Grannyring, something about your post doesn't sit right...
First, you know well that Schiit sells direct, so there are no dealers where people can "listen before buying", unless they get lucky and know someone else in their city that bought one. So why say that?
But second, and more importantly, Schiit has a 15-day return policy, with a very modest restock fee, so in fact it's already established that people CAN listen before buying. And in actuality, every single purchase is a 15-day audition before it becomes an actual final transaction. So listening before buying is built in, and goes without saying.
As for knowing 3 guys who all have good ears...I know guys too, but I've never accompanied any of them to an Audiologist and/or asked to see the results of their hearing examination.
But I'm sure the Luxman sounds fantastic, I have no doubt about that. It's also $5K, more than double the price of the Schiit Dac. But what's an extra $2700 between friends, right?
Full disclosure: I do not now nor have I ever owned a Schiit product, and I have no plans to purchase one in the immediate future. But I do enjoy DAC discussions, walks in the moonlight, puppies wearing hats, and strawberry flavored cream cheese.