while not familiar with primare, i can say that i got into ayre seperates about a year and a half ago. i am very satisfied with ayre. i also recently sent in my preamp for the MP upgrade, these guys provide top notch service at a reasonable price, and answer the phone when you call. for me ayre has won me over.
Ayre vs Primare
I'm still looking for a new integrated amp. I currently have an Exposure 2010S2 driving Spendor A6's with a Sony 5400ES SACD player as my source. I have moved my system from a large living room downstairs to a smaller room upstairs so there is no longer a need for a high powered amp. My two candidates are the Ayre AX-7e and the Primare I30. Deep controlled bass and extended highs, while nice to have, are not as important to me as a natural, transparent musical presentation. Another reason these two amps are on my short list is because they have balanced inputs. Also, as a long shot I might add the NAD M3 to my list. I've searched the net, but can't find a direct comparison between the Ayre and the Primare.