Help me choose an amp?

[mattmcl]

I'm looking to build a set of monoblocks for my Short Thor speakers, which are about 86db at 4 ohms. I'll be using one source, my PC through a DAC, and probably a passive preamp. I'm a complete noob to soldering and electronics, aside from doing point to point xovers. I'm planning on doing a Gamma 1 DAC for my first project, before these amps to build up some skill.

I've considered chip amps, and the Mk3 tube amp, but both seem a little underpowered for these speakers. I've looked at the Aksa100 (building it as a mono) and it seems to fit the bill, but the documentation isn't as good as the Mk3 or the chip amps.

Budget can go up to $1500USD for both amps.

Are there any others I should be looking at?