A provisional update :-), the Ref 80S is sounding fine. Very fine. I am at 65 hours so I have a ways to go and the route was fairly choppy along the way. Never terrible but often just so-so and primarily lacking in bass snap. Today, Steely Dan's "Everything Must Go" and John Doe's new (and excellent) album "Fables in a Foreign Land" are deeply satisfying.
Based upon my impressions so far the 80S has a bit softer but no less detailed sound than the Ref 150 SE. The 150 SE strikes me based upon memory as having a more "scientifically precise" sound with just a touch of dryness compared to the 80S. The 150 SE is a powerhouse and when called for it will push out bass that hits you in the gut with satisfying decay and tautness that I am still not quite getting with the 80S. But I love the sound of well-recorded electric bass guitar and on the new John Doe album I am smiling from ear to ear at how totally natural the timbre and tone of the bass sounds-something I did not get with the 150 SE. The sound of the drum toms sounds more timbrally (not really a word) correct too with the 80S. But best of all, I felt a slight nit-pick was in order with my Devore 0/93's in the upper midrange where things could sound a bit course and unnatural that I attributed to the design of the Devores. Now I question that conclusion-that perception is gone with the 80S!