Strictly for fans of Audio Note UK (all things Audio Note UK)

Did you leave them on if you were away on holiday....
....I have trouble leaving mine fired up if I’m just popping out for a dog walk!

 

Do any of you use 5751 tubes in place of ECC83/12AX7 in AN gear? I know it is generally frowned upon in the RIAA phono circuits, but I am mainly thinking about the line stages.

 

I had them in the non-phono 12AX7 spots in the Oto for a while, but they didn't stay there long. The lower gain got me more play from the volume knob which is what I was going for, but in the end I didn't feel they sounded as good.

 

Thanks. What brand were you trying?

 

Sylvania five-star triple-mica.

 

I have been using the Raytheon Windmill getter version of the 5751 in the analog board of my dac. That is a fantastic tube. I’ve now had my dac modded back to a more normal AN analog dac board so I have returned to ecc82 and variants.

 

Today I ordered an AN TT2 deluxe in rosewood with the AN arm 1 in black. This is a different direction for me after several years with SME tables. I'm very excited about receiving it although my dealer has said it could mean a wait of 3 months. Oh well, patience is a virtue

 

Mine was worth the wait-- gloss black w/arm 2 & IQ3. My nightly listening sessions are like being borne up on a magic carpet and whisked off to magical new lands. A glass of wine helps too.

 

Congratulations, I have a TT2 dlx and will keep it forever. It's a very musical table

 

Thanks - I love SME tables but I'm looking forward to the AN's different, more musical presentation. I ended up going for the Hana ML cartridge. Three months of CDs and I'll be desperate for vinyl

 

I have a quick question about the stepped attenuators in my M3 Phono. Would there be a way to fix an issue, where the left attenuator takes one more step to equal the volume of the right attenuator? The marks on the knobs are in the same location when the volume is balanced, but if you count the steps from zero, the left side needs one more to match. What would be causing that?

Also, that said, I'm potentially going to have them switched out to a single volume pot + balance knob, as I'm finding it hard to get used to dual knobs.

 

Is it really the attenuator that is off or could it be something else? For instance, cartridges are notorious for having channel imbalances, even good cartridges can be off by 2 db or so. If you do a left-right switch of the input from the cartridge into the phono stage, does the imbalance switch (which suggests that the imbalance is in the cartridge). Tubes getting weak can also cause a change in channel balance.

If the sound is otherwise decent, I wouldn't worry too much, having the ability to change channel balance is intended to take care of this kind of problem regardless of whether it is the cartridge, something in the electronics, the speaker, room acoustics, or an imbalance of your ears. I think balance control is indispensable.

 

At the risk of being "that guy": for what an M3 costs and how inherently annoying a distinct volume control for each channel is, it needs to be perfect.

 

This is with CDs and my turntable, so it's not an issue with my cartridge. Also, both my M3 and Conqueror are brand new, with new tubes, so I don't think it's the tubes that are causing it. I believe the issue lies with the attenuators.

 

The issue is probably either with the M3 or the Concqueror, and that can be determined by switching the input to the Conqueror. If it is the M3, it is still more likely a tube issue than the attenuator, and perhaps swapping tubes left and right will determine if the tubes are at fault. I don't think one can assume the tubes are not an issue just because they are new.

If the marks on the knob are pointing at the same value, when one is advanced more than the other, that simply means that the one of the knobs has been tightened in the wrong position. Is this what you are saying?

 

The knobs match as does the volume. If I matched the knobs to the steps, the left knob would look one step ahead of the right when the volume is matched. Again, I believe one of the attenuators has been configured incorrectly, if that’s a possibility.

 

This could be a matter of two issues, not one. If the knobs point at two different positions after moving the same number of steps, then the knob is not correctly placed on the shaft. You can loosen the set screw on the knob to correct that issue. But, as you note, once that is corrected, the knobs will be pointing at different positions when set for proper balance. That means there is also a channel imbalance. That channel imbalance can be from any of sources, including the attenuator, but also tubes, etc.

I don't like dual volume controls because of the inconvenience. But, to go to a single volume control, you would either lose balance control or have to utilize another set of potentiometers for balance control (which degrades the signal). The ideal, to me, is relay switched step attenuation, so that both volume and balance setting involves the signal only going through one set of attenuators (each channel is separately stepped by a logic control). That would also mean remote volume control, which is another must have for me.

 

My plan right now if I should replace them is to use an AN balance knob and a TKD Ko-On volume potentiometer (which AN used to use in their preamps).

 

Have you talked to AN about this plan? They have been, at least in the past, pretty helpful when you make an inquiry. I don't have experience with that particular pot, but, it does have a very good reputation.

 

Yes, I'm waiting for a follow up from my dealer.

 

Alan, l for another one will be very interested in your thoughts of the TT2 DLX against your SME you used to own... l have the Hana SL in the Arm 1 and it sounds very musical.... so the ML may well be off the charts.

 

Andy, I'll certainly update this thread once its installed; it seems that the Hana carts. are building a considerable + reputation

 

Btw, is there a consensus on what the best AN service center in the US is? I don't care where it's located.

 

Audio Note lists High End Audio Repair in Brooklyn as the only factory authorized repair location in the US. I don't know anything about them. I do know that one of the better repair business for tube gear is Music Technology in Springfield, Virginia. Bill Thalmann, the head honcho, is very good with just about anything, but tubes are his specialty (he was a former designer for Conrad Johnson).