Marakanetz- you are missing my point. The Yamaha doesn't sound as good at 20 watts. Or 5 watts. Or 1 watt. I'm trying to point out you can't hear specs, but IF YOU ENGINEER A PRODUCT TO SPEC OUT WELL (because that is what the buying public is looking for) YOU MAY SACRIFICE MUSICALITY.
For example, there may be trade-offs in ANY design. If there are 100 things that make up a musical amplifier, a good designer, like a good physician, first "tries to do no harm." When you sacrifice 40 elements of good design to get low THD (as you said, on a resistor at one freq.) and a low pricepoint, you are going to wind up with poor equipment. Even at the same price, the product that is engineered to sell well will not sound as good as the one that is engineered to sound great. One engineer spend his money on bells, whistles remote gadgets- the other spends it on good power transformers, mil. spec. transistors/ resistors/ capacitors/...point to point wiring....The first guy covers up his deficiences with lots of zero negative feedback and buys good articles in Stereo Review. Marketing over substance. Specmania is a good way to fall into that trap.
For example, there may be trade-offs in ANY design. If there are 100 things that make up a musical amplifier, a good designer, like a good physician, first "tries to do no harm." When you sacrifice 40 elements of good design to get low THD (as you said, on a resistor at one freq.) and a low pricepoint, you are going to wind up with poor equipment. Even at the same price, the product that is engineered to sell well will not sound as good as the one that is engineered to sound great. One engineer spend his money on bells, whistles remote gadgets- the other spends it on good power transformers, mil. spec. transistors/ resistors/ capacitors/...point to point wiring....The first guy covers up his deficiences with lots of zero negative feedback and buys good articles in Stereo Review. Marketing over substance. Specmania is a good way to fall into that trap.