Ayon audio Ayon Spheris III
The Ayon Spheris III delivers a lyrical, emotionally involving tube presentation, pairing expressive tone with a remarkably expansive soundstage. Hifi Statement heard an unusually convincing recreation of Carnegie Hall’s scale and atmosphere, while the separate power supply, balanced connectivity and rare balance control make this a seriously specified reference linestage.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
85/100
Build Quality
83/100
Features Connectivity
87/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Expressive, lyrical tonal character that makes acoustic instruments especially emotionally engaging.
Exceptional sense of space and ambience, convincingly conveying the scale and atmosphere of a large concert hall.
Useful high-end control and connectivity package, including a balance control and separate preamplifier/power-supply chassis.
Cons
The substantial two-box design demands considerable rack space and handling effort.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 85/100
The available listening impressions portray the Spheris III as emotionally compelling and unusually effective at conveying recorded atmosphere. Review coverage is limited, however, with direct comments concentrated on its lyrical tone and spatial presentation rather than a full assessment of resolution and dynamic range.
Transparency Resolution
78/100
The review does not directly assess fine-detail retrieval, transparency, or the perceived silence of the background in playback. Its discussion of low-noise tube requirements describes the design brief rather than a reported listening result.
Tonal Balance Musicality
92/100
Hifi Statement calls Chet Baker's trumpet through the Spheris III "pure goosebump music," praising its soft, lyrical character. That response suggests a highly expressive, natural presentation with strong emotional involvement.
Dynamics
78/100
The supplied review material says little about macro swing, transient impact, or low-level dynamic shading. There are no reported concerns, but there is also no direct listening evidence to establish the preamp's dynamic capabilities.
Soundstage Imaging
92/100
The Carnegie Hall recording is described as placing trumpet and bass in a seemingly huge space, with the silent audience and distinctive atmosphere conveyed wonderfully. This points to a particularly convincing sense of scale, ambience, and recording-space retrieval.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
83/100
The Spheris III uses separate full-size preamplifier and power-supply chassis, together weighing roughly 43 kg in the reviewed sample. This substantial two-box execution suggests serious physical engineering, although the review offers little direct comment on fit, finish, controls, or long-term reliability.
Features Connectivity
87/100
Connectivity includes balanced XLR input and output, two RCA outputs, a tape output, and a balance control in addition to volume and source selection. The separate AC ReGenerator power supply is an unusual and potentially useful part of the package, though there is no built-in DAC, headphone section, or stated phono-stage provision in the supplied specifications.
Value for Money
85/100
At $42,200, the Spheris III occupies a rarefied high-end market where buyers will expect exceptional system matching and performance. None of the supplied reviews directly addresses whether it represents strong value against similarly priced preamplifiers.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
No reviews found yet
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Tube Preamplifier
- Ayon Spheris III – Linestage
- Class of Operation
- Pure Class A, Triode-Pentode
- Tube Complement
- C3M
- Maximum Output (at 1 kHz )
- 40V rms
- S/N ratio
- > 98 dB
- Input Impedance
- > 1MOhm
- Output Impedance
- 30 Ohm
- Frequency Response / Line
- 0.5Hz – 500kHz
- Harmonic Distortion (at 1V ) Line
- < 0.01%
- Harmonic Distortion (at 1V ) Phono
- < 0.1%
- Input
- x Line RCA, 1 x Bal XLR
- Output
- 2 x RCA 1 x XLR 1 x Tape out
- AC~ ReGenerator
- max. 300 W
- Frequency
- 60Hz
- Dimensions Pre (WxDxH) cm
- 50x43x11 cm
- Dimensions ReGenerator P.S. (WxDxH) cm
- 50x43x11 cm
- Weight (Pre & Power Supply)
- 47 kg
Manufacturer's Description — Ayon audio
Ayon Spheris III Tube Preamp – Linestage
Features & Design
2 Chassis full-featured Class A – triode/pentode single-ended & true balanced vacuum- tube stereo preamplifier
Unique new pure vacuum tube-circuit design with single gain stage and incorporates only one coupling capacitor at its output stage
“Limited production”
Vacuum Tubes
The choice of signal and power tubes have a significant influence on the sound, and hence, on the inspiration and joy of listening. This is not only the decision between good and bad tubes, but also the interaction of the different types of tubes and their combination, that are used in the various Ayon amplifiers.
