Are AYON Amps popular in the high end community?

I purchased a new Ayon Spirit III a handful of years ago, it arrived with a remote that only worked intermittently. I opened a case with support, didn’t get an acceptable answer and returned it as a result.

As compared with other tube amps I’ve owned, I preferred products by Rogers High Fidelity (US Made and local to me) and Air Tight (Japanese made and the finest amp I've owned).

If I recall correctly, the Spirit was designed in Europe and manufactured in China.

Ayon manufactures very good audiophile quality gear.

That said, their service is abysmal.  Only one distributor/dealer is available in the USA, and unfortunately, the owner is a jerk (really, a super jerk) - so much so, that I could not even get other dealers to obtain an item from Ayon to sell to me.  The dealers did not want to interact with this guy.  How quickly a bad reputation spreads!

I sent an email notice to AYON International - three times, all with no response.  Even great gear needs to be supported properly to be considered great gear, and this owner of Ayon USA simply does not care about anyone or anything except, presumably, his own bottom line.

I have had an Ayon Spirit 2 integrated amp for several years, it's presently in my 2nd system. The amp has been 100% trouble free, it's well  built and sounds very good . I purchased mine from USA Tube Audio which still carries them. Ayon is not a run of the mill brand

@aberyclark Excellent amps.  Well made.  Full of features. Sound great.  Lots of power and no real weaknesses.  good sounstage.  They have US support in PHoenix at USA Tube Audio.

I've gone down the SET rabbit hole and selling all my push pull amps so mine will be for sale soon, watch the classifieds.  One things nice that most amps don't have is a tube fault indicator.  If you have a tube issue, they have a light system that will tell you which one.

Lots of chrome which seems very flashy but looks good in person.

Jerry

https://www.audiogon.com/systems=AYON

..I always buy from a manufacturer from US.....a much easier repair.  Surely sound is important, but US has great stuff.

@carlsbad2 What are your thoughts?

They are more popular in Europe.  I have one.  I bought it iand had it shipped here from Cyprus. 

I’ve been in this hobby since the early 80’s and had not heard of them, but I am not much into tubes other than for preamps and guitar amps. They just don’t have that low end power that I enjoy, not to mention the inconvenience of the maintenance. I looked at the AYON website and they seem pretty nice though. Maybe I’m alone in not being familiar with the brand, but personally, I’d go with a more well-known brand whose sound signature/ voicing I was familiar with, unless they offer at least a 30-day in-home trials with a no questions asked refund policy.  Just my thoughts...