Wanting to try a tube amp.

Ayon is a great 1st tube integrated for a couple reasons 
it’s the Only microprocessor controlled amp that you calibrate by pushing a button it monitors each tube, and it s not a cheap auto bias system where a resistive network averages voltage and aging to all tubes , Ayons patented  system  literally adjusts each tube to be at its optimum, and if a tube does blow
no big surge to take a a transformer or circuit ,it just goesinto stand by
and a led light will tell you what tube is bad ,shut down wait 15 minutes
put in new tube hold bias button for 30 seconds it takes a few minutes to calibrate then your back up and running ,also a transformer kand chokes is the heart  of a vacuum tube amp,preamp, Ayon uses world class Lundahl chokes and transformers , I know of No other company in the $5k range that uses chokes and transformers of this quality. I have owned 2 of these with -0:issues.

Good choice on the PL. Will be interesting to hear your thoughts. I think PL can be the tube gateway drug. At least it was for me. My tube journey started with PL then to a Line Magnetic LM508 and now with a Canary M90. Also tried amps from Odyssey, Peachtree, Van Alstine, PS Audio, Linear Tube Audio, and a small tube integrated from Tektron along the way. All good, and sometimes great, but I'm considering going back to a PL Evo300 amp. Before I do I have a used Mastersound EL-34 integrated on the way that I want to use while my preamp gets serviced. I've also been wanting to check out Mastersound so this will be a good time to do it. It might end up staying in my main system or office. However, my wife keeps telling me her favorite overall was the Primaluna, and she has better hearing than me. I also thought I could live with that amp forever and be happy. For some reason, while other amps have sounded better in some ways, none have given me the enjoyment that my PL did. Maybe it was because it was my first tube amp and my "benchmark," so in the end I may end up pretty much back where I started.

Yeah I'm not going to chase a bunch of different amps. I'm no audiophile in any sense. I just like great sound. I'm not needing to hear the breath between words or the sound of every pick on the guitar string. I do like good bass. That's why I bought the Golden Ears. The ARC puts out good bass also. I just want an Amp that is easy to use. This seems to fit the bill. No guess work and it's not that expensive. Plus I know where the seller is.

I had ARC gear, including the Ref 40th and then the ARC Ref. 10.  About 4 years ago I started switching to Octave.  First the MRE 220 Monos and then the Jubilee preamp.

Octave amps with the additional capacitance provided by the Super Black Box ("SBB") will drive any speaker, irrespective of the load challenges.  More importantly, Octave gear represents the best of both design worlds: the transient speed, inner detail and punch of solid state and the bloom, realism and atmosphere that only valves can produce.

There RE 320 is an incredible stereo amp and only requires a single SBB.  It will amaze.  One of the members in our local audio club has one and it is the envy of our group.

Audio Hungary I-20 , nice unit ""but"" the price is going up.