present. (I'm leaving the bass and treble pegged at noon.) I'm not that good of an ear to say if the tone is "warmer" than other amps due to the tubes but I really like the setup. Cranking up the volume really pushes my speakers to their limits. Other vinyl tracks from The Police, Miles Davis and Sylvan Esso are all great and don't disappoint. Streaming to the HTA200 is very straight forward as the amp is found in the Spotify devices. Sounds great and I'm really looking forward to this.There are a few quirks that I've noticed and want to share. The remote - as others have mentioned - has a real hard time. Pressing volume up or down once should make small incremental adjustments but that does not always happen. Same with the mute button. Not that it is a deal breaker but it seems like Dayton Audio has somehow cheaped out on this. Another quirk - there is no remote power on the remote. The power button is a real button on the amp and there is no "standby" so it is either on or off. I don't want to keep it on since (my assumption) the tubes really should not be on and hot 24/7. That said, it would seem the amp could have a standby where it could be woken up by the remote or a device streaming to it. It would be really cool if there was a LPF when using the sub out but I knew this was not an option before buying. (just feedback for Dayton Audio if they're reading reviews.)Final Thoughts - I really do like this amp. It functions just as it is advertised and is really cool with the retro/modern hybrid tube setup. Sound quality is great. Knocking off a star for the letdown remote and lack of standby power.

WOW!!!I restored a pair of vintage Klispch Heresy I and they sounded ok using a very good late model solid state ampT. However, I read that those speakers were designed for tube amps. So, what the heck, bought this Dayton 100 and honestly did not expect much. Was I mistaken. The sound is now amazing. So clear, distinct and smooth I am truly shocked. Thanks Dayton, you folks really know how to build an amp.