Now that Audio Research has come out with the Ref 3 SE phono, which has pushed the envelope even further for a hybrid FET and tube combination, perhaps without equal in this design, I'm wondering if anyone has revisited comparisons to some of highest rated all-tube stages ever, such as the Ypsilon VPS-100 or the Aesthetix IO. Does it now compete on equal ground or even exceed these other top contenders in the areas they excel in? The VPS-100, without FETs and without capacitors, seems to be viewed as unequaled in the areas of smoothness, layering of voices, holographic imaging, etc., which I hold critical for maximum enjoyment of classical music. I recently compared a Ref 3 SE to my Pass Labs XP-27. While mine sounds very quiet and transparent, with excellent high frequency extension and bass slam, it fell short to the Ref 3 SE in the qualities I mentioned above. So now I'm really wondering if I want to improve upon what I have, should I check out a used Ypsilon, which I saw recently for around the same money as a new Ref 3 SE. I'm aware of some of the complications involved with the former, such as needing to get the matching transformer and getting a decent interconnect for it. And of course I should not neglect the Ref 10 phono in this discussion, but I'm more curious about comparisons to all tube designs.