Audio Note Kit 1

Why not just plug it in and find out?  Seems like an easy and obvious way to answer your questions.

It's still shipping or that's exactly what I would have done. Should arrive within the next week. 

Looking forward to hearing your impressions

@cal3713 and whoever else that might be interested. I have had a chance to listen to the audio note kit 1. I am very satisfied to say the least. The audio note paints a much smoother picture, with a much more laid back presentation. I have never heard an amplifier be so quiet. This is running off a driver that is very efficent at ~102db, and there is not even a hum. My El34 amp may handle rock music better, it gives it a really nice crunchy effect, but that is still up for debate for me, and would change by listener. If your interested here is the exact amplifier I bought. Did I get it for a reasonable price? 

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9e45i-audio-note-kit-1-300b-2010-tube?show_listing=true

Great to hear.  Congrats.

Glad you are liking it!  I really like the ANK CAC 4.1LE that I built a few years back.  I think some of ANK's offerings represent nice value.

Hard to say about the price, since you have not shared that info....

@jbrrp1 I posted the link of the kit 1 I bought. It was bought here on audiogon. I paid $1650 for it. Had upgraded resistors, upgraded film caps, and upgraded silver internal wiring. Also came with all the tubes needed.

Good deal. I ordered a ANK 300b kit recently. Still burning in. 

Like as sloth on valium.With lots of drool.

So the "sloth" comment was made specifically about the Audio Note or is this comment directed at all the 300B SET amps you have heard? Serious question with no malice!

300B SET amps do tend to sound a bit like that but there are some which sound far less soggy/bloated/euphonic than the Kit 1.The Kit 1 is certainly at the soggy end of the scale .I had a really cheap Chinese 300B SET that sounded like that too.The Elekit 300B SETs are much better.Surprisingly good actually .Still very speaker dependent but that is the nature of low power/ current drive/ high output impedance amplifiers .Especially those with no negative feedback.

@jtgofish when I first purchased the ANkit1 it had a pair of sophia mesh 300b tubes. These sounded very slow. Almost like syrup, albeit a very analog sounding syrup. After switching to the Genalex Gold Lions 300bs, it became much better. I think the final sound of the kit1 is very tube dependent. Love the amp though and dont see a upgrade in the near future. Fitted it with a upgraded power cord and synergestic research orange fuse. Both offered substantial benefits. My next upgrade will be new output transformers for the amp. I like the ability to upgrade parts when time/$ permits, and this amp if perfect for that.

Better to spend the money on having a variable negative feedback control fitted.I have owned SETs with that option installed and it really helps fine tune the sound I imagine the Kit 1 has zero negative feedback and if you can dial in more feedback that would be most likely to both improve its control of speakers and lower distortion.Too much and you lose image depth but there is usually a sweet point that is worth finding.

Just a question here--I hope this is the right place to put it.  The Kit 1 originally appeared in the mid 90s I think.  I am wondering if it is time to at least evaluate if not replace some of the caps in an AN of 20-25 yrs?

@drrnc2 I will say my Kit 1 was built in 2010, and I've considered changing caps out of sheer OCD. If it was 20+ years old it would be the first thing I would do. I haven't done it yet, but someday I will. I have the AN copper film caps in mine. I will replace to the AN Silver capacitors when needed. They are pricey, but im sure worth it. Ive actually gone all out on my Kit 1 tweak wise. If anyone's interested ill give a list of things done to the amp, all of which has significantly helped the sound of the amplifier. The only things I see left are better ccore transformers and the silver caps.

Thanks akwilson501.  I was thinking that since the AN components are claimed to be so superior perhaps part of that superiority was long lived, but you, who seems to me to know a bit about the company, would see it as appropriate to do the replacement anyway.  Thanks again.  Rich.

The fuse was a big improvement?  I was with you till then.  

Yes the fuse was a big improvement(in this amp, and all my other gear). Dont knock it till you try it for yourself.