I have not heard either amp, but there are some used atma-sphere amps here for sale probably in your price range. I would look into one of them (the MA1's here are spelled incorrectly)
The atma's dont have a typical tube sound at all- not warm -bloomy, euphonic - just accurate are extremely real sounding. I'm currently running some older MA1's that were unused for quite some time due to blown tubes. I got them up and running to hear them with my new speakers, and possibly to sell since I have such amazing solid state gear now (the best SS I have ever heard -a highly modded GCC-100)
Well the Atma;s were even more incredible than the SS. so now I'm keeping both - the ATma's for mid/high and the SS to drive the subs (with remote volume of bass - I'm now addicted to being to vary the amt. of bass after so many years with no tone controls.
The atma's dont have a typical tube sound at all- not warm -bloomy, euphonic - just accurate are extremely real sounding. I'm currently running some older MA1's that were unused for quite some time due to blown tubes. I got them up and running to hear them with my new speakers, and possibly to sell since I have such amazing solid state gear now (the best SS I have ever heard -a highly modded GCC-100)
Well the Atma;s were even more incredible than the SS. so now I'm keeping both - the ATma's for mid/high and the SS to drive the subs (with remote volume of bass - I'm now addicted to being to vary the amt. of bass after so many years with no tone controls.