Why are Ayon tube amps not mentioned very often?

Because not many people can afford them?

You don't see their speakers mentioned often either. I suppose for the same reason.

I've read a couple of times that their customer service after the sale sucks.

Verygood products I have bought 2 of them
Many don’t know they use world class Lundahl transformers, and chokes, and the only true microprocessor controlled tube biasing 
that monitors each individual output  tube for optimum voltage ,
when a tube does go it will go into standby  and a led will show the faulty tube , you just replace it ,hit  the recalibrate button 
and all is well.

True. Lots of companies like that don’t get a lot of press or attention here. Maybe in Europe and asia its different?  What about octave audio in Germany?  Great stuff.  Tough sell here, though.  To sell in US at scale, you need some serious marketing (Primaluna, for example).  Glad you found your satisfaction, OP.

Ask This Forum, before you Buy or get anything!  Great for Multiple Opinions..   Forget about the Marketing and Press Crap.. Listen to the users..  Be Precise, Clear and to the Point..  Your Solution will Be Provided.  Not wishhy washy,  "What do You Want, How Much do you want to spend?   The Delta's are so Vast, that That Helps..

Sorry for my Direct Attitude, just that I would love to participate more in these forums, yet I think sometimes people are lonely and just want conversation ??  with bibble bable -- not sure, yet again sorry for being direct.. yet makes Cents to Me..

I was the same tried several other brands then found a great deal on a used Ayon Orion 11... never looked back. Replaced a $15k pre power and is awesome. 
US importer is Phoenix and has been great for info and support. 

I am actually in home trialing two Ayon CD players at the moment.  I never heard the brand before but ran across them at a local dealer.  Am quite taken aback by both.  Ayon makes some great looking and performing products.  As always though it’s about the marketing.  If a company does not get the marketing and distribution right, no matter how good the products, they will remain always in the distant background

Truthfully, I feel it has something to do with their methods of distribution. A little too much exclusivity!  I believe that at the minimum, they should be represented by distributors located in at least 3 regions and cities that are accessible to audio enthusiasts, to be able to audition, in concert with a few exceptional loudspeaker products. AYON, under a different marketing name, also produces an exceptional line of loudspeakers that have almost no representation in the US.  In my opinion, AYON has developed some of the most musically sophisticated. electronics offered in the world market today. PRICEY;  - -  YES!  Yet, when compared to their competition, no more so that other electronics that actually don't offer as much true audible satisfaction for the dollar spent. Their CD players are also amazing. To the point where they have little or no competition. AYON also need to do a better job of representing their products at the big audio shows. For so many people, the audio shows nation wide, are the only place where people can get up close and personal with AYON and some other fine audio products, not readily available at dealers.

I've owned Ayon Triton II Integrated + Dynaudio C1 for 4 years and I just listen to it and do not mention anywhere :)
Really great sound which I do not have any desire to move from. Bought used as would not justify the price of a new one.

I bought a used Ayon Spirit III a year and a half ago, and I love it.  Best amp I've ever had by a mile.

Ayon makes great sounding components but as you climb up in their lineup, they get quite pricey. 

I bought an Ayon DAC and CD transport this past January.  The sound blew me away.  I never imagined CDs had so much detail/resolution.  I was using an ARC CD player before.  The equipment quality of build is outstanding and they perform flawlessly as in no quirks or hiccups.  I since added the RS9 music server running ROON with USB into the DAC.  Hi res music is astonishingly good.  I auditioned the DCS Bartok and was about to purchase when I decided to try the Ayon gear first.

I do not know of an audio equipment company called "Acoustic Research", but I love my Audio Research monoblock amplifiers. You also left McIntosh off of the list, which dwarfs the marketplace for tube equipment in the U.S. If you like Ayon then enjoy their products!

