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

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Richard Austen, Mar 19, 2015.

  1. Acapella48

    Acapella48 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Elk Grove, CA.
    Agree. What's ironic is that the advice @finn offers, probably indirectly help U.S. sales even though he doesn't benefit from those sales. It would seem that the complaints are counter-productive.

    [​IMG]
     
    Tim 2, Jim13, Fred Hansen and 4 others like this.
  2. Andrew Mackay

    Andrew Mackay Forum Resident

    Location:
    Taillant, France
    @finn has always struck me as a fount of knowledge on all things Audio Note and with no apparent agenda to push AN products. To be frank, I am on this forum to better understand the brand and also to avoid falling into some of the typical audio bear traps. He has been invaluable in that regard, even though some might argue that his wisdom is for the benefit of posters with deeper pockets than mine. No matter. I don't think I am alone in saying we are on this forum to learn. I'm sure that, if we were to hold a straw poll tomorrow, he'd come out tops and we would very quickly start benefitting again from his knowledge. So, why the witch hunt? Life's too freaking short for what I suspect is simple jealousy and he should be 'readmitted' to this forum tomorrow. To the naysayers reading this, he probably does more to promote the AN brand, and inform sensible purchasing decisions, than any amount of advertising or PR could possibly achieve. He is a great ambassador for the AN brand and, for the record, let me say that I have no commercial connection or interest in him whatsoever.
     
  3. Acapella48

    Acapella48 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Elk Grove, CA.
  4. rufusblues

    rufusblues Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Having just reread Finns' last post, it appears that it was his decision to not contribute anymore to this forum so as to not cause any further 'angst' for those troubled due to his previous posts.....which of course further shows what a gentleman he is. Although much of what he has shared is about items I could not afford, I like others have learned from and really appreciated his posts, his enthusiasm for Audio Note, and his good humor. I too wish he would change his mind but I can appreciate his dilemma.
     
  5. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    It might not be a bad Idea to target markets differently like auto manufacturers. Some cars have bigger engines and different features in the US than their cars in the UK.

    Peter noted that many in the west are impatient - they want to buy something that day - they don't want to wait 5 months for their amp or speaker to be built. The dealers want fast sales. So while many of us who post here like having the choice of over 20 wood finishes to get it the way we want - the American may be fine with his 3 choices of B&W cabinet so long as he can walk out the door that day with his speaker.

    Plus, it comes down to disposable income - I get the sense in Asia they are more cash-rich while in the west people are more house rich.

    The odd thing is I feel like more people here in Hong Kong buy M10 preamps with all the boxes and Gaku Ons and AN Es or Big Tannoy Westminsters - all of which take up a lot of space in small apartments - while in America people have huge homes and then buy a small tube integrated amp and P3ESR sized speakers - which is kind of amusing to me.
     
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  6. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    I think that it is more the case that buyers in the US think that most purchases are disposable after a few years, and like their phones, the latest is the greatest. Buyers in the East are more likely to think of a purchase as a long term investment. Audio Note suits such buyers because they keep each model around a long time and things don’t become obsolete as quickly.
     
  7. ghasley

    ghasley Forum Resident

    Indeed, slcaudiophile may have moved on from Audio Note (or vice versa) but he remains an amazing resource. All great dealers and retailers provide an invaluable service to is all.
     
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  8. Acapella48

    Acapella48 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Elk Grove, CA.
    This:
    and This:
    I agree that most American's are impatient consumers. We want it yesterday. I also agree with @Larry I -- Consumers in Asia and Europe appreciate quality music playback systems and in particular analog, whereas a fairly large segment of the American public are into their iPhones, earpods, IEM's, DAP's and other mobile devices. They're not likely to invest significant portions of their income on home high fidelity playback systems.
     
    jonwoody likes this.
  9. SetANE

    SetANE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney NSW
    because it is an amazing product i am bringing up the Sootto Power Cable again.

