I can't really hear a big difference

This thread is an interesting commentary on the psycology of the Audiophile (and I say this as a full fleged member of the club).

We automatically assume that the more expensive piece just has to sound better than the inexpensive one, and look for reasons why the expensive unit doesn't decisively trounce its inexpensive cousin.

The other side of the coin is to ask why the inexpensive piece sounds so good relative to the expensive one - but that's a hard road for us (me!) to travel!

Why would the Sherwood sound louder than the BAT? I'm having a hard time A/Bing them because of this...

A little more listening, and the BAT sounds a LITTLE bit more realistic on piano, but the Sherwood plays voices more forward and full... almost an emphasis on the voice over the instruments, and it sounds real good.

The BAT also has less background "hiss", when that is noticeable on the recording.

Still planning on waiting for the new ICs to come, and break in some... I'm pretty skeptical though.

John is right, once you take it out after a few months, you'll realize what you're missing. It's subtle but imporrtant in musical terms. Ghostrider is also right about the psychology of audiophiles. Good one!
The other headache is that upgrading is not a simple process. Sometimes the best components need the better power accessories, cables, and so on, to shine. Also the BAT probably does best in an all balanced system, that is one using XLR connectors, which I take it the VTL does not have provisions for.
Try new interconnects and a good power cord like the JPS Labs digital, for a month. Be patient. If after a month it still doesn't sound better, then you can post and tell us all how we're full of shit!
This hobby is like eating the forbidden apple: there are things to know and to learn, but doing so often costs a bundle and may lead you down the garden path paved with good intentions.
Tom

Ditto on the cabling issues. Also, I'm sure we all "listen" for, or "hear" different things. Certainly most modern digital playback devices have very similar frequency response measurements. My system is probably not that much more resolving than Dennis' (except for the cables), but I find that changing even the transport can mean the difference between audio nirvana and audio hell! Objectively, the difference is probably small, but it is the difference between wanting to get out of the listening chair after 20 minutes or sitting all evening in the dark with a big grin.

Component output levels are not standardized, Dennis. Level-matching will therefore always be a challenge when comparing components. If the Sherwood's output is higher, and you're not properly compensating for that, it would explain a good deal of what you hear.