The board is laid out almost identically to the Lepai LP-2020A+, however if you look closely at the traces and component positioning/labels, you can see that it was re-laid-out and is not an exact copy.

As expected, power handling is practically identical to the Lepai LP-2020A+ as well. The surprising part for me is that this amp actually sounds better – yes, better than its namesake. Specifically, it’s noticeably more clear / articulate. Listening to Daft Punk’s Solar Sailer, this amp brings through more texture in the eighth-note beat from the beginning and more depth and presence when the ambient tones come in around the 1-minute mark.

It’s worth noting that the Kinter’s over-voltage protection is a bit more zealous than the others. Trying to run this amp with one of the 13.5V supplies that come with the Lepy amps, the Kinter’s LED lights up, but the amp itself stays off – no sound at all. The Kinter’s included power supply puts out a measured 12.29V.

Overall, I would say if you’re looking for the best sounding cheap amp, this is the one to get. For 1/3 of the cost, though, you can get the Lvpin LP-2020A+ which sounds identical to the original/unobtainable Lepai LP-2020A+ to my untrained ears.

See how it stack up with its peers.