So this delightful Globe Live 3 of mine has been a sweet commuter for over 6 years now, but the OEM Avid brakes have always been noisy, annoying, and lately maybe leaky. Every time the bike is laid on its side or turned upside-down, the left (front) brake has air in the line and stops working until I break out the bleed kit and refresh the darn thing.



So I want to install some really swank brakes and fresh rotors on it. My questions:

Are all hydraulic brakes compatible across brands?
Any issues with lining up the pads & rotors?

And who makes the swankest, most bulletproof, (not necessarily lightest), money-is-no-object hydraulic brakes now?
I'll hunt down NOS Shimano Saints if you think they're compatible.

Thanks for any guidance!