what's the point?

It's all for "fun factory" really. In the past year I've switched between a $1,500 Primare Class-D integrated, a Kenwood solid state integrated from the 70's, a $300 Kenwood power amp producing 150 wpc from the 80's, and a pair of $1,750 Cary Audio tube monoblocks. The difference between *all* of them has been extremely subtle. The tube monoblocks are definitely more different than the solid state stuff; kinda feels like I tweaked my EQ a bit. But the solid state differences were all very subtle "tip of the tong" sort of things. Not differences I would prioritize in any other hobby.

Get something that has enough power to drive your speakers to the highest listening levels you will achieve in your listening room. Get something that looks good, and is built to a quality level that makes you happy. And don't worry about how much it cost.

I would say that a lot of equipment out there doesn't really break new ground and therefore offers subtle differences and so a Crown amp may sound similar to an older Bryston. Finding those special pieces is where the journey lays for me. Rarely does price guarantee anything sonically in this hobby but the journey can get expensive and so worry about the money.  

I think technically all amps are supposed to sound the same below clipping, but they don't. And is probably due to coloration or so due to the designer wanting his sound signature a certain way. Just my opinion.

Simple test. Blind. With help from a barely interested gf.   I have 2 odyssey amps, khartago extreme and kismet ref.  No other changes were made in the system. The difference was, and repeatedly, immediate to 4 out of 5 listeners.  Preference not withstanding...(.Kismet for me. Others disagreed)...
that’s  enough evidence for me. And the amps were voiced by the same designer. So...test this Q yourself...take the time.  Trust you own perceptions. After all, the whole hobby is about perception. 

Once I learned to level match most modern solid state amplifiers I found the differences between them pretty subtle. For years I compared amps by adjusting the volume of the system using my ear. Well, as you can guess, I heard lots of differences that weren’t there once I started using a multi-meter to match voltage output! I still hear differences, but as I said they’re subtle.