as for audiobahns reputation, i personally think they are shiny, that is it. nothing great, just shiny metal. the "good" ones are really expensive because they put most of their effort into aesthetics, i would go with a cheaper alternative to audiobahn.
im not a huge fan of their amps either, i havent seen one to put out their full power before. they will put out relatively close, but not what they are rated to do(at 14.4v).
these are just my opinions on audiobahn though, several people swear by them, but i will never own anything by them.
there are lots of good options for amps, JBL makes good class D amps that will do what they are rated at, they also go for good prices. check around on ebay for other good deals. there are other good suggestions out there, ill look around and see what i can drag up.