This guy sure loves Audio Note!

[Southall-1998]

Sorry to be asking this on an objective forum. What are your thoughts on AN gear?

His video:

S.

 

[Chrispy]

Never heard of the brand myself but it doesn't look like stuff I'd consider much in the first place. Is the video worth watching in some way? Is there a specific point of the thread other than discussing subjective reactions to the gear and the video?

 

[Doodski]

What are your thoughts on AN gear?

It's great that Audio Note offers components. The price of some of the stuff is elusive. Aside from that I wish Audio Note did a better job with the EVGA sound card and the Pro version of it.

 

[GeorgeWalk]

OMG. I just skipped through that. He is just displaying a marketing sheet and reading from it. His monotone voice is boring. He has no depth or sound-stage. And the sibilance is completely lacking.

 

[Purité Audio]

AN UK is solely about marketing, poor design marketed as something special with pricing to match.
Keith

 

[Matias]

Audio Note surely has a passionate following. I know some people that love them.

But I highly doubt that ASR would approve them as all their amplifiers and pre-amps have valves.

And the speaker description says it all:

"The majority of the high-end audio marketplace is occupied by ill-conceived low efficiency loudspeaker systems. These designs usually consist of several less-than ideally-matched drivers and a very complex crossover, crammed into a cabinet that exhibits the tonal and textural qualities of reinforced concrete. Their designers are blinded by the dogmatic quest for high sound pressure levels and flat response.

But what of the other factors which are essential for emotionally involving music reproduction? What about coherence, full natural micro - as well as macro - dynamics, inner detail?

What about LIFE?

What about EMOTION?

Sorry, they’re just not part of the “High Performance Audio” design brief. And Music suffers for it."

 

[kchap]

I watch (listened?) to a few excepts. After such shock to my reasoning I feel I need to watch a few QAnon videos to start the slow process of reintroducing myself to logical thought and argument.

Edit

 

[JeffS7444]

I briefly sat in on a demo of Audio Note products including a set of box speakers selling for 40K USD(!), I didn't feel I was in the presence of anything particularly special, though I recall the speakers having a nice high-gloss finish. I like how Audio Note Kits continues to support the DIY/craft aspect of the hobby.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

That has to be the most boring video I've ever seen in my entire life, second only to a couple of my own videos.

 

[mhardy6647]

For any folks who don't know, the Audio Note story is a little complicated, and a fairly contentious one as well.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-note-uk-vs-kondo-audio-note-japan-1
https://www.audioasylum.com/messages/amp/172672/audio-note-japan-vs-audio-note-uk-gear

 

[Foxenfurter]

I had an Audio Note Dac 3 Signature for about 20 years. It was the old PCM63K chip version and sounded transparent to my ears even when (approximately) level matched vs newer stuff. When I first bought the AN DAC 3, I felt that it matched the soundstage of my record deck, which my other digital sources at the time did not.

I had it serviced a couple of times when components reached end of life and I always found A/N great to deal with, friendly, prompt replying and answered my questions. Servicing was about 100-150 GBP including parts.

Over the time that I had it I tried some cheaper newer gear, and it was pretty obvious that there was no performance benefit in the A/N DAC anymore, it was a wrench selling it 'cos I like valves, but the box was too big and I could get what I paid for it (I bought an ex-demo version).

 

[Jimbob54]

Now then member Southall- were you expecting a different set of responses to the thread you replied to over a year ago?

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/so-this-thing-costs-43k.9882/post-457743

Hmmm

 

[Zog]

Is the video worth watching in some way?

I got two mins and gave up.

 

[escksu]

For any folks who don't know, the Audio Note story is a little complicated, and a fairly contentious one as well.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-note-uk-vs-kondo-audio-note-japan-1
https://www.audioasylum.com/messages/amp/172672/audio-note-japan-vs-audio-note-uk-gear

Yes, its very sad. The original audio note that became a well known brand was from japan. Now i have to say the one that is popular is the one from uk. The japan one is known as kondo instead.


I would say its similar with chord and and chord electronics. Took me a long long time to reallise they are different companies. Haha...

 

[Grumpish]

It's great that Audio Note offers components. The price of some of the stuff is elusive. Aside from that I wish Audio Note did a better job with the EVGA sound card and the Pro version of it.

HiFi collective sells Audio Note components - including some resistors that cost over £30 each and a range of capacitors that go up to well over £1000 each.

 

[BentonF]

I had an Audio Note Dac 3 Signature for about 20 years. It was the old PCM63K chip version and sounded transparent to my ears even when (approximately) level matched vs newer stuff. When I first bought the AN DAC 3, I felt that it matched the soundstage of my record deck, which my other digital sources at the time did not.

