Audio Note UK Oto Line SE arrives ...

So, after almost four months of waiting for the good people in Hove, East Sussex to build me my beautiful amplifier, Don at Soundhounds informed me today that my Audio Note UK Oto Line SE had arrived, along with my 1m Audio Note UK Lexus interconnects. I'm hoping to have them in my home by Friday and will post pictures and 1st listening impressions shortly after I have it set up in my system. Needless to say, I'm stoked.

 

Yup. I'm going to let the Oto break-in for at least a month before I start 'rolling. Likely go for the Amperex Peter recommended to you.

 

This is great news.

Congratulations!

 

Thanks Whaley! I'll let you know how the M30.1s get on with it.

 

Hi Raferx. Gongrats. Nice machine. Did you consider the Almarro (also EL84 SE and just one ecc83 driver tube) on your shortlist? In case you don't need the extra power.

 

Thanks!!

No, I did not consider Almarro, but I did consider Shindo and Leben.

 

Actually I have the Almarro 205 MKii and it's a real gem. But only in case you have speakers with a 96 dB efficiency like me. Anyway enjoy your AN!

 

Glad you will get to live with a tube amp. I think you will find that different tubes will change the character of the presentation more than changing between different solid state amps. I've enjoyed reading about the AN transformers and design ideas. Do consider sampling some different speaker cables as you work it all out.

 

Thanks man, I think this amp will be a long-term stop for me, and the ability to 'roll it to taste is a huge plus.
I just got new speaker cables (shotgunned runs of Aralex 12 gauge with Audio Note silver banana termination), which was specifically recommended by, and made by my Audio Note dealer for this amp to sound best with my Harbeth M30.1s, as Soundhounds is also a Harbeth dealer and they have done an exhaustive amount of cable experimentation with AN amps and Harbeth speakers before settling on these double runs as providing the best synergy possible between the two.

 

A bit off-topic, but what is the difference between Audio Note UK and Audio Note Japan?

 

I certainly will. Just so happy to be getting it into my system at last. Soundhounds double-boxed and corner-braced the stock Audio Note shipping box before handing it off to a courier this afternoon... should have it at my office tomorrow afternoon.

 

They were once the same company but the partnership split .

 

The Oto was just delivered to my desk at work. The outer box looks perfect, so I'm hopeful the amp is no worse for wear after its trip from the UK.
I'll post some un-boxing pix when I get home this afternoon.

 

Tell us you are happy with the sound and that it is driving you speaks with love and authority.

 

Right out of the box this amplifier has absolutely incredible impact. I also received my Audio Note Lexus ICs today. I'll write more tomorrow or Saturday, but I have to say that the last few hours with this amp in my system – with no break-in other what I put on it today – was the most intensely musical listening experience with hi fi I've ever had. No words really at this point.

 

Nice looking amp!

How are those 10 watts working with the 30.1s?

 

(I’m kinda glad you now have a component with some funky hi-fi typography on it.)

 

the Oto owns them.
Never heard such powerful, controlled bass from the M30.1s.
Even when I demoed the Oto (an older version) with the Harbeth's at the dealer in late May, I was impressed with the bass output, but not to this degree.
I'm attributing it the fact that this is the latest version of the Oto with improvements over previous iterations, and room acoustics, source components, etc.

 

A few more pix of un-boxing the Oto, then back to work:

 

The Oto is so deep that it doesn't fit at all on my mid-century stereo stand that I use as a component shelf... I had to stuff the butcher block from the kitchen under it just keep it off the floor. Not sure what the solution will be, may have to look at changing-up the whole unit.