The Stereomour goes to 3.5 watts per channel. My 96db sensitivity speakers live around 1/3 (moderate level listening) to 1/2 (probably a bit loud) on a 6 watt per channel (into 8 ohm) T-Amp, so that's AWFULLY close to that 3.5W threshold. (Assuming dial position corresponds to % wattage).
This is a pretty common misconception. The volume control position has almost nothing to do with power; I say almost because if it's all the way down, then you know your power level.
Consider the following scenario:
You put the level control on your T-amp 1/4 of the way up. You play a song from your phone, and your phone has 0.3V of signal output. You then hook your phone up to a DAC and play the same song, but the DAC has a 3V output. Without moving the level control, you're now 20dB louder than you were before at the output of the amp. This is 100 times more power, just based on the output voltage of your source, but the question remains whether your amp can make that excess power without clipping. If we assume that with the level control 1/4 of the way up on the T-amp that this is the perfect spot where the T-amp has 0 voltage gain (which is plausible), then you will go from 1/8W with your phone hooked up to 12.5W with your DAC hooked up. With the DAC, the amp will be clipping, and you'll have to turn the level control down.
Is the Kaiju a better option? If the only difference is that cost in the standalone amp, then I was considering it as a good alternative. But I noticed it didn't say integrated amp, does that mean I would NEED to have the preamp as well?
The Kaiju is by far a better amp! The transformer quality is quite a step up from the Stereomour, and even if you don't need the extra power available, distortion will be lower at a given listening level when compared to the Stereomour.
You will indeed need a preamp to go with the Kaiju, and I wouldn't scoff at pairing the $99 Quickie with the Kaiju (in fact, I may give that a try tonight, as I haven't listened to that combo myself just yet).
-PB
