Dude...seems like everyone else here thinks differently. I've owned 2 different III reds and have kept my current one for many years now. It's an insane sounding amp. So punishing and brutal but for sure old school sounding. Nothing else like it.
I've played the IIC+ RI fairly recently and even made a thread about how I see why it's so highly regarded over all the other marks. Its a special amp for sure but man its not fucking worlds apart like the internet thrives on preaching about.
But I've been over that particular debate for a long while now.
The one that really makes me laugh and just realize there are more bored people than actual active people who post on forums like these is the whole MKIV Rev A vs B popular opinions. Its like you have AIDS if you even enjoy or like the Rev A over the Rev B. These amps couldn't sound and feel closer to each other than any other popular revision change amp out there. Its so miniscule-y marginal that only people on forums like here who have no life would even care to bring it up and debate it.