Audio Note DAC Owners- please share your thoughts

@timo62-

Thanks for the link! I had read this a while ago as well- big recommendation for that unit. There was a 3.1x/II up for sale on the “other” site recently and I didn’t think the price was bad either. Just a little hesitant to go blindly in on this investment w/o hearing it first.

WOW!

@jasonbourne52 - Nice

@jerryg123 - Quick return to the Bourne! But I do understand the remark as these seem pretty pricey. I’ve seen some examples going in the $5-12K range- certainly worth evaluating the value but definitely NOT $99K! I’m curious about the kits as well.

@stereo5 - Thanks for the memories- This is what I’m talking about! So far I’ve only heard one person tell me that they were not really impressed by the AN presentation but admitted that the exposure had been some time ago with the entry level model. I have no way to bias that comment as I’ve no experience with the product. Many suggestions point to a “in home demo” but these seem to be vaporware in my local.

@fsonicsmith-

Thank you for the thoughtful response. Your comments regarding equipment similarities took me to your system page and I must say congrats to you on that setup- those tables are beautiful!

Back to the DAC- I’m familiar with the history behind the SW1X and as you point out they are different implementations but there seemed to be a lot of parallels in the concept behind them.

I appreciate you noting the sound character with regards to recorded music. My musical tastes vary and I notice the characteristics you referred to with my present DAC as well. I’m very interested in trying one out and I don’t believe it will be in vain. It may take time though due to the lack of representation in my area. Thanks again!

@jeffseight-

I’m curious to hear which DAC were you using prior to moving onto the ANK 4.1x and what improvements it provided within your system. You mention a friend’s system doing some “special things”- does that DAC have upgraded components or was it more about how it played within the combination of gear?

@jond-

Hey there- it sounds as if no progress has been made on your DAC since relaying this to me a few weeks ago (I had sent you a pm regarding Audio Note). Hope your able to get it back up and running soon!

@jeffseight-

I’m in the part of the world known as Southern California- an LA native. There was a well known AN dealer in the Fullerton area. Sadly, he passed away 2 years ago. As of this point I believe there are a couple of dealers near the Bay Area, but I haven’t reached out to them yet to see if a in home demo is a possibility.

@clio09-

Thanks for the response. There seem to be many positive comments on the ANK 4.1 which makes me even more curious about the kits. @roxy54 shared a little of his experience with his updated/modified ANK and seems to be totally satisfied. He recommended speaking with Brian at ANK with regards to how far the kit implementation can be taken.

Thanks for the True Sound recommendation. I came across Nick’s contact info earlier this last week- just need to make time to give him a call.

@jjss49-

Thanks for the note. I had read your impressions on the ANK 4.1 earlier and even though it sounded as if from memory it gave me the impression you were liking what you heard (at least for a while). Seems like you’ve found something special with the Weiss and Chord duo in your system.

As for 24/96 I’m not seeing that as a limitation- and I’ve tossed this thought around a lot over the last couple of years.I think for the near future I’m going to stick with the CD format as that is all I own (get rid of my records 30 years ago).

I’m realizing this curiosity in Audio Note may take a while to realize due to availability and logistics but I’m not going to rush as the DAC I’m currently using is pretty amazing. It’s the AN tube output stage that intrigues me- 

@dpetr-

I’d like to hear more about this! Sending you a pm

@doni-

What other equipment makes up your system? Is it all tube?

@scottya118 

I’m not spinning CD’s anymore- but do use CD format 99.9% of the time. All disks are ripped to SSD on my Naim Uniti Core.

@lowrider57 

Thanks for the notes regarding your 2.1x Signature. At some point I’d like to discuss more about the upgrades you’ve performed and how the choices were made.

Best-

Designsfx

I didn’t say you have to pair AN dacs with AN components to realize what one has to offer- most AN Dac owners I know do not use full on AN systems. I do remember almost every dealer I spoke with making the statement that one would realize the best performance when mated with AN components.

Just for reference which Lampizator and AN models did you compare to each other? I didn’t purchase mine for its DSD functionality either- I haven’t found much that appeals to me in that market.

@jc51373

I agree with you on the SW1 likely not having the appeal of the AN when it comes to resale but I think the general theme of your comments can be applied to almost any higher tier component.

Honestly- I was fascinated by the Audio Note mystique for some time but after months of looking and poorly orchestrated demos the appeal ran out of steam. I do believe they have a very eloquent circuit design and there is no doubt that when combined within an AN system there would be some magic there. But to your point above when I realized how the price structure vs model/configuration or levels worked I became less impressed.

In the end I had looked at and listened to quite many other dacs but most of them didn’t do any better than what I already owned. After a year or so of trying things out I ultimately went with a Lampizator Golden Atlantic TRP3 balanced and it has been one of the best purchases I’ve made.

@kstirman 

Interesting story- it sounds like you were really into it at the time, what dac are you using these days?

After many months of reading the experiences of others and waiting for the right unit to become available for sale I moved on and purchased a new Lampizator TRP3. It is (to use your words) dramatically better than the Aqua in most aspects although my opinion of the Aqua has not changed- which is why I’ve chosen to keep it as well. 

@larryi 

While I haven’t had the opportunity to hear all models in the AN Dac lineup I think I had heard enough to know it wasn’t for me after all. I had been searching for a 4.1x balanced for sometime but (as you note above) was not going to go for a new unit because I felt the asking price to be overly excessive. I found one for sale in the UK that I felt to be an acceptable price but the issue of converting power prior to the sale was farther than the seller wanted to go.

After that I considered a 4.1 balanced signature model but couldn’t secure an in home audition. I did notice that particular model came up for sale more frequently (in the UK) but the asking prices were very high and units seemed to be for sale for very long periods of time. This reinforced the thought that they were severely overpriced.

Finally I was able to hear one in early 2023 in a digital setup and after hearing it (and knowing the sales price) I was not that impressed.
Shortly afterwards I auditioned a Lampizator Pacific and being inspired with what I heard I started seeking a used Pacific balanced Dac. Through various conversations with Lampi owners regarding the cost of tubes and considering the recent changes made within the product line I decided it might be wiser to start with the latest TRP 3 balanced with Engine 11. 
I’m glad I purchased this unit as it is latest circuit design so no need for near term upgrading. This Dac is also not just limited to the world of pentodes as I run single/dual triodes as well. The presentation is very impressive.