Blog #7
Audio Note (UK) at Bristol 2026....
Myself and Daniel Qvortrup Director of Audio Note (UK) in front of a magnificent Audio Note (UK) system, Bristol Hifi Show February 2026.
What was the big reveal?
Yes, it's here, the Audio Note (UK) OTO SE 35th anniversary edition!
What's improved? The 35th Anniversary OTO SE has:
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A new output transformer designed specifically for the amplifier and wound in-house. The main PSU has been redesigned, now including a choke (also in-house designed and made), with optimised time constants, along with some refinements to the power amp board.​
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An improved phono stage, increasing its sensitivity and, together with the new power amplifier board, it means the additional line stage that was necessary in the old Phono version can be removed. This retains phase integrity and reduces noise.
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​The wiring loom and internal shielding have also been revised which, together with the new PSU and in-house designed and manufactured mains transformer, have yielded significant improvements everywhere.
Interior photograph of the new OTO SE PHONO Signature showing the beautifully presented phono stage.
More internal views of the same OTO SE Signature, note the choke top right, part of the PSU (power supply unit) which used to only be available in the level 3 MEISHU and upwards. This upgrade on it's own would yield a substantial sonic improvement, let alone the additional upgrades.
How will this change the sound?
Lead Designer Andy Grove decided it was time to give the OTO SE a complete makeover. The result is an amplifier with a more realistic 'bass kick', the kind of physical presence you feel when you are in the room with a kick drum or a bass guitar. It remains an all-round musical, fun-to-live-with amplifier, but it can now summon a serious amount of attitude when the recording demands it.
The show system...
Show system looking impressive with lovely floor lights which imitated lit valves, I think if these were for sale many dozens would have been sold, they set the scene very thematically. I'd have been first in the queue for a couple!
First source was the 3 motor level 3 TT3 turntable powered by the PSU 3 external power supply in black finish. The PSU 3 is second from the top of the external power supplies for the TT3 and is apparently the "sweet spot" so I was very curious to experience this combination. This TT3 has a level 3 ARM 3 fitted which is wired with AN Vx arm cable and a level 4 IO 2 moving coil cartridge in classic gunmetal. ARM 3 was in silver although black (which I picked for my system) is also available. Daniel informed me this was an IO 2 which incorporated recent improvements from Darko Greguras (Audio Note (UK) R&D engineer). I was looking very forward to experiencing this combination as by now I had quite a few hours under my belt listening to my system and feel pretty familiar with the model down in the IO range which I own (IO 1 blue, initial system report to follow). Apparently these new improvements are for all 4 IO cartridges and are sonically very substantial, when I know more about this I'll be sure to let you know.
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Not pictured is the step up transformer, this was the level 3 AN S3, so the next model up from my AN S2 which from my recent listening sounds incredible.
CD 3.1x/ii in black acrylic, I have the aluminium fascia version at home and love it's impressive sound (see picture below).
My CD3.1x/ii with aluminium fascia happily settled in at home. Note TT PSU (TT2 deluxe external power supply) also in aluminium on bottom shelf to try to keep it as far away from the turntable as possible.
The next source component was the CD 3.1x/ii, I have listened extensively every day to mine over the last 2 months and have by now racked up nearly 250 hours so feel I know it pretty well. Only difference (apart from fascia colour), I run a level 3 ISIS top of the range copper interconnect to the amplifier whilst here there is the top of the range level 3 silver interconnect AN V. I was interested to hear this combination.
Here's the 35th anniversary OTO PHONO SE Silver Signature, and then the one I have at home nestled happily on the rack, this has also racked up nearly 250 hours in the 2 months since I brought it home and it sounds truly magnificent. I was fascinated to hear the 35th anniversary version at the show. I will be well placed to directly comment on both versions in my house as the silver OTO above was a kind loan and I should receive my 35th Anniversary OTO PHONO SE Silver Signature in the next week or so, now the official release is done.
AN J SPe level 3 speakers in black ash sounding great
Last but certainly not least were a lovely pair of level 3 black ash finish AN J SPe speakers on AN J stands fed by top of the level 3 range SPe bi wired speaker cable. The mains cable and mains block were level 3 ISIS copper wired. The interconnects were all top of the range for level 3 AN V silver. I used to love our AN J speakers when I was a retailer and have very happy musical memories of them, I can compare them to recent experience of my level 2 AN K LX with level 2 bi wired LEXUS LX cabling (which are spellbinding), so will be happy to rekindle the relationship again!
