ANK AudioKits Forum

ANK AudioKits support forum

Audio Note Kits Forum

How good is the Audio Note PreAmp kit??

128.165.162.29

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Thread: Display Email Next ] [ Audio Note Kits Forum ]

I am looking to build another preamp and am wondering which one to select. I now have the DIY Basie but I am getting an urge to try something else, either the Audio Note or maybe the Bottlehead Foreplay III. Has anyone done an A-B comparison of the Audio Note PreAmp kit with other preamp kits??
Thanks for any help.

Follow Ups:

Re: How good is the Audio Note PreAmp kit?? - AudioNoteKits 19:30:19 05/20/05 (12)
Regarding the AudioNote Pre-Amp kit I just want to mention that the original pre-amp was designed in 1994 and this past April I took the Pre-amplifier kit to the UK for a complete analysis - We made some design changes to the phono stage to make it exactly accurate to the RIAA curve. We also did some tweaks to the phono stage and the power supply to remove any unnecessary hum and noise - We changed some of the grounding aswell along with the position of the choke in the chassis. The final result is a pre-amplifier of exceedingly high quality that is eceptionally quiet and very musical. With the signature version we are offering a chance to have this pre-amplifier with all the top of the line audio note components ( tantulums, copper caps, black gates) all hardwired with audio note silver wire.!Its a fantastic kit.
Regards
Brian Smith
AudioNote Kits
- Re: How good is the Audio Note PreAmp kit?? - andyh 07:34:29 05/25/05 (11)
  My personal footnote would be that it was a hard-to-beat piece of kit before any changes and fantastic value for money with the right valves installed. Biggest improvements weren't tweaks but GE 6072s in the phono stage, Telefunken ECC82s and AudioNote silver wire (20 strand interwiring and AN-V). Easily as impressive a unit as the KitONE or DAC.
  Anyone using back-loaded horns with KitONE, BTW?
  a.
  - Anyone using back-loaded horns with KitONE, BTW? - Duc748 23:32:58 05/27/05 (10)
    Kit ONE and back loaded horns fantastic, very dynamic sound stage
    - Yup, Cain & Cain single BEN - DougE 08:17:19 05/28/05 (9)
      and I agree: fantastic and dynamic. Not enough bass in my room so had to add a sub.
      Duc748, what speakers are you running?
      Ordered the upgrades (minus C-core) to hardwire from Brian this week. Oh boy, this is gonna be fun!
      - Re: Yup, Cain & Cain single BEN - Duc748 08:55:21 05/28/05 (8)
        
        In Reply to: Yup, Cain & Cain single BEN posted by DougE on May 28, 2005 at 08:17:19:
        
        Doug, Using Academy horns, I think personally that changing to horns is probably one of the best upgrades you can make...Never experienced total, total transparency before..horns invisible... KitONE and horns the dogs dangly bits!!
        
        Woof! Duc748 what drivers - DougE 11:31:53 05/28/05 (7)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Yup, Cain & Cain single BEN posted by Duc748 on May 28, 2005 at 08:55:21:
        
        do you have in your Academy horns? Link to info/pics?
        
        Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers - Duc748 13:06:19 05/28/05 (6)
        
        In Reply to: Woof! Duc748 what drivers posted by DougE on May 28, 2005 at 11:31:53:
        
        Doug, they are furnished with EX3s..I can sent a couple of pics to an email addy if you want, I am a cabinet maker so I constructed them myself to lowthers spec.
        What drivers are in yours?
        
        Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers - DougE 14:29:40 05/28/05 (5)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers posted by Duc748 on May 28, 2005 at 13:06:19:
        
        Mine are the Fostex 208Sigma, and they have a supertweet horn, I think it's the 90something--I will write again after checking if you'd like.
        Yes! I'd like to see pics; esp, since you're a cabinet maker. Bet they're nice.
        doug@fsins.com
        I will post my system soon. Finalizing a few pieces before posting proudly.
        
        Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers - andyh 08:37:33 06/01/05 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers posted by DougE on May 28, 2005 at 14:29:40:
        
        ... coincidence - I was looking to build theese for the kitONE...
        Pictures/experiences would be good (specific to kitONE, not for the High Eff. Speaker Asylum etc.)
        a.
        
        http://www.freewebs.com/ulzog/fe208espage1.htm (Open in New Window)
        
        Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers - witkowskifilip@yahoo.com 00:59:16 06/01/05 (3)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers posted by DougE on May 28, 2005 at 14:29:40:
        
        Can I get a pictures and opinion about your horns guys?
        I consider to build speakers to my Kit One but still cant decide which project.
        Regards
        Filip
        
        Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers - Duc748 13:04:15 06/01/05 (2)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers posted by witkowskifilip@yahoo.com on June 1, 2005 at 00:59:16:
        
        Here is a link to a few pics of my home made Academy Horns and Kit ONE..sorry the speakers are not finished ..when I have time I will finish them to my desired veneer..may be Yew Burl veneer.
        http://groups.msn.com/TheEricClaptonRoom/audio.msnw?Page=1
        
        Duc, nice job. Filip, things to consider... - DougE 07:47:23 06/03/05 (1)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Woof! Duc748 what drivers posted by Duc748 on June 1, 2005 at 13:04:15:
        
        Duc, great looking speakers, and a great job wiring your kit1. Makes mine look like the mess it is. Maybe I will clean it up when I get my tantalums and copper caps and hardwire silver boards. Should get the parts soon so I will report!
        Filip, you are wise to at least investigate back loaded horns. They are different than front horns in several ways. The good: project sound more naturally without peakiness and less sound of horn in vocal region, single driver to cover most of frequencies, no sense of strain. The bad: limited bass, bass that's there is light and non-impactful, rolled highs. I've compensated for the highs by going with an "augmented" design that actually has a tweeter but doesn't have the classic crossover so little degredation there. Also, added a sub in an augmented fashion so there's no crossover there, but that way I get deep bass. Still missing some strength in midbass, but the rest of the range is quite amazing.
        Don't know how to post a pic of my actual speakers--anyone help here?
        Here's a link in the meantime...
        http://www.cain-cain.com/BEN/index.html
        
        Re: Duc, nice job. Filip, things to consider... - Duc748 07:09:01 06/06/05 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Duc, nice job. Filip, things to consider... posted by DougE on June 3, 2005 at 07:47:23:
        
        Doug,
        Visit msn.com and open your own group to post pics..thats all I did.
        Your Cain and Cain look fantastic.
        I find that the Academys with EX3 dont suffer from rolled off highs, but if I wanted to be critical then a sub would be added for organ music for which I dont listen to.
        The bass from the Academys is loud, tight, controlled and natural. I find there is plenty of bass for my listening tastes and there is certainly a massive soundstage, itslike being there!!
        I think that the extra driver the Academy uses adds the extra bass into the rear horn. The overall sound is very fast and dynamic with an overall warmth to the presentation and I dont honestly feel as if I am missing anything at all. Even the Fidelios I build first were exactly the same..perhaps the room makes a big difference.
No contest - Kamigo 14:11:53 05/20/05 (2)
The AN Preamp is MUCH MUCH MUCH better than my Foreplay II - night and day. The AN comes with a phono stage (which the Foreplay doesn't), is configured in a normal way (eg inputs and outputs on the BACK) and is upgradeable beyond your wildest dreams. The basic AN Pre is fantastic, but the Signature with all the tantalum resistors, copper caps and blackgate caps is a jaw dropper.
With all due respect to Bottlehead, the AN was also designed by an audio engineer and is based on much higher priced AN finished products. When I built my Foreplay I had lots of hum and buzz. When I went in search of help, I learned that LOTS of people had hum and buzz. There were ad-hoc solutions (developed by the community, not the manufacturer) but in the end the Foreplay was never as quiet as it should have been from day 1. To me when so many people experience the same problem that's a sign of a flawed design. It's probably why they came up with the FP III - at a much higher price. Remember when the FP was $99?
- Re: No contest - Skip_Scratch 16:55:55 05/27/05 (0)
  your experiences with the foreplay II really don't help the poster as he asked about the foreplay III- a completely different animal. I just built the foreplay III a couple of weeks ago and it is dead silent. it's only the second kit i have ever built-no problem. Sonically i can't compare it to the AN as i have not heard it. It is an amazing piece of gear and i didn't need the phono stage as i imagine most don't. if you do, bottleheads seduction is something to look at. For the price i would imagine the foreplay would be hard to beat. even by audio engineers. the high priced AN finished products can also be installed in your foreplay as i intend to do. I'm sure you would be very happy with either product. What do you want for $99?
- I also had a Foreplay. - Mmw 16:26:01 05/20/05 (0)
  I had also built a Foreplay and could never get rid of the hum. I think it is still sitting in the closet somewhere. Had you ever compared the DIY Basie, which I have now, with the Audio Note Pre? I will probably get the Audio Note but would like some recommendations and encouragement.
  Thanks

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio

You can not post to an archived thread.