Nut, a comment on your reply discussing the Stereo Review double-blind amplifier listening tests. There was an open listening session before the blind tests and it's amusing to read some of the rather extravagant language describing the differences they claimed to hear when they knew the identity of the units they were listening to, so this increased the interest of the tests. Of course, the identities were concealed during the blind tests and the sound differences disappeared when the name plates and price tags did.
These tests still stand unchallenged(unchallenged by solid evidence to the contrary, that is, not simply by stubborn disagreement).
I think that when reviewers start to talk about receivers or amplifiers being warm, etc. it is mostly B.S. But, I've read many reviews on how a separate high powered amp can be bring out more detail or help the speakers produce more bass than budget a AVR. The higher powered amp helping produce more bass makes sense since there is more wattage on hand and maybe the budget AVR can't keep up with the room/speaker combination even at moderate sound levels. Maybe the claim about more detail also makes sense in the same way. But, past that the rest of it seems to me like B.S.
