Hi,
I am using Audio Research ref 3, Krell 750 monoblocks, and Focal Maestros (departed from Mac a while ago).
In Europe the reference 2 is 9000 euros (similar to Spyder) - Bardo is much less. I am not so keen on Bardo - it has great speed stability and is very accurate. It is just not so musically engaging as the Brinkmann belt drives. I liked the Spyder - not visually. However, it was not my kind of sound. It focussed on image stability and detail. I prefer voluminous image, liquid, and musicality. This is not the Spyder.
I went with the triplanar because the ref 2 / triplanar combo is very well documented and used over many years of experimentation. Indeed I believe Tri Mai uses or used this combination. Also, I got a good deal
