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Re: Upgrade to Audio Note System

71.232.93.134

Posted by Bob Neill on October 25, 2006 at 15:56:14

In Reply to: Upgrade to Audio Note System posted by UtilityMan on October 25, 2006 at 05:02:17:

This is one man's opinion, but a man who has been monkeying around with Audio Note gear for a couple of years now.

FRONT END

CDT 2 II: A superb transport. Good enough to carry you up to a Dac 4.1 Balanced and not fall short. Keep it.

Dac 2.1 Balanced: This is probably the former model, which is no longer made. A new one is due out early in 2007 that will likely be as good as the current Dac 3.1 Balanced, which is also no longer made, to be replaced by a new model later this year. Sell this one and get the new 2.1 Balanced when it's available. Actually, get the best dac you can afford. Significant differences at each step and the improvements are carried through the whole system. Duh.

Connect them with a one-meter single run of Sogon, which will make a dramatic difference. I recommend Sogon digital interconnect in the cheapest systems I sell and it always has a huge effect. VERY big bang for admittedly big bucks.

At some point, get an Arm 3/Vx, a moving coil IO1 with a S4 step-up. Much more refined. The cartridge change is a knock-out.

AMP

The OTO is a great little amp and one of the best values in the line. Keep it until, as Budrew suggests, you're ready to jump to an M3 and Quest Silver or Silver Signature.

SPEAKERS

The J/LX's are very good, much better than I thought as I listened smugly to my J/SPe's. Keep them until you upgrade your amps, then go for the new E/SPe HE's. Or E/LX Signatures. Be sure to put a mixture of lead shot and sand in your AN stands. Cheap and impressive upgrade.

CABLE

If you're going to upgrade cable, begin at the source end. Sogon between the transport and dac as I said above; VX between the dac and OTO. Lexus is fine as speaker cable, it's what your speakers are wired with. When and if you move up to the SPe's, then convert to SPe speaker cable.

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