Lesson Learned

I've been an audiophile and music lover for over 30 years. It has taken me a very long time to get to the point where I'm totally satisfied with my system. I've made foolish statements declaring I will never upgrade/sell my current amplifier or preamplifier. Recently I succumb to four individuals telling me to sell my Jeff Rowland 625 S2 amplifier. Of the four, two were dealers(one dealer sold both amplifiers), one owned one of the amplifiers, and finally, my friend recommended the change. My friend all but guaranteed I was making a significant step forward. I was intrigued because both amplifiers were below 20K. So, I put my amplifier up for sale and decided to listen to their recommendations.
I auditioned the first amplifier at a retail store. Although the system was different than mine, I was familiar with a couple of the components. I listened for several hours and decided that amplifier wasn't for me. I listened to the second amplifier at my very good friend's house. All four of the aforementioned individuals recommended the second amplifier. My initial listening session showed a lot of promise. I was convinced that it indeed may be a step-up from my 625 S2 in some categories. In particular, the bass seemed more powerful. I was unsure about the midrange and highs, but I was interested in listening again. A couple days later I returned and listened with music that I was very familiar with. The second session had me confused. I told my friend the only way to really be sure about which one I preferred was with an home audition.
So, it was show time. I disconnected my Jeff Rowland 625 S2 and connected the mono-amplifiers. From the first note I was almost certain of the outcome. I began by playing Kirk Whalum's For You CD. Although the amplifier was broken in with several hundred hours on it, something just didn't sound correct. I decided to let the music play in the background for awhile prior to doing any serious listening. I played song after song. It's funny that this amplifier was praised for its outstanding midrange and bass, but the 625 S2's midrange was more detailed, had more air, and just had a more convincing "illusion" of live sound. The bass on the other amplifier had slightly louder bass, but it lacked the articulation and realism of the 625 S2's bass. Of course I'm keeping my Jeff Rowland 625 S2. The 625 S2 may not be everyone's preference, but I submit it's much better than I ever expected. More than any individual component, I believe my system has synergy. Having synergy will make it very hard to improve upon without spending a significant amount of money or going in a drastically different direction. 
I refused to name the other amplifiers, because it's about my journey and my lesson learned. I don't want my posting to turn into an argument about product "X" against product "Y". I sincerely hope my story will provide "food for thought" for anyone contemplating changing any component because someone else suggested to do so. Trust you own ears! No matter what anyone recommends, if your "ears" don't recommend it, trust your own ears! Finally, just because I preferred the 625 S2 in my system doesn't invalidate the recommendations. Audiophiles hear differently, have different preferences and expectations. In addition, it's more about the "system" than an individual component. This has truly reinforced that there are no absolutes in audio, only preferences.