-I don't think 'all amplifiers sound alike' is a widespread opinion, but rather (in engineering circles, at any rate) that any competently designed amplifier, r

-I don't think 'all amplifiers sound alike' is a widespread opinion, but rather (in engineering circles, at any rate) that any competently designed amplifier, run within its limits, sound like any other competently designed amplifier run within its limits. Audio amplifiers are pretty much a solved problem, to the extent that in order to create a 'house sound' or whatever the preferred audiophile term is nowadays, the manufacturer needs to introduce distortion to differentiate their product from the others. Sigh. (The above obviously only applies to amplifiers intended for faithful reproduction; guitar amps and the like is a whole different beast - where distortion serves a valid artistic/creative purpose!)