Unfortunately, I can't comment on other dedicated amps. My own experience has only been with receivers and then this Axiom amp. However, there was a noticeable difference going from my 90w/channel Onkyo receiver to the A1400-8. I would always get a lot of harshness in the sound at moderate to loud listening levels with certain material. I'm sure my receiver's amp was going into clipping. With the A1400-8, I don't hear that harshness. The difference, while remarkable on certain material, also comes at a huge price gap. In my case, I knew I was planning on having a much bigger home theater room in the future, so I bit the bullet and preordered it when there was a discount. I've been very happy with its performance, but again, I don't have a very meaningful point of reference, given my limited experience.
