???Anyone Here UpGrade From Yaqin/Cayin/etc... To Another Tube Amp Considered Hi End???


Say something from Ayon,BAT,AR,Raven,Rogue,Unison etc....
Did you gain anything from the upgrade?Lower noise floor increasing low level resolution?Tighter more defined imaging & staging?Anything?
freediver
I've got the Cayin USA A55T Mark III integrated.  I don't know that I need anything better.  It replaced a Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum 1.  The Cayin is better in every way.
I came across the Mastersound "Box


@freediver   Take the leap with Mastersound. 

I think that the Unison is a nice 'conventional' class AB/ PP design. They are a good company and I do not doubt their Triode 25 is a good sounding amplifier. If I were choosing between the two options I'd take "the leap"  (as David put it)  toward the Mastersound. It just seems the more exciting and better (IMO) circuit/approach.

Charles

I am a little surprised by devilboy’s experience with the Raven Audio Blackhawk MK3. I have one and I have loved it from the moment I first inserted it into my system. Also, this is the first time I recall anyone saying any of the Raven products are overhyped, though of course I can’t possibly have read everything that is out there, but still I have read a lot of it and have yet to find much if any negative feedback about them. Everyone’s setup and sound preferences are different so I am not questioning the validity of devilboy’s experience with the BH in his room and with his other components, but as I said it is just not what I ever expected to hear. 
My experience with gear stepping up from Cayin/Yaqin/Connsonance-Opera/PrimaLuna, etc... is that you get significantly better transformers in the higher end amps. This shows up most at the frequency extremes and in terms of noise.

The higher end amps will be more linear in their frequency response, especially at high frequencies.   Also, they will have tighter bass and better control over the drivers. This deliver a bigger and more immersive soundstage. 

This also shows up with less transformer noise and less noise at the speaker binding posts. With Art Audio this is critical because we are regularly paired with speakers that are ultra-efficient. What is completely inaudible in a speaker with an SPL of 88dB is loud with an SPL of 107dBs.