BiBBLE BABLE I personally love the directness! I enjoy a little more meat on the bone also

So many nice brands that lack advertisement or representation in some parts of the world, but that does not subtract of their sonic value. Ayon, Audia Flight, Lavardin, Norma, Mactone, Mulidine, to name a few, there are more others that cut it the same or better from the ones most people know or heard of.

I’m good with direct, but not the sarcastic sharpshooting and puffery. For various reasons, one of which I suspect as fragile self esteem, forums adopt a tough love mentality.

It’s a stereo site, not exactly a bloodthirsty hobby. Nobody is calling for the National Guard to control a rogue band of stereo enthusiasts. 
I bet we can lose the bite and make this site enjoyable rather than a person needing a Valium to muster up the courage to post. 
Toodles

I think Zesto Audio products look better than Ayon and they're made in the US. Anyone auditioning Ayon should also consider Zesto, especially for phono stages.

I have a Viva Solistino integrated Amp, but the Ayon Crossfire was a serious contender. That was before the Ayon dealer mentioned the cost to replace some of the tube's. 

They are not talked about because they are not reviewed and advertised enough in the big magazines because they are not paying the money to get reviewed and seen anymore all that much that is a big part of it and i am not surprised at all they are probably sick of playing the game.

@speakermaster,

I consistently see ads for Ayon  in TAS and Stereophile.  Where are you looking?

@stereo5 I think the OP is referring to the hallowed posts in this fine forum. Not many members discuss the brand and their likes and dislikes of the brand. 

@jerrg123,

I was replying to "speakermaster" who said they aren't advertised in the major audio magazines, which they certainly are.

Is this the same brand that has been winning the 'best of something something at some show' award for at least 10 years in a row?

Also take a look at MasterSound as they are the ones who started out building Ayon amps.

Agree, I have the Ayon Triton III and love the option to use it as a power amp or integrated. Rock solid and sounds great.  I think not more popular because there's only customer service in Arizona and the perception of high cost that keeps people away

Like I said, I am really enjoying my Ayon CD transport and DAC.  If I had more opportunities to audition their amps and preamps I would consider them.  They look fantastic.  I have had Audio Research preamps since 1988 and Pass Labs amps since 2002.  So I stick to what I know.  The Stealth XS DAC can serve as a preamp too.  I have tried it direct but found I prefer going through my Ref 5 SE preamp.  It’s a very small difference.  I still play vinyl and I like the Ref 2 SE phono and Ref 5 SE combo.  

Love my Triton III

Hey guys, thanks for all the responses. Because Ayon is not mentioned a lot I thought maybe some of the ones that were mentioned more often might be a better solution, so it’s nice to hear that so many people have had such a good results with them. All of the things you said made sense and I’m glad that I asked the community. I appreciate your time and I hope you have a good up-and-coming weekend!

hi gasnsteering, are you talking about USA Tube Audio in Arizona?  I've talked to Paul several times and he sounds nice and knowledgeable but also a salesman.  That's a bummer to hear about you negative service experience.  Thanks for posting.

Because they are overpriced and there are plenty of amps that are as good or better for less money.

hola ebm, 
what brands/models do you find comparable? have you owned ayon gear in the past?

grover30
I’ve had an Ayon Spirit 2 integrated amp in either one of my 2 systems for the last 12 years, really nice sounding, well built and completely trouble free. It is one of 3 integrated amps I use , the others a Line Magnetic 518IA and a Finale Audio 7189MK2. Is one better than the other , not really , each are well built and they are completely different sounding - one a KT88 push pull, one an 845 SET, one a 7189a/EL84M push pull.

Usually good deals to be had with Ayon.
Correct voltage for your country is paramount so careful with so called ‘grey imports’.

 I ran an Ayon Triton III (4th Gen) bought new from UK dist. so a 240v model in 2018.

 I found Ayon in Austria and UK very responsive to questions and felt there would be support if required. 
Astounding amp, amazing tech, I’ve no real experience of equivalent valve amp brands at that level, my previous valve amp experience, going back a few years, was a Manley Stingray, good but the Ayon Triton III on another level.