I had it serviced a couple of times when components reached end of life and I always found A/N great to deal with, friendly, prompt replying and answered my questions. Servicing was about 100-150 GBP including parts.

Over the time that I had it I tried some cheaper newer gear, and it was pretty obvious that there was no performance benefit in the A/N DAC anymore, it was a wrench selling it 'cos I like valves, but the box was too big and I could get what I paid for it (I bought an ex-demo version).

What DAC did you settle on and how does it compare to the sonics of your long loved AN UK DAC?

 

[Nevi]

There is a shop here in Copenhagen "Audio Consult". Everything from good middle gear, to Krell, Audio Note, Martin Logan, etc. A few years ago, I heard a couple of big Lowther horns, with a 5-7 watt Audio Note single ended Triode amplifier there.
It was really something special. Audio Note is a really nice brand. But I simply can't afford it. So I use something else, I can live with.
I love the brand, but it's too expensive for me.

 

[litemotiv]

I always love to read audiophile reviews about brands like these, for instance the one below about the Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x (€1800):

Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x Review

The Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x is part of Audio Note UK’s entry level zero system. At first glance, the DAC 0.1x can seem to be a tough sell in a 2018 marketplace with far more modern DA converters competitively priced, most of them having half a dozen inputs and outputs and impressive techno babble...

www.dagogo.com

Some highlights:

It's based around a 35 year old DAC chip that was considered low-budget even back in the day:

The Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x uses the classic Philips TDA 1543 chip, which Peter Qvortrup likes very much, although he noted to me that he would have preferred to use the TDA 1541 but that there simply were no more TDA 1541s available in enough numbers anymore to be used in a production product. Peter did note to me that he purchased some 20,000 TDA 1543 chips so availability into the future will not be an issue. Of course there is more to the sound quality of a DAC than just the chip being selected, such as the quality of other parts and the design of the output stage.

Non-oversampling, and no digital or analogue filters:

While there have been many companies that have copied Audio Note UK’s non oversampling DA converters over the years (imitation is the highest form of flattery), Audio Note UK is still unique in design with no digital or analogue filters and manufacturing much of their own internal parts, such as the Audio Note UK Tin Foil capacitors found in the DAC 0.1x.

Technical details don't matter, it's what you hear that counts:

For me, as an end user, I am more interested in the sound quality of the piece of gear over technological talking points. I mention this because over the last several years it seems to me that the talking points have come first and the audio industry forums have turned into an extension of computer forums. Have you bought the DAC with the latest DSD chip? Does your DAC do MQA? No? Well then mate, you are three months behind the times and therefore you own a relic! It is truly sad when chasing better music reproduction has been changed to chasing the latest feature or DA conversion chip. I understand that to a degree because a better, faster chip in a computer can make for a better computer, but in audio it has not necessarily been the case.

Digital bad, analog good:

With digital, I always get the sense I am listening to something the analogue of “airbrushing.” It has a kind of perfect sound that is vacuous, like a sociopath who has physical perfection and immense charm but no empathy or soul.

Lifted veils and tapping toes, as is tradition:

Essentially, the Audio Note DAC 0.1x differentiates recordings better so that you get more variety in the sound you are hearing. There is more bounce with leading edges and you get more tonal colouration. Listening to acoustic instruments like cello and piano are exhilarating, drawing me to play not only more of my collection but the same track three times and causing me to shake my head that a DAC at this price could render this level of sound quality. The veil lifts and the energy and the dynamics come through. Everything has more life and more toe-tapping involvement.

I can enjoy reading stuff like that all day.

 

[Foxenfurter]

I bought an SMSL M300 MKII, the important features for me were audio transparency, balanced and single ended outputs and a remote control and relatively low price. It was all part of a master plan to switch away from my expensive valve gear to solid state. I also had a an EAR V20 amp, which was fantastic but the system took about 20 mins to settle down and didn't give me enough headroom for EQ which was the only way I could see improving the sound I was getting. So I replaced the Ear with a Purifi as I wanted to do a self-build.

In terms of sound quality not a whole lot of difference really. I measured the A/N with a MOTU M2 and it was just about OK (within the limitations of my measuring skill and the MOTUs inputs). But listening to both through a Geshelli Headphone amp the differences were extremely marginal at best.

 

[jensgk]

I always love to read audiophile reviews about brands like these, for instance the one below about the Audio Note UK DAC 0.1x (€1800):
.........
I can enjoy reading stuff like that all day.

Yeah, It follows the usual standard audiophile script.