D'Agostino vs. Ayre

Mr Tools as you've gathered I'm not a fan of the Alexias. I think they are the best of Wilson's previous technologies but I hope I did not come across as disparaging. They are great speakers by any measure and I'd live with them gladly. But the real magic does come out with pairing them with high powered tubes IMHO. That is frequently impractical I realize and I think your choice of the S-250 is more than a superb compromise and likely a definitive alternative. 
Most happy listening to you sir,

khrys

Hey khrys. I'm not offended or disparaged by your opinion, or any comments on here. I'm a bottom feeder. I know that. And I work on a budget. The top end of my budget when assembling this system was $100K. I have paid full MSRP for One component in my rack, the Berkeley. And only because I Love it, and couldn't find one at a discount. Everything else I have is either dealer demos or used equipment. This philosophy has allowed me to put this together for just over my budget. And I Love the sound of this system. I do intend to try a VTL S-400 II. But only when I can find one for $18K, or less. And Alexia 2s might have to wait 2-3 years. Happy listening to you, too.

Hey Mr Goodtools. How’s the S-250 working out?
Have you heard the Alexia IIs? Stunning speaker. Seems more designed for SS than the original. 
I still think your current setup should be revelatory.

Good listening to you sir,

K

Hi khrys,

I love, love, love the D'Agostino S-250. It has Plenty of power, as the power meters have never surpassed about 20 watts in my system. And its hugely musical. I do want to eventually swap in a VTL S-400 II, but the system as presently configured is so alluring that I've pretty much given up equipment upgrades and have been concentrating on the music. 

I've driven the S-250 to great results, both directly with my Berkeley Alpha Reference 2 DAC, and a slightly modified Audio Research Reference 6 preamp.

I have not yet heard the Wilson Alexia 2s. But I do plan to be at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this coming weekend in Denver. And I see at least one pair of Alexia 2s on the bill...
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Great review Mr. Tools, could you please clarify slightly modified Ref 6 comment.