I was able to do some quality listening over the weekend with the new arrangement. Since the new linear hasn't arrived yet, I moved the one from the garage upstairs. Still running wireless, but with the help of my father in law, successfully drilled the hole up through cabinetry in the office through the ceiling to the attic space where it leads to the listening room. Ordered 75' CAT6 cable.

The Touch / DAC7 clearly has a more organic sound that the GamuT. Stage width is wider and instrument placement within the soundstage is more precise. The top end is noticeably better rendered. The GamuT's op amp analog output stage sounds a bit dry and clinical by comparison. The DAC7 better resolves the decay of HF content.

All in all, I am very pleased. The new arrangement is not only better sounding, but far more convenient. I suspect that I will be "rediscovering" a lot of recordings upstairs using the random feature - as I do now in the garage. The only bummer is yesterday, I discovered a problem with one of the VTL amps. It ate one if its 600V B+ fuses and output tube V7. I replaced the 6550 tube with an older one left over from the last retubing and it took that one out too, along with another fuse.

Unfortunately, something is amiss...