In reply to:
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?
Driven within their respective limits? Yes, no noticeable difference.
Look. Nobody is saying that the two are equivalent in all aspects. I would personally much prefer the McIntosh to the Sony. But I also know that at moderate listening levels, the differences between the two are negligible. One of the things you get when you buy McIntosh is peace of mind -- in the build quality, in the available power, and in the mesmerizing
BLUE LIGHTS!
The widening of the sweet spot when you switched from the AMC to the Acurus is -- I hate to say it -- may he completely cerebral. In order to find out whether or not the differences are in your head or real, you'd need to have someone else switch the amps back and forth (and ensure the volume levels were matched) without you knowing which was currently playing. There are many variables at play in audio that need to be reduced or eliminated in order to make varifiable statements about the quality of sound reproduction.
