Интегральные усилители — Ayon Audio Ayon Crossfire EVO

The Ayon Crossfire EVO is a tube integrated amp made by the Austrian maker Ayon Audio, built as a single-ended design running in pure Class A. It sits in the EVO integrated family next to the Triton Evo and the Crossfire Evo Delta, and a separate Crossfire Evo Mono version exists as well. Buyers can order the front and top in a black finish or in chrome, and Ayon supplies a remote with it.

Key specs that matter

Two AA62B power triodes deliver 2 x 30 W, and the output transformer has taps for both 4 and 8 ohm loads. Ayon quotes a frequency range of 8 Hz to 40 kHz at -3 dB, or 8 Hz to 35 kHz at 0 dB, and 98 dB of signal to noise measured at full power. Global negative feedback is 0 dB. Input impedance is 100 kOhm at 1 kHz. At the back sit three RCA line inputs, one XLR socket for balanced sources, one direct input that bypasses the volume stage and one preamplifier output. The case measures 52 x 42 x 25 cm and the amplifier weighs 46 kg on its own, rising to 55 kg once packed for transport.

Engineering and use context

Supply regulation relies on a 5U4G rectifier valve and draws on two separate insulated power transformers. Filtering uses a dual choke arrangement for the output stage and another dual choke for the preamplifier and driver circuits. Ayon winds its own wide bandwidth output transformer for this model. No transistors or other solid state parts sit in the audio path, while the volume control is handled by a microcontroller that switches an analogue resistor ladder, operated from the front panel knob or from the handset. A dual grounding arrangement, switchable and based on one central star earth, lets the owner choose the grounding scheme that suits the rest of the system. At switch on, a soft start routine sequences the supply over roughly one minute before the output valves are fully loaded, which is meant to protect the tubes. Through the direct input an outboard preamplifier can take over level control so the Crossfire EVO works purely as a stereo power stage, and through the pre out it can instead feed a second power amplifier, for example to bi-amplify speakers or to add an active subwoofer.

Pairing

A zero feedback single-ended output stage of this power suits loudspeakers with high sensitivity whose impedance stays fairly flat in a room of about 20 m2. The single XLR socket accepts a balanced source like a disc player or converter, and turntable owners must add an outboard phono preamplifier since the Crossfire EVO has no phono input.

Alternatives

The Ayon Triton Evo is another integrated amplifier in the Ayon EVO series.