Another alternative to a barebones bluetooth amp, would be a streaming amp. Yes, they still offer Bluetooth but the convenience of a streaming amp is the music signal is received from either a wired ethernet connection or a wifi connection to your internet router. The amp is always connected independent of any device. Multiple devices can control the amp through a streaming app but those devices only serve as remote controls not as the signal provider. Similar to using an Amazon Alexa or Google streaming device. I've used lots of budget desktop amps with Bluetooth, but after using a streaming amp it would be really hard for me to go back to Bluetooth only. Streaming amps are also very good for integrating whole house or multi room setups as they can all integrate to play the same content.
One example is the acrylic A50+, priced at $199. Another is the Acrylic A30+ at $139. Sometime they will go on sale, maybe $20 less. There are other brands that utilize the same streaming app as well. I'm not making any claim about best sound quality, etc. But the convenience and enjoyment factor is huge. I can turn on the amp from my phone, pick a streaming source, pick which rooms to plays in. Even different sources and someone else can change volume from their phone or tablet. I can leave the house and because no handheld device is the source such as with Bluetooth, there's no interruptions and signal doesn't go bad when you move across the house. Hopefully that all makes sense. There are even streaming amp boards and preamp boards if you wanted to either DIY your own enclosure or build into more of an integrated by adding headphone amp, or other pre or post connections.
I suppose everyone has different funding limits but to to me when I hear someone thinking about gifting a small setup to multiple persons, I don't think that suggesting $900 or even $400 options is usually the direction they are intending. If the idea of a streaming amp doesn't appeal, I'd go for a sub $200 2channel tube amp, maybe from Dayton, Monoprice, infi, with many other options available.
https://www.arylic.com/products/arylic-a50-wifi-bluetooth-multiroom-full-digital-hifi-amplifier-with-airplay-dlna-multiroom-control?_pos=2&_sid=37561414b&_ss=r&variant=38290463522997