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Vac 200 IQ vs Ayon orthosII

My amp died and now I get to upgrade.  Looking at the Vac 200IQ which is made locally in Florida vs the Ayon orthos II.  Both seem to be popular and well respected companies.  I will have a chance to audition the Vac in Sarasota, but not the Ayons.  Any thoughts?
orthomead
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,230 posts
 

Hi orthomead,

What speakers were in use with this audition? This can make a significant difference (some speakers are designed for solid state amplifier use). I hope you are able to hear the Ayon amplifier.  I'm glad you made the effort to travel to hear the VAC. You are doing this the right way, nothing beats listening and trusting your ears.

Best of luck,

Charles

orthomead OP
113 posts
 
Vandersteen quattros were used.  I was told they are a good pairing with the Vacs. For the Beck and Sanborn album and Keith Jarrett Koln concert the sound was good.  It was the intro to Michael Jackson's Billy Jean that really lacked the umph in a big way with the VACs compared with the SS amps.   Thanks for your ongoing interest. I'm making another road trip in few weeks to tweek the combo.
knghifi
1,668 posts
 
orthomead, what speaker tab and output tubes used in the demo?  Try 1-2 or 2-4 ohm tabs?  Also roll KT150 if possible.

I suggest including ARC REF250SE to your list of amps.  There are many Agon members driving their Vandersteen's with ARC ... an excellent match.
jafant
18,804 posts
 

orthomead-


if you are really into electric guitar and bass-driven music, seek out solid-state amp(s). Pass Labs is the best at this juncture.


Happy Listening!

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,230 posts
 
Jafant makes a very good point about particular music genre preferences. Electronica , Hip hop, pop and rock, actually any music emphasizing electronic bass may with certain speakers be better served with high current transistor amplifiers.

Ideally a comparison of the Ayon Ortho, ARC REF 250 and the big Pass Labs amplifier driving the Vandersteen Quattro would effectively sort this out. I’m generally speaking a tube guy but in some circumstances solid state is the better suited option. Sometimes SS amps with low output impedance (thus higher damping factor) are the solution. This can be manipulated by altering the amount of NFB (negative feedback) in the circuit. Increasing the level of NFB  will decrease the output impedance of the amplifier. 
Charles
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