Elephant in the room is the weight at 45kg, deal with that! It’s a final solution 😃

I owned a Ayon Spirit mk3 great amp. That was about 5 years ago. Life threw me some curves and I recently put together a new system based around an Aestheix Mimas. Very very happy; tube front end and solid state output. It’s a real keeper! Don’t see any of them for sale either. 😀

I love my Ayon Triton and Ayon CD transport.  I have had countless listening sessions that stretched into hours long and joyful experiences. Beautiful gear that delivers remarkable sound. This rig lifted my speakers to new heights... 

Highly recommended gear, really a joy to listen to and interact with.

The US/AZ distributer is not the best choice for the brand or buyers, who would do better with more regional product support and showroom access. Current presale support is very good, but with gear this heavy, in-home auditioning becomes a three-ring circus without multiple family members to help position the gear on a rack! 

I own a Ayon DAC and transport and it is the best equipment I have owned. An older Ayon DAC I had broke down at 12 years old. I was the 3rd owner. Service was great. Ayon amps are solid built and sound great. I currently own CAT amps. They are 200 pound mono blocks. 

Has nothing to do with the quality of the product. This is a hobby of gear flippers for the most part. RE-SALE value is VERY important. Because of the lack of interest in Ayon (and many other brands) the resale value takes a huge hit from the initial purchase price. If your gonna flip gear often you cant afford to lose 40-50% every year or 2. Thats why many stick to brands that are always in demand REGARDLESS if its the best gear. (Mcintosh/Pass Labs/Harbeth/Luxman etc)
I know if I dont get a really good deal buying brand new (20-30% off MSRP) on stuff I want similar to AYON popularity (JM Reynaud, Graham, Simaudio, Sugden) Im gonna get killed ditching it down the road.  Even at those discounts Im still gonna incur probably a 20% Hit.

Ayon products are excellent. Not much chatter on Audiogon because owners are more interested in listening to their Ayon products then chatting.

I own and absolutely love a Spirit V integrated amp that sits on the top level of an Artesania Exoteryc rack with carbon fiber arms and beechwood discs and is connected to the wall with a Shunyata Sigma v2 NR l. The Spirit V drives my Trenner & Friedl Arts very well given the speakers aren’t too efficient—high quality, natural bass, mids, and highs. I would say the integrated with the stock power cord is very quiet, has a very low noise floor, natural timbre of instruments, and good separation of instruments. Adding the Sigma greatly lowers the noise floor and makes the music jump out of thin air—very spooky. There are some excellent, honest in practice reviews of the Spirit V online that can help guide curious buyers.

Depending on which speakers I purchase next, I will be going one of two directions in the next year or so: Triton EVO Integrated or Crossfire EVO Integrated.

As an aside, the owner of Ayon, Gerhard, is an absolute gentleman which makes buying his products that much more satisfying.

I have the Ayon Triton II and have the Ayon CD-5s CD player/preamp/dac as my pre-amp.  Years of experience in Audiophile components.  All I can say is with my Sonus Faber Amati Futura's, this system is simply astonishing.  By far the best sounding components I've ever had the pleasure of owning.  Triode mode is so open and warm.  Outstanding!! sound and build quality.  The system does get  warm as tube setups do and in my opinion takes about 20 minutes to bring sound full potential.  Note: Plug the Triton Amp into direct wall for best performance.  

 USA Tube Audio has superior knowledge and support.  Actually had emails from Gerhardt Hirt for room setup and general assistance sometime ago.   Wow! Couldn't ask for better assistance.   Very happy with my setup.  Mainly listen to digital sourcing.  CD's sound like analog and amazing with that dynamic range.  I also have the Oracle Paris for analog source with Primar preamp and Ortofon Cadenza  Bronze cartridge.  I've owned this gear since 2007.    Looking to get a Network player in the near future.