Ayre vs Conrad Johnson

I like Ayre. I've never experimented directly with the exact combination of all three directly but I have owned all these brands at one time or another. I would think the CJ/Vandersteen combo could go a little to much to the warm side of things. I did compare an Ayre preamp with CJ and that was quite a stark contrast I preferred the Ayre by a lot.

I have heard a ton of equipment over the years, and although I respect Ayre the company, I find there house sound to be a bit dry and lackluster. Tonal color seems monochromatic as well with slightly diffuse imaging. Krell, ARC and even CJ have better overall presentations.

Conrad Johnson had always gone well with Vandersteen , especially the tube equipment. I have not heard the Ayre with Vandersteen , but have heard many good things with the pairing of the two.
I would contact John at Audio Connection in Verona ,NJ. He is man to talk to about Vandersteen products. He sells both Ayre and Vandersteen. He would be able to give you a wealth of knowledge on this subject.

http://www.audioconnect.com/

I agree with Timo62. I doubt there is anyone else out there that knows Vandersteen better than John from Audio Connection. Great place to do business.