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

I'd save for a used OTO Line SE Signature (I just bought mine from an AN dealer in the UK for £2,750/US$3,750) and get a valve phono stage like, say, an EAR 834P MM which you can pick up for £500 - £600. That would be a less expensive option than a used OTO Phono SE Signature, plus would give you an upgrade option to a better AN phono stage when funds allowed.

 

Agree, heat is not a problem with AN DACs. But if at one point you decide to throw a couple of Siemens CCa in there, you will probably think about tube life

My first tube DAC was an AN clone--probably sort of in between DAC 2 and DAC3. It also used two 6922's, and at one point the guy who built it had a of pair Siemens CCa that he sold me for a very friendly price. Whow! He had built the DAC so cleverly that one could turn the digital and analog sections on and off separately. So the digital section was always on.

 

Ben Jacoby @ HEAR offers the stay alive modification to Audio Note DACs It keeps the digital board powered up . I have it in my DAC 3.1 x balanced . And Ben is the Audio Note sevice center & dealer - 718 -377 -8010

 

Agree with @Andrew Mackay -- save and get a used OTO Line or as someone mentioned a used M2 Line or M2 Phono. With the later obviously you would need to buy a separate amp. Also, consider a P1SE or P2SE; with a P1SE P2SE you could drive a DAC. Going the separate route broadens your upgrade path, so consider your future system configuration. I think you also have to consider the resale value of the Zero series as well. The key with AN is to find a sweet spot from an economic and musicality perspective. One that supports your musical tastes and your budget. Think long-term and minimize the number of times you will wind up upgrading to another AN level. I think you'll find that an Audio Note system composed of Level 1 & 2 components to be more satisfying and chances are you'll enjoy it longer before getting the itch to upgrade. Just be patient and keep your ears and eyes peeled. Ask your AN dealer to let you know when a customer is looking to upgrade and may be selling. Take your time and audition the OTO, SORO and the other components I've mentioned including the AN Cobra. Then decide where you want to spend your money.

Level-Zero is like being teased by a beautiful woman and never getting to first base versus a woman that while still beautiful, is more supportive, loving and willing to stay with you over the long haul.

 

Does this analogy continue up through level 5?

 

Lol -- for some of us probably.

 

Hopefully I’m not breaking forum rules…

Hi Padraig, I have a Oto phono Se that I’m looking to sell, it’s around 4 years old. I’ve recently upgraded to the Sig version. Drop me a message if you like.

Phil

 

Thanks for the advice. As I'm placing this system in a living space (so, not ideal speaker placement, far from ideal acoustics, etc) as opposed to a listening room, I am concerned about whether anything above zero level is wasted. In an ideal world I'd like to demo the amps in the living space, but if I'm not buying brand new from a dealer I can't see how I'll get that opportunity.

 

is there a quick way of posting an image? the image is on my desktop.

 

How long do you plan on living where you are now?

Generally speaking, a dealer (depending on dealer policy regrading such) will allow an in-home demo. Unless you tell him you have no intention of buying new, how would he know?

Negative thinking there mate. I've auditioned new and used audio gear in my home that I didn't purchase. I'm sure others here have done the same.

For images on you computer, you have to have an image hosting service. There are free ones. I don't have one but others here do. Images on the web, you just link to it.

 

Post the image on Imgur or Postimage or a similar site then just copy/paste it here.

 

Pardon me for asking, but how loud and what type of a buzz? I've always noticed I have some "hiss" on the left channel of my Oto, moreso than the right. Have to get pretty close to the speaker to hear it when music isn't playing, but it's there. Is this a possible power transformer issue?

 

Details and sound snippet here:
Strictly for fans of Audio Note UK (all things Audio Note) *

 

One thing to consider that may not be obvious is that the Oto SE Phono Sig incorporates a Pre amp stage and the Line Stage version doesn’t. It is essentially a power amp with input switching and as such, has a different presentation. Works very well as we know.

 

I'd say at least 10 years.
I suppose if the dealer uses me as a buyer of used AN equipment for his other customers then that might be a good way of approaching it.

 

Another question from an AN beginner. Shortly after buying my Meishu amp I also got my hands on a used pair of AN-E L speakers. They are 20+ years old but have had some maintenance work done and I will look to keep them until I can replace them with newer ones down the line. If you look at the pic below, the more suitable choice would have been the AN-J because my listening room is not big and crucially I have a height problem on the right side where I do not have a full side wall. Thing is that after 2 months of hunting I could not find any AN-Js in the second hand market so I snatched the AN-Es....

This challenged me on the placement side. While on the left side I was able to fit the speaker exactly in the corner as specified by Audio Note, on the right side I cannot push it that far and I was forced to find an angle that will more or less work. The current placement is the optimal I could get within limitations, but I was wondering if I couldn't remove the stands (they are not AN originals but a nice metal piece custom made for the seller). I thought maybe I could just put a low shock absorber plate and try to get also the right speaker to the corner.

Advice is as always appreciated. I couldn't embed the pic so I posted a link below.

IMG-1861

 

No need to embed an image just copy/paste and nice setup!

 

Thanks. We always learn
Just my Meishu is missing. Hopefully it comes back from repair this weekend.

 

The rationale behind the corner position is to optimize bass. However, in many cases, including my previous listening room (both J's and E's), AN speakers get boomy when they are placed in corners. So if you like bass as it is now, then maybe there's no real need to do anything? On the other hand, there's no harm in trying to remove the stands, just to see what you get. Soundstaging will probably we off but maybe that is compensated for by increased boogie factor? Let us know how it goes if you try

 

Angled ceilings are a problem with all speakers it seems, not just ones designed for corner placement. Lots of strange reflections. My advice is to just live with it. You can certainly play around with little adjustments to each speaker’s position and find the one that sounds best. Many folks with E speakers choose to pull them out from the corners anyway so this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Enjoy your new system!

 

Staging is the most important element for me. Maybe I should have posed the question a little differently. Until now I only tried placement options available to me with the speakers being on the stands. I assume I cannot place the speakers directly on the hard wood floor, but wanted to know if people used them with a lower base which will enable me to try and see what happens if I push the right speaker further to the corner. As a side note in my case getting the speakers away from the corner was a killer - lost all staging and the sound became totally flat.

 

How tall are your current stands? Pretty sure Sound Anchors will make stands any height you want.

 

Interesting ...

 

Hi Richard, could you place J's on their side a few inches from a wall, rather than in the corners with stands? As you said K's are the speaker to go with for difficult spaces but would be good to know your opinion. Also, would you put K's on a shelf or would you use a wall bracket? If a wall bracket, what brands would you recommend? Thanks

 

They are the same size (exactly I believe) as the AN originals. About 30 cm high.