You want progress? I look at the Yamaha R-N803… to me that’s progress. For under a Grand it has a very good medium powered amplifier, a full streaming device, even a broadcast receiver. Furthermore it has a room correction system and volume adaptive EQ to compensate for lower listening levels. Ivan Berger reviewed it when it came out and compared it to a stack of separates costing far far more and came away raving about its SQ as a pure amplifier, not just for the price.
Unfortunately, it has been discontinued, putatively because the chip supply is in more demand to make higher volume items like AVRs and keyboards. A successor will eventually be introduced. This kind of product flies way below the radar of this forum’s readership, but is a good example of audioamp’s point.
BTW, I don’t own one of these…my latest acquisition is a custom made new Dyna ST35 (EL84 based amp with 17.5 watts/ channel).