Around here, the prevailing attitude is that amps don't affect sound quality. I disagree, but choose not to fight about it. It's the Kobayashi Maru of online AV discussion.
Now that's funny Peter!
Yeah I know the whole amps don't sound different debate and I have some mixed feelings there but no facts to back anything up. I know that debate can't be completely separated from this discussion, but my point in the original post was more a question of how do reviewers attribute what amps sound like in a review when the speakers and other factors have a much greater affect on sound quality?
And back to my other rhetorical question, would a modern Pioneer vs. a modern Denon vs. a modern Onkyo all of similar quality/power ratings really sound any different from each other played within their limits?