Ayon Audio Spirit III Review – HiFi Review

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AMPLIFIER AYON AUDIO SPIRIT III

At the request of the company, Spirit of the third generation has revised PCB layout, a new scheme for automatically adjusting the grid bias currents, a more powerful transformer, capable, in addition to KT88, also support the KT120, and twice increased ratings of capacitors in the filter supply. Output lamps operate in triode mode in pure class A or pentode mode class AB; total lack of environmental protection. Ayon Audio makes a distinct emphasis on the audiophile approach, the shortest signal path, selected high-quality passive components, etc.. Details like ceramic sockets for lamps with beryllium copper contacts made on special order, add gloss design. Also refers to a large twin transformer power supply and summing to filaments output tubes stabilized DC voltage with the throttle filter.

Four weekend KT88sx also registered. These lamps are effectively called Black Treasure and from serial differ somewhat different technical parameters, gold mesh and polymer-coated glass tubes, absorbing internal reflection from the glass bulb. Four Driver double triode 12AU7, two per channel – Russian production, Tung-Sol. Installation option, auto-calibration and automatic support for further values of the bias current (to allow other output tubes) available through the five-way switch Bias-ref. The factory position number 3, it meets the standard set of KT88.

All-aluminum enclosure with rounded edges, made of sheet 6 mm thick, has a number of ventilation slots and provides effective cooling of the interior space – even after several hours of continuous operation amplifier heats up much less than expected. Visually, the combination of black aluminum and numerous shining chrome parts more dominant, although it looks very fashionable. Spirit III has the most varied and high-quality switchgear test set, including an interesting speaker terminals, which are made in the form of a gilded sleeves, taking the blade and bananas with fixation. Separately, there are outputs for connecting speakers with an impedance of 4 and 8 ohms.

Listening to the Spirit III, we started with pentode mode switching output tubes. Once there was a thick rich sound with an emphasis on the body tone, with large images of tools and well manifested breathing. Although individual tools let horn, just hit an abundance of rhythmic parts and overtones. It is a pity that the upper and lower frequency range were not as clear. Chill and measured, unhurried and a complete lack of field – the motto held acquaintance with Austrian dandy.

When you switch to triode mode returns to the bass became more ephemeral. But all in general sounded more accurate and light, verhushechki sounds better painted, and had the feeling that they are placed on top of the musical canvas with a fine brush. Decreased significantly “syrup” flavor, and increased mobility of the sound. From the point of view of the maximal information transmission complex classical recordings triode mode we liked – as a more accurate, transparent and giving direction of musical lines. As the reverse side of the coin sounds ceased to be so textured and somewhat pale.

Ayon Audio Spirit III Amplifier photo