Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...


Hi, Folks,
If anyone's interested, I've started a blog with lots of photos, documenting my ongoing build of the Audio Note Kit 1 300B SET amp. If you've ever thought of building any kit before and want to get a feel for what it's like, you're welcome to have a look!
rebbi
Pangea has one model for power amps (focus on current delivery) and one for source or pre-amp (focus on noise shielding and control).

I use the latter (AC14SE) with both tube-output DAC and tube pre-amp and can state with certainty that these made a significant improvement in detail and clarity with my gear.

Neither is a perfect fit for an integrated amp though so I would recommend going with something that others have had success with used with a SET tube integrated amp specifically.
Rebbi,
Pangea is a decent cord, I believe Silnote and the other examples I mention are in a higher quality tier. Get a upper level cord like these and enjoy their better performance for years. In other words, match the quality of your amplifier.
Charles,
I emailed Pete at TWL to see if he has any used or demo cables to sell. And Silnote seems a good, relatively low cost option. If you guys are of the consensus that the the Pangea cords aren't worth the trouble, I'll suppose I'll save up for something better. I know that in some things you get what you pay for!
Rebbi,
I'll be the first to admit that in audio, higher cost doesn't always= better product/sound quality. In this specific instance spending a bit more for a very good cord is worth it. Your amplifier has the high resolution to exploit these better power cords. They will reveal more musical information/detail that your amplifier is capable of. Once you obtain a high quality cord you're done searching and can just enjoy what it brings to the table. As Snopro suggested, the pangea is a middle of the road type of power cord(not terrible at all). Your amplifier is true high end caliber in terms of performance.
Charles,
Rebbi, regarding power cords you'll most likely find this post by Atmasphere (Ralph K.) to be of interest, and perhaps the rest of the thread as well.

I would add that the factors he cites as being most important in a power cord, namely minimal voltage drop and adequate bandwidth, while probably compromised to an audible degree by the cord you are presently using, are readily obtainable for far less than the megabucks some audiophiles invest in power cords. In that regard see Ralph's post here, and also my response in the second post after that one.

I would also add that the consequences of voltage drops and bandwidth constraints that may be imposed by a particular cord figure to be highly dependent on the design of the particular amplifier, including its class of operation (i.e., class A, AB, or D) among many other factors. And the effects of voltage drops figure to be highly dependent on the happenstance of the line voltage at the particular location.

One thing I would definitely avoid doing is extrapolating any expectations about the performance that is likely to result with a specific power cord from experiences that may be reported with class AB or class D amps, which differ greatly from SETs and other class A amps in terms of how their AC current draw fluctuates with the dynamics of the music.

I'll also say that there is often what I perceive to be an incorrect tendency among many audiophiles (and I am NOT referring to any of those who have posted above, whose opinions I greatly respect) to conflate the musical resolution of a component or system with the ability of the component or system to resolve differences in hardware, such as power cords. Obviously there is a relation between the two, to some degree, but from a technical standpoint I see no reason to exclude the possibility that depending on its particular design a component providing a higher degree of musical resolution might be less sensitive to differences between power cords and other cables than one that is not as musically resolving.

The bottom line to my thoughts on the subject, FWIW: Consider Signal Cable.

On another note, I'll add my congratulations to the many that have been expressed regarding the great results you have already achieved with this project. And kudos once again for the beautifully done blog.

Best regards,
-- Al