Category: Gear

I have the pleasure of enjoying the Audio Note OTO Phono SE Signature amplifier in my system. Peter Qvortrup, the owner of Audio Note UK, was generous enough to send me a unit to test and review. In my initial email to him, I simply stated that I was interested in this pure Class A single-ended amplifier, which would probably suit my taste better than my push-pull Line Magnetic LM-211IA. A few weeks later, Andy Whittle, the Sales Manager of Audio Note UK, was standing downstairs with a large, 20-kilogram box containing the requested amplifier. After unpacking it, I realized that I’m not accustomed to seeing such solid build quality every day.

Continue reading “First Impressions of the Audio Note OTO Phono SE Signature Integrated Amplifier”

I postponed writing this review for quite some time, being aware that reviewing a component I own and use as a reference might not be very useful to the reader. I mean, the LM-211IA is the best amplifier I have ever had in my system, and since I have never heard anything better, there is nothing else I can say other than to praise its virtues and express my positive feelings toward its performance. This, I guess, might be rather boring to read, and that is why I was thinking of writing this review only after stumbling upon an amplifier that could outperform it, giving me a proper point of comparison.

Continue reading “Line Magnetic LM-211IA Integrated Tube Amplifier”

Some time has passed since the Fostex FE108-Sol drivers replaced the former Sigma models in my back-loaded horn enclosures, and I have had enough time to experiment further with them. As mentioned earlier, removing the notch filters, which were necessary for linearizing the frequency response of the Sigmas, brought a great deal of refinement. I realized how destructively the combination of resistor, capacitor, and inductor in the signal path could act, and looking back now I can say—there is no way back to using them.

Continue reading “Fostex FE108-Sol in the BK108 Enclosure — An Update”

I had a chance to try a new amplifier over the weekend, guys. It was a non-negative-feedback solid-state device in the price range slightly below €3k. I spotted it a long time ago after reading a rather positive review in a French magazine. I contacted the brand owner and asked if I could have one for a week to check how it would perform against my current tube amplifier. Although it was twice as expensive as my current one, I was quite sceptical about the transistor contender being able to outperform my tube Line Magnetic LM-211IA amp.

Continue reading “The Review That Never Happened”