Gryphon Integrated or Seperates for $20K Pre/Power budget?

Thank you for the thorough explanation and characterizations of the Mac And Griffin sounds.

Based on what you are saying it seems like the “Uber-integrates” makes sense.  Losing flexibility of mixing and matching pre and power amps is not a big deal to me.

I would love to expand my consideration to the other brands of Uber Integrateds you mention, however as I said I am limited by what I can try before buying in my vicinity (Western Canada).  

Do you (or anyone else) know if there are any options to purchase on of these options (Vitus, T&A) with the ability to return them?  

Alternatively I might be willing to use my frequent flier points to travel to listen to other “Uber-Integrateds” with B&W speakers...  I am familiar with how the new D3’s sound so I think that would be okay.

I will be trialing the MC462 at home as I have not written this option off despite the lesser detail - I may find that I simply like the Mac house sound. 

Thanks again, and let me know if you can think of any ways to expand my consideration of Uber Integateds such that I can at least try them with B&W speakers before buying, or alternatively, buying with the ability to return.

Audiotroy, I’d be interested in auditioning T&A, but yes it’s a bit beyond my budget, which as is is already beyond what should be my budget :-)

You mentioned the Gryphon Diablo 300 sounds a bit “dark”.  Can you expand on what you mean by this?  Does it continually get warmer in tonal response as you move up in frequency?  How does it compare with Mac mc462 and others?

thanks!