Amp improvement since 1994?

Thanks for the explanation Mitch! You had me scratching my head for a minute there. LOL!!

It depends on what you mean by "real" improvement. Probably nothing that can be measured.
I do agree that the trend seems to be towards transparency/resolution and away from musicality, but I'm not sure that is a good thing. My old tube amp beats most of the modern amps out there now, IMHO.

As to your last question, where the gains have been, I would suggest mostly in the price tag.

Mitch2, I know of another Audiogon member who swore by a highly modified McCormack amplifier.....until he heard a McIntosh tube amp from the 50's. He wound up having the McIntosh re-conditioned, and sold the McCormack. He was stunned to find out how good a 55+ year old tube amp could sound.

I'm just saying that many folks will swear that newer technology is always better, we are constantly improving.....then how come my old tube amp and vinyl beat digital with newer amp?

Is newer technology different? Absolutely! Better? Maybe to some.