A few people asked why there is no entry about Audion yet – especially those people who were at my place to listen to loudspeakers or follow YT.
In my home I had several dozen amplifiers in the budget of PLN 3-100,000 … Audions have been my reference for nearly 3 years. As if I didn’t want to cheat and jump into something else / better … This is how it always ends up returning to Audion.
These monoblocks have everything a good amplifier should have. I am one of the people who value quality but I hate overpaying. Despite their market price (PLN 35,000), they seem the most complete. They have dealt with much more expensive competition in my systems many times.
Audion Silver Night 300B PSE Hi-end Tube Amplifier
Since I bought Audions (as usual blind, a bit by accident – I feel) the sound of my system has gone up significantly.
I did not expect it at all, they are quite inconspicuous looking monoblocks, and I have already rolled out the heavy Line Magnetic 805, 845, nearly 10 other amplifiers on the 300B, or the recognized ASR, Circle, Pass INT-30A, Accuphase, Luxman, etc.
Nevertheless, since I plugged them into my track and as soon as I understood what it was about – virtually every column I tested with them sounded better.
More resolution, with better textures, more natural, even, but still with a kick and what is most important to me – not too light in the middle, but with an unusual charm and recording like legendarySun Audio 2A3.
Sun Audio has the drawback that it’s only 3W of power. Extremely efficient, good and dynamic, but 3. In turn, the Audion gives us 18W in the A class. So 5x more very good, efficient and very qualitative watts.
Of course, in terms of absolute sophistication, 2A3 will have a little more of it. However, the benefits of greater power in my opinion are worth the compromise.
What I like the most is the dynamics, attack, speed from the beginning of the potentiometer. But the dynamics does not at the expense of color, contact with music – Audion combines all these features, and it easily controls almost every loudspeaker I have had.
ATC, B&W 802 Nautilius, Audiophase, Von Schweickert, Harbeth, Spendor – everything played best with Audions.
Audion and other amplifiers
Line MagneticAt Audiona, it presents a very sweet, sticky, not natural and addictive sound. Music gets monosodium glutamate.
PASS INT-30AFor a layman in a dark listening session, it would be a lamp. Audion plays much more dynamically, faster, much better bass and a much higher midrange and upstairs class. Listening to the streak after the audion, you have the feeling that we lick music through paper.
A similar impression in the contextASR EmitterA – it’s a good stove, but after Audion it is hellishly boring, predictable and averaged.
Circle A200? Much worse dynamics and a bit less directness, more averaging. Although this company is still relatively closest.
grandinote shinai– I wrotehere. Leem Tucan 2? oh no no.
Haiku Sensei 211– Great if someone likes such playing. However, much worse dynamically, less engaging in the midrange, more distance from us from music.Haiku Sensei 300B– Sweeter than audions, a bit more charming, but very chimerical when it comes to the selection of loudspeakers, and it is definitely a silting furnace rather than for playing (in most sets).
Jadis i88, DA30– French are charming, sweet, full middle, nice kick. But this is playing closer to the streak than the entry into the recording that Audion gives.
Audio Note OTO / P1SE– Fantastic, I love it, but Audion plays in a different league so much that since I bought it, Los An was doomed. Better resolution, better dynamics, better contour and bass control on the Audion side. And you can play louder.
Amplifon WT40, Lavardin, Spec 717, Gato AMP-150, Vincent SV237, Fezz Audio Mira Ceti/Lybra, Mastersound, Unison 845– Actually, there is nothing to write about, you have to try to get a system where there would be no pogrom.
The amp that reminds me a bit…Leben CS-300F. When it comes to musicality, tonal balance is something similar. Audion bears sophistication, dynamics, bass quality to a much higher level and is less chimeric when it comes to the selection of loudspeakers.
What speakers play with Audion 300B?
Well, myk is such that virtually any. You can make mezalins and give vintag kefy or missions for 1000-2000 PLN and it’s great. You can apply a hi-end grandinote, BW 802 Nautilius and properly close the topic of reinforcement.
These are not very audiophile tastes in the sense … that there is nothing to change them to. Nooo maybe Golden Night (reference brand amplifier with nearly 40 years of experience) or Black Shadow 2 – I recently ordered the latter for one of the Audio Architect customers.
What is characteristic of making systems based on Audion is the fact that they perfectly show the loudspeakers – their character, tuning. So, putting Audion at the center of the system, we have a great reference point.
If there is too much up / sharp – this is how the rest of the system plays. If the loudspeaker with Audions will not give great vocals, textures, emotions – then this column is unlikely to give it back with anything else that does not cost PLN 100,000.
That’s why I liked them so much.
upgrade
The best part is that the monoblocks themselves are 50% fun. Choosing the right linear pre (I tested, among others, AN M2, CJ PV12, PHAST ANNIVERSARY and EAR 834L) is even higher.
It was fun with AN, CJ put some weight on the game. Phast did not fit, and the ear with good lamps sat down so … that I squatted myself.
Curiosity
Audion derives from the forgotten, now defunct Audi Innovations brand. Then Peter Quortrup founded Audio Note. David Chesses, Erik Anderssen and the Audion brand.
To be honest, I was skeptical about these amplifiers for a long time. They seemed too small, inconspicuous to play. But if someone can make good lamps … it can … 🙂
Audion Silver Night 300B PP is another amplifier.push pullThe game always plays a bit less sublime in diameter, stronger, but it doesn’t have so many flavors, microdetails and air. It will also be cool, but it is the Parallel SE construction that seems to be the greatest asset of Audion.
Summation
Audion can be the beginning and end of the adventure with tube amplifiers. If withinhttps://audio-architect.euSomeone wants to start building a system and buy an amplifier once – and well – chooses Audions. If someone has beaten a ton of equipment and wants to have peace of mind – he chooses Audions.
What is the Audiona phenomenon really about?
The 18W they give us are of excellent quality, but most importantly –They are exactly where we listen to music the most. So what if we have a 500W amplifier, or 50W monoblocks in A class, if we get the best listening quality only very strongly looting with music – on usually unlistened levels?
In audiones, this linearity, dynamics, contact with music, naturalness – we get from the beginning of the potentiometer … until it gets really loud. Here is their end and here the advantage of amplifiers above 50W begins – be it lamps or fish oils. It doesn’t matter if the columns are 87dB or 95dB.
Audion, however, is not an amplifier only for an audiophile …
When I test various combinations at home and leave the equipment … I am asked by the household / laymen to return to the Audios. And that should be the best recommendation.
It’s hard for me to define a hi-end and a hi-end tube amplifier in a different way, after rolling such a mass of equipment, than with the features / advantages of Audion …
