I certainly wish I had the definitive answer to this question. Don't think there is one. It's all subjective. Unless of course, we all buy the same preamps, spekers, and sources.
If all the manufacturers or dealers were so confident as to having the "best", they should all put their money where their mouth is, in the product they want us to buy. Of course without the belief they can make the better "mousetrap", it would perbably be a rather bleak array of things to choose from. It ought to be a "Take it home - try it out - doesn't matdch well with your system?" "Bring it back and we'll try something else."
Even if you are fortunate enough to find a dealer that works with you, they lock up the money, and downgrading or reverting back a step is usually not acceptagle practice, only going up, seems to be. Don't get me wrong, I do understand business is business. I just believe if a product is truly well made and a great preformer, it ought to be that in your home, not just the showroom. Experimentation is the only answer I've yet to find worthwhile. Tough deal. Satisfy the customer, or sell the product? Satisfy the customer, they may tell a few of their friends, dis one and they tell people they don't even know! I'm on my third amp - or about to be, this time a Mcintosh. Sony didn't have the juice, Krell had the juice, but seemed a bit impersonal, the Mac sounds about right, and has more power, another 100 watts, to 350. I like what power does with speakers. Given the choice I'll go with less effecient speakers and power above 250 watts every time. There is no "magic bullet" in audioland. Just ears and dollars, and if you don't use the ears, you'll lose a lot of dollars. Valves, MOS-FETS,chips, micro processors, servos,Jesus! I threw the specs sheet away long ago. Certain designs indicate lonbgevity, some stability, others try to emmulate. The path I stumbled across recently was: "You know, speaker makers use amps to drive their speakers." Why not find out what THEY use. Seems practical, at least for a starting point, as well as providing insight to the developers train of thought. Past this point it all gets murky. Want to find the best solid state amp for you? Win the lottery, knock off your rich relative, and have at it! Or buy what you have confidence in and what your ears tell you they like. Sound is fascinating. good sound is expensive. great sound is complex, and expensive. No one has THE answer for what is best. Just THEIR answer. Being satisfied with waht I can afford, at least for me, is the secret. So I resist the urge to listen to things I can not afford. Simple. Simple is always best. Look at PUSH-PULL amps. Java man probalbly had one in his cave, and they are stil around. Mono blocks with outboard power supplies. right! I'll run down and grab six or seven tomorrow. the onlyu constant here is the constant onslaught of magazines whose sole direction is to sell the products they review. No products to review, no magazine to sell. Funny how that works. don't believe me, look at all the reviews that say the item just flat sucks. There aren't any. A precious few can buy the precious things. Good for them. I am fortunate enough to have enough respect for music that I have dedicated myself to buying in the realm just past that of "Mass media audio". Good for me. As fickle as that area is, changing twice a year or so, I've about given up on the "who's who" thing. Just a couple more pieces.... and I'm done, for good or ill. . . . well maybe.
