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.