We need several different types of audio systems to test our products with to see how they react to different components. One of the systems we test with a low power amplifier mated with a relatively high efficiency speaker. After talking with many reviewers and colleages in the industry and doing many in-house tests we settled on the SoundKaos Wave40 speaker (thank you Srajan Eben) and the AYON Crossfire. Now I am not saying that either of these are the best products in their category. They are simply the products that we found to our liking.
You can learn more about the Wave40 speakers here if you interested.
http://www.soundkaos.com/
All three of these amplifiers had similar resolution and clarity: First Watt, Berning and the Ayon. I would use any of them without hesitation. The Ayon has a bit more power than the First Watt and the Wave40 speakers are only 91db efficient so that little extra power was appreciated. What the Ayon did that the others did not was in its lower registers. It has a more fully bodied sound quality and a sense of more dynamic power. And I am not talking about the infamous tube "bloom". I am talking about great bass definition and micro to macro dynamic speed and power. This is why I ultimately chose it for our reference system.
I would say the Ayon is typical in its heat output for a single-ended tube amp. Not even close to hot just warm.
Hi Caelin,
thank you for that information, looking at this pce how do you turn it on and off. Mine wouldn't be sitting like yours but instead on a stand as per in my signature picture.
So would you say it would be save to place on the second or bottom shelf - the heat transmitted not being an issue.
I'm read allot of your normal audiopile check offs when I have been checking further into this specific pce but what about over all engagement, does it draw one "immerse" into the actual performance - not reading much id anything about that. Tonality - how's that along with being musical. Is it a pce that you can listen with hours or more fatiguing due to being too detailed. Does the bass offer timbre within, not mechanical sounding. Are the transformers dead quiet, no noise coming from the speakers.
Thanks again