An interesting thread. I own a Shindo Aurieges/Pass XA30.5 combo. FWIW, I compared the EAR 868 to my Aurieges, and in my system, to my ear, I much preferred the Shindo. More life, more musically involving. Re power amps - another option to consider is Luxman. Check out the thread on the Luxman M600A on this site.
