How much do HiFi amps really differ?

I've got an Arcam A65 and CD72 with Acoustic Energy AE1 speakers. £1000 the lot, c. 2002. I've no complaints about any item, don't feel the need to 'upgrade'.

When I worked at Arcam, I liked their attitude. In essence they assumed their market was a keen music lover who was prepared to pay a good price for good kit, and had a realistic salary. Then they work hard to squeeze the best quality sound for that price.

It is certainly possible to make kit with better specifications if money is no object and/or the buyer has more money than sense, but you get diminishing returns for your money. A lot of the time people buy expensive kit as a status symbols, to say "I can afford to pay huge prices that make lesser earners wince".

No, they're very smart people being paid by other very smart people who realise there are a heap of suckers out there, and know what it takes to make them bring out their gold cards.

Thanks for the second link then!