Audiozen, I have owned many of the pieces you recommend and tell you that I sold them for one reason, namely I found better.
I think that many here are using the wrong words about science. Theories are plausible explanations of what we have discovered to be relationships. Engineers like to talk about the "laws of physics," but physicists do not. We can only "tentatively" hold some relationship to be true. So in reality we can only say that many designers of audio equipment stress one thing to be most important and others something else.
Some years ago at a Rocky Mountain show, Stereophile had a demonstration of a Boulder amp's reaction of loads on it versus an unknown black amp. They had everyone in the audience sneering at the black amp. I ask to hear some played on both amps and was told they had no speakers. I then suggested that THD might not have been so all important to the black amp designer. There was a gasp! I left the room as devoted to mindless discussions.
I think that many here are using the wrong words about science. Theories are plausible explanations of what we have discovered to be relationships. Engineers like to talk about the "laws of physics," but physicists do not. We can only "tentatively" hold some relationship to be true. So in reality we can only say that many designers of audio equipment stress one thing to be most important and others something else.
Some years ago at a Rocky Mountain show, Stereophile had a demonstration of a Boulder amp's reaction of loads on it versus an unknown black amp. They had everyone in the audience sneering at the black amp. I ask to hear some played on both amps and was told they had no speakers. I then suggested that THD might not have been so all important to the black amp designer. There was a gasp! I left the room as devoted to mindless discussions.