Really? As has been mentioned, this amplifier is designed largely for an application where it will be the least disgusting link in the chain. Let's be real here, an amplifier with 1% THD is more than good enough for the announcement system in a school. There is nothing wrong with this amplifier for its intended application - Ashly has good engineers who know how to design a product that meets its requirements, and they have done exactly that in this case. Even still, you won't find Ashly amps running a stadium.
Bigger systems work differently. Usually speaker companies are partnered with an amplifier company (or own one). If you're installing L-Acoustics speakers, there's a very good chance you're using L-Acoustics amplifiers. Ditto for D&B and most of the other big line arrays. Most of those amps have processing built in, or are paired with a processing system recommended by the speaker manufacturer.
It's not "word of mouth pedigree", it's long-term business and engineering partnerships. The people in this industry aren't as stupid as you seem to think, and purchasing decisions aren't as simple as looking at an online review. It usually starts with the speakers, and then the speaker manufacturer gives a strong recommendation as to what electronics to pair their transducers with. Unless there are serious budget limitations, most people listen to those recommendations.
ASR has only tested one good professional amplifier, and that was the QSC DCA2422. Everything else has been inexpensive or purpose driven amplifiers. If you think that the distortion from this amplifier will be audible in its intended application, you are sorely mistaken. The DCA2422 measured very well, especially considering its power level. So before you call people in the pro audio industry idiots, take a look at what equipment is actually being used, and understand why it is being used.
Firstly, no one called them idiots. But you can say it's perhaps implied.
Also, if I were to call people idiots, it would still be to my definition. That doesn't include business savy people trying to get by with bottom of the barrel shovelware. Their business wit doesn't impress me because it's something anyone is capable of when they're forced to accept concessions on achieving a certain goal (like for instance having these sorts of pathetic "partnerships" between companies trying to peddle a device no better than a $99 DAC, in fact, worse than a $9 phone dongle with respect to fidelity metrics).
You seem to not comprehend the scope of just how low this falls short. There is no way on this planet this device has been made with all the care in the world to offer the most bang-for-buck value to whoever partners with the buffoonery collective that peddles this. It's just THAT MUCH away from any sort of sensibility one need only look for when trying to draw distinction between what virtually every single person would assume exists between a consumer product, and a professional product.
Unless of course you're capable of rendering a logically sound argument that demonstrates a device such as this simply is at the limits of what could be extracted in terms of fidelity for the price being billed.. If you're able to do that, then I will gladly retract what I've said and admit the complete and ignorant error. The thing is though, as I said before, my intuition on this specific example of device leads me to believe as I currently do, simply due to the divide being this MASSIVE from a fidelity metric perspective.
You could also choose the other avenue, and claim this device if the best performer in it's class, that would also serve in similar favor toward swaying my sentiment on the matter heavily in your direction.
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Short of these two, I want to to really think about if it's worth defending a $2,300+ device of ANY kind meant for Earthly terrestrial audio pursuits, yet fails to compete to a $9 dongle device that comes with almost every smartphone as a freebie; specifically concerning fidelity metrics. Please don't make the mistake of talking about "but what about power output tho", my post wasn't levied in that respect.
One thing I would like a bit more elaboration on, as it's seemingly pretty vacuous for me atm, was the claim you made about "business partnerships, and engineering partnerships". I can imagine the funny suits at Ashly have a problem when they buy a bunch of stock used on the board they're going to have their engineers come up with. What I'm a bit confused about is what particular "engineering partnership" I would have, or anyone else would have as Ashly's customer? Why would I care about their partnerships AT ALL? For all I care they can go and setup shop on the Moon if their "engineering partner" demanded of them? Is this one of those: sympathy for "the game" or "for how business in the real world works" sorts of appeals?
