Well, Twl, I wouldn't indict the measurement-makers so hard when the techniques, or even good ideas about what exactly to measure, may simply not exist yet regarding specific sonic qualities displayed by gear that is reproducing music programs. Rather, I would mostly condemn those among them who brazenly claim without pause that what they *are* able to measure settles the issue. (And I do happen to believe that psychology plays a fairly large role in aural perception.)
To Keith (up two), I would comment that your finding of a contradiction which belies audiophiles who claim to hear amp differences, where you say none can be measured, falls down on that last assertion. Your observation about their argument logically extending to different individual examples of the same model amplifier, as somehow being an analogous situation, is faulty. This is because two different *models* of amplifier will never measure exactly the same as each other, so your conclusion is drawn on a false premise. Two entirely different circuits/implementations will not produce the same output under all conditions given identical inputs. You may consider them to be close, but they won't truly be the same.
To Keith (up two), I would comment that your finding of a contradiction which belies audiophiles who claim to hear amp differences, where you say none can be measured, falls down on that last assertion. Your observation about their argument logically extending to different individual examples of the same model amplifier, as somehow being an analogous situation, is faulty. This is because two different *models* of amplifier will never measure exactly the same as each other, so your conclusion is drawn on a false premise. Two entirely different circuits/implementations will not produce the same output under all conditions given identical inputs. You may consider them to be close, but they won't truly be the same.