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

Great system, and most definitely not humble by my standards. Congratulations!

 

Thanks. Good to hear. I'm having my pre upgraded with the new stepped attentuators, and I was worried that it might be a problem. My listening room is on the top floor, underneath a black slate roof, so it gets really hot during hot spells in summer months, and then I run a small, cool-running SS amp for power amp instead of my 300B amp. I was worried that this might be a problem if the pre emits pops.

 

Jeff Day’s Magnum Opus review of the Oto SE Signature is up:
Audio Note Oto Phono SE Signature Integrated Amplifier - Positive Feedback
The challenge is not nodding off

 

what great pictures.

that Bonnie Raitt album is nothing short of amazing. i heard it when i was there and it was one the most recent memorable listening experiences i have had.

 

LOL, just in case one is in any doubt as to the amplifier in question in Jeff’s review he has typed; Oto Phono SE Signature no fewer than 86 times! That must be a record.
Ah, one may ask, who makes such an amp? Well for the 101st time, Audio Note (U.K.). It took me longer to count these than to read a Roy Gregory review!!
This must be some kind of a record, surely?
Anyway, it’s not as though I have anything better to do I guess

 

Is this new or just the various parts of the review he posted put together?

Edit: Nevermind reading now I see that it is I hope there's an actual review added to the end!

 

Man, that guy needs an editor! On and on and on, he goes. I am glad he likes the Oto but it shouldn’t take 400 pages to tell us.

 

Phew, that was such a tedious read it’s actually taken me out of the mood to listen to my Oto Line SE Signature integrated amplifier (from Audio Note UK)!

I just imagined the scene in the pub over lunch where each product discussed was referred to by its full title and perhaps why the scotch was brought out when they got over to Peter’s.

 

Got my Audio Note (UK) Oto Phone SE Signature integrated amplifier playing Little Feat right now and is sounds fine

 

Dixie Chicken and Fat Man in the Bathtub are two of my Feat favorites

 

So many to like!

 

I've been to that pub with Peter and Andy and i can assure you the single barrel tequila and bourbon came out before heading to the wee little pub where you have to duck your head to walk through before sitting down to enjoy lunch with a fine bottle of English sparkling wine otherwise called champagne by the French. It's about a 15 minute drive from the factory through quaint hedgerows and isolated farmhouses glimpsed out of the corner of your eye as you hurtle along in an older Mercedes sitting there praying as you crest another little hill.

 

@finn , thanks for a great mental image!

 

Man page 3 of that review was just brutal!

 

I’d love to hear the Oto but I’m not sure I can trust Jeff’s judgement . I followed his Duelund recommendations and purchase a pair of interconnects and some speaker wire. Neither worked at all well in my system

 

Does anyone know what year the AN-E switched to the current seamless cabinets?

 

Same here. I bought Duelund wires, Duelund CAST caps and CAST resistors, and before that Belden interconnect, all based on Jeff’s recommendations. None of them worked out for me. Jeff seems like a nice guy and he likes the same types of music that I do, but we apparently just hear things very differently.

Frankly I don’t see Jeff’s endorsement of the Oto as a good thing for Audio Note.

 

He raves about the Leben CS600 (as do many) and while I read his thoughts after I already owned one, they echo my own. His tube rolling adventures with that amp were super valuable to me.

what didn’t you like about the Deuland? I’ll admit to having been tempted by what he wrote about it.

 

The RCA red base 5691's that I've used in multiple preamps over the years have started getting noisy on startup in my Soro Phone SE. As far as I can tell, there isn't any major sound penalty once warmed up. Still, I am home. All. The. Time. So I figured I'd try something new to stave off boredom.

Years of this tube audio nonsense have left me with a ton of different choices. So, I unwrapped some Melz (Russian) metal base 6N9S that have been sitting untried forever. I enjoyed a very nice listening session last night with them installed. I didn't really hear a huge difference vs the 5691's.

I figure it's one of the below reasons, or perhaps a combination of some or all:

1. That position in the Soro is not super sensitive to tube quality, or

2. The Melz tubes are actually quite good, or

3. The rare mid-week bottle of wine over dinner dulled my critical senses.

Carry on.

 

On 6SN7 side, I've compared RCA red base 5692 and the Russian Meltz 6H8C/6SN7 (metal base, 1758 stamped, hole-plates etc. the best kind), and found that the Russki was just too bright and aggressive for me, even though amazing in it's qualities in general (and other hand felt that RCA was little too soft).

 

For 6SN7s (for which I have no application at the moment), I favor Tung Sol round plate 6F8Gs with an adaptor. I picked them up about 10 years ago when they were still moderately reasonably priced. I've kept one NOS pair for when and if I ever need them again. I also have a pile of various 7N7s, which I never found satisfactory in past uses, but which might also come in handy at some future point. That's yet another adapter required.

 

Hello,

I am very interested in adding a Dac Audio Note to my current system (Naim NDX / XPS2, OTO SE sign)

Which Dac is preferably associated with OTO?

What should I expect with an AN-DAC coming out of the NDX?

Thank you for your opinions

 

Haven't heard the NDX, but you cannot go wrong with Audio Note Dac 2.1x Signature. Often regarded as the sweet spot in the AN dac line-up. Also it is Level 2 product as is OTO (although OTO SE Signature is likely more like 2.5 or 3 compared to normal OTO)

 

I’d second the recommendation for the 2.1 Sig. I have the ND5-XS and the improvement bypassing it’s DAC to the AN is not a subtle one. Likely the “transport “ element of your NDX will be better than that of the ND5 but I’d still expect a significant improvement. That said, I only turn the Naim on to charge my iPod these days as the AN CD Transport is in a different musical league.

I did listen to the models below the 2.1 Sig before I settled on it, you’ll find that further up this thread if it’s any help.

I forgot to mention it’s also feeding an Oto SE Sig.

 

If you get a chance, you should do, it’s a fine amplifier; don’t be put off by his gushings on this occasion: I’m with you on the Duelund cables though. In the past he’s written some fine reviews for 6Moons and has great music knowledge and taste but in the past few years as lost all self control; I know not why.
As great as the Audio Note (UK) Oto Phono SE Signature is (sorry I just couldn’t resist) we all know AN make far far better amps: God help Positive Feedback readers if he ever gets loaned one