I'm a Consumer Reports sort of guy. Is there a pla

You would probably get your best answers here regarding equipment breakdowns and customer service, but unfortunately you would have to scrutinize the posts. You might find an angry owner complaining that his power amp is not operating correctly after a 3 foot fall from his rack. Another thing to consider is that there is no correlation between reliability and good sound.

Call some repair shops and ask them.

The word quality has two implications. One, which seems to be your line of pursuit, deals with the good, better, best of things. The other, which is the main thrust of the people you are asking, is the character, texture, flavor of things.

It's like contrasting durability with ergonomics.

If outstanding reliability is paramount in your quest, then take Shadorne's advice and look for who has a reasonably long track record and offers the best warranty. Sonics aside, Bryston is hard to beat for backing up their products. Can't ask for much more than two decades of warranty. I've not heard any Bryston products in my journey, however, so I can't comment on how they sound.

Another brand that pays a lot of attention to reliability and sound engineering is Music Reference. Their owner/designer Roger Modjeski sounds off frequently about the compromised reliability and poor design he sees in audio products.

Try HIFI Critic. They accept no adverts. I have a scrip; it's spendy but no ads and zero bias.