don't be a fool with your money is the general advice. however, from what i am reading it appears that that is exactly what you have been. for some people it makes them feel good to spend $50,000 on a power amplifier. if they've got the money and it's burning a hole in their pockets, the spending it on the power amp is all good. but when someone spends that kind of money, they aren't buying for value. this audio stuff is like artwork: how much is a painting worth? well, how good is it? the answer to both questions is highly subjective. furthermore, once you have shelled out the cash, you have a vested interest in convincing at least yourself that the big money purchase allowed you to realize breathtaking levels of "transparency" that you could have never realized with less expensive equipment. there is a certain "emperor's new clothes" aspect to this stuff. that's high end audio in a nutshell...
the difference between high end and "mid fi" like nad and rotel is that in high end audio equipment the makers spend a lot more time designing equipment that colors the sound in a way that is presumably pleasing to the listener. so if you look at published specifications, it would be difficult to tell much difference. since high end audio is about coloration, the difference is more likely to show up in phase response charts, the kind of stuff that is rarely published.
you see some of these virtual systems that look like they are in specially designed rooms, complete with acoustical treatments. i'm figuring some of these homes have to be 5,000+ sq. ft. to allocate that kind of space to a dedicated listening room. then then load it up with several $100,000 worth of audio equipment. first of all, if you shell out that kind of money, you've got a great sounding system - cognitive dissonance would allow you to recognize no less - you don't shell out that kind of money and tell people: "i guess it sounds alright".
secondly, you can't beat room acoustics. i mean, audiophile talk of wanting to recreate the sound of live performance but if you go to a live performance at a large arena, the acoustics (and sound) are often terrible. so if you are going to shell out big cash it's probably not going to make a whole lot of sense unless you have an acoustically conceived room. but if the room is so acoustically good, you could just as well load it up with rotel or nad components and they would also sound good. in fact, i think that the room acoustics make a lot more difference than the differences that you would perceive in equipment.
the difference between high end and "mid fi" like nad and rotel is that in high end audio equipment the makers spend a lot more time designing equipment that colors the sound in a way that is presumably pleasing to the listener. so if you look at published specifications, it would be difficult to tell much difference. since high end audio is about coloration, the difference is more likely to show up in phase response charts, the kind of stuff that is rarely published.
you see some of these virtual systems that look like they are in specially designed rooms, complete with acoustical treatments. i'm figuring some of these homes have to be 5,000+ sq. ft. to allocate that kind of space to a dedicated listening room. then then load it up with several $100,000 worth of audio equipment. first of all, if you shell out that kind of money, you've got a great sounding system - cognitive dissonance would allow you to recognize no less - you don't shell out that kind of money and tell people: "i guess it sounds alright".
secondly, you can't beat room acoustics. i mean, audiophile talk of wanting to recreate the sound of live performance but if you go to a live performance at a large arena, the acoustics (and sound) are often terrible. so if you are going to shell out big cash it's probably not going to make a whole lot of sense unless you have an acoustically conceived room. but if the room is so acoustically good, you could just as well load it up with rotel or nad components and they would also sound good. in fact, i think that the room acoustics make a lot more difference than the differences that you would perceive in equipment.