Yeah I agree. $250-300 is cheap though? I guess times have changed. To me an amp is an amp. I am not an elitist, and to be honest I don't believe amps inherently sound different barring similar snr, damping, freq response etc.
PPI 900.5, TN5.950D, PA 5000.5, MRX-V70 are all amps in my price...