Yeah, yeah. You say that, but then there are some things about these other "high end" amps that I don't care for. A good example is that some of the Levison's seem to be difficult to find replacement parts for. Why bother, you are setting yourself up for a huge headache in the future. I would guess that these are probably the amps actually made by Levison, and not the ones outsourced to ATI.
Anyway, my point is not to attach much significance to the name brand. Sure, it feels good and gives you bragging rights to own an amp from an upper end company. But a robust power supply, good cooling, readily available parts, and good measurements are far more important than that name badge. I'm sure this is your opinion as well?
I've been reading up on a few power amplifier construction manuals with measurements, schematics, parts lists, etc. I feel pretty confident that following some of those designs that anyone could build an amp that will measure better than just about anything commercially available, for a lot less $ than anything commercially available. By not being forced into making compromises to try to push a product to market at a certain price point, you can focus on building yourself a quality product. Now, it will measure better and perform better, but will it make an audible difference? Most likely not for the majority of users. But that really isn't a concern of mine.