    [​IMG]

    elsewhere on the thread it is is exalted. Only released in 2016. Rob Hume a forum contributor who had a level 5 system said it was the biggest change/improvement that ever happened to that system; when Sootto was switched in for the Isis he had. i think i noted previously that a serious magazine had described the Sootto as the king of mains power in 2018.

    i saw an interview between Breuninger and a man from Telos (Still points USA) in which the Telos person says "get more gain from noise removal than from extra power". Well this lines up with my experience with Sootto (more gain). And not a small amount! i can barely get the dial away from 9 now.

    Somehow the Sootto removes noise. and lots of it. and its impact extends into more than what you plug it into. even if you plug it into the turntable - it seems to remove noise in the system overall as well as making the TT produce its best performance.

    I am pushing boat out now but it seems to me that one of the major things manufacturers have emphasised more recently is power supply. A hall mark of AN one might say would be the tube based power supply. For me when i get new gear i change rectifier tube first - as i think it has a huge impact on sound. I noted the other day mr hoffman has a thread devoted to rectifier tubes.

    well take a piece of gear you like and plug a Sootto into it. you've instantly upgraded its power supply and likely converted it into one of the best pieces of gear you've ever heard.

    the only downside so far i've identified is that in my system, which is a hodge podge of stuff mostly non-AN, is that Sootto highlights the fact that a lot of gear and a lot of cables are designed to cut thru system noise. and when that noise is gone, they are left exposed for their shrill/harsh/unlovely sound. my siltech phono cable suffered this fate last night. it seemed to lift small sounds and magnify them such that the artists intent became obscured, even though i could hear their every breath. i switched to another sogon i had handy for phono cable and suddenly dylan's "key west", a big favourite for me off his latest record, sounded quite different. it seemed to me that the siltech had been elevating smaller signals artificially and with my newly transparent system that was just no good.

    a reminder that lived experience indicates very short lengths of Sootto PC work very well. as in down to a foot long. i urge a trial. if u get one stick it into your source and enjoy. i think a foot of it (with nice connectors) would still cost say 3.5k USD. i cannot however think how else one would equivalently improve their system for same sum.

    call it cable madness if you will but it what it is and i'm not the one who started this :) The Audio Note Sootto is the most exciting "component" i have ever used in Audio i think. the only thing comparable for me would be the first time i heard a meishu (which was also my first AN amplifier).
     
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  10. Manduvi

    Manduvi Active Member

    Hi there,

    I currently have an Audio Note M6 Phono Balanced feeding a pair of Audio Note Conquest Silver amps which drive a pair of Tannoys GRF Corner with Monitor Golds.

    My second system consists on Nagra PLP pre feeding a pair of Nagra VPA which drive a pair of AN-E LX HE.

    The thing is, I’m so in love with the AN sound that I want to sell the Nagra stuff and buy another M6 Phono Balanced and a AN 211 stereo amp. Given my budget I’m between the Jinro Schochu (Level 3) and the Tomei Kensei (Level 4). Both similar to the Ongaku but not being full Silver. Tomei being a copper silver hybrid, as the M6, my guess it should be the sweet spot.

    did you had the chance of comparing these two amps? What difference in sound should I expect? Not only regarding more information from the Tomei, but regarding liquidity, warmth vs analytic…
     
    JeroenPaco and Kasper Bergholt like this.
  11. John Landreth

    John Landreth Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    That's a shame . I nearly purchased an Oto from Tyson and he was exceedingly helpful
     
    jonwoody likes this.
  12. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I remember seeing Damian Quintard's Audio Note Dolby Atmos system - posted a few pages back - he is working with Brad Pitt (who seems like a music lover and audiophile himself) on a project to resurrect an old recording studio that Pink Floyd, AC/DC and Sting used.

    Brad Pitt is reopening a classic French recording studio used by Pink Floyd and AC/DC, and he’s co-designing the mixing desk

    I think Mister Pitt should try a level 5/6 AN system. He's one of the few who could afford it out of petty cash - :winkgrin:
     
  13. Fred Hansen

    Fred Hansen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I’m Sure the Sootto power cable is amazing, but can someone please tell me what the retail price is, so I’ll know if I can have it in this life or the next ha ha ha
     
    jonwoody likes this.
  14. SpinIt

    SpinIt Musicphile

    Location:
    Paris, France
    I believe if a mains cable makes a massive difference, there may be a problem with shielding and noise from an outside source around that particular stretch of mains cable. I really don’t understand why else the last few meters of mains cable to a system could make such a big difference. Having experimented with mains cables myself, I hear no difference let alone improvement at all.
     
