Some anecdotal evidence for you...
I recently auditioned a pair of Auditors at Magnolia Hi-Fi recently and at first was really disappointed by them. I listened to Cowboy Junkies "The Trinity Sessions", Norah Jones "Come Away With Me", and Dead Can Dance "Into the Labyrinth". It seemed like the speakers weren't coming to life at all. It wasn't that they were doing anything particularly wrong, but the presentation was completely uninvolving and left me unimpressed by the speakers. I mentioned this to the sales guy who asked me to stay a little longer while he switched from the Primare gear to McIntosh tubed gear. The difference was pretty astonishing. The Auditors came alive in every way and sounded absolutely fabulous. They made their way back on to my short list. Unfortunately I'd never buy the McIntosh gear; the retro cosmetics put me off.