I have a few systems the main primary system consists of mark Levinson reference gear. But I have four tube systems the best of e is an old melody that was made in Australia before they started to manufacture them in China. That system in many ways is as good as the big system. And it has built in China speakers that were engineered in Germany with Norwegian drivers. The next system is a newer melody that was made in China not as nice as the Australian built one I was really disappointed in it until I changed a bunch of tubes that being said it was way down the food chain it was one of there cheaper amps vs one of there best. And I have two other no me cheap eight watt amps one fires a bathroom system the other in a sauna. Bother were really cheap both seem really durable and both are fun to listen to but they don't hold a candle to anything else I have but they still make music! And way better than the standard mid fi brands . You can go many different ways but personally if you want to get your feet wet nothing wrong with one of the real cheap ones. Run it for six months and discount it a bit and sell it and go on to the next one. Or go up the food chain a bit and at least with the ones I have way more tube rolling available. I personally am thinking about getting one of the line magnetic ones that is based on the old GE commercial amps from before the war. They are magnificent. But you pay for those ones. My bidlg solid state system I have a tube from end in it a arc reference phono stage a sonic frontier dac and transport and a Macintosh mr73 tuner. I do like a bit of tube beauty in my music reproduction. If you decide to try a really cheap Chinese amp my cheap ones were 359 Canadian dollars or about 250usd ask your self what have you lost if you don't like it? Basically nothing. Buy a ten thousand dollar plus amp made in the western world and don't you think it will cost you way more to sell it than the total cost of the Chinese amp?
Regards