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

Ping. Yes. A ringing ping.

This M3 Line uses one ECC82 and one 5687WB.

I have two RCA 5814A clear tops I can try. And I have a Tung Sol 5687 on the way, although I did not specify low microphonics when ordering.

 

A reputable dealer will not sell a microphonic tube. OTOH, low-noise tubes usually need to be requested.

 

My M3 does not ring. It is like a faint metallic "ping" sound with every turn of the input selector. My volume control has smooth travel without a stepped attenuator so I don't hear it when I adjust the volume. No ringing or feedback.

 

Faint metallic ping.

Copy that.

 

Does any sound or ping come through the speakers?

 

It is through the speakers that I can hear it. If I turn the volume to zero I hear nothing except the switch itself.

 

OK, that's the same with my preamp. The sound is not like a microphonic tube.


@Gjo, obviously a microphonic tube in your case. I'm glad it only took 10 posts to settle this.

 

It looks as though my friend has sold his AN-S8 SUT and his IoII mc cartridge. Due to the ongoing pandemic he has an Audio Note Tomei integrated amp for sale. It is the very best integrated that Audio Note makes other than the Ongaku. Here is his brief description of the amplifier:

This one was built for me by AN (UK) about 5 years ago and a year later it was upgraded from the standard Tomei by AN (UK), to their *approved* hot-rodded version, namely solid core silver wiring on the input, Blackgate capacitors in critical places and 2 Watt Tantalums in critical places.
Cosmetically it is in 9.9/10 condition. This is now a £35k + amplifier on AN (UK) price list.

If you are buying one new it is £35,000/U.S.$49,500. He is asking for £15,500/U.S.$21,950, which is less than half of the brand new price. The dollar conversion was courtesy of our friends at Google : )

If you are interested, then please PM me and I can share some photos and put you in contact with him, where he can answer any and all questions.

(Thank you for reading. I can't think of any other place where people interested in Audio Note gear can discuss it like we do here)

 

Thanks, Don. I'm happy for the buyer and really sorry that your friend has to let this beauty go

 

I’ve seen the pictures, and......oh! I wish I had 15.5k lying around somewhere!!

 

My M3 was like this when I got it. I did as someone suggested: lifted the top off, and with the power and volume on, carefully tapped every tube. It was actually the first one I tried - one of the two on the input stage. I switched that with a new tube and no more microphonics.

 

Was your M3 new when you got it?

 

I began troubleshooting the M3 microphonics this AM. The ECC82 and 5687 tubes both ring when tapped. I replaced the ECC82 (Psvane) with a RCA 5814A black plate. The RCA 5814A rings the same as the Psvane 12AU7.

I do not yet have a 5687 to swap. One is scheduled to be delivered later today.

I also swapped in an Amperex ECL82 for the Ei ECL82.

 

I had it from the beginning when it’s was brand new and it doesn’t go away. Peter Q wrote me to turn the buttons a few times before playing but that didn’t work. I guess we have to liv whit it. In my case the right volume knop makes more noice then the left. I noticed when I switch to another, not active source, it doesn’t make noice. So that’s what I do now, when I play the cd and want to change the volume then I switch to aux or phono and then change the volume. Maybe they can ad it to the manual.

 

It seems that it is normal to hear noise thru the speakers when changing the source selector with the volume up. With volume off then you should only hear a click on the preamp when changing sources.

If there is no source hooked up then there is no gain. Noise can only be heard on an active source position.

 

What I ment to say is that when I am listening to the source the loud cracking noice starts by changing the volume no mather how loud or quiet it plays. If I want to avoid this noice then I switch it to an other source (not active or in use) so I can change volume normally. (noiseless).

 

It's a faulty attenuator, it needs replacing.

 

Hi GJO,

it is most commonly the ECC82/5814a that becomes microphonic, but on rare occassions it is the 5687.

Peter

 

Thank you, Peter. PM sent.

 

I recently bought some of these UltraSonic Rx Damping rings, they go around the tube and should make them more quiet.
Tube Dampers

 

Thank you for your suggestion.

I am familiar with tube dampers; own half a dozen in different sizes from Herbie's.

They do not ameliorate the microphonics I am describing in this thread.

 

So my PSU 4 for the AN TT-3 arrived and I thought you guys might be amused at my wife's description of the sound after a little over a year with the PSU3:

"It is to your ears, what Blue Ray is to your eyes"

 

wait until you get to hear the TT3 Super

but yes, if it were me i and i had my way with the production i would have done a PSU 1 (using parts from the current PSU 2), the PSU 3, and then of course the PSU 4.

but given you can start with the PSU 1 and move up as budget allows is a really nice thing for many clients.

 

I would love to get a TT3 Super w/ the new AN-1S arm and IO limited,but alas that won't happen...

The problem with moving up the ladder is that the upgrade program is not available any more and the market for used PSU units is pretty "slim" (i.e. virtually non-existant). When the upgrade program was available it was the deal of the century, but dealing with the traded-in PSUs was a real problem for dealers outside of the UK.

Anybody want to buy my PSU3...

 

i am sure it can be sold without to much trouble. you can buy the PSUs separately and even the TT3 table separately.