@stereo5 - You bring up an excellent point. I think there are a few reasons. The Accuphase and Luxmans are similar in power output and aesthetics. Also, sadly, after my last round of listening which is now 4 years ago, I have not had the chance to evaluate several popular brands. This is why you never see me contrasting with Hagel or Gryphon or even Yammaha or Technics integrateds. I just haven’t had the chance to hear any of them. Also, quite honestly I’ve never heard or seen an Accuphase in person so I can’t contrast their sound with anything.
Lastly, I was struck by how expensive the "upgrade" the OP talked about was! Ouch.
Another thing I just thought of, given I moved to the deep south I wonder if I will ever even see another high end store in my lifetime. They are a lot harder to find these days and if you aren’t buying it’s less interesting to make the trip.
Maybe I should convince integrated amp makers to send me stuff for free so I can evaluate them here?? 😂
I think you are right though. I need to change my tune. From now on I'll only recommend D'Agostino and Vandersteen amplifiers. I have heard them, they are excellent and I can't even afford the power cords for them. 🤣