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

I am so jealous of that VPI classic direct turntable! Edit: Oh wait never mind, I see the belt.

BTW, What is in the red box?

 

I probably need to build something like this to add symetry to my room as I only have one corner and two speakers. I was wondering if these were absorbing or reflecting. Thanks

 

Thanks for the pictures.

 

The second picture is great. A man enjoying his toys.

 

6BQ5s? Talk to me when it's time to start rolling some of those EL84s...

 

I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

Why?

The only pics of oto's I can find with the pot is shown are definitely not a alps blue, and I highly doubt these guys would be drooling over the action of a alps blue.
They are pretty ordinary after all.....the alps blue pots that is

 

It's most likely this one:
http://www.hificollective.co.uk/catalog/-c-61_96_315.html
About $45 for this Alps Blue Velvet look-alike.

They do make a quality stepped attenuator, but it comes at a price:
http://www.hificollective.co.uk/catalog/audio-note-stepped-attenuator-stereo-p-1246.html
This one comes in at about $450.

BTW, the parts quality us very low in this component, the exception being beefy output transformers. Other than that, there are no tantalum resistors in sight (only 10 cents-a-piece Beyschlags), also bottom of the range Jensen film capacitors (probably aluminum foils) and no Audio note copper foils.

 

The speakers looked interesting to me so I looked them up. Seems like they are a fairly old fashion design paper cones etc? but what I was shocked about where some of the measurements. Deep bass and very flat frequency response. Another speaker to put on the list in case I win the lottery.

 

Art Dudley's review here:

http://www.stereophile.com/content/...re-loudspeaker-audio-note-espe-he-august-2008

 

Like all AN UK products it's built containing parts that reflect Audio Note's different performance levels and their corresponding price points.
The Oto SE (Line or Phono), is a Level Two product, with Level Six being their highest, Level Zero their lowest.
Tantalum resisters, AN all-silver internal wiring and copper or silver-foil capacitors can be had, but at a higher cost.
I'm more interested in the sound personally, rather than whether or not this capacitor or that resistor is being used.
If I ever find that I would like to have upgrades performed, AN UK can do that as well.
Finally, this amp has been in production since 1992, with only minor tweaks and upgrades as parts improved. If it ain't broke...

From AN UK's website:
"Audio Note’s product range is built around a series of ideological and technological performance platforms from which we have developed a wide and comprehensive product range catering for as many price points and as wide a performance spectrum as possible. With the end goal intended to allow our customers and dealers to select and build systems of superior sound quality and longer lasting value."

The entire performance level document is here:
http://www.audionote.co.uk/articles/art_level_system.shtml

 

Thanks for this. Those in-room measurements are very informative.

 

My pleasure!

 

They look (on paper and in reviews) to be a really amazing speaker for the price point.

 

Steve, can you tell us what brand of tubes is in your Oto from the factory?
Cheers,
–R

 

I had read stock Eis, but there are many versions of these amps and what is used at one point may not be what is used now.

 

No worries, I thought perhaps they had listed the valve compliment before/when you took delivery.

 

Yes, I believe they very carefully match the valves used in each individual amplifier, but which exact tubes (brands) are used month-to-month, day-to-day or even amp-to-amp I'm unsure of at this point.

 

Yes, sorry, that's what I meant.

 

Yes, I've read that. Also LPs too from photos I've seen with interviews. You mentioned a couple months ago that Peter was hoping to send you his favorite 2A3 quartet for the AN mono blocks you have?