Best Amp for Timbre, Depth and Spatial Resolution?

Mapman, I could think at a number of factors. So in no particular order:

1) the spectra balance of the amp. Some amp-speaker combinations can emphasis (or de-emphasis) the frequencies that are more problematic (or less problematic) in one's room. Obviously this ultimately depends on one's room.

2) The ability of the amp to control the subwoofers.

3) Like with the response of the two speakers at the listening position, the amp is also suppose to have zero differences between the left and wright change. How large and/or significant such error are in reality, I do not know. But I can imagine that such differences exist and play a role, as not two components are identical.

BTW, I am not saying all amps sound the same. But an amp alone has no sound. So what specs/measurements on an amp alone can be used to determine a pecking order in regards to timbre, depth, and spatial resolution? I am not sure there are any. But they can be used to determine relative matches to specific speakers. Then you are in business.

So you can assess how any particular amp + speaker combo does in this regard, but I am not sure it can be done for amps alone.

If an amp plays in the forrest does it have a sound?

NVP...your third point makes absolutely no sense at all. Is this discussion really about imagining differences? You can easily test an amp for output balance, and you can test if speakers are matched, and an amp alone has tonal characteristics for days...I think sleep deprivation has set in among the posters.

"an amp alone has tonal characteristics"

Maybe if you listen with a large enough sample size of different speakers to determine.

But what is "best" or even better will be determined more by other things I think.