Inexpensive Audio Note UK OTO phono SE integrated amplifier, sounds great right out of box

Wow!

Beautiful.

I spoke with Martin Grennall at AN UK last week or so, and he told me that Audio Note had gone to four-knob fascias on all new Oto and Soro models.

It just looks gorgeous in gloss black.

If you got the Oto Phono SE than we will both be listening to the same amp very soon.
My AN UK Oto Line SE (exactly the same, minus the built-in phono stage) is supposed to be with me soon. I hope.

Audio Note builds to order, and it's been three months since I put my order in. I was told an AN shipment was due within two weeks at my dealer: fingers crossed.

I'll be running mine into Harbeth M30.1s, but I must admit that I keep wondering what the AN/E-SPe/He would sound like with it.

Looking forward to pictures of this set-up Steve and hearing your impressions. Will you let the Oto run-in before tube rolling?

Cheers man!

 

Very nice, if my beloved Mission Cyrus II ever expires, that will on the shortlist.

 

First, everybody is different.
But I did a straight head-to-head demo between a 30W Sugden A21SE (a beautiful amp) and the Oto SE into Harbeth M30.1s at my dealer and the Oto made the Harbeths stomp.
Plenty of bass weight, dynamic swing, not to mention superior timbral and tonal accuracy and a far larger/deeper/taller sound stage than the Sugden could muster.
The Harbeth's seem to present a fairly easy load and I think that's why the combo works so well.
I had two people with me that I consider to have excellent ears and both were in firm agreement that the Oto's 10 watts was something special indeed.
I don't listen to hard rock or much big classical, my collection is 90% jazz, with some blues, folk, light-rock, R&B and some classical trios and quartets, so YMMV, but I demoed a lot of amps before deciding on the Oto.
I also want to add that in a head-to-head with a Lavardin IS Reference against the Sugden with the M30.1s, the Sugden was clearly superior (IMHO), so to me anyway, the Oto bettered both the Lavardin and the Sugden; two very highly-rated integrated amps.

 

Inexpensive is a relative term I suppose. At $4,600 U.S. it might be inexpensive for Audio Note I guess.

Might be considered "budget" Audio Note.

Not to be a stick in the mud (and the retail price on my system is in the $12K zone) but $4,600 for a 10 watt per channel integrated does not strike me as inexpensive. I would hope and expect it to sound very good at that price and I'm sure it does.

 

Steve I really enjoy when you weigh in on consumer audio like this, regardless of price point. It's neat to get your viewpoint on this stuff... these are always interesting threads.

 

Yes, "heavier" is a good adjective, I'd even say "meatier" than the other stuff I was demoing to at the time.
I too, found it very punchy. After listening to several cuts off varying LPs on the Oto, I was almost afraid to switch over to the Sugden because I knew what weight the A21SE was capable of throwing around, especially on percussion, but I could hardly believe my ears at how small and thin the big Class-A Sugden sounded in comparison.
I knew then that it was the Oto for me.

 

Probably just an Alps Blue Velvet. A decent inexpensive attenuator used my many.

jeff

 

How does this compare to the vintage Fisher integrated amps? Love to hear some opinions.

 

I doesn't have another set of preamp output jacks does it? I t would be great to use on biwireable speakers as you could run the highs/mids with it and Biamp with let's say a class D amp.I would'nt mind replacing my tube phono preamp,my tube line preamp and my single ended 8 watt El34 integrated amp with it if I could Biamp it with my class d amp for my subs In my Von Schweikert VR4 jr mrk 3 speakers.

 

This sounds like a great piece. Wish I could hear one. Don't think there is a dealer nearby.

 

Looks like the nearest to you would be Auburn, WA
http://www.audionote.co.uk/distributor/dist_home_01.shtml#NORTHAMERICA

 

Which is a good long ways. Appt only, very difficult from here.

 

Possibly, but not in my OTO SE Line Signature. It's an Audio Note POT. I think they make a lot of their own parts.

 

Thanks for your report. I'd like to know a bit more about the AN/E-SPe speakers you are pairing this with. What are the room dimensions and how have you located the speakers?

 

How do you know? There are very very few manufacturers of actual electrical components. Brand name on the part means zilch.

 

I don't know. I think. Certainly, from the marketing that's out there, they've been careful about their parts for some time. I saw an interview recently about their efforts to improve the Black Gate capacitors...carbon all over the manufacturing plant, etc....It could all be a scam, I guess, but I bought it because it sounded great. Whoever is making the parts is doing a fine job. (Well, in sound quality anyway, in my opinion. I must say that my volume knob failed after 4-5000 hours. It was replaced under warranty, and sounds great again, but still....)

 

What are you using to create the corner reinforcement? Acoustic panels?

 

Love this shot man.

 

Yes I did.
I giggled at the time.
Also, the feel of each of the other knob's rotation was incredibly solid. The whole fit and finish of the amp was something to truly appreciate just for the craftsmanship, never mind the fact that it's practically a musical instrument in its own right.