John, am I correct in assuming that based on what you just stated above, there is no difference is sound quality between $10,000 in McIntosh equipment and a $100 Sony receiver? I would really have to think that the entire audio industry isn't gullible enough to purchase equipment that can cost well up into the hundred of thousands of dollars if they could simply get the same performance and sound quality from cheap entry-level electronics. If that were the case, Bose would putting companies like Mark Levinson and Wilson out of business left and right.
Just speaking from my own experience, I recently upgraded my power amp from an entry level AMC to an Acurus and I found the change to be drasticly better then what I heard before. There is more detail and higher resolution then what I previously heard. There's also a bigger soundstage and sweetspot to the music, which I can now confirm because of the fact that I don't have to be dead center on my couch to enjoy the highest quality of sound reproduction. Before, I was never really blown away by what I heard when I was running the AMC amp. I can't imagine that this is all being made up in my head. That's why I'm respectfuly asking for your own personal opinion on the matter, because you seem to know what you're talking about.
