Hi Eric,
What Donlboy says is essentially true. If you bench-test pro gear vs. audiophile stereo amps, you will generally find higher levels of distortion, noisier circuitry, and noisy fans.
Now, whether or not the higher levels of distortion would be audible with music, that's highly debatable. I would think distortion would remain inaudible unless THD rises above 1% or more, but I've never done double-blind comparisons of "pro" amps vs. home stereo gear.
Ruggedness, durability and bullet-proof performance are everything in a pro amp.
Regards,
Alan
