There's plenty of good reason to have user defeatable protection, not the least of which means the amplifier can be confirmed by third parties to actually hit its rated specification.
Remember the standard is only 5 minutes, not 1 hour or continuously forever. If a power amplifier cannot achieve its rated power into specified rated loads for a measly 5 minutes, the ratings are false.
Plenty of you guys drive cars with top speed limiters that are not defeatable (easily). But the car makers do not advertise top speeds you cannot achieve, they just fit speedoes with numbers the dial pointer never quite reaches...
As for throwing out the FTC amplifier rule proposed a few pages back, it's the only thing keeping manufacturers partially honest. Without it, you'd be back to the Wild West of amplifier ratings in the early 70s.
Hopefully we'll get to see an AHB-2 properly tested into all its rated loads, stock standard, as per the long standing rules. If I had money to burn, I'd buy one because I think it's a fabulous amplifier and I'd test it, report the results and put the whole thing to bed.
Just a post commenting on the FTC testing.
For the record I think the AHB kicks ass from a technical performance POV. Aiming to hear it soon. It would be a nice reference / comparison component for the listening / test room.
Anyway, the problem with the FTC test is that it bears no resemble to real world usage. The most demanding musical conditions just won't come close to being as taxing as a sine test. So the POV of some manufacturers, that conforming to it increases cost for no real world benefit, is quite valid.
The other issue is that the FTC test is not enforced, so it's not delivering the objective of protecting/informing the consumer.
Consumers require accurate information and manufacturers should not be able to publish any old misleading marketing guff. Whilst the intent of the FTC test is 100% correct, I don't think it is entirely fit for purpose in its current form.
So, what to do? Not sure I have a comprehensive answer, but I don't think the FTC test tells me much about how an amp will perform in the real world.
Independant publications such as ASR are extremely valuable for informing the consumer, we just need to improve the reach for it to have a real impact on manufacturer behaviour.