Integrateds: Luxman vs. Ayre?

This shootout is between the Luxman 507x and Ayre EX-8 2.0

Currently I own a Luxman 507x. Rather happy with it... but...

I use a separate streamer (Pi/Roon) and DAC (Mytek Brooklyn) for music and an external Anthem processor to feed it HT 2 channel.

My thinking is, the EX-8 would let me eliminate the DAC/streamer AND it has a separate sub out.

The issue is I've not heard the Ayre integrated, only the separates and I really like them, though they do seem to have a distinct sound to them.

Thoughts?

erik_squires01-11-2024 2:19pm

knotscott Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 908 posts 01-11-2024 at 03:46pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Haven't heard the Ayre integrated, but was a big fan of Charlie Hanson. I'd be shocked if it wasn't really good.
wharfy Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 316 posts 01-11-2024 at 04:11pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete The Ayre "house-sound" is neutral to the point that some people think it's "dry/analytic."
erik_squires OP Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 16,020 posts 01-11-2024 at 04:15pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I don’t find Ayre necessarily neutral. It has it’s own ... almost noise cancelling ... signature. It’s hard to explain it. Maybe the imaging is superior and lets you hear more into the recording as if it ignores the room? I can’t really describe it... but I find it’s audibly different. Maybe it's excessively quiet? I'm afraid words really kind of fail me to encapsulate what I've heard in the past.