- Special tubes for stereo line-amplification ( tube life min. 10000 hrs )
Signal Path
We believe that the simplest circuits work best together with the shortest signal path. The shorter the signal path is, the less possibility of sonic degradation from various sources, including the wire itself. Even on the circuit boards, the copper traces are kept to a very minimum length. The completely redesigned circuit board provides a more straightforward and direct approach to the signal paths.
*Ultra short signal path
*Simplest direct circuit path for purest musical sound and high reliability
*Very low output impedance to drive any tube or solid state power amp
*No solid state devices in the signal path
*High current and low impedance design that operates tubes in the best areas their curves
*Minimal discrete wiring for optimum signal propagation
*No followers or buffers in the signal path
*High quality parts throughout
*0dB negative feedback (of any kind )
*All line inputs – impedance > 1MOhm
*Selector switch engages relays located near RCA jacks to switch all inputs
*Special alloy solder used for the best electrical connection
AC~ReGenerator – Power Supply
The power supplies have been further refined with new components and enhanced AC line noise filtration. Separate power transformers, chokes and filters provide total isolation between the input and output stages which makes this a pure power source. We also use electrolytic capacitors with much larger storage capacity to make up for the loss in filtering when using resistors in lieu of inductors.
*Tube rectified power supply with built in AC ~ Regenerator
*Regenerated AC power and low distortion sine wave
*Superior noise reduction
*2 separate low noise –insulated power transformers
*Power transformers are encased, excellent damped and RFI/EMI ultra-shielded
*Innovative power supply provides a high speed energy delivery on transients
*Triple choke filtered power supply for power tubes
*Separate and isolated power supplies over each stage of amplification
*Regulated DC filament supplies with soft-start power up for extended tube life
*AC power line filter to avoid noise and hash from entering into the unit.
*High capacitance energy storage.
*Frequency meter (60Hz)
Dual Grounding System
The modification of the grounding topology leads to increased rejection of noise from the power supply and other areas. The dual grounding topology used in all of our amplifiers is quite unique to the whole hi-end tube amplification industry. Such extensive topology provides for quieter backdrop from which the music can unfold in its entirety. It further establishes the quick and controlled bass response and the full bodied expression of the high frequency. The ground leg of the signal has not been neglected and given meticulous attention in its implementation. The importance of proper grounding cannot be over emphasized.
*Ground switch
*Central one-point star earth grounding
*Dual grounding system (switchable)
Components
The type of parts used therefore must have a synergistic relationship to the circuit they are placed in. It is this relationship of which type of part to use where, that sets our products apart from the masses.
*Ultra selected, absolute best quality passive components used in all applications
*High speed & high quality audiophile grade coupling capacitors
*Special tube sockets with beryllium- copper spring pins, custom made by Ayon
*WBT / High quality – RCA input jack
*Neutrik/Swiss – XLR chassis connectors
*Special isolated – internal wiring
*Premium internal signal cable uses ultra pure, soft annealed copper and super low loss insulation
*Gold-plated industrial grade PCB
*Elma/Swiss – Input selector switches
*VTC – “volume transformer control”, 4 channels / 42 position – electronic-relay system, custom made by ayon
*This stepped volume control system has a channel balance within +/- 0.05dB.
*Tantalum – The best sounding precision special resistors 0,5% are used everywhere, best resolution and lowest noise.
*Rifa – Long life capacitors
Mechanical Construction
The high grade aluminum chassis impart a richer, more lustrous tonality with a cleaner background and less hash and grain. All brushed anodized anti-vibration-resonance and non-magnetic chassis’s are fully hand assembled to insure the highest level of craftsmanship.
*Improved heat ventilation chassis
*Backlit front panel displays indicate level attenuation & input selection
*3 Platinum knobs with backlit glass pivot, custom-made by Ayon
*The aluminium feet are resonance absorbing types
*All front & rear panel descriptions are engraved
*Ground switch
*AC phase polarity control indicator
*Volume & Mute function – RC
*Metal remote commander
*Chassis finish: black / chrome
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Ayon audio Ayon Spheris III
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- Absolute Hi End — in-store — Ormond, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Ambiance Concert — in-store — Angers, Pays de la Loire, France (website)
- AMPL’HIFI — online and in-store — Nîmes, Occitanie, France (website)
- Audio Gallery — online and in-store — Las Rozas de Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Audio Vinyl — online and in-store — Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (website)
- AUIDOtrend — in-store — Kraków, Województwo małopolskie, Poland (website)
- Ayon audio USA — in-store — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States (website)
- Chameleon Audio — online — Greece (website)
- Class A Audio — in-store — Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia (website)
and 19 more verified dealers
