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need help regarding new Ayon spirit iii

Hiya all.. I am a newbie to this forum and need some advice on a new Ayon Spirit iii amplifier that I have purchased.

My old setup consists of :

Musical Fidelity A3cr Preamp and A3.2cr Power amp (130 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms);
Arcam Diva CD72 Cd player;
KEF Q900 speakers  (8 Ohms);
Marantz na6006 Streamer

I purchased the preamp/power amp and Cd player in 2001, and the KEF speakers in 2018. The Ayon Spirit iii amplifier is my first purchase of a Tube amplifier and I am mostly very happy with it, the problem I have is that my old setup seems to be significantly better in the pace, rhythm, and bass departments. This is causing me a little dilemma as the pace and rhythm of the old setup is very very addictive, I understand that SS excels in these areas and its grip/power on my current speakers is amazing, on the other hand the Ayon amp seems quite 'shy' in this regard.

I believe that the speakers I have are not a suitable match for the Ayon and this is where my issue(s) really begin. I have auditioned the Klispch Forte speakers and was initially very impressed but after a short time my ears felt very fatigued, which I found strange since a Emotiva 40 watt tube amp was powering the speakers. I was drawn to the Forte speakers because of it's high sensitivity and very positive reviews and I cannot find any other speakers which are NOT Horned based that have sensitivity above 93db. 

Can anyone kindly recommend suitable floor standing speakers that are above 93db sensitivity, are NOT Horned based, and NOT classified as Monitor speakers.

Also can any tube amp owner  (Ayon Spirit owners preferably) give me  some tips on how to get the best out of their amp (i.e. tube rolling and the best types of tubes to use) as I am a complete novice and feel a bit overwhelmed.

Cheers Guys and Gals









primarykey1
jond's avatar
jond
5,810 posts
 
You should check out Audio Note speakers their AN-E floorstander is 94dB sensitive an easy impedance and full range. They are designed to be powered by tube amps. Though a floorstander they do sound best on short stands.

https://www.audionote.co.uk/an-e-speakers


Not sure your budget but they are in the $12K range and up depending on options. They do show up used fairly often there is a pair on here now:

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9e7bd-audio-note-an-e-lx-full-range

No relation to the seller just a happy Audio Note speaker owner, the slightly smaller AN-J model.
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
Former Ayon Spirit owner. It’s been some time, so I cannot advise on specific tubes to roll other than saying that doing so will be worthwhile.

First, get the speaker. Evaluate it with the stock Ayon Spirit III and only then start with tube rolling.

In terms of speaker recommendation, consider Tekton Design. I’d look strongly at their Perfect SET speaker, for starters ($1,800 delivered). Your music genres and overall sound performance preferences (depending) might change my recommendation towards another model in their line up.

You’ve got a great amp. I’m sure you will be very happy once you choose the right speaker to pair it with.
bigshutterbug
383 posts
 
I have owned both an Ayon Spirit II and Spirit III amp for over 10 years now. I bought the new Spirit III, thinking it would be a sonic upgrade from the Spirit II. After comparing both, I found that I actually liked the sound of the Spirit II better, so I sold the Spirit III, and continue to enjoy the Spirit II. 
For my tastes, I prefer using the triode mode with the amp, for the fine details and ambience are more obvious. I also like the sound of the 8 ohm tap over the 4 ohm tap. For input tubes or driver tubes, try a pair of Amperex 7316's, which are very dynamic, detailed, and lively, with great highs. I would not suggest using them in all 4 positions, for it may get to be a bit forward sounding. I also like using the direct RCA input on the amp, if you already have an excellent sounding pre-amp, especially when listening at lower levels. 
I have tried many speakers with the amp, and have found that 91 db efficient 8 ohm speakers like my Reference 3A Episodes and De Cappo's are an excellent match with the Spirit II in the triode mode (approx. 35 w.p.c.) If you tend to listen at loud playback levels, or need to fill a big room with sound, you may want a much higher efficiency speaker. Hope this helps!
primarykey1 OP
7 posts
 
Hiya...and thanks for your feedback, I actually have not used Triode mode too much as my speakers do not seem to match the Ayon too well, I find there is too little volume in this mode, Pentode mode if a better match atm. What area(s) did you prefer the ii over the iii?...just curious 

I am new to tube rolling so I will check out the Amperex 7316's and do some trial and error.


Thanks again for your time 
bigshutterbug
383 posts
 
I used the exact same tubes in both the Spirit II and III, but found the sound of the Spirit II to be a bit more lively, with a little more detail and transient attack. I was comparing both amps when using the triode mode.
The pentode mode does have more bass weight and "punch", with twice the clean power of  course, but it does give up some texture, detail and ambience compared to the triode mode.
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