Well, my work has been branded by worse epithets than "hogwash" so I'll let that pass, but respectfully point out to Enthusiast2 that four times $500 is only two grand, which in the case of the NAD would get you a 50/channel full-featured unit that sounds superb. I am unfamiliar with the amp you refer to, but I am familiar with several other units that cost between $500 and two grand, and very few of them have any sort of leg up on the NAD with regard it specific mix of features, design, and performance. In any case, I did not say it was better than anything else, merely that it is highly competitive and that at its asking price, it simply has no peers. And I'll remind you that I did audition it extensively on both Quad 2805s and original ESL 57s (Wayne Piquet restored), not to mention Harbeth HLP3Es--surely no one can complain that these an unrevealing monitors! The NAD was not only not caught out in such august company, it complemented them very well. I'll emphasize what I said in my review: if had only about, say, $11k to spend on a CD-based system, I would unhesitatingly buy Quad 2805s, this NAD integrated, and one from any number of reputable CD players (Marantz, Oppo, etc.). And, yes, the Golden Ear award was given precisely to irritate folks such as yourself!