Suggestion for best stereo amp ?

@mzkmxcv

You cannot base solely on measurements. Many equipments that have great measurements or look great on papers don’t necessarily sound that great or musical and vice versa. Never look solely at measurements. You cannot evaluate the audio performance, sound quality and musicality based on measurement numbers. You will have to listen to the equipments and compare between them by listening to them, not looking at measurement numbers. Great measurements do not equate great musical sound and do not guarantee that.
Besides, that measurement that you posted was for the Momentum M300, not the M400. The M300 has been replaced by the M400. Just FYI. It’s not that it matters.

I have listened to the PS Audio BHK 300 monoblock amps before and they sounded terrific but did not perform on the same level as the D’Agostino Momentum gears. I used to own the D’Agostino Momentum M400 monoblock amps myself. Not saying that the D’Agostino Momentum is the best sounding amplifier. No.

Have you ever listened to and compared between the PS Audio BHK 300 and the D’Agostino Momentum M400 monoblock amps in actual listening sessions before? If you haven’t, I suggest that you shouldn’t be judging or making comments or making assumptions.

Lastly, looks don’t matter to me and have no influence and should not be the influencing factor in purchasing decision. We are not buying art sculpture here. It is audio hifi electronics and speakers for God sake. Of course there’s a plus or bonus if they look good but what matters is how they perform and sound and system synergy, which is the most important in achieving perfect blend and overall harmonic sound from your system.

@caphill

Did you listen to both in a double blind listening with level matching better than 0.5dB and switching between them in less than 10sec? If so, your evaluations aren’t proof. Sorry if that sounds snobby, just pointing out all the factors that affect our hearing. But yes, if you personally think it sounds better, then it sounds better to you, but it may not sound better to someone else, which is where measurements come in (and no, Stereophile’s measurements cover pretty much or all of the factors that dictate accurate signal reproduction (linearity with differing impedance, linearity with differing phase, THD, IMD, channel separation, squarewave response, S/N, THD+N, etc.); I won’t go into if second order harmonic distortion added in sounds better or not).

mzkmxcv

Did you listen to both in a double blind listening with level matching better than 0.5dB and switching between them in less than 10sec? If so, your evaluations aren’t proof ...

Of course very few audiophiles listen that way. Even if they did, the results of such a test by themselves don't constitute "proof." That's especially so given your statement that such switching be performed in less than 10 seconds. That's not quick enough for a reliable test; see the work by Kruger, et al.

@mzkmxcv

Sorry man, I won’t buy your BS. None of us agree that numbers (measurements) do not mean anything. I have spoken with couple chief designers / engineers at Naim Audio, Linn, Audio Research among others and they once told me that measurements do not mean anything and one can use them as a guideline only but they do not dictate or constitute the sound quality or how a certain gear will perform. Their statements are more valid than yours. They design hifi gears. We all would take their words and statements over yours.

In regards to blind tests that you mentioned earlier. As a matter of fact yes the four of us did blind tests from time to time but not all the time. My buddy owns a hifi store and he happens to be a dealer for PS Audio, D’Agostino, McIntosh, Classe, Audio Research, Naim, Linn, Rega, Wilson Audio, B&W, Sonus Faber among others. So after store hours sometimes we conducted listening sessions and from time to time we conducted blind tests but with no switch boards. Cause like you said before that switching should be made within 10 seconds. WTF! That’s not the way we compare between equipments or speakers. Just use common sense man! Hello??? Get real man! Nobody compare between two different gears or system within 10 seconds of switching.
Use your brain! That's not possible and it is not the way audiophiles make comparisons between different equipments or setup.

My buddy, who is a dealer for PS Audio, and I love PS Audio products. He sells lots of them more than D’Agostino cause PS Audio gears are lot more affordable than D’Agostino. So he is proud to be a PS Audio dealer and always push people to purchase their products but he and I and several other audiophiled agreed that the D’Agostino Momentum is a step up from the PS Audio BHK amps. They aren’t in the same league. The Momentum sounded more refined, more musical with better musical drive or rhythmic drive, better nuances, larger deeper soundstage sizes, better stereo imaging with better focus. better subtle dynamic shifts in timber, etc etc etc. But of course he sells lot more PS Audio BHK amps than the D’Agostino Momentum and he will keep on selling a lot of PS Audio products as they are great products especially for their price points. Nothing can beat PS Audio for similar price points.

Happy with my BHK 250.  Upgraded tubes to some NOS Telefunken.