Does anyone know how the Triton Ref and 1 compare to the def tech 8080 towers, which were also designed by Sandy Gross? Would there be a significant improvement in detail/ clarity, sound stage, and imaging?

Without any first-hand experience in your definitive technology speaker , I would say absolutely it would be a huge improvement because, among other reasons, Sandy Gross has evolved in his understanding of speaker design that much further from the days of definitive technology relative to Golden Ear.