D'Agostino vs. Ayre

I have Vandies hooked up to Atma MA-1 and MP-3 and couldn't be happier. Perhaps it is the Zero feedback? Johnny R at Audioconnection seems to think so...
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I would not considered Vandies dark.  The Treo CT is in my opinion mostly neutral with a touch of warmth..smooth.  With that said, the Ayre, just makes my Vandy Treo CT sing  :).  It just makes it sound musical and natural.  I can listen to the combo for hours at a time. The AX5/20 gives me a feeling that I'm listening to a tube amp but they are not.  Each note is separated and can be heard clearly. The bass is clean, tight and solid.  Lastly, the soundstage and imaging is one of the best I've heard, in this price range.    

Four More Weeks til I get my D'Agostino S-250. In the mean time, I just heard the best stereo experience of my lifetime. PS Audio Perfectwave transport sending bits to a Berkeley Alpha Reference 2 DAC. The Berkeley is driving directly a pair of Ayre MX- R Twenties. Speakers are Wilson Alexia's. Orchid, Audioquest, and Synergistic cables. Wow. Two stand outs here. Berkeley DAC. Might be the best on the planet. Wilson speakers. Expensive. Ya. Bang for the buck. Yeah. 

Im an Arye fan in fact I have the QX 5 Twenty and love it but please don't take me wrong, I kind of chuckle when I read the Arye AX 5 Integrated is so great and competes with most separates, The AX 5 Twenty cant compete with the MX R or R Twenty series of separates and yes I have heard them both" let alone most separates, yes its good but its not separates or ref gear.

Sorry guys for going off topic. @tecknik, I’m not sure if you were referring to my comments but I did say most separates (asumming also that we are talking about components in the same price range). Btw, I would not include the higher in the line Ayre reference R series separates in my comments. The MX-R series are indeed better sounding, especially if you pair its with the KX-R/20 pre-amp (this combo is almost triple the price). I'm talking in the $12-13k range.