Marantz PM 17SA v PM 8003

" I thought I was pretty clear meaning their power OUTPUT sections are almost identical so go with the amp that is better built as it is bound to sound better."

Your point is clear. It just doesn't make sense. If they're almost identical, then why would they sound different? Also, if they're almost identical, then why would the build quality be different?

"In fact, I checked the specs and both units are rated at 100 wpc into 4 ohms. So, their power amp sections are almost identical."

Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, its possible that the 2 amps may be very similar, but there's absolutely no reason why they can't sound completely different. There's no way that you can tell what an amp sounds like just by looking at a spec sheet.

So then you are talking about the performance of the amp by looking at the spec sheet. And now that you've clarified it, you're referring to power output only and not sound quality. That wasn't clear in your other posts. To be honest, though, I never trust specs on an amps power. In this particular case, since they are both SS amps made by the same company, at about the same time, then I guess its possible to get away with looking at the stated power output as accurate, in relation to each other. If you were to measure both amps the same way, they would probably be close enough to make the claim valid. But no guarantees.