Slack, if an amplifier has a "tonal characteristic" when its controls are set flat, there's something wrong with it. It's either a damaged sample, incompetently designed, or intentionally designed not to be sonically accurate and impress those who might equate different with better. An amplifier isn't a musical instrument and its only function should be to amplify transparently, with audibly flat frequency response and inaudibly low noise and distortion within its designed power limits. Nothing more is possible. One of the great features of today's audio scene is that even modestly priced receivers can accomplish this.
Certainly a contrary view exists, but when put to the(controlled blind listening)test it collapses because of the lack of solid evidence to support it. Both of the units that you mention meet the standard for transparent amplification.
