although Im not convinced, yet, that it beats the others on the list?
Perrew (Answers)
Describe what someone could say in a discussion thread that would convince you? I suspect the answer will be nothing.
The point being, only you can determine which is best in your system, with your preferences, and with your loudspeakers.
Pick your loudspeakers first. Then, pick an integrated that will properly drive them.
High sensitivity, flat impedance loudspeakers will open up the possibilities to include many tubed integrated amps in addition to solid state and digital amps.
If you prefer conventional dynamic loudspeakers with an impedance curve that has several peaks and dips, then they will likely be driven most effectively with a solid state or digital integrated amplifier that doubles output as impedance is halved.
Of all the "top" integrated amps, none will necessarily beat any other. It's the speaker/amp match that matters, not the component alone.