Audiolabrinth - Your's is a tough request that I will try to answer. I have Ayon CD5s, with 1980 NOS Reflector tubes running direct to modded Nuforce V3Se monoblocks into Von Schweikert VR5 Anniversary MK2 speakers. I previously had North Star Transport and DAC and heavily modded Audio Horizons preamp. I loved this combo as the smoothest, least digital sound I had heard.
The Ayon, running direct to these revealing speakers beats the North Star at its own game by being even more analogue - close to vinyl sounding. Plus the Ayon is more micro and macro detailed, exciting and dynamic, while remaining utterly natural. Soundstage is more holographic and it excels at pulling things from deep in the mix and portraying them clearly even while lots of louder things are going on in the music, for example hearing the full decay of one note even while other notes are playing loudly. It feels like the musicians are more competent, and PRAT are excellent. I compared the Ayon to the rave-reviewed Meridian 808.3 ($20,000) and while the Meridian was indeed great, particularly at detail and dynamics, for me the Ayon was more musical and engaging hands down. I think the Absolute Sound review of Ayon is quite accurate compared to what I hear.
