How does damping factor apply to a zero feedback amp like an ayre .Generally speaking, the output impedance of a solid state amplifier can be so low with respect to most speakers that it can behave as a voltage source, even if it has no feedback. This is why there are zero feedback class D amps that also behave as a voltage source.
One thing I've noticed a lot while working in high end audio is the phenomena known as 'tight bass'. I regard it as a coloration, since in real life tight bass doesn't seem to exist. The head engineer of Electro-Voice wrote an interesting article that pointed to this many years ago but I've failed to find a link to his article. Essentially though, it points out that no speaker made needs a damping factor more than about 20:1 and many need a damping factor much lower, some as low as 1:10 and you read that right (certain kinds of OB speakers).
The sound difference you hear between systems that have much greater damping factors is often related to distortion rather than FR errors, due to how the brain interprets distortion (if often favors such tonality over actual FR errors or the lack thereof).