PHX1KAH

No I did not get to see/audition the Primaluna 300 or 400, I researched them and they look very good but I decided to move away from tubes (for the moment).

mopardave - I decided to go another route and am seriously considering a Hegel H190 Integrated Amplifier and a Bluesound Node 2I. I talked with a local Dynaudio dealer and he highly recommended the Hegel to pair with my C4 speakers, plus the cost of the amp/node/cables is much more reasonable then the Ayon. The Ayon will still be on my future list at they sound and look incredible. (FYI the picture posted of the Ayon wiring is from a 2013 review of a Spirit III).

I have Dynaudio C4's which need more power compared to my Heresy's. If I buy the PA then I would use my Mcintosh C28 as the pre-amp until I swap it out ..... I was hoping to keep my older system complete but if the Spirit PA gives better performance then I would go that route as opposed to getting the Spirit Integrated amp.

I went to USA Tube Audio yesterday to talk to them about the soon to be released Scorpio II but determined it would be slightly under powered for my speakers. No used equipment or trade-ins available so I looked at the Spirit V PA (which I'm being told would provided better performance than the Spirit V Integrated (20 to 25% better performance?). The amp sounds and looks great but no dealing on the price due to limited availability (chip/semiconductor shortage). At $5,995 the price is steep, I'm comfortable in the $3,000 range, maybe up to $4,000 but $6,000 is hard to justify (but if I did buy the Ayon I probably would still be listening to the same great sound amp for 20+ years), still trying to decide.

Yes, I'm in Arizona. A new Spirit V is $5,995. The demo Spirit III was $4,300. Their website (USA Tube Audio) lists some pricing with a good amount of information, seem like good guys, small shop in North Scottsdale, AZ.

I'm in the USA and have an Ayon dealer close by. I have been trying to purchase an amp from them but its been challenging, I just found out the Spirit III they told me was out being serviced was apparently sold days ago, another amp on their website I inquired about was also sold weeks ago. I got a good deal on the C4's and I'm trying to avoid "going down the $$$ rabbit hole" to match an amp to these speakers but I have a feeling this dealer is pushing to sell new equipment. I plan to stop by their shop tomorrow for one more attempt to give them my money. Sorry, am not trying to highjack mopardave's original posting........I think the Ayon is definitely a high quality product with incredible clarity; during the demo for the Spirit V, at certain points in the song I could hear the breathing of the artist, I have not noticed that level of detail on my vintage McIntosh/Klipsch system (which I think sounds great). Also, the Ayon tube amps look spectacular (if you're into that kind of thing...... which I am!).

I've listened to the Spirit V integrated amplifier and in the next few days I'm trying to listen to a Spirit III, also an integrated amplifier. The Spirit V is a very will built unit that sounded great (to my untrained, uninformed ears). I have a vintage McIntosh/Klipsch system now but I bought a pair of Dynaudio C4 speakers (for a crazy cheap price) so now I need to spend more money on a quality amp due to buying these very tall (but beautiful) speakers. I'll let you know how my demo goes with the Spirit III and how it compares to the Spirit V.

The seller subtracted his eBay sellers cost and shipping charges (so I lost about 20% of my total purchase cost). I figured I could come out ok since I was keeping the amplifier. Below is another picture that shows the force applied (dropped) to the front of the amplifier:

I hate to see a vintage piece of equipment salvaged for parts but I don't have the knowledge to repair electronics so I will probably sell "as-is". For me the labor expense would make restoring it a poor financial decision. I never tried to power-up the amp for fear of releasing the "magic smoke". I got about 80% of my purchase price returned so I might break-even if I sell for parts.

Purchased a McIntosh MC2505 Amplifier on-line a while ago and the owner said he would have the amp professionally packaged but as you can see the packaging was poor and the amp has signification damage to the face of the unit, gain switches and power switch will need replacements along with glass, end retainers, upper & lower extrusions, right power meter and end caps. The wood case is damaged beyond repair. I've already purchased another MC2505 amplifier, so my question is a vintage amp worth the effort and expense to fix? Or should I just try to sell as-is for parts?

I have Heresy's with a MC2505 amp and a C28 pre amp and they sounds fantastic! I originally was using a Harman Kardon A500 tube amp and the McIntosh equipment is a much better match with the Heresy's. If you do buy McIntosh, be careful if you purchase online as some shippers will not pack the vintage equipment properly; I have another MC2505 in the closet that was damaged during shipping due to poor packing. I found my C28 locally in Phoenix on Craigslist from the original owner, I found my (second) MC2505 on Craigslist in Portland, I was going there for business and brought it home in my carry-on suitcase (I did remove the glass for the flight).