Well how did it sound?
Probably best to start with a few short answers:
Joyful!
Room-filling!
Live sounding!
Familiar!
Forgettable!
What? I get the first 3, but familiar and forgettable?
Ok, let me explain.....
Familiar!
The show system has the same Audio Note sound and character as my system at home but just more expansive in every direction. I listened to music I had brought in that I know really well and enjoy at home. Here they were all, without exception presented in a truly memorable, toe tapping fashion.
I brought with me 3 records and 3 CDs, the records were:
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a mono recording of My Fair Lady from 1956 which I highly, highly recommend, tight performance and real being there feeling, a real eye opener.
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Rammstein "Mutter", a huge driving rhythm, a true wall of sound with Till Lindemanns growling voice centre stage. Rammstein at their best.
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New Model Army, 12" 45 rpm ep, pared down driving hypnotic basslines and soaring vocals. Bought from eBay last week for £4 - bargain.
​And the CD I bought to Bristol were:
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Gotye "moving mirrors" cd bought last month from eBay for £5 and is truly epic, try it and you won't regret it. Track 9 has a jaw dropping deep slapping leathery bass, every track a stormer.
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Wire "chairs missing". I've owned this for 30 years and has never ever sounded so good as on an Audio Note system, here at the show, you want to listen over and over it's stunning. I had several listeners asking me what it was so they could buy it for themselves.
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A low baller, Deutsche Grammophon sampler I recorded on a CDR from 1999. Rubbish you may think?! Not at all. Every track is spine chillingly live and track 3 Rimsky-Korsakovs Sheherazade was notably epic, the timpanis rolling forward, when the music ebbs and flows it gives you a jump-scare, it's truly front row stuff.
Forgettable!
The system 100% let the music take centre stage. I am a keen observer of people and situations and I could see the Audio Note system say "I'll step aside, but just see what I can do" whilst there was a frenzy of everyone's favourite music queued up to get the next opportunity to give it's best.
People were bringing their own music in, there were no sterile "demo discs" in earshot, nothing was filtered for it's audiophile qualities. Reggae, Metal, Classical, Jazz, Rap everything was getting it's 15 minutes in the spotlight like an Audio Note version of TVs "The Voice".
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Daniel was lining up disc after disc, a few people were dancing, all at a neighbour unfriendly volume. I was loving it as was everyone else there. As my Sheherazade finished, a listener got up from a seat in front of me, looked me in the eye and said to me one word.... "Convincing"..... paused then left saying no more. No more words were passed but I KNOW he'd had an experience and an indelible impression had been left. I knew how he felt, as I'd had the same experience 25 years ago when I first heard Audio Note, that feeling stayed with me and now I own a slice of that feeling.
Summing up......
Steve a current Audio Note owner having a great time and also brought a couple of bags of doughnuts for our enjoyment, thanks Steve! Nice to have met you.
Tarun Sharma from my favourite YouTube channel "A British Audiophile". I really enjoy his reviewing style and asked him to consider reviewing more Audio Note products as he's already done the level zero range. Who knows what the future holds!
ps he's a top bloke as well, no airs and graces and clearly loves music.
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Click Here to see his Audio Note Zero series review.
I hope I haven't disappointed too many with my show report. I haven't concentrated on frequency responses, how the equipment measures or any other audiophile favourites. If you want to know, is the show system better than my level 2 system at home? One word. Yes. Clearly, the AN J Spe have a room satisfying deep controlled bass, the treble was pin sharp but never too bright. The experience you were attending a musical event was even more enhanced. I can hear this is a more accomplished system than mine but all I wanted to do when I got home after 6 hours listening to music was....play more music. Listening fatigue was absolutely zero, in fact I had become energised, I'd turned into a music sponge, THAT is what to me an Audio Note music system does that no other can come close to. In the words of Daniel Qvortrup "We always like to make sure the Audio Note room is welcoming, music is all about human expression, and I think the social and shared experience of it all is very important." I couldn't say more.
What's in blog #8?
The first report of how my new level 2 Audio Note (UK) sounds, at home, at last!
7 blogs in and finally records and Cds are spinning. 2 months and 250 hours in already and music is on every day.
I'm looking forward to sharing this with you, hope you are too, see you soon and happy listening!