Would it make you feel better if I said that the author is exaggerating the impact of amplifier and speaker interaction variables on the final sound, at least in most pairings? Of course if I say that, I also have to say that for so many amplifiers the difference in sound is totally the result of which speaker is connected which means the listening review is not worth the bits it was published with. It is a good month for audiophile revelations. Just run with it.
I was going to leave this alone, but I just can't:
- Speaker review? Massive system level change. You never do a listening test of a speaker. You do a listening test of a speaker in a room connected to a particular amplifier.
- Cartridge - massive system level change.
- Any amplifier with lot of output impedance - system level change
- Preamps without phono stage - Fairly benign
- Digital sources - Benign but potential for not benign if whatever is feeding them has an issue.