A couple notes:

The VU meter does not function when using the front headphone jack. Not sure if this is by design and/or why, but the unit still passes audio through the back AUX output when headphones are plugged in, so who knows why this is.
UPDATE- One day later the meter is no longer working at all.

The VU meter light is pretty bright so I'm buying dimming film to place over it.

The reviewer who said that the power isn't 320 watts quite possibly fried their own block. 320 watts is the OUTPUT combining 160 watts from each channel. They could have had a faulty PSU but that could be easily tested.

I've got a couple Philco AM radios, and I often listen to old radio shows on my 1952 via a BT adapter I wired into the audio amp stage. I just love the sound"¦ So I've been looking at some of the small tube devices offered on Amazon, and after reading many reviews, decided to try out this AIYIMA T5 along w/ a pair of Micca COVO-S Compact 2-Way Passive Bookshelf Speakers. My main intention is to listen to old radio programs and a lot of older materials recorded in mono, so this combination seemed like an affordable start. I also ordered a set of GE 5654 tubes to play with later for comparison.

I put everything together in my office yesterday. It fired right up, easily connected to BT, and within moments I had some wonderful baritone Bing Crosby floating down the hallway. I thought the glow of heating elements in the tubes came on awfully quick, and an orange LED mounted inside the tube sockets answered that question. Not totally unexpected. I fully realize this is mostly a solid state device with a tube amp stage in the middle ( I'd love to see a schematic ), but the warm sound is quite amazing! The construction seems quite nice, and it is certainly an attractive little device. I love that it has an RIAA Phono input as I'm about to delve back into some vinyl. The VU meter is a nice touch. I may get a small powered sub-woofer and feed it from the AUX output.

I'm really hoping the T5 runs reliably for me. I'm about to put A LOT of hours on it. I'll report back at some point.

Update #1 - Re-acquired my 44yr old Kenwood TT from my brother and replaced the headshell/cartridge with an Audio-Technica AT-XP3/H, then hooked into the T5's phono input (love that feature), and started spinning my original 1978 Star Wars soundtrack vinyl. It sounded AMAZING!. Have played about 10 early 70's Jazz albums so far and am very pleased. Regarding the BT, I stream from my Napster acct, and switched the Wi-Fi delivery to "lossless". Noticeable difference on much of the older Sinatra and Crosby materials that were originally recorded w/out all of the compression of most modern music. I've run the T5 for at least 100hrs at low to medium volume (I'm in an office setting) and you can't believe how many people have stopped by asking about tubes and vinyl, and then comment on how wonderful it sounds! Going to give it another 100hrs then try out the GE tubes I ordered.

Update #2 - 1/9/24 - I was listening to a pristine 1962 Count Basie / Duke Ellington album and decided it was time to switch out the stock 6K4 tubes w/ the GE 5654s I ordered. The boxes were dated 10/1987! I easily popped them in ( half the height of the 6K4s ). While they'll certainly need to burn in for 50-100hrs, they initially have a noticeably warmer/softer quality. Under higher volumes with more complex newer music, the 6K4s seemed to produce some slight distortions in certain passages. I re-listened w/ the GE tubes and I don't hear the same thing. Seems to be a bit more bass presence as well. Pleased so far. I REALLY love this T5 amp for my office. The BT is performing above my expectations, and the Phono input is excellent. The Micca spkrs have been quite a surprise as well. Sinatra, Streisand, Jazz, and Symphonic materials sound great! Still debating on a small 6" to 8" sub"¦ Likely going to invest in a higher quality cartridge now that I know the turntable is in good shape.

This bad boy sounds incredible with the GE tubes through a pair of JBL studio monitors. It sounded pretty good with stock china tubes but th GE's are a stellar upgrade. I am impressed how good it sounds over bluetooth. Phono is so so.

Given the relatively affordable price, I trimmed my expectations a bit until I had a chance to actually fire it up for the first time. The instant the tubes lit up with that classic glow and my jazz started pouring from high-end (for the 1970s) JVCs, I was immediately assured the sound quality would be what I wanted. The tones are warm and what one would expect from a tube amp, the full range of pitch remains crystal clear, and it's easy to drive the speakers as loud as I am comfortable. The aesthetics of the unit are sharp, clean, and rectangular, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I like it, and the tube and backlight colors are warm. The knobs have a smooth, high-quality feel, and I appreciate the phono inputs for this turntable-ready unit. Customer service Aiyma was excellent when I needed to process a return on another model. Plug connections are solid, and my bluetooth connection wasn easy to set up and has a reliable signal. I highly recommend this unit as both easy and great-sounding for both those entering the tube-amp / vinyl arena, as well as more seasoned autophiles looking for an additional amplifier option.

The media could not be loaded. Compared to the older AVR receiver I was using as my turntable pre-amp/amp this sounds absolutely amazing "” especially with a tube upgrade. Legit can't believe this little amp pushes so much quality sound. THAT SAID, the VU meter quit working after a week, so I'm a little concerned over the long-term build quality. I guess only time will tell if this little amp lives up to the hype in the long run.