The Lumin S1 is not quite as warm as the less expensive A1 if your taste goes towards more warmth, the Lumin is amazing.
It also depends on how you were demoing the Lumin NAS or direct connection, the Lumin sounds amazing over a network connection and not as good as a direct connection via USB.
The Lumin sounds amazing, we had a customer trade in a #18k DCS Puccini in on the Lumin which outperformed the DCS.
If you want the sound of tubes an amazing tube based dac the Aqua Hifi La Scala driven by an Auralic Aeries would be a world beating combination and cost considerably less then the Ayon.
It also depends on how you were demoing the Lumin NAS or direct connection, the Lumin sounds amazing over a network connection and not as good as a direct connection via USB.
The Lumin sounds amazing, we had a customer trade in a #18k DCS Puccini in on the Lumin which outperformed the DCS.
If you want the sound of tubes an amazing tube based dac the Aqua Hifi La Scala driven by an Auralic Aeries would be a world beating combination and cost considerably less then the Ayon.