Darling SET beats Audionote Paladin!?

This is what I think about when comparing a fine commercial cost-no-object triode amplifier (Audionote Paladin) to a budget conscious triode amplifier that you can build yourself (the Darling amplifier.)
To make them comparable on a fair basis, you also need to pull out all stops in the Darling parts selection. Will cost quite a bit of money, although still a fraction of the Paladin. The 500$ parts cost version will NOT "beat" the Paladin. The 3-5K$ parts cost version will be a tough challenge / close call though, winner most likely to be decided by tastes / personal preference rather than one being objectively superior to the other, as both will likely exhibit some aspect that is better than the other.
When making such comparisons, just make sure to compare apples to apples, and do not compare apple to apple juice... under that I mean with the loudspeaker of appropriate sensitivity, and appropriate quality. The Darling needs a loudspeaker that's +8dB sensitive compared to the speaker that the Paladin is running to be a fair comparison. (Eg Paladin with AN-E vs Darling with a good take on Altec VOTT).
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