I was going to wait to see if JohnK would have responded by now, but I guess I'll respond to these two posts in the meantime.
My perception of the widening of the sweet spot (or more specifically, the increase in the resolution of the sound I heard) could very well be all in my head. But I really doubt it. I'd like to invite anyone else over to my place who disagrees with me to do a comparison between the two amps to see/hear for themselves. This would be very interesting to me. I purchased the Acurus amp online before I ever tested it out, and I only got it because I found a deal. I actually hooked it up thinking that it probably won't be too much of a difference, but I was thrilled at the difference in sound quality. I didn't just dream this up.
In regards to comparing a McIntosh setup to an entry level Sony receiver, I really would suggest that you go out to a high-end shop and take a listen to the difference for yourselves. I am not a proponent of high end esoteric audio equipment because of a lot of reasons, so I don't want to be taken here as an audio snob. But, with that said, I'll stick with the McIntosh and Sony examples since I mentioned them earlier. A low-end Sony receiver has a lot of bells and whistles on it all in an effort to make the sound reproduction "better." Things like "enhanced bass output," all sorts of DSP settings, even on down to seperate bass and trebel controls or maybe a cheap EQ. I'm sure I won't be the the only person here to agree that all these "ad ons" do not much more than color or distort the sound. When you compare, side by side, a unit like a Sony as I've just described to a McIntosh setup, which usually doesn't even have bass and trebel controls because they want the sound to be as acurate as possible without adding or taking away anything from the original recording, I really think you'll be in for a shock. All the studies and lectures in the world really don't take the place of sitting down and experiencing something for yourself in a willing hi-fi shop, which I suggest you guys may want to do in this situation.
We're all friends here, so please don't hesitate to take me up on my offer to come do a comparison at my apartment in Los Angeles. It would be a nice education for all of us I think.
-Kev
