Audio Note Soro SE Uh Cool

Joe

I am building them right now - so hold your horses...

For now I still have the Trentes which sound terrific.

They are the Kit 2 which will equal the Model E, the only upgrade from the bottom model is Lexus wire on the inside. I am thinking in about 2 weeks they will be done. I look forward to putting the Kit 2's in the corner and with their increased effeciency giving my Soro a break as it runs hot, which is the only thing I do not like about it.

I do apologise for not keeping my system page up to date with the AN wire and will do so now. For that I offer my most sincere, humble and heartfelt apology...

Thanks Phil!

I just posted on another thread about the AN/E kits. Speakers are probably next for me, and Albert Porter has introduced a contender to the AN kit. I was thinking about the kit 3, but the GR's look good too. But as you know, I like my Audio Note!

Maybe I'll try to keep my system page updated too.

Joe

Thanks guys,
I'm going to pay for the soro today, hopefully with a little trade in to boot. I'm looking at the Bent Mu stepup, looks like it would be the the most versatile. Why would I need a new Phono cable? Looks to me like the Mu's could be placed close enough together to accept my cardas cable.
And yes the Soro is an integrated p2SE.

The Audio Note speakers sound particularly good with the Audio Note amplifiers; there is synergy with their products. The local audio note guy has a reference Audio Note/Levinson system feeding a pair of top of the line type E Audio Note speakers. Ongaku/M7 preamp for phono section, Levinson reference cd transport, audio note dac 5, mostly vintage kondo interconnects/speaker wire. Best I've ever heard anywhere.

If you do acquire Audio Note speakers ensure you try them in the traditional floor position as opposed to the corner/wall placement recommended by Audio Note. The bit of bass presence you give up is more than made up by the overall tighter sound in my experience. Also, I prefer the type J speaker; seems to be more overall balanced but it is not as efficient at 93db as the type E which gets up to 98db efficiency with the external crossovers.

An excellent choice for a step up device is a traditional transformer; K/K is one choice as another poster suggested. Audio Note offers a very complete line of transformers from the 500 level up to the truly obscene level. Be careful buying vintage trannies like Dynavector and Fidelity Research; most have had their wires changed out and some not done professionally. I got screwed on a Dynavector tranny from an
Audiogon seller. Buy these things new or only from a trusted source. Stay away from active step up devices; the last thing you need is another active gain stage. Use the transformer.

And, get some good tubes for the Soro! Make sure the capacitors are upgraded to the best possible; find out if your shop has any Black Gates they will sell. You will probably want to upgrade the coupling capacitors. The speakers binding posts are plastic and can strip easily; upgrading to the Audio Note silver all metal posts is a big improvement and will easily accomodate 4mm spades.

I think this piece is a little newer as it has all the inputs on the back, also it has already been upgraded to the metal binding posts. Thanks for your input, really. But i must admit I'm still a little confused. Does the K&k step up offer any cartridge loading, in ohms, or is it left up to the soro to sort it out? Also what would be considered an active step up, or how is that determined? Sorry if i sound dumb but this really is rather new to me.
Oh and Happy New Year!