The Best Amplifier Ever ?

Bear, does that mean you absolutely equate "Best Measuring Amp" with "Best Amp"? If so, that would imply that you believe that the currently-available and performed suite of measurements is 100% sufficient to ascertain any amp's ability to reproduce music.

Quite, the only way you can legitimately talk of the "Best" component, is in the context of measurements. Assuming a component is thoroughly bench tested, you can say this amp measures better than anything I have tested before, ergo it is the best. The trouble is, everyone(or nearly everyone) has ceased believing measurements count for much in performance terms. Therefore "best" ends up being subjective in all cases and thus meaningless. Best is only legitimate in the context "This is the best amp, CD player I have had in my system". I can relate to, appreciate and find utility in that.
Sorry if I am teaching my grandmother to suck eggs(do you colonials use that expression too). Sometimes I think we need a logician to analyse these threads, a bit of symbolic logic might resolve the arguments. I would do it too, if I had'nt been a dismal failure at logic, when I was at university

what is the purpose in asking a question which has no definitive answer ? each of us has a favorite component that is neither better nor worse than another person's favorite component.

asking what is the best of anything does not accomplish much.

by the way, can anyone specify what "better" and "best" mean in audio, other than to indicate personal preference ?

One gentleman suggested that the acoustic reality thauma turge sounded cold and unmusical. I assume that he meant to himself. I would suggest that this problem could possible have come from up stream. I heard the thauma turge amps in the system containing the wavac's, about $1000,000.00 worth in one of the finest home music room's on earth. So much better were the acoustic reality thauma turge's that I purchased three pair( I must admit that I got a little carried away and purchased one pair more than I needed, but, that's life). At any rate these amps are like chameleons They take on the color of whatever components are up or down stream. However the entire system must be up to task. These are the most uncolored amps that I have ever heard, therefor they lend themselves to wonderful preamps such as the suprateks, or passives transformer based attenuators such as the wonderful music first audio (mfa) from England. they (the Thauma Turge) put the experienced audiophile in control of his canvas. You may be a Monet,or a chagall, or just a guy like me, but you may do what you want. Of course, preference must be taken into consideration, and I have. And that is what's so wonderful about these amplifier's, thay make room for YOUR preference. At any rate you can finally be the master of your music, for a long, long time. if possible, get a pair of these wonderful and rare instruments and enjoy music. Cheers