September 2016


Best Of 2016 Blue Note Equipment Awards

Ayon Audio Crossfire EVO Monoblock Power Amplifier
Price: €22,500 / pair with AA62B, €25,000 / pair with AA82B
Click here to read the complete review.

  "I have been using Ayon's preamplifiers for few years now, including all three versions of Polaris linestage and Spheris III," says Enjoy the Music.com reviewer Wojciech Pacuła. "I chose it after listening to many top preamplifiers from many different brands. Although there were some other very tempting options, it was decided that this Austrian product offered the most convincing set of features and very amazing performance. For this review of the Crossfire EVO came the signal from their Spheris III via unbalanced Acoustic Revive cables (from their latest Triple-C FM line). Signal from my CD player to linestage was delivered via Siltech Double Crown interconnects. Speaker cables were my trusted Tara Labs Omega Onyx. Amplifiers were placed on Acoustic Revive RST-38H platforms and additionally on Franc Audio Accessories Ceramic Discs – I had to use these as the length of amplifiers was slightly bigger than each platform."

Ayon Audio Crossfire EVO amplifiers' operation is completely silent as after one hour of use you'd have to place your ear very close to a driver tube to hear a very quiet noise, in part generated by a linestage. During all that time with amplifiers there was never had any problems, neither with starts, nor with any stage of operation. Fit and finish is simply fantastic!

Ayon Audio's Crossfire EVO vacuum tube monoblock amplifier delivers a better performance than any other amplifier Gerhard ever created previously. It combines the virtues of push-pull, SET and solid-state. Everything is mixed in proper proportions, perfectly working together. Actually, it would be difficult to point out which features of the sound came from which type of a design, as the amplifier's performance is simply perfect and thus couldn't care less about losing time for in-depth analyses to find that out. The Crossfire EVO delivers an amazingly rich, tuneful sound with tonal balance set lower then usual. It is highly resolving and wonderfully defined while it impresses with a leading edge and explosive dynamics.

Despite relatively low output power, it is able to drive large loudspeakers to a high SPL. In a large room, with particularly 'difficult' speakers, it might not work that well and these are things we have to accept with 35 watts of output power. If we manage to keep proper proportions, which are not influenced by some preconceptions, we'll be thrilled with the remarkable way these Crossfire EVO amplifiers drive our loudspeakers. This, along with Ayon Audio's Spheris III linestage, are the best devices Ayon Audio has released during the last, say, 10 years. These monoblock amplifiers are also one of the best Wojciech Pacuła ever experienced within his listening room. Absolutely beautiful, remarkable sound!

Click here to read the complete review.

Previous Annual Blue Note Awards

Product of the Year Awards 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 2001.