On paper, Ayon is a company that makes amplifiers. That's how most of us see it, and for a simple reason: most of their catalogue is indeed dedicated to amps. Integrated amplifiers, preamps, phono stages, stereo power amplifiers and monoblocks. You name it, they have it. And they make no secret of their love for tubes. That's the obvious part. In reality, however, the Austrian manufacturer also makes speakers, as well as other things. And by "other" I mean digital products.
I had the chance to discover this about a decade ago, when we reviewed the S3 Junior in these pages (in Greek). It left an excellent impression, but this is also something anyone can confirm simply by looking at the list of seven Ayon products currently available that handle digital audio: CD players, network players and transports, and D/A converters.

The Iris XS, reviewed here, is a recent addition to this line-up. According to the company, it is a platform that brings together all their expertise in this particular type of product, covering everything from design and component quality to the user interface. In fact, there is more than one option available: the Iris comes in three versions, the basic XS and two more advanced models, the Signature and the Ultimate, which differ primarily in build quality and DSP capabilities. It is also clear that Ayon is targeting not only those looking for a network player, but also users who want a hub/preamp capable of handling analogue signals and making use of its tube output stage.
Let's take a closer look...

Dimitris Stamatakos

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Original Publilcation: 2026/10/27	Last Follow Up: 2026/10/27	Original Language: Greek (Translated)

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