I went from latest CJ act generation to CAT black path. So I actually compared the older cj to cat directly on multiple amps... and CJ sounds much more euphonic than cat. This is a subjective hobby, and I like cat a lot better. and, of course cj has its fan boys also.
And a couple more things. First, sure, everyone likes their stuff. It's a journey, and folks found the experience they are crazy about (ARC, CAT, CJ, VTL, Magico, Wilson, etc.). In some cases the love affair lasts a long time, in some cases it's a few years until people get sick of a sound and want something better or different. It's a hobby, and there is nothing wrong with it.
Second, the terms people describe the gear like "real" and "natural" are meaningless. Take a review by Jon Valin and Art Dudley, strip out the brand names like Magico or Audio Note each one loves, and it's hard to tell each guy's writing apart. Inside their mind's imagination, it's all "real" and "natural". Audio terms only make sense in comparison to other gear. When reviewers don't do their job and compare, they are filthy, disgusting mother fukkers. Make you waste precious time, and , of course, hard earned money. While they got their gear for free so they can market it. No different than any fanboys , just promoting their favorite brand. So I think you are doing great job of looking past the enthusiasm of fanboys for relative differences to narrow down your search.
Good Luck!