An enthusiast’s journey to Audio Note UK

Electro Voice big box speakers driven by a Kenwood receiver for FM radio and amping a Technics turntable were in the home in the mid-70’s as I came of age.  Classic rock of the era with Jimi and LZ and Elton were spinning most commonly along with some jazz albums such as Miles’ KOB, Coltrane’s Lush Life, Freddie Hubbard’s Ready for Freddie and albums from Stanley Turrentine and Al DiMeola whose names I can’t recall picked up for 0.99$ at the campus record store with my yard mowing money.  Later with paper route and then restaurant kitchen work money a Nakamichi cassette player, a Sony CD spinner, Bose 301’s, and a Hafler pre and amp formed the nucleus.  301’s replaced by Conrad Johnson diaspora Icon Lumens and I was set for a decade plus.  Finally into a house with a large living space to fill and vintage Klipsch Cornwalls driven by a Butler Audio “Blue Tube” amp replacing the Hafler amp which died served by a Rotel CD spinner for a while before both being replaced by an Ayon CD5s which at that time represented the most significant leap in sonic punch and clarity spawning an intensifying itch.  Tom Evans’ Linear B monos and Marten Birds joined in and I thought I was done.  A Linear B failed and I sent the monos to Tom Evans in Wales in 2012 excitedly for their creator to mend and they remain in Wales still yet in 2025!?  Looking to drive the Marten Birds while the Linear B’s were held hostage I decided on Lamm M1.2 Ref monos.  Very full and powerful musical presence appreciated I then pulled a Lamm L2.1 Ref and Lamm LP1 into the system enjoying the best music reproduction yet then doubled down yet again with Lamm’s 4 piece LL1.1 Signature preamp stack and I was done… until my son who had the occasion to hear a million dollar Audio Note UK system while getting a JJ 300b amp serviced by Nick Gowan became drawn to the Audio Note sound.  I heard his essentially entry level Oto driving vintage Snell’s and was just flabbergasted at the space and air and realness and texture of the reproduction.  Soon I purchased a used Audio Note Soro SE Sig integrated for 6k I think it was which then retailed for idk 12k and plugged it in where the 7 piece Lamm power plant with a retail value of over 100k to drive the relatively power hungry Marten Birds and immediately the most realistic punchy accurate and dynamic music I had ever heard emerged. The Lamm’s never were plugged back in and soon went to other lucky homes.  Next Audio Note SPe cables in single wire format replaced Audio Sensiibility OCC biwires and again immediately sonic doors burst open.  I had cabled my system with OCC copper and silver as above without really noticing any change from Radio Shack/ Monoprice type wires before and was a cabling skeptic until the SPe wires hit the scene now everything gets AN ISIS or silver cables with clear audible dividends and signatures at each change.   Audio Note E SPe HE’s came next at 6k used to make their case against my beloved Marten Birds and again immediate sonic reality blooming appreciated.  Next a used Audio Note DAC 3.1 built around the turn of the century came to play against the newer age DAC’s in the Ayon CD5s and a PS Audio Direct Stream and a Lampizator Amber 2 and again sonic realism steeped deeper again with CD’s playing through the decades old Audio Note 3.1x DAC.  Sold then and now completely on the AN approach to music reproduction and the undeniable immediately evident not even subtle sonic presentation dividend at each turn I went large for me on Level 5 AN E SEC Signature speakers and of course like a broken record - sonic roof blasted off.  As many of you I had read about Audio Note and other pricey companies’ products and didn’t really consider them because they seemed so expensive but seeing how each of their products have replaced more expensive components in my system with instantly recognized sonic dividends to these ears their lineup is now viewed by me to be bargains especially at the lower levels.  Of course completing a Level 5 setup is a goal but the quality of music reproduction I am getting now with my AN CDT 4 through my DAC 3.1x then amped by the Soro SE Signature to the AN E SEC Sigs is pure sonic delight at every turn.   My suggestion to anyone interested in AN products is to try a lower level component in your house in a place in the chain that you are contemplating replacing from component to even cabling.  Each AN change for me has reaped instant dividends with the most subtle being ISIS power cables just recently added which had subtle if any dividend in my setting with my ears - the components and cabling elsewhere all delivered immediate and clear sonic dividends.  If there is one word to describe what Audio Note UK’s fanatical approach to music reproduction with all its esoteric materials and in-house bespoke transformers and resistors and capacitors and wiring within it is realism for me - in the room accuracy of tone and timbre with lifelike dynamic punch and all the space and air for the sonic picture to develop with crystalline clarity.  Pick up a piece with confidence - I did with some trepidation which proved extinguished in an instant.