    Marchino likes this.
  15. Fred Hansen

    Fred Hansen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Just to clarify: I wasn’t being ironic. I’ve experienced massive improvements from power cables first hand.
     
    Lowrider75 likes this.
  16. SpinIt

    SpinIt Musicphile

    Location:
    Paris, France
    I’m also not being ironic. If someone gets massive improvement from power cables that’s great of course. It’s obviously worthwhile to try and find out for oneself wether it’s worthwhile or not. It just doesn’t work for me somehow.
     
    Marchino likes this.
  17. nige harris

    nige harris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    Hi, I can't comment specifically on the Tomei Kensei but I do have a Tomei (integrated) and it is simply head and shoulders above the Jinro. I use and M6RIAA feeding into the Tomei.

    IMHO, the Jinro exemplifies the power of the 211's where as the Tomei is so much more refined and detailed, as well as open. To pick up on the Japanese term of 'ma' is allows the space of the music to be important.

    The other important thing to note is that the M6 and the Tomei are L4 and the Jinro is an L3 - and I know AN (UK) say you can mix n match the levels, in my recent experience a L4 feeding an L4 is by far the best way to go...

    So to sum up and if you can afford it - the M6 / Tomei Kensei will be stunning... and would be my target.

    thanks,

    Nige
     
  18. GSH

    GSH Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Austria
    I also get massive improvements with power chords, with any component there was a significant change.
    Power supply seems to be a interesting topic.
    Regards GSH
    PS. I miss Finn!
     
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  19. Manduvi

    Manduvi Active Member

    Thanks a lot for the reply! By the way, what speakers do you feed with the Tomei integrated?
     
  20. Jim13

    Jim13 Forum Resident

    I’ve bought a couple of AN components from Brian ( Finn ), you couldn’t meet a more helpful, knowledgeable bloke, what a loss to this forum.
     
  21. nige harris

    nige harris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    Hi, AN E SPe HE Hemp Signatures, quite amazing speakers...
     
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  22. vivling

    vivling Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Beijing China
    Mains cables makes a huge difference because it is the last few meters. It acts as an extension of the power transformer’s primary windings and directly impact its performance. The opposite example is to change the last meter of cable of the power plant. In that case it would make the least difference.
     
    jonwoody, Lowrider75 and Fred Hansen like this.
  23. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    No problem with you exuding the performance of your power cords but just wondered which cords of similar value you've compared them to ?
     
  24. Footsurg

    Footsurg Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
    Honestly I have no idea what kind of problem anyone would have with Brian and this forum. His posts have been full of extremely helpful information to include tube recommendations, circuit explanations and information regarding legacy products that can be found nowhere else. His firsthand knowledge and experience with regard to upgrade paths and components is virtually unmatched in the Audio Note world. If anything Brian saves dealers many headaches by educating and answering questions that otherwise would have to go up the line. Most USA dealers with the exception of Nick Gowan don't operate on Brian's level. His input will be greatly missed.
     
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  25. SetANE

    SetANE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney NSW
    @Tim 2 I have used various cords. More recently I bought a lot of Shunyata cords, especially their later models which seek to provide current as well as reduce noise. Direct comparison was made with the Alpha V2 from Shunyata in that it was in the Oto before I stuck Sootto in. I own the Alpha V2 and I used to be quite proud of it (inordinately is word). It cost me $4k AUD 2 years ago and that was a good deal at the time.

    @Fred Hansen Audio Federation say something about the cable being $11k USD in 2018. What length that was who knows?

    @nige harris fascinating to hear your thoughts on Tomei and Jinro. I am hoping to pair a M6 RIAA with a Jinro. How do you find the M6 RIAA?

    @SpinIt i think it is fair to say that Audio Note equipment is designed around, fundamentally, the idea that different materials influence sound in ways that may not be directly measurable. As such I think it fair to say that it is implicit that cable denial is not an issue that is relevant to this board although there are many other places where you can discuss your empirical research in that regard.
     

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