I am not "critical and dismissive of actually listening and judging" ...
That statement is inconsistent with this:
Whether or not it "outperforms" other class d amps can only be judged by the specs.
And that’s how logic works.
No, it doesn’t. People can certainly listen and form their own subjective opinions as to whether or not they like amp A, or prefer amp A over amp B. As I said, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Opinions are not facts.
When someone says amp A out performs amp B, they are making an objective statement as there are parameters that can be measured and compared objectively. An amp is by definition a device that takes a small signal and outputs a larger version, by most standards, the more accurately the signal is enlarged, the better the amp’s performance. We can certainly compare the input to the output and measure the differences, and from those differences make objective comparisons.
Many people actually prefer an amp that adds certain distortions to the output. Some don’t. Subjective preferences don’t have to, and often fail to, align with the actual objective performance.